My dog is poorly and I’m scared for him. Help

[Saddogmum]

Signs

2 episodes of shaking uncontrollably
head twitches
sometimes lethargic showing little interest
off food and drink
runny eyes
iv not seen any diorhea or bowel movements but plenty of wees
random yelping sounds when he moves

this morning he went floppy so i toon to vets after his second instance of shaking when it wasn’t cold
doctor took tests blood glucose was fine but had low potassium and some other minerals
he said perhaps gastro (even though he def hasn’t had diarrhoea and I don’t think he has been sick nor in front of me anyway)
well he was kept in on iv but wouldn’t eat
his bloods got better so iv brought him home
he’s still a bit twitchy
he’s eaten some chicken with me but his head is twitching a bit and he’s refusing water. He has made a random yelping sound too when moving

the vet is waiting a second opinion on his kidneys but hasn’t offered anyt other diagnosis other than gastro which I don’t believe to be true

any ideas what this could be? I have also realised I’m a month late with his updated vaccinations abs now terrified it’s distemper although it doesn’t match all the symptoms

Posted too soon. It's a symptom not a diagnoses.

Has he recently had any flea or tick treatment?

Ah in that makes a bit more sense

He’s just made an almighty burp like sound and is no longer panting
still looks like he is breathing heavily though but is now asleep and snoring

Thanks for all your suggestions and help. I’ll be seeking a second opinion tomorrow just in case. Never realised how much I would love this little boy and the thought of being in pain is breaking my heart

You’re going to leave him all night, probably in pain?

Asleep and snoring suggests he's feeling relatively comfortable @DogAndCatMama and she did call the emergency vet who said to leave him to settle.

@Saddogmum if at any point he seems to get worse or seems to be in pain again during the night then I'd get him seen out of hours

@007DoubleOSeven he’s still breathing heavily and clearly isn’t well. Poor thing.

@Saddogmum I hope he will be ok , is he hit or very warm in your room ?
My dog is only 3 and a few weeks ago had a fit completely out of the blue in the middle of the night , he woke me with a really loud whining noise , he was hot ( really muggy day ) , couldn't settle , panting but refusing to drink , he weed himself during the fit I thought he was going to die scared me awfully , vet said he was ok , he literally went back to normal after about a hour and I took him downstairs to sleep as it was much cooler in the living room ...
Some
Lovely mumnetters helped me through
Touch wood he's back to himself but I'm terrified of him getting to hot this summer and it happening again
Lots of love to your lovely dog and hoping he will be ok

hot sorry not hit 🙈

You definitely need a second opinion. Do you have an animal hospital near you? Thinking of you and hoping your poor dog is ok xxx

Hope he's doing ok Xx

I’m at the vets now. He can’t even stand up this morning breathing so hard he’s in pain bless him. I hope they can find what’s hurting him

I was just about to ask how he was doing today. So glad you're at the vets - don't let them fob you off

This could be pancreatitis.you have to back to the vet and insist on a second opinion.
Pancreatitis is incredibly painful.
If he isn't drinking but is weeing lots he will be dehydrated.
Please go back to the vets immediately.
Good luck.🐕💐🌈

He is in so much pain today he can’t even stand and is shaking through pain he has worsened
the vet said he may have a spinal issue or slipped disk
the op would cost £10-12k even without the mri I just don’t have that money
he is having the mri today abs pain relief
the vet has said there’s no guarantee the op would work and if that is the case then it’s more humane to let him go
I can’t stop crying he is so defenceless and in pain I just want my baby back. If the loan route doesn’t work then I don’t know what to do as I have no money

Yesterday I increased my insurance but they won’t let me use it on this condition now I feel so stupid I didn’t ever think he’s need to be insured this high

I'm so sorry but listen to your vet be honest say you haven't got the money, insurance. Be prepared to let him go. Ours was cremated. We have his ashes.

It's so heartbreaking 😢

OP the vets sound crap, panting is a sign of pain or discomfort. Are the vets that said all this yesterday the same ones that have given you that outcome today?

Have the MRI, see what the state of play is. I work with many dogs that have spinal issues and with appropriate care (sometimes including surgery) and rehabilitative support they can do very well. But there is no point rushing in to thinking about what will happen without a proper diagnosis first. What is your insurance cover?

Have the MRI, give him pain relief, consider a second opinion from a different vets as if the vet that has seen him today are the same ones that sent him home yesterday then they missed many huge pain factors that I picked up as soon as I read your OP and came to comment that it sounds neurological.

I thought neurological but the vets think spinal so 🤷‍♂️

She has had a scan or x ray today and not found anything
the mri costs 3k and most of the insurance was taken up with the crap care he received yesterday
she said spinal surgery costs 8-10k I don’t have that

he has responded to pain relieve including methadone today and is being put on pain relief and meds she said that’s leading her to think it’s spinal vertebrae
she said she was thinking neurological or meningitis but his response to the pain relief means that they think they are on the right track

Ongoing to write to charities to see if they will help
I’m going to speak to insurance to see if they will allow me to use the increase for this condition
this is all I can think to do

I thought neurological but the vets think spinal so

The spine is part of the neurological system

Could he have been poisoned?
Theres a sweetener that is lethal to dogs, it’s in sweets. Xilitol. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/paws-xylitol-toxic-dogs#:~:text=XYLITOL%20is%20a%20sweetener%20that,sugar%2C%20and%20birch%20bark%20extract.&text=Xylitol%20poisoning%20can%20start%20within%2020%20minutes!!

aAnti freeze spilt in garage?

If they haven't found anything wrong with the spine from the imaging that they have conducted (unless an MRI is still needed) I am unsure why they would be suggesting spinal surgery, usually they don't delve in without a reason to do so. There is a reason for this happening and they need to identify what that is, but provide appropriate relief for him in the meantime so that he can be comfortable.

Good luck OP and be kind to yourself. If you cannot afford the treatment then you may have to make a decision for your dog for their welfare, but I would explore options, treatment, and ask if they have done everything else to investigate the cause before that. Don't be afraid to ask for second opinions, or third ones. x