Hi MIAGIRLSWEETI noticed your post was in early September, so you might have already confirmed the cause of your dog's disease. I am almost certain it is GME/NE(necrotizing encephalitis). I am sharing the story of my yorkie here, hopefully that can help others in the future.
I understand your feelings as I just went through far more horrible experience during the past week. My littleyorkie was perfectly healthy untill he had an intense seizure the first time one night about a week ago, lasting for about 2 or 3 minutes, I was so scared and thought he was gonna die immediately. But he managed to come over it and walk around. He then had another one around 3 o'clock in the morning. He looked quite normal the next day and because we were travel in another country so we did not take him to vet immediately. Unfortunately, in the following evening, he had seizures three times within half an hour. When we took him to emergency hospital, he could not stand. Again, he had a really bad seizure in the emergency room which last a few minutes, he was crying all the time and totally lost consiousness. The doctor sedated him and gave him phenobartital, and he stayed in the hostpical over night. We took him back the next morning, and he started to walk in small circle to the right, and he could not accurately located the food and water. The doctor suggest us to take him to see neurologist because she suspect he has cancer or tumor in his brain. We then immediately drove back to our country and on the way back home, he had small seizure a few times, partially around the head and neck, not full body. He panted a lot. He looked fine when we back home, he even happily walk and run for about an hour, I thought he has recovered and I was so happy. We called our vet and booked an appointment next afternoon.
Next day, he woke up quite weak, he could not stand stable on his back legs, panting a lot. I thought he need some fresh air and took him to a walk. He walked in small circles frequently, then he started to have white foam out of his mouth, immediately drooling. I was heatbroke, called taxi and immediately sent him to the vet. The vet gave him catherter and phenobarbital again and keep him in the hospital. We managed to squeeze in an appointment with neurologist two days after due to his urgent status. Because the hospital is closed at night, we had to pick him up at night and planned to send him back the next morning. When they handed him to my arm, I noticed he seems unconcious, and he twiched his head all the time. After being put on his bed, he finally lied down, with his eyes open all the time. About thee hours later, he started to have partial seizure again, and started to stretch our all four legs and pull back his head, and his body turning hard. I was devastated and called my vet, and she suggested us to send him to emergency hosptital immediately. When we got to the hospital, he seems dying. They put catherer on him again, sugar injection, oxygen, blood testing, x-ray on chest, and kept him there. I called a few times during the night, and he was not doing better. He was basically unconcious, none-responsive, and paddling all the time. Once again, the emergency hospital called the critical disease center and finnaly moved our appointment to the next morning. I was warned to be prepared to lose him.
Then the next morning, I was finally on my way sending the poor yorkie to a neurologist. His situation deteriorated so fast and so drastically and I alwasy felt like fighting for every minute and second. He was extremely weak, with catherers on both legs, tongue out, right eye popping out. He was so weak but he still crying from his throat, and paddling. I was devestating and desperate. I had the feeling, this is it, the end.
Then we saw the neurologist, and for two days they did all sorts of tests, CT (MRI was canceled because his poor response to anethesia), spinal tag, ultra sound, ... everything you name it. His right brain is swelling, and there is no tumor. I was called again 3 o'clock in the morning that he was dying, because his breath became harder and harder. They asked whether to let him go, or put him on oxygen ventilator which cost 2000 dollars a day. We had fighted such a long way here, I told the doctor to do whatever they can to save the dog. I kept crying after that, and two hours later, they said he seems doing okay with the ventilator.
Another morning, the spinal tap results could not be confirmed, they cannot be sure the brain inflammtion was infectious inflammation or NE. So they had to treat him in both way, manage the balance carefully before the result comes out. We were told the result will not come out on weeked, so yorkie has to wait for another two days with ventilator. Another two day's suffering for both the dog and us, but we could not do nothing but wait. I suspect whether yorkie can wait that longer.
Fortunately, this morning when I called them to check the status, they said the result was sent back, and it is confirmed to be NE, and they are starting immunsupress medication on him. We are still anxiously waiting how he will respond to the treatment, he has been and is still completely sedated with the oxygen ventiator inserted into is throat now. All is uncertain, but we are praying that he could finally wake up and I can hold him in my arm again.
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Originally Posted by MIAGIRLSWEET  I feel horrible that when she started circling this past week that I did not take her immediately to NC State but instead was taking her to the local vet who I feel was clueless about Yorkies (just moved to a smaller town from Raleigh, NC) Do you think that since she had a seizure that she suffered more damage? I grabbed her up and was on my way to the Urgent Care when I noticed her anxiety, increased circling and salivating. That was the first seizure and 30 minutes after arrival there she had another one. She was never lame and was walking from her bed to the door to go outside without circling and I only noticed it occasionally. I had NEVER heard of these kind of neuro problems before and really thought it could be a portal shunt problem. She has been receiving Decadron and Phenobarb which has made her very groggy but she is out of ICU today. Funny thing about this is we went for a ride and she actually started acting like she felt better and was staying out of her bed more just the day before the seizure!! Do all dogs have to take Seizure medication with this? THANKS to everyone on here who can help me! This little girl had tube feeds and then a cleft lip repair at 3 months and she has been through so much! And she is the love of my life! |