Miriam extreme neck pain

[Annette]

Our little girl is doing a sleepover at the UW Vet School in Madison. We don't know if having her corns hulled stressed her enough to irritate an existing condition that she hasn't been telling us about. Most greyhound parents know how stoic they can be sometimes. We were sent home with tramadol on Saturday and Miriam pretty much went through most of it with no relief. Her walking got worse instead of better.

Yesterday morning she didn't eat her marshmallow after she finished breakfast. We figured that she may have decided we were trying to trick her since we were giving her pills with a marshmallow chaser. Last night she ate it without hesitation after her supper.

This morning when I got up she was in what looked like your typical dogbed fail position with most of her body off her pillow. She struggled to get completely back on the bed, and when she did she was panting a lot. She also was not interested in breakfast.

Roy was going to keep a close eye on her and figured if she didn't improve by lunch time he would take her to Madison. Around 6:45 he bent down to pet her neck and she yelped. He called in to work to let them know he wouldn't be able to attend a meeting and that he had someone who would go in his place and he probably would not be working today. After that he called me. I finished up a batch of work that I started then I headed to Madison. Only the patients are allowed in the clinic so I met him there in the parking lot.

What we know so far: Xrays aren't showing signs of cancer on her spine or in her lungs. There is a great deal of pain in her neck. She is on a pain medication drip. She was transferred to neurology and agreed with the emergency vet that the pain in her neck is concerning.

Tomorrow she will get an MRI done and we will go on from there. If there is any lumps to be removed, they will be and then biopsied. If there are no apparent lumps, I am not sure what our next step will be.

The emergency vet also mentioned that her neutraphils were out of wack (my words, not hers). I am not sure what she said the level was.

Miriam is just shy of 14 years old. Her birthday is on September 30th.

Will keep you updated as we learn more.

[BatterseaBrindl]

 

[EllenEveBaz]

Holding Miriam and her family in the Light.  

[macoduck]

[ramonaghan]

 We're sending good thoughts your way. 

[Jerilyn]

Neck pain can really mess them up. Hopefully she just tweaked something and some drugs have her feeling better soon. Love those old ladies!

[FiveRoooooers]

[greysmom]

Remember that neck pain can often be referred from down lower in the shoulders where the scapulas connect to the muscles.  And also to check each leg - toes to shoulders - with xrays/mri, as osteo can lurk there and cause limping and pain as well.

Don't bother with Tramadol if they want to give you another pain med again.  It's been shown to not be effective, even in human patients, and I don't know why vets keep giving it out.  Ask for Codiene Sulfate, Gabapentin or Amitriptyline, or even a tolerated nsaid would be better as a pain reliever 

{{{hugs}}} 

 

[racindog]

Prayers going up immediately for sweet precious Miriam!   Be sure and tell her we are all barking for a quick uneventful recovery! Sending love and positive energy as well!

[Time4ANap]

Thinking about the tramadol I'm wondering if it made the issue worse?  Rocket could not tolerate it at all and it made his coordination terrible so that he walked and acted like he was drunk and was even agitated. Just something to consider. 

Hoping that Miriam is feeling better today and that they get to the bottom of this quickly.

[Houndtime]

Sending good thoughts to Miriam.