More than a year into hydrocephalus diagnosis. . .
 

and our 2.5lb, 8.5 yr. old little girl Marci is really starting to decline. I've done a search on these threads to find more information, but as you may already know, there's not a whole lot on the entire web regarding Yorkshire Hydrocephalus. We've hit a new low this weekend in dealing with her disease, and I'd like to ask your thoughts. Here's the situation:

Marci has been our one-and-only little one for the last 8.5 years (we got her from a breeder in WI when she was 7 weeks old and .6lbs). Through the many moves (WI to NC to Northern VA) and travels, we've had the best of care. When she was 4.5 yrs. old she was diagnosed with medial laxation of the patella in both back legs, and had wonderful orthopedic surgeons in NC to repair that condition. Well, Dec of 2003 brought a new shock.

We have a wonderful vet here in Alexandria who thought we were crazy when we brought her in, telling him we thought the knees were having issues again because she couldn't stand/walk without falling. After new x-rays to compare with the ones from the earlier surgery, he sent us to an orthopedic specialist for consultation. We had not been with the ortho for more than 10 minutes when he asked to take her and consult with the neurological surgeon on call at the practice. Three days later (and after 2 MRI scans at the Iams Pet Imaging Center), we were given the diagnosis of hyrocephalus and syringomyelia/hyromyelia--- a progressive condition which only seems to respond to prednisone. We were also only given a diagnosis of a couple of months for her to be with us. It was touch and go for a while--- kidney infections, etc. We have taken her in for routine (every three months or so) blood work and observation for the last year and a half (and yes, we know we're on borrowed time). No major organ damage yet from the steroids, but we have started to have seizures about once everyother month. Usually, within hours she has regained her "normal" (or what we now consider normal) behaviors. But, if you can relate at all to this story, you realize that normal now means something new everyday.

Yesterday she suffered a rather lenghty seizure, and really has not snapped back to Friday's "normal". She can't stand for any length of time without falling over, and seems to have more of a dazed/glazed look in her eyes than what we've come to deal with. Our thought is to take her in for the blood work this week and to have the vet observe her--- after lengthy discussion with us. We've always said that we'll know when it's time--- but now we're not sure. Is it time? Have any of you dealt with this diagnosis??

Thanks.

Pam, a.k.a. Marcismom

Oh ...is my heart breaking for you !...that is so very sad and I don't know how you've coped - I know it's got to be so stressful and sad for you. I have a friend who I want to read your thread - I sent her your link to here - she has a little angel who sounds like he has similar symptoms and maybe you both can help each other ?

I'm so sorry for you and your baby.

your companion
 

Sorry to say I am of no help, but I do wish you the best with your little girl.
Your girl is depending on you to do what is best for her, she trusts you. I say goodbye when the pain can not be stopped, the quality of life is so poor they are not really "here". I cannot stand any suffering that will not come to an end with medication or surgery..I can deal with old age, but not a slow, painful death..my dogs trust me to let them go when it is time..
It doesn't sound like she is in any pain yet..does she eat okay? Able to go potty outside etc..seizures can cause brain damage, but I don't think it is painful..someone correct me if I am wrong.
So sorry!

That must be so awful for you watching your baby go through all of that :cry: Im sorry I cannot offer any advice, I have no experience in that area at all, but I just wanted to know that you and your little one are in my thoughts and prayers and I really hope she improves.

Thank you
 

Thank you, red98vett, YorkieRose, and I Love lucy. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

As far as her being in pain, that's a relative question. We still have not filled the valium prescription on the fridge for her, but we have begun to give her almost daily doses of childrens benadryl to take the "edge" off of her uncomfortableness. It used to be that we needed to do this when the atmospheric pressure got to high/low in a sudden burst, but it seems almost a daily thing now to allow her to "rest" more comfortably--- not wonder around the room in search of a resting spot (when her bed/crate is in the same room.... and where she has always gone when she hasn't felt well).

She still eats (though not as much) and is still able to do all things necessary outside.

But how do you say it's time for an animal who has a history of never giving up?

