|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
05-04-2011, 07:47 AM | #1 |
YT Graphic Artist Donating Member | Unexplained Pain This is not my dog, but this maltese belongs to a very good friend of mine, and I was hoping maybe someone could help. He is 6 years old. This started on Sunday. When she was brushing him, he yelped. She at first thought it was his LP, but he seemed to be in pain, so off he went to the vet on Monday. His breathing was strange (I think he was panting from pain) ... anyway, blood tests were done, and she was told that all organs are functioning normally. His white blood cell count was elevated, but only by one point (so not enough to show infection, or anythng else) He had a fever of 106 at the vet's office! He was given an antibiotic to bring down the fever, and a cortizone shot. No x-rays were taken because the vet said she had felt everywhere on him, and it all felt fine. He was taken back to the vet yesterday because he was still panting, and not eating. This time, they said it may be fluid around his spine, or a possible pinched nerve. Does anyone have any experience with this?
__________________ Shadow Dancer (RIP) , Gellica, Li'l Sapphire, Phantom, & Brandi Blu (RIP) |
Welcome Guest! | |
05-04-2011, 08:10 AM | #2 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| From a recent experience with Ellie very similar to this (but not showing so much pain - more odd behavior), the first two rule outs are abdomen and spine if everything is normal on palpation. Was a cPLI done to check for pancreatitis? Also, there is no good reason to not do an xray. If the vet thinks it's the spine, but either can't handle the case or doesn't believe the problem will show up on xray, then this pup needs to go to a specialty hospital. If this is a slipped disc or the like, some other things may be recommended.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
05-04-2011, 08:16 AM | #3 |
YT Graphic Artist Donating Member | Thanks ... I will let her know. As far as she knows, she doesn't think he was injured, but I'm sure it's possible he could have jumped off the couch the wrong the way, etc. She doesn't think he could have gotten into anything either. I just spoke to her, and he seems to be doing better today (not panting as much, and seems to be less lethargic and more energetic). If there is fluid around the spine - will that show up in an x-ray? Would that cause this pain and fever? What about a pinched nerve - how can that be diagnosed for sure? She may have to go back for another opinion.
__________________ Shadow Dancer (RIP) , Gellica, Li'l Sapphire, Phantom, & Brandi Blu (RIP) |
05-04-2011, 08:18 AM | #4 |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,865
| Did they do an xray on the 2nd visit or are they just guessing? If the dog is in enough pain to make him pant, I would find another vet (permanently) one that listens to the owner and is a bit more proactive in wanting to resolve problems..... The fever I believe only comes from infection, if they did inhouse bloodwork their machine may need to be re-calibrated (at least one that high...)
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity Last edited by kjc; 05-04-2011 at 08:20 AM. |
05-04-2011, 08:34 AM | #5 |
YT Graphic Artist Donating Member | No, they have not done x-rays. The vet told the owner that they didn't think it was neccessary because they couldn't "feel anything". If this persists, she will most likely be seeing another vet.
__________________ Shadow Dancer (RIP) , Gellica, Li'l Sapphire, Phantom, & Brandi Blu (RIP) |
05-04-2011, 10:14 AM | #6 | ||
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
If he is still panting even a little, that means he is very likely in extreme pain. I would recommend having the owner find a vet that is willing to manage his pain immediately. The steroid may have taken some inflammation down and helped with the pain. That doesn't mean that the problem is solved... Ellie had a very slight amount of fast breathing, yelps a couple times on abdoinal palpation, would seem to get really hot all of a sudden, and a few other things. Her xray showed a significant spinal abnormality. Since dogs hide pain, anytime there is this much it is serious. Quote:
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | ||
05-04-2011, 11:08 AM | #7 |
YT Graphic Artist Donating Member | I agree. I was surprised there was no real "diagnosis" ... she was just told to "watch him and see". I spoke to her again, and he is doing much better today. He was also given fluids yesterday (so apparently he was dehydrated from the fever). When he got home he drank almost a whole bowl of water, and he ate some chicken and rice. Today he is more like himself - barking occassionly, etc. He is still on antibiotics and I believe an anti-inflamatory.
__________________ Shadow Dancer (RIP) , Gellica, Li'l Sapphire, Phantom, & Brandi Blu (RIP) |
05-04-2011, 11:35 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 3,154
| I would definitely take him to another vet Have an x-ray done for sure, but if it is a disc issue in the back, it will probably not be visible on an x-ray either. My Layla has IVDD, showed many of the same symptoms, and was paralyzed within a day of the onset of symptoms. For this disease, there does not have to be any "injury" because it is just discs aging more rapidly and beginning to degenerate. A slipped, bulging, or ruptured disc is VERY painful to the dog. If there is suspicion of back pain and spinal involvement, I think this dog needs to see another vet asap.
__________________ Lindsey and Layla, Lucy, and Kash |
05-04-2011, 02:16 PM | #9 |
YT Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Missouri
Posts: 358
| With the 106 degree fever I would worry about Lyme's Disease or one of the other tick borne diseases. These diseases aren't diagnosed by normal blood tests but are specific blood tests. Alot of vets don't think about TBD (tick borne diseases) when examining a dog. Sometimes a tick will bite, feed, and then fall back off so people may miss the tick bite itself. Have your friend ask for blood tests for TBD. If positive antibiotics will take care of it (they may be different antibiotics needed than what he is on - for example Lymes is treated with Doxyclycline). Please keep us updated, Teresa Last edited by Teresamag; 05-04-2011 at 02:18 PM. |
05-11-2011, 06:30 AM | #10 |
YT Graphic Artist Donating Member | I just wanted to come back and update this thread. My friend's dog is back to normal now. We are still not sure what happened, but his symptoms have disappeared. He went back for a re-check and the vet thinks it was just a stiff/sore neck. To me, that doesn't explain the fever. I wonder if the stress of the pain and the vet visits could have caused the temp?
__________________ Shadow Dancer (RIP) , Gellica, Li'l Sapphire, Phantom, & Brandi Blu (RIP) |
Bookmarks |
|
|
Thread Tools | |
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart