Please help with information about water on the brain or hydrocephalus.

[Lana Prieto]

My Yorkie Milo had a seizure yesterday. He has been showing different signs for a while and we took him to a neurologist. They believe he has hydrocephalus. I put him on predisone. He is doing a little better. I am trying to get more information on this and can't seem to find anything detailed. Does anyone have experience with this. He is 2 years old. I love him so much. Thank you.

[LunasMomma]

I wish I could help, unfortunately I don't know a thing about that condition I'm sorry that your baby has it, hopefully the medicine will help.

[chattiesmom]

This might get long and I might get tearful, but here is Lacybug's story:


My first Yorkie had a nuerological problem. To my knowledge, Laciebug never had a seizure, her problem manifested itself primarly in her gait..... she tended to stumble and walk like she was in pain. My local vet thought she might have a spine issue so we off we went to the University of Georgia Vet School for testing. After one look the vet decided that her problem looked like a neurological one and ordered a cat scan. the cat scan revealed leisions on the lining of the brain which caused swelling and fluid and who knows what other problems. The condition was so very rare, that almost 100% of the time it is diagnosised in a necropsy. My local vet had NEVER seen a living dog with the condition.

Anyway, Laciebug was given two weeks worth of meds and I was told to go to my regular vet for long term directions. Bottom line, the UG vets did not believe that she would outlive the two weeks worth of meds.

With medication, Laciebug lived FIVE years after the diagnosis. Some days she showed severe confusion others she seemed normal. My local vet was always amazed and pleased to see Laciebug. My vet was so wonderful during the whole time, always when I would ask, is it time? he would reply, Laciebug will tell you when she is ready to go and she isn't ready yet.

Anyway, this was not meant to be depressing, it was really meant to be encouraging...... Yorkies have such heart. They have a great will to experience life to the greatest extent and to give and receive love. Good luck..... please keep us posted. My prayers are with u

[Sweetums]

I had a kitten that had that. It started running into walls and walking like a drunken sailor and when I took it to the vet, he said it was blind and had somehow injured its head and had water on the brain which was pressing on the optical nerve.

Anyway, the kitten survived after about a week in the vet hospital. It was always a little "slow" it seemed to me after that. By slow, I mean it did goofy things after that, but it was completely healthy from then on and recovered from the blindness. The body eventually absorbs the excess water as long as they know what the source is and can stop it.

[doortego]

Praying for you and your baby.

[chuey]

Lana,

Sorry about your baby. These are some amazing stories here. However, I don't have such a great story. My lil Chuey was just laid to rest on Monday night. He got pneumonia, was hospitalized and when he came out, he was never the same. He was first hospitalized on Christmas Day! He came home two days later and was stumbling every since. You can read my thread in Sick, Chueys back in the hospital to follow what happened and the details.

So on Monday, since Chu was just 5 months, an ultrasound was able to show the swelling in his brain. By this time he couldn't walk at all and could barely stand (maybe once a day). He was already peeing and pooping on himself. But we were with him at all times and using belly bands, thinking he would get better. The drs said his condition was congenital? and that maybe surgery could be performed, but that his condition would be very guarded and he may never be able to recover fully.

For us, quality of life was the most important factor. And with surgeries and medication and poking and proding we knew it wasn't going to be a good life for him. So we made the very tough decision to let him go and be in peace. We we put him to sleep (with another dr) she asked if he had been having seizures yet, and we said no he hadn't. She said that was one of the next steps of the disease.

Still, I want to believe there was more I could've done. Although we have a lot of medical bills to pay off, and I still don't know how I'm going to do it, I wonder what if's all night long. I wonder what if I would'nt have left him in the hospital that first time? What if we would've done the surgery? But those things would've been more for science than they would've been for Chuey.

Dr. Valentine, a holistic vet I took Chuey to just last week said this to me. That my decision was tough and courageous and it's what was best for Chuey. When we give our pets a good life here, and if they are ill let them go quickly without suffering or subjecting them to prolonged medical treatments that may not work, we are making it easier for their souls and spirits to come back. So in a sense we are making them stronger for their next life. This seems so wise to me and I understand it a little better. Don't get me wrong, the pain is unbearable and I haven't been back to work since, but like the saying goes, time heals all wounds and I believe the Lord is with me.

Sorry if I made you read to much but thought this info could help. Please feel free to PM me and if you need to talk I can do this too. Best of luck to you and I will be saying a prayer for you and your baby!!

Raquel---- www.chubaca-chuey-gomez.critters.com, chuey's memorial page