My dog is real sick.
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N80
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We have looked for ticks. Didn't find any.
polo, he's doing better this morning. Still wobbly in the rear. We still have to help steady him by using a towel as a sling, but he's definitely improving. When we took him outside to do his business this morning he wanted to trot around a bit. Tail wagging. He does not seem to be in pain now. So, things seem to be looking up.
I think the challenge now will be to prevent re-injury. In other words, he's feeling better, he's able to move around some and he wants to go go go. But, the vet said he really needs to rest and we should make sure he does not fall, and without the towel sling he probably would fall when he was trying to trot around in the yard. I feel like the next few days will be critical in both seeing how he progresses as well as making sure he doesn't hurt himself again.
All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with his progress.
polo, he's doing better this morning. Still wobbly in the rear. We still have to help steady him by using a towel as a sling, but he's definitely improving. When we took him outside to do his business this morning he wanted to trot around a bit. Tail wagging. He does not seem to be in pain now. So, things seem to be looking up.
I think the challenge now will be to prevent re-injury. In other words, he's feeling better, he's able to move around some and he wants to go go go. But, the vet said he really needs to rest and we should make sure he does not fall, and without the towel sling he probably would fall when he was trying to trot around in the yard. I feel like the next few days will be critical in both seeing how he progresses as well as making sure he doesn't hurt himself again.
All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with his progress.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
A few years ago, well more than a few at this point, but it seems like yesterday, my Kelly went out to pee. I saw her squat, then yelp, and hop a bit. She did her business and came back in the house. This was in a area with lots of mulch and I did not see anything over there but it looked like something bit her.... But I did not see anything and I just happened to be watching her for some reason.
A few hours later I was working in the study and she of course was there watching me as usual. She looked at me kinda funny and then tried to get up and just fell over.
Eventually she did stumble to her feet but her back legs had gone weak on her. She was not in obvious distress so we just kept an eye on her.
In the morning she was fine.
Eventually she had this mass infection at the base of her tail. It was the size of a hand ball. It took quite a few courses of antibiotics over a long period of time to get the infection.
I have not idea if the infection was a part of the lameness but it was curious.
Years later Kelly developed lameness that started in her back legs and it affected her back, neck and front legs. There is a genetic problem with GSD and Wiemeraniers that can cause this problem. Lots of tests and no real proof of what was her problem. For a good part of a year she had lost her ability to feel if she had to poop. I would get up a couple of times a night to let her outside. Sometimes she went outside. Sometimes inside. Our finished concrete floors made clean up easy. Or easier than carpet. But after a while she could not even make it outside anymore. Cleaning up poo was easy.
But then she lost bladder control and that was the end. She would leave a 30-40 foot trail through the house which took forever to clean up. And it shamed her. She could barely walk at this point so the vet came to the house to end our suffering. It was time.
I wish we had known/thought about Lyme. It is all over our area. I THINK the wife and the vets talked about this but I just don't remember now. Kelly certainly had enough blood work done. And she had been pumped up with antibiotics so Lyme was likely not her problem. It was more likely the gentic issue.
Hopefully your dog will just recover like Kelly did. Dogs are tough and resilient. Your daughter does not need to loose another pet. My kids have handled the passing of Kelly and Chase very well. They really surprised me how they handled it. Much better than I when I lost my dogs as a kid.
We have a Golden for the wife and kids. She is a good dog. But after Kelly there are no more dogs for me.
Good Luck,
Dan
A few hours later I was working in the study and she of course was there watching me as usual. She looked at me kinda funny and then tried to get up and just fell over.
Eventually she did stumble to her feet but her back legs had gone weak on her. She was not in obvious distress so we just kept an eye on her.In the morning she was fine.
Eventually she had this mass infection at the base of her tail. It was the size of a hand ball. It took quite a few courses of antibiotics over a long period of time to get the infection.
I have not idea if the infection was a part of the lameness but it was curious.
