Please help - Somethings wrong with my 5 month old tcup yorkie :(

[Princess Chilli]

Hi All,

I am new to Yorkie talk and I’m turning to all of you out there for some help please. I just got a 5 month old tcup yorkie. He ways 6oo grams and he is so fragile. He has only been with us for 3 days. When we got him he was full of ticks and flees and dried poop. So we bathed him, cleaned him up, removed the ticks and flees and the vet gave us stuff to put on him. Our vet gave him a general check up and says he seems okay, but I have noticed he doesn't focus very well and I’m worried if he is battling to see. Then when I was holding him he had a seizure as he got lock jaw, started shaking, went weak and couldn't walk, but after holding him he was fine. Then everything went back to normal and last night he went to bed and then started screaming in the night and even though we had picked him up he still cried and cried. So that went on and off the whole night then he had another seizure this morning so my husband rushed him to the vet. They have now booked him in to the hospital and he is on a drip and they are doing the tests that they can. They can’t do too much as he is so small. His glucose level is normal and since he has been at the hospital and on a drip he hasn't had another seizure yet. The vet doesn't seem to know what it is and I’m so worried. There must be something wrong for him to be so unhappy. I am devastated and scared I’ll lose him. Please help with any advise or if you have been through something similar. He is on Hills food and has been eating and drinking with no problems.

Thanking you in advance for your help and support.

Bronwyn

PS - I also have a miniature yorkie and have never had any problems with her and she is 4 years of.

[lillymae]

Was your baby vaccinated at the vets ? Here are some things you need to talk with your vet about GME, AAI, Chiari and liver shunt. If he's having trouble focusing then it's probably neurological and needs attention ASAP. Unfortunately not enough vets know enough about these conditions and specialists are needed. With all these conditions it is very important to get a diagnosis quickly as they can all be life threatening but are treatable.

[Wylie's Mom]

Please check this baby for liver shunt. Does she act funny after she eats (can be sign of liver shunt)?

Also, when she was 'screaming'....were you able to tell where the pain was coming from? Was she holding her neck funny?

If yes, please get this baby checked ASAP for AAI: Atlantoaxial Instability (Luxation)

If she does not seem to show sensitivity to sugar levels (hypoglycemia, which is common in yorkie pups), then the other 2 things above would be very important to explore.

[OwnedByJezebel]

Did the screaming occur at the time of the seizure? My senior had a seizure a couple of years ago during the middle of the night, and it was accompanied by "vocalization." It was the worst blood-curdling SCREAM I have ever heard, I couldn't believe that loud noise was coming out of that little dog. The vet never found out what was wrong, and it never happened again. The vet said it was involuntary, just like the stiffening and shaking, and it was not a response to pain. The dog doesn't even know that the seizure is happening or that they are vocalizing.

If the crying is happening when the dog is NOT seizing, then the poor thing is in pain.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Please check this baby for liver shunt. Does she act funny after she eats (can be sign of liver shunt)?

Also, when she was 'screaming'....were you able to tell where the pain was coming from? Was she holding her neck funny?

If yes, please get this baby checked ASAP for AAI: Atlantoaxial Instability (Luxation)

If she does not seem to show sensitivity to sugar levels (hypoglycemia, which is common in yorkie pups), then the other 2 things above would be very important to explore.

Great Advise Ann!!! Please keep us updated.

[Princess Chilli]

Originally Posted by lillymae

Was your baby vaccinated at the vets ? Here are some things you need to talk with your vet about GME, AAI, Chiari and liver shunt. If he's having trouble focusing then it's probably neurological and needs attention ASAP. Unfortunately not enough vets know enough about these conditions and specialists are needed. With all these conditions it is very important to get a diagnosis quickly as they can all be life threatening but are treatable.

Thank you so for your reply and i'll ask the vet tomorrow. Yes, when i got him i got his book with all this vaccinations in and they are all up to date. However, our vet said, next week she wants to redo them to be safe. I asked her about liver shunt, but she said, he doesn't have all the symtoms and because he is so small she doesn't want to do more extensive tests. He is spending the night with the vet so she can monitor him, but he is on an IV and been given glucose. She said, the eye sight is that he must still develope his depth perception. I'm going to speak to another vet tomorrow.

[Princess Chilli]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Please check this baby for liver shunt. Does she act funny after she eats (can be sign of liver shunt)?

Also, when she was 'screaming'....were you able to tell where the pain was coming from? Was she holding her neck funny?

