Old Girl Sudden Illness, can anyone help?

Kadastorm

Kadastorm

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Hi all,

My 11yr old weimeraner suddenly became ill last Thursday. Wednesday night she was her normal, happy self but on Thursday morning we noticed something wasn't right. She didn't eat her breakfast (which occasionally is normal for her) so my mum offered her a dental stick. She didn't get excited like she would normally and gingerly walked to the garden where she ate it very slowly. when she came in and lay down next to me I could feel the heat radiating off of her, she was stiff and looked sore and so we took her to the vets. She stayed in overnight and had antibiotics and a jab to reduce her temperature. She had blood tests which showed nothing sinister according to my vet but very high liver enzymes. Friday evening I was told I could go and get her, my parents had left for their holiday that morning.
She is on antibiotics and has had them twice a day since, this week she has been back to her normal self, charging around like a loon, pulling me out for walks and playing at the yard. I came in from work last night and she was fine, happy to see me before bed.

This morning I let her out in the garden, put her food down and looked out to see her laying in a different place to normal. Called her and she just looked at me, no tail wag, nothing.
I got her to come in when I noticed she was displaying exactly the same symptoms as last week, very high temp, this time really stiff and seemed sore to walk. Called the vets straight away and took her down, again a jab to reduce her temp and an antibiotic jab and we have to go back tomorrow morning. She doesn't seem to have improved today at all and its breaking my heart to see her struggling to walk to the garden. Its just baffling me how this could come on overnight? yesterday my dog was her happy self, doesn't look or act her age and then today she looks years older.

I know she is going back to the vets tomorrow but its been over a week now and we don't have any answers and she has had another attack of whatever it is. I know she is an old girl and I don't want her to suffer but does anyone have any experience of this? Any ideas? I'm so worried, I really don't want to lose her yet and my parents will be heartbroken if they don't get to see her but equally its heartbreaking seeing her like this compared to this past week.
 
Is she speyed. Is she weeing as normal. How long was the course of anti biotics. Hope she's feeling a little better today.
 
She's no better today, in fact worse. I'm waiting for my brother to come and we are taking her together as I won't be able to lift her into the car and I fear that this is the end. She won't eat or drink, seems to be in pain when moving and is just laying here shaking. She is spayed, her antibiotics is 10days worth so is still on them now. She is going to the loo fine but then just stands there looking at me. Struggles to walk up and down the ramp to the garden. I just don't understand how this has happened over night...I'm devastated.
 
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. I was hoping it was pyometra or bladder infection or too short an antibiotic course but clearly none of the above. Have you taken her temperature, although as you're going to vets right away that's neither here nor there now.
I'm not going to make any guesses but hope the vet can diagnose and treat quickly.
Will be thinking of you, I know how awful it is when they're very ill and can't tell you anything, you feel so helpless. The trouble is, treatment cant start until the problem is diagnosed. Let us know how she goes on. Fingers crossed its not too serious.
The good thing is, coming on so quickly it sounds like infection or blockage rather than anything sinister. Good luck. x
 
Has she had any tick bites? Lyme's disease? Good luck, fingers crossed that you get to the bottom of this x
 
If bloods don't show anything sinister then I would be pushing for a scan at least, it sounds like she needs a proper work up. I hope you are able to get to the bottom of it :(
 
Hey guys, she is at the vets now. She is being tested for pancreatitis and will have scans and X-rays and other tests tomorrow. Her temperature was still really high. Me and my brother had prepared for the worst, I honestly expected her to be PTS this morning but the vet wants to find the cause before we make a final decision. I called my mum who is in Florida and she was devastated but also doesn't want her to suffer. The vet is going to call later, I have to go to work even though I am a blubbering wreck.
I have also thought about the possibilities of a tic bite, I just got back from Africa and was worried I may have passed something to her or a tic got on her but I just don't know. She hasn't been near any lakes or stagnant water, no algae. I am really baffled and hope we find the cause soon, I know I'm doing everything I can but I do feel helpless. I hate seeing in so much pain.
 
Firstly I'm not a vet, so apart from offering support, I can't offer an opinion. That said, as ABs seem to have helped previously, and the problem seems to have flared up since you stopped the ABs, then I'd suspect an infection, rather than the alternative which could have been a likely organ failure. In your shoes, and initially, I'd have agreed with you, and I'd have been ready for the worst, but now I'm not so sure. Give it time, is what I'd suggest.

If you have confidence in your Vet, and he seems keen to continue, then I'd say that's the way to go. When the problem seems to be catastrophic, but it responds to treatment, then I suspect that the treatment needs to continue.

Will you let us know how the poor girl progresses?

Alec.
 
Alec, sorry she is still on antibiotics which was another concern :(

Im really exhausted and both me and the vet are completely baffled.

So, I left her at the vets this morning and the vet even said that its looking bleak but she will try and get to the bottom of it. I went home and then on to work. Whilst at work the vet left me a voicemail to say that there has been a very slight improvement as she had had some cat food (not ideal but better than nothing) and her temperature, although still very high, had dropped a litte.
I didn't feel much better after that but at least it wasn't the dreaded call to say to PTS.

3 hours later, I finished work and finally felt able to eat so I had some dinner at work and a pint when my phone rang. My heart sank, especially by the tone of the vets voice at first. Basically, rahna is baffling us all. She still has a high temperature, although its dropped since earlier but she felt well enough to tow the vet out into the garden and then be a complete and utter looney charging around the garden playing.

The vet really cant understand it, considering the state she was in this morning. although I am pleased she is feeling better, I do not want to bring her home for this to happen yet again in another week. I want some answers before she comes back because, as I said before, she was fine all week until yesterday morning and got worse until she reached the state she was in this morning. it was absolutely heartbreaking and I cant go through that again.

So, yeah, good news but what the hell is going on with my dog!?
 
So glad she seems a bit better. Sounds promising. I guess its difficult on Sunday unless the problem is apparent, at least they have what's needed to keep her comfortable and pain free at the surgery.
Hopefully now they can run all necessary tests and find out what's going on, and get treatment started.
 
Kadastorm said:
Alec, sorry she is still on antibiotics which was another concern :(

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K, just why I thought that you'd stopped the ABs. I can't imagine! I apologise. :)

It's good to read that there's now an improvement, but you've had improvements before, haven't you? Probably of no use now, but with such sudden falls in her abilities, and then really quite rapid improvements, I wonder if she has a skeletal and specifically spinal problem. From your description of her condition whilst ill, she's clearly in pain, and often when there are spinal misalignments, a 'tucked up' and generally 'pained' appearance can give all the indications of ill health, rather than a muscular or skeletal trauma. Sometimes the obvious isn't actually that, if you see what I mean!

If your vet has tested for the above, then discard my thoughts, but if not, it may be an idea to consult a McTimmoney (sp) practitioner. Will you keep us informed?

Alec.
 
Hey thanks Alec, I may give mctimmony a go. My vet is baffled to be honest as now her temperature is normal and she her normal energetic self. She has stayed in today and I'm calling at 4pm to find out more and either go and see her or pick her up depending on what the vet says. It's just so weird! I will keep you informed!
 
Sounds kind of similar to my dog who was eventually diagnosed with immune mediated poly arthritis- steroids at a really high dose to start were the key to start and lots of Iv pain relief- definitly worth mentioning it ?
Has she had her booster jabs recently? Mine was started after that but the worst of the Attack didn't actually kick in for 4 months!! Just mini bouts of odd behaviour who again we thought Lymes disease or something
 
hey all!
I picked her up from the vets this morning as she was fine all day yesterday. she is back to her normal self but im not going to get my hopes up. we discussed the possibility of auto immune disease and a few other things which will be tested for if she declines yet again after this bout. my vet wanted to try medicinal treatment of antibiotics first to see if it helped before then doing more further tests due to her age and the amount it will cost my parents. I totally understand that as my parents are away for the next couple of weeks. However, they have said, if this happens again, to do all it takes to find the cause. if it is something treatable then that's great but if there was something like cancer, she would be PTS. She is 11 now and they don't want to put her through anything too stressful so time will tell.

Im glad to have her home, the house seemed so empty without her, she soon sniffed out the dental stick I offered her the other day and forgot to put away!

i'll keep you informed of her progress, thankyou all for your replies!
 
Very glad she's home . . . easier said than done, but please try not to be too hypervigilant . . . she needs you to be rock solid and make life as normal as possible for her . . . if she is suffering from some sort of auto-immune disease, stress will make her symptoms flare.

I really feel for you - you must be so very worried about your lovely girl . . . please keep us posted on how she is getting on/progressing - and just try and enjoy her.

P

P.S. If she IS suffering from an auto-immune disease, her diet will be very important so take a good look at what's in any food/treats you give her - wheat/gluten may be one of her triggers (just like in people)
 
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