My dog is real sick.

[scott_vt]

Good Mornin George,
Im really sorry to hear about your good friend !

As others have said, hopefully the dog will get better soon, taking the decision making out of the picture !

 

[N80]

Thanks again guys. Double Orange, his name is Dash (which was the name of one of Audubon's reteivers) and it is a very fitting name for him when he's healthy.

Jay, the vet did not do any bloodwork, which puzzled me a little. But, here in SC Lymes is not really indigenous. You hear about it from time to time but nothing like in the more northern states. Of course, if he doesn't get better I'll want some bloodwork done.

I called my son, who is at home with Dash right now and he said that with a little help he was able to stagger outside and poop and pee. It doesn't sound like much but 12 hours ago he could not stand up at all. So I'm very encouraged. I'll keep you guys posted and once again, thanks for the thoughts and good advice.

I always thought the amount of money people spent on pets was nuts. I never criticized them but just didn't see myself ever doing that. But 1) Its different when its my pet and 2) this dog is more special than any I've had before. You don't have to walk far in someone else's shoes to understand their viewpoint.

 

[Double Orange]

N80

This not a joke .

Have your son smell into Dash's ear.

I'm serious.

If it stinks he has inner ear infection.

Beat of luck
Your Friend Frank

 

[N80]

I thought of that last night. I did not know it could happen with dogs, but I knew that water in the ear canal can cause pigs to stagger and fall. And Dash had been swimming and jumping off the dock into the water right before this happened. But, his staggering and falling is from weakness not just being off balance and sedated. In other words, his back legs would not function at all. His front left paw was actually curled under tightly.

Definitely a good thought though. Except for the fact that his ears always stink.

 

[Steve_Miller]

Sorry to here of his ailments. Hope he pulls through. Yes, I know all too well of these scenario's, may not be the same but they are family to me as much as our kids are. My first dog (Black Female Lab, 10 1/2 yrs) had Lupus, second one (Lab/Belgian 13 1/2 yrs) had tumors in the lungs and liver, third (Black Female Lab) is still going but starting to get weak in the hind end at nine years of age and the fourth is only ten months old and going strong. We even took the first one for acupuncture weekly (70 mile round trip) for six months which actually helped quite well for the last year or two of her life. My neighbor was just taking his 21 month old Bull Mastiff down to have him put to sleep this afternoon, confirmed yesterday that he had lymphoma and has been on a heavy dose of prednisone for the past two weeks and has that pathetic look in his eyes that's telling you, let me go, I don't want to go on like this. Sorry to babble, getting teary eyed, have to stop. Good luck, let us know how he does.

Steve

 

[Bird]

I'd rather see an animal humanely "put to sleep" permanently than to see that animal suffer. So I think the "logical and sensible" thing to do is to have the dog put down. But being human, emotions sometimes overrule logic, so if it were our little dog, and I thought there was any chance for recovery, and I had the money, I'd have to try everything I could first.

You certainly have my sympathy, George, and maybe some tough decisions. For my part, at least, there's no way I could fault you for whatever you do.

 

[Redbug]

Hello George,

A world without our dogs is a gray world indeed. I would do what you can afford because that's what we do for family members. I have been down that road, too, and do not regret it for a minute. Even though it hurts at the time spending the money. It's difficult to put a price on a life.

Hopefully now he is getting better. I am scratching my head...That is really odd, with those symptoms. Not a stroke, since it came on slowly. Seems like it is nerve related, though, don't you think? Or possibly a poison of some kind? Jimson weed? If you do find out what it is, let us know.

So sorry for your neighbor Steve...His pup was lucky to have a human that loved him and is looking out for him...that's what buddies are supposed to do...

 

[thatguy]

N80,

Did you vet check your dog for Lyme's? When my (currently 8yrs) was three, she got lame on me, and couldn't run, and had no stamina what-so-ever. It ended up being Lyme's. The vet gave her a course of antibiotics, and within about a month she was better. Lyme's stays in the body permanently. It doesn't get cured, it just goes into remission, and relapses can happen. Fortunately, she hadn't had a relapse.

Good luck, I know how tough these situations can be. My last lab before this one had to be put down at 6yrs old because she got an auto-immune problem that caused her bowels to stop absorbing nutrients and calories from food. She was literally starving to death.

Take care,
Jay

+1 on this suggestion.. A friend has been going thru the ups and downs of Lymes this summer with his dog..

brian

 

[N80]

Hi Dave. Its definitely neurological. And even though the spinal tracts in dogs seem to be different than humans this definitely seems spinal rather than brain or something systemic like poison. It involved only one front leg, but both back legs. Also, the pain was mostly in his neck. He would not move his neck last night. And this seems to be mechanical. In other words, something seems to be impinging the spinal cord. According to what I can find on the internet and what the vet said, the most common thing is a ruptured or herniated disk pressing on the spin. But, it could also be a tumor or a clot of some sort.

They say the disk herniates or ruptures over time but then an event triggers the bulge to get larger suddenly. He had really been playing hard prior to symptoms starting, particularly jumping off the dock into the water with my kids. The dock is only about a foot above the water but he'd make a pretty good splash. But, the vet also says the disk can bulge suddenly with no trauma or activity at all.

Recovery rates seem to depend on the type of bugle (herniated or ruptured), the extent of spinal compression and the location. Some of them have recovery rates of 70-90 percent without surgery. Others have much lower recovery rates. The only way to know what type it is, is to do an MRI (most accurate but expensive), CT (cheaper but less accurate) or myelogram (expensive, accurate but potentially risky). The vet said to give him two more days and if not improving he'll need the MRI. Of course the MRI will also tell if it is something more serious like a tumor.

When I got home this afternoon he looked much better in his eyes. He was wagging his tail and nuzzling my hand to pet him. He's been up on his feet several more times but still needs support. Front leg seems much better but back legs still wobbly and weak. I'm encouraged by this slight improvement. Wife gave him pain meds a few minutes ago so he's snoozing now.

 

[IH3444]

N80, I hope your doggie is recovering, and doing much better. Please keep us posted. I just drove by Dana's grave a few weeks back, in the back area of the place. A very peaceful area that she chose to lay down and pass on alone. It's been over 10 years now, and I still miss her like it just happened yesterday. A very good friend of mine who is a retired Naval Commander spent over $3000 on her goldwn retrevier in less than a year, and still had to have her doggie put to sleep. She never allowed the dog to suffer. Wishing you, your daughter, and Dash the absolute best.