The Vet Has Been

MrsElle

MrsElle

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And basically we aren't much more the wiser.

Things didn't start well when vet said 'I have never seen anything like that' when observing Lola's gait!

There is a bit of stiffness in Lola's hips, but nothing major, given her age. Initially the vet didn't think Lola's lack of claws was caused by her gait because she tends to pick up her feet really high, but as we were talking the vet saw her drag her feet a couple of times and has come to the conclusion that her dragging, intermitant as it is, is causing the claw damage. The falling over does point to something neurological, but to confirm that would mean mri scans and given her age and the fact a neurological condition would be untreatable (in that it would never get any better), we don't see the point in doing that.

So, we have a weeks supply of painkillers to give Lola to see if that has any effect on anything at all, if it does she will stay on it at a lower dose, if it doesn't we just keep going until we feel her quality of life is severely comprised, then we will pts. This might be weeks, months or years, but given the speed she has deteriorated I doubt if we will have her for years, months is the more likely timescale.

The vet has suggested encouraging Lola to lose a bit a weight, even though you can just see her ribs and she is still the 45 kg's she was 6 years ago when our vet said she was the perfect weight. Keeping her a bit lean will help any undue pressure on her joints I guess, so we will see how we go.

Thanks for all the kind words and support on my previous posts, I do appreciate it and will no doubt be back for a moan and a cry as the beautiful Lola deteriorates :(

Thanks again x
 
The intermittent high stepping followed by dragging still sounds very like CDRM to me, did your vet not feel it was a possibility? If it is painkillers won't change anything as it is not a physically painful condition (I do think it is mentally though, as a once active dog cannot understand why it can no longer run about :().
I agree about not having mri scans etc at her age, I have had several dogs with cdrm and vet has never suggested it as we both had a pretty good idea of the cause and as you say scans wouldn't achieve anyting.
I really hope she doesn't deteriorate further and you have her for a good while yet.
 
From the copius amounts of reading up on CDRM I have done since it was suggested on here, I do feel that given her breed, size, age, symptoms etc etc, it is the most likely of diagnoses.

At the moment she seems happy enough, she was laid in the garden with a hen perched on her back earlier wagging her tail, nutter that she is! The minute I think she is having more bad days than good we will have her pts. We owe her that much after all the pleasure and love she has brought us over the years. I did feel that the vet was one of those who feel that dogs should be kept going regardless though, so we might have to have words when we feel the time is right if the vet doesn't agree.

I too don't think the painkillers will work as even the vet said she didn't think she was in any pain. Not sure why she actually prescribed them in that case, but hey ho, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
 
Sorry I pressed button too early. While she still has mobility I'd advise to get her in a water treadmill once or twice a week. Can really help to build her muscles as much as possible and help her co-ordination too. Obviously if it is CDRM she will deteriorate but the water treadmills can give them a better quality of life. As others have said it isn't painful to them xx all the best xxx
 
Agreed and CDRM is far too often misdiagnosed as hip problems, particularly in certain breeds (we knew ours had total hip scores of 12 and 0 so we knew it was nothing to do with the hips) and we've never been offered an MRI or painkillers either - basically, as soon as the scraping starts and the back paws start to clench, the mobility starts to go, there's not a great deal you can do other than make them comfortable and enjoy the time you have left with them - hoping she continues to have her good days x
 
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