Baffled...any help would be appreciated!

[Care28]

Okay, here's a little background--Kelli was fine as of yesterday morning, around lunchtime she started shaking and was crouched down as if she was in trouble. She would also slightly yelp whenever she barked and acted as if it HURT her to do so. I monitored her for a few hours to see how she was doing and she didn't seem to be getting better (she was panting a little bit but we believe that was from stress), called the vet and they told us to bring her right up.

Well, Kelli has allergies so we had to go up anyway to get her prescription refilled, so we did that at the same time. The vet thoroughly checked her, I mean EVERYTHING from her heart to her lungs to her throat, EVERYthing. The vet gave her a pain shot (not sure WHY that was done when nothing was found to be wrong) and also gave us a prescription for an antibiotic, a rather strong one too. It's a liquid drop that she has to take 1ML of and THAT seemed excessive to me. She also had her anal glands drained as the Dr. said they were pretty full and at times that can cause them to be irritable.

So, we got her back home and she still acted as if she was scared/hurt/didn't feel well. We had given her the antibiotic and it just seemed to get worse. She woke up from a sound sleep PANTING. We took her outside and she tried 4 or 5 times to go poop...each time, nothing. We think maybe she was constipated/had an upset tummy, but we can't figure out why. We haven't changed her eating habits at all, nothing out of the ordinary has been given to her. She did throw up last night, as well. Around 130 this morning, she got up and had to go potty and she pooped then. She woke up this morning and seemed to feel SO, SO much better. She ate her breakfast, also had her morning treat, and was giving kisses and lovin' to everyone. We had to give her the antibiotic again, so we did that and about an hour or so later, maybe not even THAT long she started panting again and acting as if she didn't feel well. She ALSO seemed to have trouble walking. We put her on the couch and she laid down and wouldn't budge. Kelli's just not like that, plus her tongue was hanging out of her mouth at this point.

So, we took her to the Emergency Vet Hospital and they've had her since 1030. They've done all kinds of tests on her, took her blood, did xrays, they can't find anything. But I'm getting conflicting reports. The Dr. at the EVH said it could be anything from her brain, to an inner ear infection, even down to her heart. Plus, another thing is after he examined her initially, he put her on the floor and Kelli had a hard time walking, she fell quite a bit. This was not long after she was given her second dose of medicine. BEFORE we gave her the medicine she was running around, although slowly, and jumping, too. We JUST had her checked at her NORMAL vets yesterday and they said she was fine. This is a vet we've used for all of our animals for about 16 years now. I'm a little bit miffed over them giving her an antibiotic when nothing was wrong (we had to see a different dr up there because our regular dr was on vacation). The EVH asked to keep Kelli for a couple hours so we came home, we called up a little bit ago and they want to keep her till around 5pm. The Dr. said she seems to be doing much better, although she still wobbles when she walks a little bit. But the Dr. feels that could be too that she's not sure where we are and she's scared.

I'm sorry to give so much info, I'm just really wondering if this was a TINY problem (such as an upset tummy) that was made WORSE by that heavy dose of antibiotics. It's a stronger one than she's used to taking, too. The Dr. at the EVH kinda discredited our belief that it could be the med, but I'm not sure I understand why she was okay this morning before taking it. It's frustrating me to death that two Dr's can't find a thing wrong with her, and the one Dr. prescribed meds that she probably didn't even need. PLUS gave her a shot on top of all of that. Anyone experienced the scared, shaking, wobbly, headachey symptoms that Kelli seemed to have in a dog that had an ear infection or an upset stomach?

We're probably going to take her to the normal vet tomorrow because we're just not sure what else to do. I'm hoping her REGULAR vet will be there. Any advice or experiences would be so appreciated, thank you. I'm just worried sick about our little girl.

[Kaja21_2002]

Carrie & Kelli ---

I wish I could help you out and give you an exact answer to your problems - I'm really sorry for you. I'm sure it was just the flu or some weird 24 hr bug that got Kelli feeling down. And you're probably right about the Dr giving too high of an antibiotic for her. Some times dogs act different to meds - throw up, constipated or even make them sicker - and weaker.

You are doing everything that you can - and I really hope that they get to the bottom of this. I recently had a litter of puppies and one was only 2 oz and they couldn't do anything for him - I had to put him down and it was very hard. But with older yorkies (older than 2 wks) - They have so much NEW technology and they will find out what's wrong. I'm sure of it - But I will keep you in my prayers and hope you get her back today or tomorrow - I would suggest not giving the meds any more - or else giving her 1/2 of the prescribed amount.

Please keep us all posted of what's going on - You will be in my prayers tonight!!! Good luck and best of luck - Hope your Thanksgiving Day goes much better!

KATIE and Brooklyn

[chachi]

I dont know what it could be except the wobbliness sounded like maybe hypoglycemia. Do you have some nutrical you can give her? As fair as the antibiotics I think the vets prescribe it as often for dogs as Pediatricians prescribe it for children. Whenever my dogs have anything form diahrea to allergies to hair loss they have had an antibiotic prescribed to them. I really dont think thats whats making your dog wobbly. Good luck hopefully your vet will find out what is wrong.

[Care28]

Thank you so much for your quick responses. Not to sound stupid or anything, but Hypoglycemia...wouldn't that be something that would have been discovered today? The EVH has had her for about 6 hours now, they did a myriad of blood work plus xrays and everything and have been able to find nothing which would cause her to act as if she was, honestly, drugged. That's how she behaved. She was fine before being given the med this morning which makes no sense. She's been given antibiotics before as well and has experienced no side effects from them, although this is a STRONGER antibiotic we were told and I just figured, as in humans, a dog could have a reaction to a med that maybe other dogs haven't or whatever else.

It just doesn't make any sense to have her seen by two Dr's and they can't find a thing wrong with her. She really was fine this morning, ate her food and went potty just as normal. There's been no diarrea or anything of the sort, she just seemed to have been a little constipated yesterday and had an upset tummy. We don't have Nutrical, but I can easily get that, I just don't want to give her ANOTHER thing that might not be needed...she's been poked, prodded and everything else the past two days and I just want her better.

[chachi]

I would get some nutrical and give it to her. Its not a medicine its a nutricitional supplement with sugar in it. It wont hurt her at all too have it. The shaking and the wobbliness sound like hypoglycemia to me. Is she eating okay? It not the first time I heard of someones dog having the symptoms and a vet not finding it to be hypoglycemia. Maybe some vets just arent that familiar with it.

[txshopper73]

What is the prognosis on Kelli? Her symptoms seem very strange to me.

[Care28]

We just got Kelli back from the EVH and she's home resting now. She threw up immediately when she got home after drinking ALOT of water, I think she upset her tummy. The official diagnosis from the EVH doctor is a bad reaction to the strong antibiotic that she was prescribed, which is what we thought it was given the fact that her symptoms only appeared after she had been given the medicine. We're going to monitor her tonight and see how she does, we're to discontinue those antibiotics immediately, of course. He's faxing everything to our regular vet and we should get a new prescription tomorrow. I thank you guys for your worry, she seems to be doing okay (isn't wobbling, just a little bit sluggish still), and I'm hoping honestly that that's all it was.

[yorkieusa]

I hope that's all it was, too. Good luck and keep us up to date.

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

Wow~ How terrible that your poor little girl had to go through all of this. Sometimes vets can be so frustrating. I would have suspected an abstruction of some kind from her original symptoms which might have been ascertainable with an x-ray, but once she had a bowel movement, the obstruction must have cleared. Did she eat a rawhide or a greenie or anything at all that is not completely digestible?

Had she had a vaccine recently?

I agree with you that the pain shot and the antibiotic were completely uncalled for, excessive and actually bad for the dog under the circumstances. It is not good to prescribe an antibiotic for anything and everything as the dog will develop a tolerance to it and it will not be effective when they actually need it.

I hope your baby is back to normal soon and that your regular vet hears about what the substitute vet prescribed and that you get a refund for the pain shot, the unnecessary anal gland expression and the unnecessary antibiotic.

It is unfortunate that experiences like this one make one hesitate to return to the vet as quickly the next time. I am very very picky about what procedures my dogs are subjected to and I don't like "leaving" them at all, so I had to search a long time to find the right vet who lets me treat my dogs like my children, and stay with them, and not have them spend the night if not necessary, and will not perform unnecessary procedures and no procedures without my consent and approval after all of the risks, side effects and rationales for the procedure are explained to me. I mean "sueezing the anal glands" really sounds like they were doing everything they could to "pad the bill". I hate thinking that way....but......

[jbarile]

Are there any walnuts around your yard? Im Not sure but tilly had those same symtoms and they found out it was because ate some molded walnut and mold is very toxic, they kept her all night and pumped her stomach, the next morning she was a little tired but was better by evening, maybe she got into something mold? or just ate something bad? I hope she is better.

[Care28]

I don't even know how to begin this....

We lost Kelli this morning. We got her home last night and she was fine for a few hours, resting comfortably, but in the middle of the night things drastically took a tun for the worst and she took her last breath surrounded by a family that loved her more than anything in this world.

There is much more to type,but I just can't right now. I thank you all for your comments and help, I really do.

[JudyM]

This is my first post... I am so terribly sorry for your loss. My eyes are welled with tears right now. I know how difficult it is to lose a furry family member - my heart goes out to you and your family...

[susansmom]

Often pain will cause dogs to pant and act as yours acted judging from your description. Sounds like the pain shot was a great mercy from a compassionate vet who recognized pain that your poor baby was not able to complain about.

[ladyt]

I am so sorry to hear about your lost!

We are praying for you!

Ladyt & kiki

[bettyeanne]

I am so sorry and cannot imagine your pain. We will keep you and your family in our prayers! I know you all gave little Kelli the best part of her life!!