Subq, Lung Rockets, Recurring Fuo And Antibiotics

[Guest newyorkgrey]

And we're back, this time with a fever of unknown origin. My older dog Iowa came down with a fever and spent 2 nights and 3 days on IV at the vet hospital. She was prescribed Amoxicillin and Enrofloxacin. Within 24 hours back home she was eating regularly, playing - basically almost herself. One week into this she turned her nose up at dinner with the meds mixed in. Same thing at breakfast then an hour later she ate heartedly and lapped up all the meds, but by last night she was hot again and fever spiked to 104 this morning.

 

Iowa is 6 and has never been sick. The X-rays and blood tests showed nothing other than elevated white cells. Today we did ultrasound, and it showed she was totally fine other than "lung rockets," which I understand mean she has wet lungs. Last week she did not seem to have congestion, and this time she does. I could hear it in her nose. The vet threw out more tests that could be done, but if treatment is basically the same - antibiotics - then I'm not sure what shelling out another thousand will get us. We are supposed to come home tomorrow with Doxycycline and a subQ kit. I am also concerned that she may have picked something up from another dog when she stayed at the vets. Pretty much anything goes in the FUO category. My main concern is that the care I give her pulls her out of this. Any advice on Doxycycline versus Amoxicillin is greatly appreciated. If anyone has performed subcutaneous hydration, please give me your tips. Thank you!

[lukasmom]

Maybe time for a consult with Dr. Couto.

Good luck, this is so frustrating not to know what is wrong with your baby.

[greysmom]

I know ther's a sort of dog flu going around, but with the lung issue it sounds more like aspiration pneumonia or something like that. Did they test for tick born diseases? How about laryngeal paralysis, which might contribute to aspiration? There are also several worm/parasites that can infect the lungs and cause problems.

 

As far as sub q fluids - The first time I gave them I poked the needle clean through her and squirted the top of my dog's neck with saline!! It just takes a little practice to get the hang of it, but it is quite doable at home by amateurs!

 

Here's Dr Couto's email address if you want to explore a consult:

http://www.coutovetconsultants.com/for-ownersadopters/

[Guest newyorkgrey]

Thank you! Testing for tick diseases is on the list, but at any rate the meds and treatment we start tomorrow are what would be prescribed for lyme diseases, etc. anyway. She is in indoor apartment dog in New York City, so I don't see how a tick would have gotten to her.

 

I could have brought Iowa straight home with the Doxycycline and SubQ kit but decided she'd have a better chance of recovery if she could get her temp. down beforehand. I did scrunch up what I could on my other dog's neck for practice and saw how easy it would be to poke all the way through. Just trying to stay positive so she feels the vibes when she comes home tomorrow.

[MaryJane]

This was on my facebook newsfeed --

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/canineflu/keyfacts.htm

[greysmom]

Tick born diseases can lie dormant in the body for a long time before jumping out to cause trouble. And it's just nice to k ow if it's that or not because it can be reoccurring in susceptible dogs, so you can watch for it in the future. But yes. The treatment is basically the same.

[Guest newyorkgrey]

We did not sleep well without her. She is due for some TLC and we are ready to give it to her.

 

I found this on Dr. Couto's website:

 

6. My Greyhound doesn't feel well; could he have a tick-borne disease (TBD)?

These days, TBDs are extremely rare in Greyhounds. In Oho, the prevalence of TBDs is <1%; in the 80s, as many as 70% of Greyhounds were positive for Ehrlichia canis (EC) and/or Babesia canis (BC) due to poor tick control. In a recent study conducted in a West Virginia racetrak, we found no dogs positive for the common TBDs. PLEASE REMEMBER: a positive test for TBDs does not mean that your dog is sick because of that particular organism, since antibodies against the bug can persist for months to years. Your vet can test your dog with in-office kits (e.g.; SNAP 4DX PLUS®).

[tbhounds]

Did they test for canine influenza.? (I believe the sample needs to go to Cornell)

[LaFlaca]

Have her heart checked. We lost 11 year old Wendy this past August with similar mystery symptoms. It is thought that that the FUO damaged her heart. Thoughts for healing coming your way.

 

P.S. We never did find out the cause of the FUO despite doing every test known to man. All the tests came back within normal parameters.

Edited October 23, 2017 by LaFlaca

[Guest newyorkgrey]

The vet called and says her temperature is down, and she is perky this morning but now wants the blood test that was just done redone in case the lab made a mistake. Unbelievable. X-rays and ultrasound showed everything was fine. We can't redo everything in case there was a "mistake." I am going ahead with the blood test on the rare chance my six year old has blood cancer. Yesterday they were trying to convince me my indoor dog was a tick borne disease victim. So, I'm not pleased right now, getting jerked in different directions every 12 hours. I just want my baby home so I can take care of her.

Also, so sorry to hear about Wendy. I am owned and operated by Iowa and Juneau, my two girls!

[NeylasMom]

I agree with testing for canine influenza and tick borne diseases. It is still quite possible your dog has a TBD from track life. It's nice to see that there may be better tick control happening for racing greyhounds, but I wouldn't take that one blurb and assume it means your dog is fine. Many East coast track dogs come from Florida these days and their tick control may be vastly different (and I suspect it is - WV has a grade A track with top racers, Florida is more frequently where dogs grade down and care may be different). Plus a panel through MSU is not cost prohibitive imo. About $150.

[GreyTzu]

Test for Lepto also. Being UTD with vaccine does not mean the dog cannot have it.

 

Also, ask about the antibiotic Zeniquin.

[Guest newyorkgrey]

We had a rough first night. She yowled out in pain a couple of times. I can't think of anything other than her leg hurts from where the IV was inserted. She was panting on and off but remarkably still went straight to eating. She's eaten fairly well today and is much stronger tonight than she was this morning. We did our first subcutaneous liquids, with me screwing up, dropping the needle and having it plunge into the floor mat. She ran off, so glad to see she was motivated to move. But she came back, and we had a peaceful first time hydration with clumsy me. That is real togetherness. She definitely has some minor respiratory situation. No word back on the second blood tests. Barring a call saying she has acute leukemia or something like that, I'm praying her immune system will push through this time.

 

If anybody reads this looking for subQ advice, I think after you clumsily make it through your first run, you will be fine. Some liquid and blood did run down her back. I had medical cotton available to apply . I also do some sewing with a large stick needle and deerskin, and inserting the needle into the dog's skin is a lot more like putting it into butter. It goes right in to the skin tent.

 

Also, she barked at the UPS guy for at least 5 minutes today. I enjoyed every second of it and feel hopeful after making it through last night.

Edited October 25, 2017 by newyorkgrey

[LaFlaca]

Also, she barked at the UPS guy for at least 5 minutes today. I enjoyed every second of it and feel hopeful after making it through last night.

 

Keep barking, baby...keep barking.

[tbhounds]

Ring your vet-if she is eating and drinking well I question if she even needs the sq fluids.

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending good vibes your way.

[Guest newyorkgrey]

The prescription on the subQ fluid bags says use it until she is eating and drinking normally. Since the subQ's were prescribed after a bad relapse of the fever (she was well for almost a full week), I can't take any chances. I'm keeping a log now to monitor her in case of another relapse. Eating normally to me would be lunging after anything that hits the floor, and she is not there yet. She does have enough energy that it was hard for me to administer the fluids last night. She flinched every time the needle poked her and jumped away from me. I had a friend help hold her, and true to herself she went nuts about his hat. She has a thing for stealing hats off the heads of people she likes. Her way of keeping us around! She even played with her favorite Cat in the Hat toy after she got her fluids.

 

The vet had also thought she would not respond to the antibiotics, since she relapsed on Amoxicillin. So far so good, just wondering how after a week of being on the right track last time she got a fever of 105 overnight. The last thing she ate before the relapse was a dental chew, so no more of those ever in case that upset her so much she just didn't want to eat.

 

One more thing for anyone stopping by trying to figure out what to feed a feverish dog. I make all of my dog's food and have for almost two years. Beef broth with oatmeal is a big hit right now. The oatmeal has significant vitamins, minerals and even some protein. I mixed in boiled ground beef and chopped apple. This morning she finally ate some banana, which is usually a big favorite - especially with beef broth.

[racindog]

Might want to be sure you are using organic oatmeal. I read recently that oatmeal is one of the most highly contaminated products with the RoundUp chemical glyphosate. Sorry I don't recall the source but I thought I would let you know in case you want to check on it to see if it is actually true. Hugs to your girl! Love the hat tricks! https://www.naturalhealth365.com/glyphosate-weed-killer-1837.html

[Guest newyorkgrey]

The second blood test came back, and Iowa does NOT have blood cancer. She is coming back on the Doxycycline and is much stronger than she was trying to fight this with Amoxicillin. She got to bark at the cable guy for an entire hour and is back to playing ball.

 

We stopped the subQ after night 3 because she accidentally peed when greeting me on day 4. I figured enough was enough with the hydration. But I am keeping lots of broth in her meals and will continue with that. She is gaining weight that she lost also. So, hopefully she will not relapse again. Feeling very positive!

[Batmom]

Glad she is feeling better!

[Guest newyorkgrey]

I came home and she was lying on the floor looking sick. Temperature of 104+ again. So, back to fluids and the vet is now talking about steroids... Not happy.

[Batmom]

Best thoughts.