New member
Posted: 25 May 2019, 12:32
Hello,
and before anything else, I would like to thank to all who are making this incredible work about this terrible disease.
I really don't know how to start, as I don't seem to have all the information everyone has ... to be honest, I am just confused and angry.
Sandie, who is currently 15 and a half years old, began having some trouble while she was playing and running. Small accidents, a slightly injured muscle, and then pain somewhere on her back to the point she could not move. This went on for about a year, and then suddenly she was much worse. The vets made x-rays, given meds to pain, but could not find out anything. Falls had now become frequent, Finally, on August 2018, a neurosurgeon diagnosed her a herniated disc. By that time, Sandie was very thin, and everyone was telling me it was normal to lose muscle mass due to age. In that appointment, I found out Sandie was a little more than 16 kilograms (her normal weight was 23). The neurosurgeon agreed it was normal, and probably aggravated by not exercising as much as she could before.
He gave her cortisone, a very small dosage, and the result was like a miracle, Sandie was able to run again.
About two weeks later, Sandie had diarrhea. When it seemed to be getting better, she developed fever, showed signs of dehydration and we run to the hospital. She was diagnosed as having a gastroenteritis. I insisted on taking her home as soon as possible, and when I did, even after only 12 hours, she was in pain due to uncomfortable position, very angry, and her back legs had lost strength completely.
She completed her recovery home, regained appetite and started walking again. We even went with her, Maggie (our other dog, who was fighting cancer), and the three cats on vacation.
Some weeks after, she began having stomach noises. She also seemed somewhat thirstier. And had started to poop more often, sometimes while asleep, (and falling back on her poop !) And before I could wonder more about that, her neurological problems became worse – or so I thought. In February, she went to another appointment with a renowned neurosurgeon, who insisted on a tomography scan. It confirmed the herniated disc (which can not be surgically treated). It also revealed she had the lungs of a young dog, no tumors, and no arthroses on legs and hips. The blood tests were also normal. And, yes, she pooped while asleep from the anesthesia in the hospital recovery room – a strange yellowish poop that had started 2/3 days before and that I thought was liver related – and no one paid attention to that …
… and the blood tests, performed that same day, were normal.
She was then given cortisone for a week before returning. Oh, yes, it was devastating. Sandie was a strong dog all her life, and I had never heard her crying in pain. I thought the pain was from her back ! She was up all night, drinking water, walking back and forth, falling on those strange poops. It was horrible. I stopped the cortisone when I realized it was her belly that was hurting and we went to the hospital. She was then very sick. She could hardly stand, her back was arching, she was cold and depressed. I complained, talked about those strange poops, and the vet said she might have a pancreatic insufficiency.
No more cortisone for her, and not much more help from the vet concerning her back problems – maybe acupuncture. They gave me pancreatic enzymes, which also had Vit. B12, and I came home, and found EPI4Dogs, and read the general guidelines about the disease and the diets.
Then Maggie was worse, and I tried to do my best for both of them … It was so, so hard … I had lost faith in veterinarians !
Maggie died on May 2. One week before, I found new veterinarians that were able to help her – I found them too late !!!! – in her last days …
…. So I took Sandie there, and she did all the tests she was supposed to. The EPI diagnose was confirmed, and a Vit.B12 deficiency, and an inflamed liver. The vet told me that is hard to believe how no one noticed how thin she was, even though I kept complaining ! She believes her back problems are worse simply because she is losing muscle mass due to the B12 deficiency – the bones have no support.
Sandie is now in her 5th day of therapy: a special home-made diet with supplements, new enzymes, B12 shots, antibiotic. She is returning to the vet in 3 days. The vet is confident she can help with her legs … (she does not get up anymore from the frequent falls).
I am so sorry for such a long post ! I could not found a better way to shorten this story. I am still so, so sad about Maggie … but I now have hope things can get better for Sandie. She has been suffering so much - and so unnecessarily !
