We lost Jersey at 17 months old to a brain disorder. Our vet never said Hydrocephelus but losing her haunted me and each night I'd go online and continue to research medical conditions that could have caused the symptoms she had. Our vet mentioned that it could be something "organic" I(whatever that means) and he mentioned a brain tumor. He said he saw something "abnormal" in her brain. At the time (August) I was just so distraught when he said that there was nothing he could do that I never questioned enough. We put our little girl down at 17 months old. I now suspect that it was Hydrocephelus but don't know for sure and I guess her death will ALWAYS haunt me.
Her symptoms if it will help anyone at all were as follows.
1. As a pup (we got her at 10 weeks of age) she acted strangely. Very withdrawn, would hide a lot. She would eat fast and nervously then hide. Acted (only way to describe it) almost like a child that was "special or mentally challenged." At the time I thought it was a socialization thing and that she just needed time. Yet in my heart from when I first brought her home I could feel something wasn't right but could not figure out what.
2. As she grew the strangeness stayed. We have four others and this little one would play but would also stay to herself mostly. She would go off by herself and sleep alone - not with us and not with the others. And, I should mentione that she always had a slightly different look in her eyes. The best way to describe it (And I hate to sound in polite) is like when you see a child that does not look right - you know you can tell when they are slightly retarded - she had that far away look.
3. Three moths before we lost her - things changed more. Her eyes got very distant, glazed almost and she started to become stranger. Aggressive. She would just be lying there and one of the dogs would walk by and she'd lunge for them, growling viciously wanting to attack. If you attempted to stop it she would turn on you. It seemed though as if she did not realize she was doing it. I hadn't realized right away until just recently but my son had a video of her and six months before this she was not like this. Her eyes were clear - in her most recent picture taken a month or less before this her eyes look dead to me - glazed with a far away look (I've attatched a picture). I can't put my finger on it - but her eyes look almost sad too. I just know that they were different then my other girls. Very distant looking.
This really hurts me to write this and I can't say for sure that it was hydrocephelus but if what I write can help one person you know. I won't ever get over losing her and I'll always regret not pushing it further but at the time it was so bad and I trusted my vet when he said that we can spend $5,000 and still not be able to help her. He told us she would just get sicker and sicker. Anyway, I wish I could get the closure I so need and I pray that this info. will help someone else looking for answers.
Elaine |