My Dog is ill I need advice

[Nagy]

My German shepherd (8 years) suddenly got swollen legs, especially at the joints. I took it to a vet who first suggested a heart disease but after some investigations ruled that out. To cut it short he tested for Brucella virus and that came as positive. He says that it's common for clinic kits to give false results so he sent a sample to a lab. Now the doctor says that if the Lab results confirm that the dog is positive to the virus he has to put it to rest. Of course, I don't want to do that to my pet unless it is really necessary. Has anybody been through this before? Are there ay vets here that can give me some advice? I really don't know what to do?

 

[{97702}]

I’m guessing you are not in the UK then! If the vet has advised you to PTS then that is what I would do, it is rare for a vet to advise that in my experience

 

[shortstuff99]

is it this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce...s a Gram,abortions of beagles were documented.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Nagy is in Egypt.

 

[Nagy]

I’m guessing you are not in the UK then! If the vet has advised you to PTS then that is what I would do, it is rare for a vet to advise that in my experience

Thanks

 

[Nagy]

is it this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brucella_canis#:~:text=Brucella canis is a Gram,abortions of beagles were documented.

I guess so

 

[Nagy]

Nagy is in Egypt.

Nagy is my name, not a city

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Nagy is my name, not a city

You're quite right. I am definitely guilty of using sloppy English, I should have typed 'from'.

Apologies.

I'm very sorry to read that your dog is ill. I really hope that the result from the Laboratory is the one that you want.

 

[Nagy]

You're quite right. I am definitely guilty of using sloppy English, I should have typed 'from'.

Apologies.

I'm very sorry to read that your dog is ill. I really hope that the result from the Laboratory is the one that you want.

Thank you for your concern. Lab results are due tomorrow. I hope they turn up as negative. I really don't want to take such a tough decision

 

[Bellasophia]

Hi Nagy.
sorry to hear about your dog..if it is brucellosis the situation is very serious..
my advice is
1.when you get the result,if it is Brucellosis, ask your vet what medication the dog will need and how much it will cost you each month. can you afford this?

2.ask your vet if the dog will be comfortable on the medication...how long can you go ahead (you financially) and dog ( comfortwise )with this..

3.ask your vet what quality of life the dog will have. For me this will be the game changer.

4.ask your vet to clarify that there is no cure ,but only management, of this condition ,until it is unsupportable.

5. Don’t decide the day of the result...you could try the treatment for a few months..if it’s doable you can go month by month..nothing is set in stone.See if the antibiotics are working..if not ,you have your answer.

No one here will tell you what to do ..you love your dog,and you are going to be the one paying for his care until his end.

I had many years keeping a dog going that many told me to euthanize..she was auto immune insufficient,low thyroid,addisonian, and cost me 200 euros each month..we managed her like a sick family member and she lived to 12 .
It’s been very hard,very expensive but until the dog showed she’d had enough we fought along with her.
When your dog loses the ability to get up ,walk,eat with some interest ,shows pain..you know it’s enough.

you will get a lot of support here,but also realistic responses as many have battled with serious Pet illnesses and most will give you very clear advise when it’s time to call the day when the situation is no longer helping the dog to achieve a quality life.

 

[Aru]

Where are you based? do you know what type it is? there are several strains. none are good news unfortunately.
Brucellosis is a notifiable reportable disease in many countries across the world.
Brucellosis is also a human health risk and you should be very aware to take hygiene steps-waer gloves or clean hands etc every time you interact with your dog. do not allow others to interact with him especially the immunocompromised as he can pass on the disease. He should be isolated from all other dogs also as he is infectious. He should not leave your property and should be kept quarantined until the disease is confirmed as a definite case.

Dogs cannot fully recover from this disease and will continue to shed the disease for life-even if they can be initially treated to control clinical signs. They will always intermittently shed and continue to be a risk to compromised humans and other dogs. Even if he can recover from the symptoms of the disease and there is no gaurantee he would recover he would continue to be a risk to human and animal health. A life locked up and only handled with gloves,no walks etc is no life for a dog.

Euthanasia is very much warranted if Brucellosis is confirmed and this may be enforced by government officials depending on where you live.

I'm sorry to hear about your boy. I hope it is a false positive but in your shoes I would be preparing to let him go.

 

[Nagy]

Thank you this is the type of answer I'm looking for. I read a lot about the illness but it does not say much about such symptoms as tiredness and inability to get up so I was thinking that the main concern is a family member catching the disease since it can be transferred to humans. I will ask the doctor about that. They asked for another blood sample. and the whole thing was postponed another 48 hours

 

[Dobiegirl]

How good is your vet, I follow Equine Egypt Aid and they frequently have animals come in that has been misdiagnosed or had bad treatment ,some of the vets in Egypt are not good. Their vets are not like our vets , if you are not confident yours is a good one I would certainly do some research and find one that is.

 

[Theskebaldmare]

My German shepherd (8 years) suddenly got swollen legs, especially at the joints. I took it to a vet who first suggested a heart disease but after some investigations ruled that out. To cut it short he tested for Brucella virus and that came as positive. He says that it's common for clinic kits to give false results so he sent a sample to a lab. Now the doctor says that if the Lab results confirm that the dog is positive to the virus he has to put it to rest. Of course, I don't want to do that to my pet unless it is really necessary. Has anybody been through this before? Are there ay vets here that can give me some advice? I really don't know what to do?

I know its hard but sometimes the kindest thing is to put him out of his misery as Brucella virus is horrible and highly contagious