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Mystery Ailment. Any Suggestions Please?


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Havent read the whole thread but I have had a couple of dogs with meningitus caused by toxoplasmosis infection. Various symptoms but included inability to walk and seizures. Treatment was antibiotics ( clyndamicin) and prednisalone

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Have his teeth been checked thoroughly?

My old boy Gizmo had a bunch of similar sounding symptoms, including general lack of get-up-and-go, sleeping alot, occasional intermittant vomiting, small "zone-out" type seizures. Nothing terribly specific, all tests were OK, vets were unable to find a cause, and said he was just getting old...A few months later he went lame in a front leg, first vet visit they couldn't find a cause, it got worse, went to another more experienced vet and he discovered a massively enlarged lymph node in the chest /shoulder area. Looked for a cause and found 1 tooth that looked a bit dodgy (he'd had 6 removed about a year before, and this tooth had looked ok then). Had the tooth removed and bingo - Giz was like a new dog!!. I could hardly believe that 1 little tooth had been having such a detrimental effect - it had obviously been affecting him for months, just dragging him down. The difference after the tooth was gone was just amazing.

Anyway, it may be worth checking.

Hope your boy feels better soon.

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Bella Donna - I think the next step will be Xrays.

Mrs RB. I will query the Vets re a virus. We don't have ticks in this area. He's a short coat and I've been over every inch in case there was some external problem. Yes. Mins do feel the cold, my oldies would spend all day in bed in winter but Mick's only 4.5 and while he likes the fire going, he's still always been as much outside rushing around as inside and always ready for a walk regardless of weather. Here in the Mallee we have had some nice sunny days but he just wants to get in my bed with the electric blanket on low. Werribee is another option, travelling isn't a problem but I must admit that the money may be, aged pension doesn't go far and the bank has been raided for the Vet visits to date.

Amypie, he's still got his appetite and he doesn't chew up toys, actually he's not really into toys, rather be outside chasing birds.

Staff'n'Toller, He's never had a seizure before, never been sick in any way until now. Yes, neurology wasn't the word I should have used - Vet did check all reflexes and that was fine.

Shantiah - I've been doing some searching, toxoplasmosis and another one starting with 'c' (will have to look it up again) were ones I am going to mention to the Vet. Bet they hate these 'net searches lol.

Gallomph - His teeth do have a minute bit of tartar but the Vet checked them all and they were ok. but I'll get them to check again.

Thanks for all your replies, it is much appreciated and gives me some more ideas to harrass the Vets with.

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Pebbles, you must be so worried ... I can relate at the moment :eek: . Poor little Mick, it's so awful to see your dog unwell and not be able to ease their discomfort, so much worse if you don't even know the cause.

Please let us know if there is any news. Sending kisses and healing vibes to little Mick :laugh:

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Mick is still not well. Off to Ballarat tomorrow to try another highly recommended Vet. Nothing seems to add up, appetite is still good, output is normal. Had a couple of frothy throw-ups but very lethargic. So keeping fingers crossed that there'll be some solution tomorrow.

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http://www.canismajor.com/dog/thyroid.html

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

http://www.nzymes.com/pc/articles.asp?arti...thyroidismsigns

i know i bang on and on about thyroid testing... for any situation where a definitive diagnosis is not obtained... and the symptoms are "strange" i would always demand a FULL thyroid panel done preferably by Dr Jean Dodds...

if nothing else it will eliminate thyroid problems as a causitive factor but you would be surprised how many times the final desperate testing of thyoid levels reveals the problem... the teste are not immensley expensive.

Helen

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Thanks, Dogbesotted, will definitely mention this to the Vet tomorrow.

hope you get results soon..

I had a maremma who was literally a growing concern- bigger and bigger and bigger- had bad skin, bad coat, lethargy etc etc.. plus constant eye and ear problems.. he was treated by a vet for 18 months for his eyes, then a friend saw him and said she thought "thyroid" i had him tested ( despit the vet saying he did not think that could be the problem )and by that stage poor casper had almost no circulating T4... nowonder he was in such a bad way. after dx and supplementation he became a new dog.. The vet who ended up treatinbg casper later went t work in teh Uk and one of her firstpatients waddled in and she said he sort of screamed casper soshe recommended thyroid testing ( again beingpoohooed) came back very low and supplements gave the dog a new life to.. after being treated for skin allergies for three years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

usually with a thyroid problem initially the sypmtoms are all sorts of little things! rather than something huge... and because the theyroid sortof acts like the CPu for the bodily functions problems can manifest themselves in smany different ways.

Helen

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The tests showed for sure he is not suffering from Pancreatitis? Just asking as you mentioned he is lethargic and the hunched back. Thyroid comes to mind as well, especially when feeling cold, a sign the hypothalamus is not working well. Even if the standard thyroid test does not show any abnormality, I would send a blood serum sample to Dr Dodds in California for a full panel test.

Another idea would be to find an animal acupressurist/acupuncturist and let them check your dog. It sounds to me as if he was suffering from a cold condition and in Traditional Chinese Medicine we have a few points to check out conditions. Of course a diagnose from a vet would help, but if there is none, an acupressurist/acupuncturist can do an independent 'diagnose'.

I hope this helps and your boy is well again soon!

Dagmar

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Down at Ballarat on a friend's PC. Took Mick to the Vet here yesterday. He ran the bloods again and they were still perfect as were all other basic tests. Did a thorough physical exam, read all the obs. from the previous Vet and the screed of Mick's daily happenings that I'd kept since he got sick. Vet came up with a couple of possibilities with the most probable being a spinal infection. Decided to try that so Mick was given an injection of cortisone. Vet expected some improvement within 24 hours if this was the cause. This am Mick was chasing friends cats, stopped the violent shivering, had a little play with Abby and was 70% his normal hyper self.

He's back in his pen (well, we cant overdo it, can we?). I have to go back to the Vet tomorrow and if he's satisfied with Mick I'm taking home a course of cortisone. I'm just so rapt with the improvement and this Vet's attention to the details that the 4 hour trip was more than worthwhile!

:laugh: for Mick!! Thanks for all the replies and thoughts, much appreciated :laugh:

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Mick is still improving each day but I'm making sure he doesn't overdo it, gets put in his bed for an hour or two twice a day and has a good sleep. Abby is happy to have her 'big brother' around again and keeps giving him kisses.

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