Years later Kelly developed lameness that started in her back legs and it affected her back, neck and front legs. There is a genetic problem with GSD and Wiemeraniers that can cause this problem. Lots of tests and no real proof of what was her problem. For a good part of a year she had lost her ability to feel if she had to poop. I would get up a couple of times a night to let her outside. Sometimes she went outside. Sometimes inside. Our finished concrete floors made clean up easy. Or easier than carpet.
But after a while she could not even make it outside anymore. Cleaning up poo was easy.But then she lost bladder control and that was the end. She would leave a 30-40 foot trail through the house which took forever to clean up. And it shamed her. She could barely walk at this point so the vet came to the house to end our suffering. It was time.
I wish we had known/thought about Lyme. It is all over our area. I THINK the wife and the vets talked about this but I just don't remember now. Kelly certainly had enough blood work done. And she had been pumped up with antibiotics so Lyme was likely not her problem. It was more likely the gentic issue.
Hopefully your dog will just recover like Kelly did. Dogs are tough and resilient. Your daughter does not need to loose another pet. My kids have handled the passing of Kelly and Chase very well. They really surprised me how they handled it. Much better than I when I lost my dogs as a kid.
We have a Golden for the wife and kids. She is a good dog. But after Kelly there are no more dogs for me.
Good Luck,
Dan
OP
N80
Super Member
I was talking with one of my partners this morning and she said the same thing that happened to my dog happened to hers as well. Vet told her it was a dsik problem and after a few days of steroids she recovered and has been fine. That was 2 years ago. Still don't know for sure if my dog's problem is a disk or not but it sure seems to be following that pattern.
Dan, infection is also in the list of possibilites here but the vet seems to have ruled that out for now anyway.
Dan, infection is also in the list of possibilites here but the vet seems to have ruled that out for now anyway.
CurlyDave
Elite Member
I am glad to hear he is doing better.
Charlesaf3
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I'm really sorry to hear about this. Don't think there is an easy decision, or a right one for that matter. But it sounds heartbreaking. Kipling had a great poem on the subject he wrote after losing one of his dogs. I've always been scared to own another one since mine died, losing them hurts a lot.
I suppose you can't just give a steroid shot and see what happens?
I suppose you can't just give a steroid shot and see what happens?
OP
N80
Super Member
Thanks Dave. I'll be checking on him again at lunch.
Charles, I kind of wondered why the vet didn't do that in the office. But, the prednisone he is taking is essentially the same as cortisone and he is getting a pretty hefty dose of the prednisone, probably more than what he'd get in a shot.
I've had the same thoughts about getting another one if we lost Dash. It would be hard to do and it would even be harder to get as close to a dog as I've gotten with Dash. People have used the word 'buddy' and that's exactly how I feel about him. Maybe its foolish to get that attached to an animal but he sure brings my family a lot of joy. If he is not at home (off with my wife or daughter) to greet me when I get home from work each day, the house seems empty.
Charles, I kind of wondered why the vet didn't do that in the office. But, the prednisone he is taking is essentially the same as cortisone and he is getting a pretty hefty dose of the prednisone, probably more than what he'd get in a shot.
I've had the same thoughts about getting another one if we lost Dash. It would be hard to do and it would even be harder to get as close to a dog as I've gotten with Dash. People have used the word 'buddy' and that's exactly how I feel about him. Maybe its foolish to get that attached to an animal but he sure brings my family a lot of joy. If he is not at home (off with my wife or daughter) to greet me when I get home from work each day, the house seems empty.
Give him some Duramax. Its a powerful pain killer and will relax the muscle that's cramping up in his back. Then put him in a hot water bathtub and let him float in it a few minutes. I hope he improves. I recently had one of my labs do the same thing. This was the cure. He had hyper extended his back when rolling out of bed. (Sam sleeps on his back).
Charlesaf3
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sometimes the delivery path from the stomach to the joints etc. isn't that great though, right? My wife is certainly a believer in injections over oral, though that may be for other reasons like the systemic stuff. My knowledge on the subject is secondhand.
