Myositis

[Guest KingTermite]

One of my beautiful boys (littermate brothers), Ammo, has been having some occasional pain that my wife and I were unable to determine the cause of. It first happened about a month or two ago and we went to vet on their few Saturday hours and the weekend vet thought it was a pinched nerve. Gave some muscle relaxers and all seemed fine after a day or two.

 

Then when we were away the week before last, the sitter we had said he was not eating well. She went to vet and got some good soft food and was able to get him to eat a little. We came home and he seemed fine, so we thought it was just nervousness that mommy and daddy were gone.

 

Then last week he stopped eating for us. Was acting odd for a few days and we thought he was just sick, virus or tummy ache. I took him to vet Friday and he quickly realized pain was in his mouth. When vet tried to open his mouth a little to look in, he would yelp. Then I tried it and he yelped for me too.

 

He had to put Ammo under to examine his mouth and make sure there were no objects or abscesses in his mouth. Mouth was clean, so he took x-rays. X-rays looked fine.

 

He finally decided, he was almost certain it was myocitis. Something where the immune system attacks the muscle fibers, especially the masticatory muscles. I OK'd a test that should verify this is the problem.

 

-------------

 

Ok, that was the background. The result is that his muscles are inflamed and he can hurt at any moment. If I just pet him....if a muscle decides that moment to go in to pain, he can yelp from a small pet or rubbing, although he's usually ok with that. The bigger problem is that he's almost afraid to eat because chewing hurts so bad.

 

I'm hopeful that a few days of meds and that will be back to relative normal, but I'll probably keep him on soft food for quite some time so he doesn't have to chew hard kibble.

 

What bothers me is that I don't see or hear from my vet (and he's a good one who knows greyhounds) any long term solution. It seems like there is nothing that "gets rid" of this. The current cocktail is carafate and prednisone. It seems to me this is treating the symptoms. The vet said we'd probably have to keep him on meds for quite some time.

 

Is there no long-term plan for myositis? Is treating the symptoms all we can do?

[MP_the4pack]

My girl Pearl was misdiagnosed with myositis. The vet just had her on pred....which for a dog with hypertension is a very bad drug. But he did say that with fairly high doses of pred for about 3 months.....it could cure her and that she just may develope it again, or never have another bout.

 

It turned out to be an abscess tooth. The little one WAY in the back on top.

 

So my hypertensive dog was put on pred for no good reason.

 

But if your vet put you boy under, I would think that he got an excellen look at the teeth.

 

 

[CaliforniaGreys]

The only thing I know about this condition is that it's treated with high doses of a steroid, usually Pred and after a time, they try to reduce the steroid however usually the dog will need to remain on a dose which is what the vet shoots for.

[ahicks51]

Drop me an email; you don't have enough posts to send a PM.

 

Reverse it: cox.net, at ahicks51.

 

 

[Burpdog]

Has he had a TBD panel done?

[Guest KingTermite]

Has he had a TBD panel done?

I'm not sure. I OK'd some test which is supposed to test specifically for myositis. Is that the test you mean? I don't remember the name of the test.

 

Drop me an email; you don't have enough posts to send a PM.

 

Reverse it: cox.net, at ahicks51.

Email coming.

[Burpdog]

No. Myostitis from what I am reading is a generalized term.

 

When Mizzy was screaming in pain if you touched her, or she ran away, finally figured out her molar was fractured even though it didn't appear to be until she was anesthetized for a dental. Pulled it and she was fine.

[Guest KingTermite]

No. Myostitis from what I am reading is a generalized term.

 

When Mizzy was screaming in pain if you touched her, or she ran away, finally figured out her molar was fractured even though it didn't appear to be until she was anesthetized for a dental. Pulled it and she was fine.

Well, going under and a thorough mouth exam probably would have caught the tooth.....and since I'm occasionally seeing pain manifest in other places, I'm guessing it is more muscle inflamation.

 

 

ahicks51 mentioned what the TBD panel was. I may mention it to the doctor when I'm in there today. I'm going in for a few minutes to have his catheter removed. They left it in just in case he needed to come back. I'm guessing he may want to wait for the other test to come back and see what it shows first. I remember him telling me that tics were not a big problem here in the Pacific Northwest like there were in Florida (where we moved here from).

[Guest KingTermite]

Just so you all know who we're talking about...here's a few photos of Ammo.

 

His birthday a few years ago (1st birthday after I got him)

 

The typical cockroach position.

 

A day at the beach.

 

What flags are you talking about?

 

Well....mommy didn't like them. She said I could play with them.

 

 

[ahicks51]

I remember him telling me that tics were not a big problem here in the Pacific Northwest like there were in Florida (where we moved here from).

 

Racers tend to get around quite a bit; dogs that have so much as passed through the southwest run the risk of coccidiomycosis ("Valley Fever") which may require lifetime medication, and dogs from areas where ticks are common run the risk of TBDs. If your vet doesn't see many TBDs, that may not be high on his list of suspicions.