>>But how do you say it's time for an animal who has a history of never giving up?<<

Believe me...you'll know...they let you know. We went through quite a lot with our little male who wouldn't give up. We always did whatever we had to do for him and said we would put him to rest when he let us know it was time and he did on the morning of September 16, 2004. My thoughts are with you and your baby girl.

Just by asking that - I think you'll know.... she sounds amazing - Bless her heart.... I just cried reading this and my heart really goes out to you -

Your little dog has been so lucky to have such wonderful caring owners.
You really have done all you can for her.
You ask if it is time. I ask myself these question in dealing with dogs. Have we done everything possible? Is there any chance of recovery? Does He/she wag her tail? Is she/he happy? You really should be proud of yourself for the care that you have given your lil girl. She may not of lived this long if it was not for you.

Wow, it saddens me to hear your baby isn't well. :cry8: I have never heard of what she has before and can't even imagine what you are going through, my heart goes out to you and your family.

As far as when you know it's time? She may tell you herself. Couple of years ago, my fiance's mom's Irish Wolfhound (was a beautiful Championed dog) was old and dying (he was 8.5 yrs that is old for and Irish Wolfhound) he was showing signs of fatigue and not his usual self. The day he died he waited on the front porch til she got home from work and when she let him in the house he walked around paced for a bit and waited until she sat down on the couch and he came to lay down on her lap and passed away.

Give your baby lots of hugs and kisses and extra treats and if it's time to go, hopefully she'll let you know.

My heart goes out to you!!!!!!! We went through this once with a cocker. It is just heartbreaking, no way around it. You and your baby will be in my thoughts!

Hello Pam, I am Redvets friend with the puppy who has a simular (sp?) condition to you Marci's. Pepper goes through very, very long periods of what I called "dingy" everyday..today's lasted 6 hours. What it seems like is he is very dizzy. He can't keep his balance, gets nausious and his legs go out from under him so he can't stay up right. We believe he has Cerebellar Abiotrophy but I have been told the only way to know for sure is a Brain Biopsy. It is progressive. It started out lasting about 10 minutes only when he had been sleeping deeply but not everytime. We saw it the first night we brought him home. As I said it didn't happen everytime, in the beginning he would go for days without an episode. Now, at 15 months, it happens everyday at least once most often 2-4 times a day, lasting anywhere from an hour and a half to ten hours. I have noticed his legs are getting weaker and weaker. I wish I had anything I could tell you to help your little girl! All I can say is I'm so glad she has you!!! If you ever need to talk with someone who knows how you feel..I'm here! God's Blessings on you and your baby!

Kathy (pcmom) ! I'm so glad you posted to this - you are truly a wonderful person - I know how hard it's been for you with your Pepper...I know what an AMAZING boy he is..anyone who knows him loves him.

What really got me with these posts was the comment ...But how do you say it's time for an animal who has a history of never giving up? I read this and it just got me crying - for little Marci & her family ...and for you, cause I kept thinking of Pepper ....

You both are dealing with something we can only imagine and my heart goes out to you.

Everyone--- words can not express how much your thoughts mean to us. Thank you to each and everyone of you.

pcmom-- I'm here for you as well, if you need to talk. I know for us that we needed to do everything we could within our power to know for sure what was going on with Marci--- thus, the two MRI scans. The blood tests and other things were just not conclusive, and we're the type of people that need to know all our options before making the next decision. It was only after the scans that the hydrocephalus could be the 100% diagnosis. Then, it was talking about treatment that would make her more comfortable for the time she has left. Both our vet and the neurological specialist are documenting her case, and hopefully, in some little way, this will make small changes in how this horrible condition can be dealt with in the future.

I'll be making a call to the vet this morning to have her go in for blood work and then a conference session for us. We had said a year ago that we'd make the final decision when we had to, thinking that the blood work would come back with problems to organs, or that she would get to a point of not eating/drinking or going out to do her business. . . but it seems that it may now come down to a judgement call. I'll post later this week with what we've learned.

