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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Please help, what are the vets & hospital not seeing?

166 replies

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 03/08/2018 14:07

I’ve crying non-stop for 3 days, not slept, it came on literally with a click of the fingers. No unusual walks or anything else to speak of.

Gone from loving tug o’war with squeeky toys, thinking everyone that comes to the house is here for him (& making it known!) , wanting his Kong daily, jumping on the sofa to the following:

Wobbling, unsteady, every time he tries to walk no matter how little the distance, even just from one room to the next

Right foot constantly ‘going under/back on itself’ and on 1 occasion it was stretched straight off the ground and he couldn’t flex it or put it down

Both front legs crossing over each other in attempting to walk

Collapsing, his right leg can’t hold him, his left doesn’t balance him out so he falls forward onto his face/top of his head. Terrifying to see.

Can get up onto my bed to a degree with a real struggle but needs human help to get down

Unbalanced on rear legs 50% of the time

Am beyond desperate and sad. Couldn’t go to work today as he can’t be left for his own safety. 7 year old Dalmatian with no history at all.

Vets & specialist hospital are stumped, even after £7k’s worth of investigations. Only thing showing up is significant inflammation somewhere but arthritis has been ruled out.

Only (& last) option now is MRI on brain, but in the meantime I’m wondering if there’s anything they could have missed. They’ve ultrasounded all internal organs, x-rayed his legs & neck, MRI’d his spine, taken fluids from all joints. Nothing muscular and nothing neuro related apparently.

I just need some words & a handhold. My heart is collapsing with him.

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EmeliSandpit · 04/08/2018 20:44

Hope you get some good news soon. 🐾💕💐

BuffysFavouriteStake · 04/08/2018 20:44

And Flowers for all of you with poorly furbabies. Wishing the best for you all.

OrcinusOrca · 05/08/2018 07:59

@Kneesbendarmstretchrarara two of my colleagues at work have lost pets within four days of each other, but it did stop at those two! Things don't come in such perfect threes like that all the time.

Sorry to hear they've not figured it out yet, but I'm pleased he hasn't deteriorated x

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 05/08/2018 11:14

Nurse told me this morning he is ‘knuckling’, still wobbly, unbalanced but not collapsing like he did last weekend. Last weekend I had to go out in the 4x4 off-road through the farmers field & down a dirt track to recover him & DH. I’ll never forget seeing them both lying in the grass, DH had taken off his top layers to keep my boy warm. We lefted him into the car, he couldn’t even raise his head. He didn’t yelp then.

But he did yelp when I touched his ear twice recently so will ask them to MRI his neck as well, should I do that?

The nurse said to me today that the clinician will be on the phone to me whilst the procedure is underway. I wasn’t expecting that, am wondering if she’s got that wrong? My workplace won’t mind if that is the case.

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pigsDOfly · 05/08/2018 15:45

I do hope this is a sign of improvement Knees.

Keeping fingers crossed for you and your precious boy.

BuffysFavouriteStake · 05/08/2018 18:34

Thinking of you knees Hopefully a sign of improvement...

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 05/08/2018 19:56

Thankyou. Was looking in the garage for a bucket today & came across some photos that have been in storage since we moved. Cue more tears. This is getting ridiculous now.

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pigsDOfly · 05/08/2018 20:12

It's not ridiculous. It's so hard when they're unwell and not knowing what it is must make it even harder.

My dog has a condition that flares up from time to time and I'm a mess every time but least I know what it is and the vet knows how to treat it.

Hope you get some good new soon.

BuffysFavouriteStake · 05/08/2018 20:30

Definitely not ridiculous. Not going to derail your thread, but I can understand. FlowersCakeGin

knockknockknock · 06/08/2018 18:54

@Kneesbendarmstretchrarara Any update?

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 06/08/2018 19:52

Thankyou for reassuring me I wasn’t being ridiculous.

Got home 20 mins ago....a very long car journey, I left work as soon as they said I could get him Smile

The MRI shows 2 white ‘blobs’ (Knees talk rather than neuro talk) where the nerve endings meet the spinal cord in his neck on his right side which is why he flinched & yelped when touched there.

These could be one of the following:

Inflammation because of infection

Or

Tumour

So he is on steroids & Gabapentin with a view of hopefully with everything crossed the start of an improvement within 3-4 months.

If there is no sign of his leg getting better or the wobbling going, it’s the latter.

In the meantime I am even more in love with him that ever & I didn’t think that was possible!

Pic taken before illness.

Thankyou everyone for going out of their way and taking time to help me Flowers

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BiteyShark · 06/08/2018 19:55

I am so glad he is back home with you. A house is so empty without them.

Fingers crossed it's inflammation and things start to improve.

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 06/08/2018 19:57

Wanting to eat the cutest part of the birthday cake

Please help, what are the vets & hospital not seeing?
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Kool4katz · 06/08/2018 20:23

Just wanted to send you and DDog hugs and to say what a gorgeous boy he is. x

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 06/08/2018 21:17

They have said its ‘idiomatic neuritis’.

Thankyou.

One VERY content boy sharing my sofa (with a lot of help getting on it)

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Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 06/08/2018 21:18

Not ‘idiomatic’ Stupid autocorrect.

Idiopathic neuritis.

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MrsMozart · 06/08/2018 23:18

So so so glad he's home.

All tightly crossed for a good recovery lass.

pigsDOfly · 06/08/2018 23:27

You must be so pleased to have him back on your sofa. Hope he's on his way to a good recovery.

Very handsome boy.

Ginismything · 06/08/2018 23:42

Oh bless him, he's an absolute beauty. I hope he's on the mend soon x

Sharpcattlegridheavyhat · 07/08/2018 06:54

Wow he is SO beautiful!! I’m so glad he’s back with you. Hoping for a fast recovery for you both. Wow I would love a Dalmatian....they’re mad though aren’t they?!

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 07/08/2018 07:03

He is a law unto himself...there’s a reason you don’t see many around Wink

Clumsy, attention-seeking, high on life, thinks he’s a Lord...I could go on....

Please help, what are the vets & hospital not seeing?
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3luckystars · 08/08/2018 16:21

Great photo!!

Sharpcattlegridheavyhat · 08/08/2018 18:59

I just think they are hands down the most beautiful dogs! Unfortunately having 2 year old twins and a 4 year old might not be a good mix.... bah

Kneesbendarmstretchrarara · 09/08/2018 12:13

Update!

Ummmmm the drugs he is on seem to be a miracle cure....he is back to his young self (in his head he is still only 5 months old!)

Walking without wobbling, his legs aren’t crossing over, the ‘knuckling’ where his foot bent back onto itself is now minimal & he can go to the toilet the correct way without falling & only a minor wobble which he seems to try & control.

He is comfy now & runs to meet me at the door jumping with a wagging tail and a woof, whereas this time last week you wouldn’t have known he was in the house, we had to go looking for him to make sure he hadn’t fallen.

We even found him on our bed last night 😍

I am so pathetic when it comes to my baby.

Thankyou for the advice & support, I do genuinely appreciate your time xxxx

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Cheripie64 · 09/08/2018 12:31

Fantastic update Grin