# Dosing with Vitamin C - sick dog



## Tilly Smith (May 6, 2009)

Our almost 8 year old GSD became seriously ill on Friday and had been battling a "mystery" illness originally thought to be vestibular syndrome/disease. On Sunday it was discovered he had a tiny paralysis tick and immediately had the tick removed and anti-serum administered. After a rough night he started to show some signs of improvement in the early hours of this morning. He is still paralysised in the back legs and has some limited movement in his front legs but his breathing is much better and almost back to normal.

I have read that dosing a dog with Vitamin C can help with removing the toxins from the body - is there any truth in this?

Any suggestions on how to help him recover? He is on raw diet but is on nil food for another 24 hours and then only small amounts.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tilly Smith said:


> Our almost 8 year old GSD became seriously ill on Friday and had been battling a "mystery" illness originally thought to be vestibular syndrome/disease. On Sunday it was discovered he had a tiny paralysis tick and immediately had the tick removed and anti-serum administered. After a rough night he started to show some signs of improvement in the early hours of this morning. He is still paralysised in the back legs and has some limited movement in his front legs but his breathing is much better and almost back to normal.
> 
> I have read that dosing a dog with Vitamin C can help with removing the toxins from the body - is there any truth in this?
> 
> Any suggestions on how to help him recover? He is on raw diet but is on nil food for another 24 hours and then only small amounts.


Thank goodness he is somewhat better.

Was it a deer tick? I've read that there are about a half-dozen ticks that produce that neurotoxin.

I've read the Vitamin C thing too. I have reservations about it because dogs produce their own C, but OTOH, there isn't a downside that I know of. Excess C is flushed in urine (or in diarrhea if it's REALLY excessive, and of course you don't want that).

I looked in a vet manual, and it says that recovery depends on the removal of the tick and administering the anti-serum before the animal goes into shock, and then providing supportive treatment. This sounds like your dog has a good fighting chance.

He's still hospitalized, right? I read that he will likely need other symptoms controlled, like vomiting, pneumonia, elevated blood pressure, etc. Even throat spasms and respiratory problems are not uncommon.

Also read: He needs to be kept quiet, and, when back on food, fed small amounts of soft foods and water frequently.

The vet will probably tell you about future caution, because one bout makes the animal far more susceptible a second time, and even vulnerable to an allergic reaction to the tick serum.

Thank heaven the tick was found. Tick paralysis is often missed and misdiagnosed, according to what I've been reading.


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## Tilly Smith (May 6, 2009)

He is not in hospital as he doesn't do well in that environment. Last time he was in hospital he worked himself up to a frenzy and was extremely agressive to all. He was allowed home (after he tried to bite the nurse) so he can remain calm and stress free. The drugs were administered and then he was sent home.

His breathing is not as raspy and laboured and is back to a more normal rate. He is still extremely weak but we are much happier about his condition. The vet will call in and see him later today. They are not expecting his to require further treatment other then monitoring - actually I don't think they expected him to make it. We believe his size worked in his favour - had he been a smaller dog he would not have made it.


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## Tilly Smith (May 6, 2009)

I started dosing him with vitamin C this morning and this evening he managed to take 12 steps.

He walked out of his pen (6 steps), had a rest while I cleaned up his bed and the pen and then another 6 steps back to his bed. It took a lot out of him but he was walking properly - even managing to step over a piece of timber about 10cm high.

I am over the moon - this is a dog that less then 24 hours ago we though would not be alive today.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tilly Smith said:


> I started dosing him with vitamin C this morning and this evening he managed to take 12 steps.
> 
> He walked out of his pen (6 steps), had a rest while I cleaned up his bed and the pen and then another 6 steps back to his bed. It took a lot out of him but he was walking properly - even managing to step over a piece of timber about 10cm high.
> 
> I am over the moon - this is a dog that less then 24 hours ago we though would not be alive today.


The vet manual said that a recovering dog will be hugely better in 48 hours (once anti-serum starts to work) and normal in one to two weeks. 


ETA Also says to keep the dog quiet for a week to avoid relapse.


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