hello
I wanted to share Remy's progress with encephalitis to date. I know I have learned a lot just reading post and I want to share my experiences so they may help another. It has take me awhile until I felt I could write the story ... it hasn't ended and I am very hopeful for a happy ending.
I am a teacher and the last weeks of school I was very focused on just finishing the year. There is no tired like the end of the year teacher tired....
it had been a challenging year -- my dh lost two brothers and we lost our oldest dog, Sam, to Kidney failure (he was 12 so we did a good fight for several years). I did notice Remy was walking "funny" and would not go up and down the stairs. I honestly thought it was LP. My dh took her to the vet on my last work day and when I got home I was told the diagnoses.
Our vet said Remy was completely blind and had a brain tumor.
I lost it... I cried for three days. I could hardly function... just cry.
I researched and researched and found there were some other possibilities. I made an appointment with Southeast Veterinary Neurology Michael A. Wong, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology). He had treated my shih tuz for back damage a few years past.
I was given hope-- so we did a MRI and spinal tap. It was very very expensive and No I could not afford it... but I made it happen.
Diagnosis was vestibular disease and blind due to encephalitis. Dr. Wong said 40% of dogs do very very well with treatment, 40% do well but have relapses and ups and downs, 20% do not do well.
Remy had a encephalitis that is auto immune ... she was blind, had a head title, her eyes flickered and she could not control her hind legs and walked to the left.
she started treatment
High does of Prednisone -- the dosages will be reduced in time and her symptoms improve. She is always hungry and has gained close to 2 lbs.
Cytarabine -- it suppresses her immune system. She has to take two shots (one a day for two days in a row) every three weeks for 4 times.. then every 4 weeks for 4 times so on and so forth. Hopefull she will improve enough that after 6 rounds she can stop. We have to do a cbc after each time to check on her health.
At this point she is doing very well -- she has recovered most of her vision. I think she ins 90% blind in one eye but the other is doing well.
She walks well, plays and is very happy. I am sure the loss of vision in the one eye doesn't really bother her too much. She runs up and down the stairs and plays with her brothers. I am blessed!!! I do worry about the weight gain and don't free feed her anymore. I feel bad because when I though she was gong to die I let her eat stuff off my dinner plate.. I though if it made her happy why not??? Not anymore... I am hoping to keep my baby for many more year.
At this time she is on the third week of the first round of Cytarabine-- she improves each check up. We still have a long way to go but I have lots of hope.