Guest knitkass Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 A little back history. Callay had some weird neck pain back in March. An MRI and CT scan showed nothing abnormal, her bloodwork was fine, and a spinal tap showed some inflammatory cells, but nothing obviously wrong. Pain meds and rest resolved the pain, but on a checkup she presented with a heart murmur. An echo revealed a thickening of a valve, consistent with a vegetative lesion. Blood cultures showed up nothing, but she titered positive for Bartonella. Massive antibiotics, and when they're all over she started feeling better and was eating well. After a couple of weeks of doing better, Callay suddenly spiked with a fever, not too bad, but bad enough to be concerned, around 103-104. Testing showed nothing abnormal in her bloodwork, a repeated echo showed no change in the thickened valve, an abdominal ulstrasound showed nothing abnormal, but a couple of her joints were swollen. So today she's back at the vet's again for a joint aspiration and an ANA test. Hopefully that will reveal what's been going on with her. Positive vibes please. My poor girl is down to 26.8 kg, her racing weight was around 30 kg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Poor peanut. Sending prayers. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Sending prayers and positive thoughts here! Let's hope it is treatable like last time, and thing will be fine. Do keep us posted! Hugs! Dee, Curfew, Goldie, Oakly, Staggerlee, and Cari. Bold Energy, Dasher and Max at The Bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokealong Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Sending positive vibes your way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Prayers for your little girl Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tenderhearts Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tydyelady Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Prayers that they can resolve this issue and your girl will be feeling better soon. Quote Mom to Toley (Astascocita Toley) DOB 1/12/09, and Bridge Angel Opie (Wine Sips Away) 3/14/03-12/29/12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Adding my prayers and good thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyPoopon Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 for a diagnosis and a quick and effective treatment plan. Quote Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13) Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23). Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09-4/24) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Thanks all. I just wish I knew I was doing the right thing you know? I mean, it would seem wrong to just stop when we've done so much trying to figure it out, but sometimes I wonder if she's just too sick. It's not like she understands all of this. I'll post what the results are when I know them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandysMom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Sending prayers Quote Beverly. Missing my happy toy-flinging boy Sammy (Where's Mandrill), (8/12/2009-9/30-2021) Desperately missing my angel Mandy (BB's Luv) [7/1/2000 - 9/18/2012]. Always missing Meg the Dalmatian and Ralph Malph the Pekeapoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 So the joint tap indicated that she has a lot of cells i her joints that don't really belong there, but since it's in all of her joints, that's not consistent with an injury or with regular arthritis. So she still could have some sort of immune mediated arthritis, or it could be that since she has a systemic blood infection and endocarditis, immune cells that are activated and trying to fight off the infection are settling in her joints. So she's now on Rimadly, Azithromycin and Ciprofloxacin, plus metclopromide for nausea. I don't think the metclopromide has really started working yet, but the "gentle force feeding" has gone better. So either she's resigned to the fact that mommy will be using the tongue depressor to smear wet food into her mouth, or she's starting to get an appetite. She even did eat a couple of bites of her wetted kibble (smeared with some Pot Roast flavored gravy from Iams) So here's hoping I'm going out of town for the next few days, and she's staying at the vet's where they've assured me they will make sure she eats all of her food, even if they have to sit her down and force feed her like how I do it. So I feel good, leaving her at a vet's. Keep those positive vibes and prayers coming. Those plus the meds will just HAVE to work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencers_Greyt Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Poor Callay! I'll keep her in my prayers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandimom Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Prayers and good thoughts coming your way for you and Callay. All paws crossed at this sofa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Callay did really well at the vet's office, and they were able to keep her eating. She's still got a fever, but it broke briefly last night. Down to 101.6 from in the 103-104 range. Maybe it'll be gone again when I get back home from work. I hate leaving her home alone, but what else can I really do? I'm rather frustrated with the vet's office, I still have no results from the cultures and the test for lupus, although they'd said it should be in by the end of last week. And no return calls yet either. grr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Call, call & call again. You've paid for those services (& many many others) & your girl is still ill. I have no patience for that kind of stuff. Cultures take as long as they take (I think they need to wait for the bacteria to grow), so they may very well not have the results, but they should keep you posted. Continued good wishes. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KyGrey Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Sending prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest davidml Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 sending wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Still no real improvement. Lupus came back negative, the cultures from the joint taps came back negative. She's not really responding to the antibiotic treatment, or if she is, she's responding slowly. We have her diarrhea under control now with the addition of 1/2 can pumpkin every other day, her fever has come down to around 102.5 ish, from 103-104, so that's good. The vet wants to try one of two different drugs. One of which requires constant repeated monitoring to make sure they don't kill the kidney, and the other requires IV injection. The latter is more expensive, but it's more broad-spectrum. Since they haven't actually ID'd what's causing it I'm hesitant to do either. Although the plan is to try one of them, and if it doesn't work then try immunosuppression. My thought is instead of treating her with still more antibiotics, spend the money looking harder for autoimmune before doing a course of cortisone. But I'm not a vet. This is so dang frustrating. We didn't have insurance before this happened, so can't get insurance now. We've spent lots of money now at the best vet hospital in the area and STILL no answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greyhound1 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Sending prayers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 where are you located? Have you done a tick panel? Sending prayers! Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boondog Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 where are you located? Have you done a tick panel? Sending prayers! I had the same questions. You might want to contact Dr. Couto at Ohio State. He will consult with you or your vet free of charge. I'll be thinking of you and Callay. greyosu@osu.edu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) Yeah, tick panels have been done. She was positive for lyme, which is normal for being vaccinated, and she was positive for Bartonella, which I think is why they keep chasing it. It doesn't make sense that they even want to try a gram-negative drug though, since Bartonella is G+. I emailed Dr Couto. That's awesome that he does free consults. I think it's very much time for a second opinion Oh, and I'm in NC. We've been going to the NCSU Vet Teaching Hospital Edited June 1, 2009 by knitkass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytluv Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Prayers she feels better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest knitkass Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 thanks everyone for your happy thoughts. I've finally gotten to the requisite number of posts, and have put up my avatar. This was taken when she was feeling good and being silly and talky at me I love my little girl so much. I just want her to get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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