Unexplained Bouts Of Illness

[kickchick2000]

I haven't been on GT in a over week because I've been processing what's been going on with Milky Way my 11.5 year old boy. Over the past year he has had several weird bouts of illness.

 

October 2010 was the first; late one night he simply could not put weight on his back leg, vet visit the next day, x-rays show nothing more than arthritis- pain meds and he's fine within a few days.

 

November 2010- Milky Way fell down the back steps tearing off a toenail. My husband said it's like his legs just quit working midway up the steps.- toenail has to be removed all the way to he nail bed, pain meds, sore foot for weeks.

 

April 2011-(I posted about this event back in the spring) sudden partial paralysis in back legs, screaming , can't walk- rush to vets, vets think someghing neurological, pain meds, steroid injections, x-rays. Several days later front leg swells 2-3 times it's normal size, more meds, and now a front leg x-ray. Nothing on the x-ray other than arthritis.. Milky Way recovers from this episode and is back to normal within about 2 weeks.

 

September 2011- I notice Milky Way stopping tensing up I assume it's his arthritis acting up due to the weather change. pain meds and it seems to go away

 

October 1, my dad keeps Milky Way for 2 days while I go out of town, he observes the same behavior tensing up but this time he says it is accompanied by heavy breathing. by the time I'm home this episode is over.

 

October 9, Milky Way all of a sudden has some kind of growth on his side, it;s small like a worm but hard. Hubby thought it was a tick so he tried to remove it causing it to bleed. It's a Sunday so we call and leave a mesage with the vets so we can get an appointment Monday

 

October 10th- Go to the vets at 4pm, everything is normal, weird thing looks like a skin tag but since DH tried to pluck it off it's a little damaged, vets just want to monitor it for a few days. (skin tag has since disapeared)

 

October 11th- Hubby calls me in a panic when he gets home from work, saying something isn't right with Milky Way. I rush home to find him shaking, unable to walk, very heavy breathing, call our vet who meets us after hours, temp was almost 106, start an IV, draw blood, etc... after 2 hours temp is coming down, White blood cell count is normal, blood work appears ok, breathing is slowing down. Leave the vets around 9pm with the plan of dropping him off in the am for an all day observation.I stay up all night taking his temp every hour to make sure it stays down.

 

October 12- drop Milky Way off at vets, still dopped up from the night before so he's shaky but able to stand now. Spends the entire day at the vets, they x-ray everything on him, repeat all blood work and more tests, Nothing unusual on the X-rays and all blood work is fine it's like he is magically better. Trots out of the vets like nothing is wrong. Vet can't believe it considering how he was the night before. Vets prescribes heavy dose of antibiotics unless it's some kind of infection hiding out.

 

Today October 19th back to normal.

 

Vets are at a loss as to what is causing these weird episodes. He isn't getting into anyting or eating anyting so we have NO idea. Something is causing this but we can't seem to find anything. Vets even thought it might be diskospondylitis (weird spinal infection, EXCEPT his white blood cell count is normal) Any ideas???? I feel like we are missing something.

 

 

[Batmom]

Clots?

[duncan41]

Wow! That has got to be scary. I have no experience nor advice, but I will be praying for your boy and for a dx.

[mom2zeus]

Do the events happen at the same time as any event like monthly heart worm or flea meds or change in work schedule?

 

I understand the frustration. our Milky way (also 11.5) has had issues of her legs swelling up and strange brusing but then is fine. In April we almost lost her and the vet has no idea why she got so sick. Her liver valuse were off the charts and she couldn't walk. We were preparing ourselfs to let her go the next day but when I called for a morning update he said she was up walking and eating on her own. everyone is clueless on the cause or why she got better. The assumption is some kind of auto immune responce that causes her body to over react to something little (bumping into something causes a lump or LARGE bruse instead of the normal reaction of a little bruse). No real prevention just keep a close eye on her and treat the issues as they come along so we watch her like a hawk and are always waiting for something to happen.

 

Good thoughts for your Milky Way from us and our Milky Way.

[kickchick2000]

I wish there was some kind of connection, then at least I would know what was causing all this. . I feel like I've analyzed the situation to death and can't find anything. The first time it happened I thought it was a reaction to the flea and tick meds but turns out it wasn't. Last week the ER docs were sure he wasn't going to make, today he's running in the yard, it's such a roller coaster of emotions.

 

 

Mom2zues, back in April we also had a weird leg swelling issue and the inability to walks. Milkers front right leg looked like a mastiffs front leg, over the course a a few days the swelling went away. I will certainly ask the vet next week about the possibility of it being something autoimmune.

Maybe this weird stuff just happens to dogs with the name Milky Way, just kidding.

 

I hope your Milky Way stays healthy and doesn't have another episode.

[JJNg]

Have you done a full tick-borne disease panel, including Bartonella? If he has chronic discospondylitis, there should be some visible evidence of it on spinal x-rays.

[tbhounds]

I thought clots too. Have you checked his urine- often overlooked.