[Guest Ashley]

Ammo looks like such a sweetheart, I really hope you figure out definitely what it is and he can be pain-free as soon as possible. Kisses for Ammo!

[Burpdog]

He is handsome What is his race name?

[Guest KingTermite]

He is handsome What is his race name?

Odd Ammo. I just dropped the "Odd" and kept the Ammo. Same as with his brother Solomon. They seemed to kind of know their names, so I didn't change them.

 

 

Here are Ammo and Solomon together.

 

 

[turbotaina]

Masticular myositis? There was a dog we were going to bring in who we thought had that. We didn't end up getting him due to a foster home shortage at the time (Burpdog knows the dog I'm talking about - Denthead), but we suspect he had masticular myositis. It's where the immune system attacks the masticular muscles and it's treated with pred until it subsides. You can usually control it OK as long as you keep an eye on your dog and understand when it's getting painful for him to open his mouth. The jaw will lock up if you don't keep an eye on it and treat it accordingly.

Edited September 28, 2009 by turbotaina

[Burpdog]

I thought he might be a Molotov son Love those boys!

 

A TBD can lay dormant for 5-7 years (maybe more). Please do a panel at Protatek and check for erlichia, babesia etc. He raced in Florida.

 

What are his platelets, RBC, HCT & WBC?

[Guest KingTermite]

I thought he might be a Molotov son Love those boys!

 

A TBD can lay dormant for 5-7 years (maybe more). Please do a panel at Protatek and check for erlichia, babesia etc. He raced in Florida.

 

What are his platelets, RBC, HCT & WBC?

Yes, he definitely raced in FL. That's where I got him. I used to live in Clearwater, FL.

 

Yes, he's a Molotov boy........one of the hundreds or so.

 

 

OK...what you say makes perfect sense. I'll mention it to the vet today and try to get that test done.

 

[Burpdog]

Dr. Stack has in her article on erlichiosis that if they are in crisis they may test negative. That is why I asked about the blood test results. Sometimes you can make an educated guess from symptoms and blood test results.

 

Masticular myositis? There was a dog we were going to bring in who we thought had that. We didn't end up getting him due to a foster home shortage at the time (Burpdog knows the dog I'm talking about - Denthead), but we suspect he had masticular myositis. It's where the immune system attacks the masticular muscles and it's treated with pred until it subsides. You can usually control it OK as long as you keep an eye on your dog and understand when it's getting painful for him to open his mouth. The jaw will lock up if you don't keep an eye on it and treat it accordingly.

 

And remember the new tick disease becoming more prevelant? One of the symptoms is loss of muscle mass. This one is from eating ticks, not the tick bite:

 

Topic on American Canine Hepatazoonosis

 

from the link in that topic:

 

Diseased dogs are often febrile, stiff, lethargic, and depressed. Gait abnormalities and muscle wasting are usually obvious, as is copious mucopurulent ocular discharge. Atrophy of head muscles is especially noticeable. Dogs may eat readily when food is placed immediately in front of them, but they often refuse to move to food and water, presumably owing to intense pain, which derives in part from periosteal bone proliferation and inflamed muscles

[Guest trevdog]

Hi from Tampa and sorry to hear about your boy. Definitely get the TBD tests done, the symtoms can manifest themselves in very odd ways.

[Guest LynnM]

Joplin had a short bout with this during his last year. It was just one of the autoimmune oddities that cropped up from time to time. He had Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and while that was usually kept in pretty good control, once in a while, we'd wake up in the morning and there'd be something goofy like this, or his platelets decided to take off for the weekend (resulting in lots of bruising), or something of that sort. We'd go for a vet check and add prednisone for a little while until the symptoms resolved, and then he'd be back down to just his regular meds for IBD.

 

Lynn

[tydyelady]

Chris - I am so glad to see you on this board - I was going to suggest you come here, or I was going to ask for some advice about Ammo. There are many informed folks on this board, and you will get some excellent suggestions. We have to get your boy back to running at the playgroups.

[Guest KingTermite]

Chris - I am so glad to see you on this board - I was going to suggest you come here, or I was going to ask for some advice about Ammo. There are many informed folks on this board, and you will get some excellent suggestions. We have to get your boy back to running at the playgroups.

Hi there Sue. I wondered if you'd find my thread. I tried to send you a message, but PM's are apparently blocked for new members.

 

 

I've actually been a member here before, but they apparently delete your account if you are inactive for a while.

 

Hi from Tampa and sorry to hear about your boy. Definitely get the TBD tests done, the symtoms can manifest themselves in very odd ways.

Hi there. I don't know if you saw (or even if I mentioned it) earlier, but I got my boys from Tampa. I lived most of my life there. I was actually living in Clearwater when I got the boys from G.R.E.A.T.