I truly appreciate any thoughts and support. Thank you !
and before anything else, I would like to thank to all who are making this incredible work about this terrible disease.
I really don't know how to start, as I don't seem to have all the information everyone has ... to be honest, I am just confused and angry.
Sandie, who is currently 15 and a half years old, began having some trouble while she was playing and running. Small accidents, a slightly injured muscle, and then pain somewhere on her back to the point she could not move. This went on for about a year, and then suddenly she was much worse. The vets made x-rays, given meds to pain, but could not find out anything. Falls had now become frequent, Finally, on August 2018, a neurosurgeon diagnosed her a herniated disc. By that time, Sandie was very thin, and everyone was telling me it was normal to lose muscle mass due to age. In that appointment, I found out Sandie was a little more than 16 kilograms (her normal weight was 23). The neurosurgeon agreed it was normal, and probably aggravated by not exercising as much as she could before.
He gave her cortisone, a very small dosage, and the result was like a miracle, Sandie was able to run again.
About two weeks later, Sandie had diarrhea. When it seemed to be getting better, she developed fever, showed signs of dehydration and we run to the hospital. She was diagnosed as having a gastroenteritis. I insisted on taking her home as soon as possible, and when I did, even after only 12 hours, she was in pain due to uncomfortable position, very angry, and her back legs had lost strength completely.
She completed her recovery home, regained appetite and started walking again. We even went with her, Maggie (our other dog, who was fighting cancer), and the three cats on vacation.
Some weeks after, she began having stomach noises. She also seemed somewhat thirstier. And had started to poop more often, sometimes while asleep, (and falling back on her poop !) And before I could wonder more about that, her neurological problems became worse – or so I thought. In February, she went to another appointment with a renowned neurosurgeon, who insisted on a tomography scan. It confirmed the herniated disc (which can not be surgically treated). It also revealed she had the lungs of a young dog, no tumors, and no arthroses on legs and hips. The blood tests were also normal. And, yes, she pooped while asleep from the anesthesia in the hospital recovery room – a strange yellowish poop that had started 2/3 days before and that I thought was liver related – and no one paid attention to that …
… and the blood tests, performed that same day, were normal.
She was then given cortisone for a week before returning. Oh, yes, it was devastating. Sandie was a strong dog all her life, and I had never heard her crying in pain. I thought the pain was from her back ! She was up all night, drinking water, walking back and forth, falling on those strange poops. It was horrible. I stopped the cortisone when I realized it was her belly that was hurting and we went to the hospital. She was then very sick. She could hardly stand, her back was arching, she was cold and depressed. I complained, talked about those strange poops, and the vet said she might have a pancreatic insufficiency.
No more cortisone for her, and not much more help from the vet concerning her back problems – maybe acupuncture. They gave me pancreatic enzymes, which also had Vit. B12, and I came home, and found EPI4Dogs, and read the general guidelines about the disease and the diets.
Then Maggie was worse, and I tried to do my best for both of them … It was so, so hard … I had lost faith in veterinarians !
Maggie died on May 2. One week before, I found new veterinarians that were able to help her – I found them too late !!!! – in her last days …
…. So I took Sandie there, and she did all the tests she was supposed to. The EPI diagnose was confirmed, and a Vit.B12 deficiency, and an inflamed liver. The vet told me that is hard to believe how no one noticed how thin she was, even though I kept complaining ! She believes her back problems are worse simply because she is losing muscle mass due to the B12 deficiency – the bones have no support.
Sandie is now in her 5th day of therapy: a special home-made diet with supplements, new enzymes, B12 shots, antibiotic. She is returning to the vet in 3 days. The vet is confident she can help with her legs … (she does not get up anymore from the frequent falls).
I am so sorry for such a long post ! I could not found a better way to shorten this story. I am still so, so sad about Maggie … but I now have hope things can get better for Sandie. She has been suffering so much - and so unnecessarily !
I truly appreciate any thoughts and support. Thank you !