Thanks again.
Pam

Pam (Marcismom) my husband and I were also willing to have MRI's blood tests anything to find out why this beautiful baby has to go through this. All of his blood work came back just fine. Two Vets told me there is just no point to putting him through the MRI. We have seen what they predicted coming to pass...it is getting worse, he is loosing his motor functions, he is loosing his potty training and he is becoming more aggressive. Yesterday his hind legs just plain wouldn't work, scared the stuffing out of me because he was almost walking on his knees! But as Dear Red98vett said, this is a puppy who doesn't give up or give in! Sometime (Please God a long time from now!) I will have to make that decision to let him go. I will do it because he trusts me to keep him safe, he trusts me to love him that much! I am just praying that I will get the timing right! I am praying for Marci and for you! I'm sending you every good and happy thought I can cram into my head.

Kathy

Marci's Mom - Pam,

I am sorry I can not offer any advice but I am thinking of you both. I don't know what I would do if my little Princess was suffering. :lovewings You are both in my thoughts and prayers , I wish you both the best!!!!

It's very hard to type a response through tears. Your story brings back very painful days just this past March. I lost my Moke to kidney failure. He was 14. I would not give up. He would not give up. I had his abdomen drained twice. The vet knew it was only a matter of time. It got down to the point where I was force feeding him through an eye dropper. After two weeks of force feeding, he would not swallow one dropper full. I knew it was time. He also knew it was time. I have never cried so hard and so long as I did that day. I held him in my arms in his favorite baby blanket, on the way to the crematory. He's back home with me now. I look at his picture and the good memories return. Someday we will be united again.

The answer to whether it's time or not, is in your heart. Nobody can answer it for you. You will know and so will your baby. My heart goes out to you.

God bless you both.

We will keep both of you and your babies in our prayers during this horribly, difficult time. If there is anything at all that we can do, please don't hesitate to ask.

This is truly heartbreaking and you are so brave and so strong for your little girl! She sounds like a jewel and she is still fighting the good fight, bless her heart. I wish I could offer more, but please know that we are thinking of you and your baby and sending poistive energy your way!

Dear Pat,
I know what you are going through. I had a similar problem with my yorkie, Ringo who also suffered from late onset hydrocephalus (normal until 5 years old) with personality change and seizures about every 6 weeks.
Here's what helped him. Prednilizone shots once a month.
Contant monitoring of phenobarbitol blood levels. (Pheno twice a day)
Also, whenever he got some valium he seemed more pain-free (I assume it feels like a headache). He was relaxed and more of his old self.
If I could do his treatment over again I would beg, borrow and steal valium for the little guy. (Even the best Vets are hesitant to give valium as they assume the human will take it and so I never pushed the subject.)
I don't usually check forums but you can email me directly if you would like to know more. lydjoseph@hotmail.com

Long over-due Update
 

It's been over a year since I last posted to Yorkie Talk, and there has been good reason.

LydJoseph-- thanks for your post. Hopefully others will learn options, treatment, etc. from both of our situations.

The treatment we followed from her onset (she had just turned 7)-- which could only be completely diagnosed by two MRIs-- was prednisone tablets in the morning and children's benadryl at night (helped her rest easier). We did have a prescription for valium on the fridge that we never filled--- at 2 lbs the dosage we used of benadryl did the job.

As some of you may realize by now, Marci fought a long and hard fight-- over a year longer than any other case that our vet or specialist could remember. We lost her at the end of August 2005.

Again, thanks to everyone for all your kind thoughts and prayers. Maybe one day we'll have it in us to open our hearts again . . . but for now they are still mending.

Pam

I have just now read this entire thread and I just want you to know how much yours and Marci's story touched me. I'm so sorry about your loss, but you did what was right for her, and she is now in no pain. I hope you will stick around on YT, it'd be great to hear from you more often. Thank you for the update ;)

How horrible you both must go through this and your babies. My heart goes out to you both and I wish you guys all the best. With the time and care you guys have already devoted...... yiou guys will do the right thing when the time comes.

Oh Marcismom..... I just looked at your last post and realized this started last year..... I'm so sorry for you loss. You were a great yorkie mom and she is thanking you up in rainbow bridge. I'm so sorry........