# Wonder if you have any ideas?



## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

I am hoping someone may recognise the symptoms I have with my 16mnth old GSD bitch. Perfectly fine one night running,jumping,keen as ever,next morning dog depressed and in pain somewhere around tail , no outward signs,thought must be an injury so I rested her for 2 days, no better ,no worse took her to vet, spinal x-ray clear, hips clear, blood test normal, kidney,liver, no infections (bacterial or viral) cerebrospinal tap, no meningitis (my vets first thought) 
Now the dog is still very quiet, Tramadol spaced her out and made her more depressed, so now on Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories which help a little, she finds getting up from sitting painful ,likes to lay or stand ,lay mainly.Appetite normal, still food motivated,(steals eggs from hen house) not drinking a lot but never did,fed raw diet, weeing and defaecating normally, has never vomited,temperature normal.
I have been referred to a neurology specialist and there is talk of an MRI scan but my vet seems baffled, please ask any questions you think relevant if I have forgotten something, I would be so grateful for any suggestions as I am really worried about Mini as she is such a live wire normally and it all happened so suddenly, had no obvious reason for injury, but had jumped and slid on my garden table the night before, but jumped off and showed no problem at the time. She is kenneled, on straw, she has a slight dermatitis not sure if related or not but not present before she was ill!
Thank you for reading this long post and thank you for any imput.
Best Wishes Lynn


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Very sad to hear about your dog. The symptoms sound quite similar (and the circumstances in which it appears, the dog has showed symptoms from).

My dog was young at the time (2.5 ish), they did find on xray a small narrowing of a disc space at the the time. He was later diagnosed with Cauda Equina syndrome (lumbosacral stenosis), entrapment of the nerve endings, his main symptom being pain and very subtle lameness of a hind leg.

His first experience of tramadol made him appear very tired and depressed however on reflection, I wonder if that response was due to the spinal shock and not so much the drugs. I've had to add tramadol twice a day now as well 400mg of PLT to help manage his pain, it wouldn't be such a bad thing if the tramadol made him tired : )

A neurologist would probably be the way to go.


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## RANA PAWLOWSKI (Sep 26, 2010)

I wish I had an idea to share with ya but sorry to hear about your good dog being down:-(


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Thanks , Maggie it sounds very similar , I will ask my vet on Monday if he could look for that.
Best Wishes Lynn


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## Alyssa Morin (Sep 21, 2010)

Have you run tests for tick borne illnesses? Not sure what is common in your area, but the fact that there is pain and depression, and no clear physical problems, makes me think like Lyme or something.


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Not sure if we have a problem in this area but will check, Thanks for any suggestions, it keeps me occupied researching, makes me feel less useless!!
Lynn


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

lynn oliver said:


> Not sure if we have a problem in this area but will check, Thanks for any suggestions, it keeps me occupied researching, makes me feel less useless!!
> Lynn


Just throwing out ideas . Has the thyriod been checked . I've seen dogs go up and down with that problem . Rest helps them for awhile but they run out of gas quick and become listless . 

Another idea is I've seen something similar with on one of my girlfreinds dogs . It's not a working dog , but she's pretty moody . She's fine most of the time but prone to injury . If the dog even gets a minor sprain it goes into a depression . Just doesn't handle pain well . 

As for the pain down by the tail , I had a Lab that wagged it's tail like mad , especially while hunting . Usually after a long hunt the base of his tail would swell and he would start carrying it lower and lower , wagging it less and less . It never effected his hunting but by the end of a hunting trip he looked like a beat dog . Walking around with his tail between his legs . Good luck .


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

lyme disease?


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## Mary Buck (Apr 7, 2010)

I would suspect Cauda as well. If you have a decent vet chiropractic in the area they may help shed some light on the problem. I would only go to one well versed in the subject to avoid making the situation worse (eg no human chiro moonlighting on animals ) 

Big thig I was told helps the Cauda dx is if lifting the tail seems very painful for the dog.


