Can I have a handhold please!?

[absolutelydone]

My lovely dog can’t walk properly. Her front legs are sliding from underneath her and she is falling over. It is awful to witness.

started off with just a limp so we rested her for couple of days but no improvement so went the vets, they said she didn’t seem in pain and referred us to a more experienced vet. He said about an MRI which we did but I don’t think revealed an awful lot. He thinks it could be neurological.

She’s been prescribed steroids and we are due back next week.

Now she’s crying, legs giving way from under her. Also coughs a lot I’ve noticed when she has a drink. I don’t know what to do.

Thank you for asking, much the same. 😔 3rd day of steroids hoping to see some sort of affect soon.

Hope she picks up over the weekend 💐

How is your dog getting on now @absolutelydone ?

Just checking in, how is she?

still no change though DP thinks she’s a little better after steroids, I disagree.

the test for MG takes about two weeks to come back so we won’t know more until then. 😔

Thats a long time to wait , we will keep everything crossed for her 💐

Bless you all. I've dealt with epilepsy on many occasions not nothing of this nature. I know when I first saw my dog have a seizure I was in an absolute blind panic and it was awful to witness. As time progressed I learned more and more about them, and with medication he managed well.
Try not to panic around your dog. It's almost impossible but they do sense your stress. Sending hugs and hope to you 🤗

Has your dog improved at all @absolutelydone ?

unfortunately not :(

vet doesn’t think it’s MG but doesn’t have any other answers!!

Does the vet have a plan , are they going to refer you on to someone who may have a clue . Are you near a Royal vet college practice ?

He’s told us to try the steroids a little longer because he feels there is some slight improvement with her reflexes from last time! No onwards referral mentioned though!

Have your vets ruled out a chest infection? Our dog had one which presented as occasional coughing and generalised weakness in his limbs. Unfortunately this infection was very sneaky and misdiagnosed as a combination of worsening arthritis and chronic bronchitis.

He kept improving and then going down hill over the course of 11 days, before suddenly deteriorating. Sadly by the time the vets realised that he had a nasty infection it had really taken a toll on his little body and he didn't respond to treatment.

Please don't think I'm telling you that to scare you, it's just the symptoms sound similar and it might be worth seeking another opinion xx

Just to add our vets originally also discovered some mild negative neurological signs like diminished reflexes in our dog, but it was a bit of a red herring due to the infection xx

Thank you @Lastofsummer sorry to hear about your poor boy.

vet hasn’t mentioned it I don’t think, DP has been taking her though and his ability to retain a lot of info is not the greatest. I’ll ask him when he’s home from work though.

it’s just baffling how she’s gone from a slight limp to her legs buckling. I can’t just not have an answer? I’m also struggling with stopping her jumping up completely. Sometimes when I’m carrying baby she will jump in the sofa and I can’t stop her her as I’ve no free hands! 😫

Thank you, I'm sure it's not the same thing, but I would hate for another dog owner to go through that. Our boy's illness did make him quite wobbly in his limbs so I thought it was worth mentioning just in case. I really hope this resolves soon and your dear dog is feeling better 💐

Can I ask what kind of vet you have seen? Is it a first opinion vet or a specialist?
If a first opinion vet then I'd recommend asking for a referral to a specialist hospital to get to the bottom of it.

How is your dog getting on @absolutelydone ?

Not good. No improvement whatsoever. We are going to try and get a second opinion. I feel a bit fobbed off by our vet tbf.

she is falling over more, sliding around more and almost like she can’t get her legs out of certain positions?

absolutely do that, ASAP.

big hugs to her 😍

Definitely get a different opinion , you can’t just carry on like this . 💐

You've no rodent poison down or potentially poisoned rodents in the garden?
There's a few specialist dog health facebook groups it might be worth posting symptoms on there in the hope you can get a clue as to what is going on.

Must be very hard on you with young children too.

Thank you I’ll do that!

no poison down, garden relatively small and I can’t see anything untoward out there.

its just horrible to see. Her legs are splaying in the hard floor. I’ve managed to get a runner for the bit in the living room to steady her a bit but our kitchen is huge and would need a lot more than a runner.

we’re looking at getting her some sort of brace. But I feel it’s wrong to just treat the symptoms rather than find the cause. Not wrong as such just easier if we knew what we were dealing with

Here’s another pic, just because. 🥰

I am having a hard time trying to stop her jumping up and down. I also have DD1 and DD9 with me at home so I’m often not quick enough to stop her 😔

Maybe wouldn't help but you can get little boots for dogs with grippers/rubber bits which may help with getting traction on the slippy floor?

Has your dog got a diagnosis yet @absolutelydone . Just a thought has she had her blood pressure checked as our dog was at deaths door when his was high and was also knuckling .