 

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Just as a quick update. I'm feeling much better about the situation. Ammo finally realized he can eat yesterday and has been eating a LOT. He had 4 or 5 cans yesterday (the A/D stuff from vet, small cans, cat food sized). He had 2 more cans this morning for breakfast.

 

I'm using the syringe to mix crushed pills in water and shoot in his mouth now, so he's getting all or most of his meds.

 

I think the crisis part is over. Thanks all for the suggestions and support.

 

 

The doctor was not in office yesterday when I took him to get catheter removed (they'd left it in just in case he needed to return) so I could not ask him about the TBD panel. I'll mention it though next time I call him for a status update. My guess is that he'll say to keep that if the test for myositis returns a negative. He seemed very sure that myositis was the right diagnosis.

[Burpdog]

Probably because he has no tick experience.

 

bold added

 

These organisms have profound depressive effects on the host’s immune system. This is manifested in a lack of antibodies and vulnerability of the infected animal to secondary infections. They can also cause the host to mount immune reactions against its own cells, resulting in the destruction of blood cells or blood cell progenitors in the bone marrow. Joints may become inflamed and swollen, and joint fluid shows all the characteristics of autoimmune polyarthritis. Lyme nephritis – a protein losing disease affecting the kidney and resembling the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus – is being widely reported. Affected dogs may also suffer from other autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel syndrome, myositis, and uveitis. Many affected dogs are reported to suffer from skin "allergies", another indication of immune system dysfunction. At this time, there is no evidence that these autoimmune manifestations require genetic predisposition.

 

Tick Disease

[Guest KingTermite]

Well, lots to report since I last posted on this.

 

Ammo seemed fine after coming home....well, not fine, but better. He was eating relatively normal. After a few days though it was time to pull the pain patch off. When we did so, he looked like he was in pain within 15 minutes. I now suspect it was only coincidence.

 

He started acting painful again. Not that bad, but enough we took him back in the next day to get another pain patch for him. This time the pain patch didn't seem to help (why I suspect it was just coincidence earlier). The next day I had the vet look at him again. He didn't see anything "new" to give him any ideas and said he wanted to call a specialist to consult, but as it was Friday afternoon he'd not have luck until Monday, so we had to wait.

 

He also mentioned the the test for myositis came back negative. Its a test that "if its positive - its positive and if its negative, it could be a false negative" he said. I'm starting to think it may not be myositis as most websites say it improves quickly with steroids and Ammo did not. I also had them draw blood to do the TBD test that was suggested. Still waiting for results.

 

Over the next few days Ammo started seeming like he was in more and more pain. I was suspecting the meds were not helping at all. The doctor did not call Monday.

 

When we got home from work Monday evening, Ammo seemed to be in a lot of pain. He seemed very distressed. He looked dehydrated and was drooling and foaming a little bit. He was back in the mode where there were sharp pains all over and petting him seemed to be painful if you hit "just the right spot at the right time".

 

I called the vet (great vet....gave me his cell phone). He suggested some Tramadol. He was going to go back up to his office to dispense me some, but I checked and had some leftover Tramadol here from a previous incident with the other hound.

 

Anyway, the Tramadol didn't seem to help. He was still pretty painful and distressed as we went to bed. We made the decision to take him back in first thing in morning. By morning he had settled down on a rug in the kitchen, but I think it may have been more "gave out" on the rug than "settled down". He really looked rough....kind of listless.

 

Took him back to vet where he is right now.

 

I don't recall if I mentioned it earlier, but when they originally took xrays, they found something in his nose that looked like it could be a tumor, but it seemed so "slight" they thought it could be an artifact on the xray too. Beginning to wonder if that is the main cause. The doctor said if it is, that's very, very bad.

 

Please pray for Ammo.

[tbhounds]

Forgive me I haven't read the whole thread but, it sounds like he may have "wind-up" pain at this point. If so, he'll need iv pain management. Did you mention that he was on corticosteroids??? If so, if he had a TBD he would have crashed being on the steroids--so, you can most likely rule them out. Sorry your boy hurts

[Guest Shermanator]

Your Ammo looks like my boy, Patton.

Patton has been diagnosed with the same thing, but his problem is in his leg.

P has always limped, as long as we have had him (5 years.) We have a very grey-savvy vet, who diagnosed him. We ran the absolute gauntlet of tests - tick panels, xrays, valley fever, everything! And, everything came back normal. His joints are fine, its the muscles that cause him lots of pain. He dictates how we treat him. He always llimps a bit, and doesn't put a lot of weight on that leg when he stands, so we know he's ok. If he starts crying, and is stiff, we give him some ascription, and massage. If he is more lethargic, and doesn't really want to play, and cries more often, he goes to the vet, and we usually get some rymadill (sp.?) If he simply stops using the leg, and hops, he's at the vet for some prednisone.

Its been a long 5 years to get to this point, since there is so little information. However, Patton lives a happy, life with walks and romps in the park. We just do a little more pain management than normal.

Patton's on the right, Sherman is on the left.