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## Gina Pasieka (Apr 25, 2010)

I would have to agree with Maggie...sounds like cauda equina. You can find your nearest neurologist through this link...
http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3

Good luck


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Thanks to all who have taken time to post, it does sound like the stenosis and I have a neurology appointment for Wednesday. She changed overnight ,it is frightning to see, I just hope that she can be made comfortable and can lead a relatively normal life. She is just the sweetest dog with all the right drives, in all the right places. I will keep you posted, and hope I have good news!
Best Wishes Lynn

ps Thanks for the link but I am in UK.


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Mini is at the Royal Vetinary College, she is going to have an MRI, bloods ,another spinal tap, poor wee mite! The neurologist seems to think by the responses he elicited, that it is Steroid responsive Meningitis, does anyone have any knowledge of this.
Thank you for any help Lynn


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Mini has discospondalytis (infection in the spine) she is on antibiotics and improving slowly.Have no idea how she got it, there is still a small chance of tumor or foreign body, but the Neurologist doesn't think them likely, but MRI shows lesion but nothing grew on culture. Feel a lot better now, will feel better still when she is back to normal. I will never moan about muddy footprints on my clothes again!
Lynn


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks for posting the update. Did your vet happen to elaborate upon how it's normally transmitted? Like what would be the typical way of getting a spinal infection?


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Hi

He said it can be blood born and just settle there or from a puncture wound, I think it is unusual but ,to be honest, when they said it was unlikely to be a tumour, I sort of switched into joy mode and didn't take everything in. I have no idea how it went in as she isn't a fighter and I don't know of any way it could of happened . I just want her to be her normal,mad self.

Best Wishes Lynn


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## Tanith Wheeler (Jun 5, 2009)

Hey Lynn

The RVC will look after her really well.
I had a friend whose spaniel had the same issue. In his case he lost movement in his legs for a few months but made a full recovery. What happened was a grass seed got into his fur and 'burrowed' down into his skin until it went into his spinal column causing major infection.


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Hi Tanith Wheeler 

Thanks for that, it seems unbelievable that these things burrow so deep! How did we manage before MRI? She is improving but still slow, luckily there has been no paralysis so far(touch wood) The RVC are fantastic, it is far better than any human hospital I know. Heres hoping for a complete recovery.
Best Wishes Lynn


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Just another update for those kind enough to respond, Mini is doing really well, rolling over and had her first canter today. She is on very restricted excercise for the next couple of months, but I can practise my tracking and in a month or so up the time and type of excercise. Antibiotics for 3months and hopefully no future problems. Now my problem is how to stop her going stir-crazy? She is beginning to shred her bedding, I am delighted but if anyone can think of any ideas to tire her mentally I will be very greatful.
Thanks Lynn


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

glad to hear she is doing better


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## Stacy Fleming-Walker (Oct 9, 2010)

lynn oliver said:


> Just another update for those kind enough to respond, Mini is doing really well, rolling over and had her first canter today. She is on very restricted excercise for the next couple of months, but I can practise my tracking and in a month or so up the time and type of excercise. Antibiotics for 3months and hopefully no future problems. Now my problem is how to stop her going stir-crazy? She is beginning to shred her bedding, I am delighted but if anyone can think of any ideas to tire her mentally I will be very greatful.
> Thanks Lynn



Lynn, 

I am glad to hear your dog is starting to get better!

What about a treat ball or cube to keep her mentally occupied? I use a buster cube with my ACD when I can't get enough work in with him for the day.

http://www.bustercube.com/

Just a thought 

Stacy


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

lynn oliver said:


> Now my problem is how to stop her going stir-crazy? She is beginning to shred her bedding, I am delighted but if anyone can think of any ideas to tire her mentally I will be very greatful.
> Thanks Lynn


Is she permitted to have knuckle bones? If so, I think she'd enjoy them quite a bit and that should give her something sufficient to do to break a bit of the boredom.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I'm really glad to read she is on the mend. Another thing you can do is freeze a kong filled with non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt, some dogs really enjoy licking out the frozen yogurt.


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Thanks for the ideas, shall try both.
Lynn


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