If yes, please get this baby checked ASAP for AAI: Atlantoaxial Instability (Luxation)

If she does not seem to show sensitivity to sugar levels (hypoglycemia, which is common in yorkie pups), then the other 2 things above would be very important to explore.

Thanks for your message. The vet doesn't think that it is liver shunt and doesn't want to do more tests as he is so small. They watching him tonight and will call me tomorrow.
He has been okay after he has eaten, but in the night i woke to hime crying while eating his food. When he cries even if you try cuddle him he tries to get out, but i don't think he even knows were he wants to be. It is so scary. He really fits the hypoglycemic description, but i can't understand the crying and it is so loud and scary. I'll ask the vet about AAI tomorrow.

[Princess Chilli]

Originally Posted by OwnedByJezebel

Did the screaming occur at the time of the seizure? My senior had a seizure a couple of years ago during the middle of the night, and it was accompanied by "vocalization." It was the worst blood-curdling SCREAM I have ever heard, I couldn't believe that loud noise was coming out of that little dog. The vet never found out what was wrong, and it never happened again. The vet said it was involuntary, just like the stiffening and shaking, and it was not a response to pain. The dog doesn't even know that the seizure is happening or that they are vocalizing.

If the crying is happening when the dog is NOT seizing, then the poor thing is in pain.

No he never cried during, but before. Do you know why he is in pain? Oh, my little boy is so small and it breaks my heart that they haven't found anything yet.

[Princess Chilli]

As soon as i know more i'll post. Thank you all so much for your messages. The support is great. At least he is stable and not getting worse and hasn't had another seizure yet. The vet has taken him home with her to observe him tonight. Tomorrow i'll speak to another vet and ask them about the above you all have listed. Thanks again and will post again soon.

Best Regards, Bronwyn

[Yorkiedaze]

an inner ear infection can also cause severe pain and make it almost impossible to focus, so the eyes would look a bit blurred. I'm sure the Vet. would have added some pain meds. to the drip and is why he was ok for awhile. Usually the tiny ones like that really do need a specialist because some meds can do more harm than good to one that tiny.
I do hope they find the problem with your baby.

[boopster]

Please have a conversation with your vet about the vaccinations before he proceeds. These little guys can have severe reactions and bombarding him with all this at once could make things worse. If you will search on this website about vaccinations you will find all kinds of information about how to reduce the risks.

Did the screaming subside when you picked up the baby? Sometimes I think Tallulah is actually an Irish terrier because she screams like a banshee when she's lonely. The first time I left her alone in her playpen for a few minutes, I thought someone was being murdered in the house, it was so shrill and loud to be coming from that teeny little creature.

I hope you are able to get to the source of your puppy's problem and get it resolved.

Best wishes!

[FlDebra]

How horrible this tiny little 1 lb 5.16 ounce baby (had to run a conversion to visualize size) was left in such disgusting condition! Thankful you have rescued him, cleaned and debugged him, and now getting medical attention! I am so sorry your little one appears to have such a serious condition.

Many of the things that come to my mind have already been listed. Seizures can also be caused by low blood pressure,especially in our tiny breed. Metabolic diseases like diabetes and low calcium can cause a seizure. I have seen low calcium start to cause a seizure in a whelping female. They start to get weak and lose their balance. Lead posioning can cause seizures and puppies are susceptible due to their prolific chewing. I think blood work should show that. Head trauma and central nervous system problems can all lead to seizures. With the neglect you saw in your little one, a head injury would not be out of the realm of possibilities. Heat stroke and hypoglycemia can also bring on a seizure, but since you had the pain episode at night, that seems unlikely.

Have you noticed your little one drinking a lot, peeing a lot, drooling and running in circles? These are symptoms of liver shunt. Symptoms usually get worse after they eat if it is liver shunt.

I know I am just throwing things out there. But maybe you can at least have the doc rule them out for you. Wishing you and your little one the very best. Know that you have done everything you can and he is where he needs to be to get professional help. Saying a prayer for him!

[Darlene68]

Poor little thing I hope he is going to be okay and you have a good vet to care for him, I wish you much luck.

[lillymae]

Please, Please do not let your vet give anymore vaccinations until you find out for sure what's wrong with your baby. Also do research on vaccinating before any more are given, and don't let your vet give all vaccs at the same time as this is way too much on these little guys. So if your vet has not given your baby any vacs yet, tell him/her No No No till you do your research and you have a diagnosis as to what's wrong.

[Lizzie07]

I think all the other replies pretty much cover everything to ask your vet about and consider that might be wrong with your little guy, I just want to express my well wishes for his recovery.