What's wrong with my puppy?

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by Mybabe4me

Please also have your vet do a digital Xray on her neck. She looks just like a pup with Atlantoaxial Instability it is a congenital defect of the neck. Babybear would cry out for no reason and he arched once in a while but not like your Roxy. This is a very delicate congenital defect of the neck Please ask your vet to check this. Until you know for sure what is going on with her please do not let your other pets play with her and crate her please. If she has AAI(Atlantoaxial Instability) she can really get hurt badly. I dont' want to scare you but please if you have a minute check out Babybear's page on Dogster at Dog profile for Wheelie Boy Babybear® , a male Yorkshire Terrier.
Here is some information on Atlantoaxial Instability:
This information came for Pet Place:Pet Care Information - Pet Information - Pet Health Information

Atlantoaxial instability is a condition in which the first two cervical (neck) vertebrae are not firmly attached. Normally, the atlas (the first cervical vertebra) and the axis (the second cervical vertebra) are attached by a group of ligaments. They are further stabilized by a prominence on the axis called the dens that protrudes into a hole in the atlas.

Dogs with congenital atlantoaxial instability are born without ligament support to their atlantoaxial joint, and may also be born without a dens. Trauma to the neck can also cause tearing of the ligaments or fracture of the dens, resulting in atlantoaxial instability.

Atlantoaxial instability can lead to cervical spinal cord injury, the symptoms of which include: neck pain; a drunken, staggering gait; paralysis of all four legs; or sudden death

Causes

Breeds at risk for congenital atlantoaxial instability include all toy breeds, especially Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Pekingese, toy poodles, and Yorkshire terriers. These dogs usually show signs at less than one year of age, and symptoms can occur after very mild trauma, such as jumping off furniture, which would be considered normal activity.

Any dog, young or old and of any breed, is at risk for atlantoaxial instability after a traumatic event, such as being hit by a car or being an unrestrained passenger in a car accident.

Diagnosis


Your veterinarian will ask you many questions to develop a complete history of the progression of the problem. These questions will include: what is your pet's age, was there any traumatic event, what symptoms have you noticed, how long have they been going on, what treatments have you tried and with what results?


Your veterinarian will also examine your pet completely, including a neurological examination to determine the severity of the problem as well as localize the level of the spinal cord injury.


Radiographs (X-rays) are usually taken to identify abnormal positioning of the atlantoaxial joint.

Treatment


Medical treatment. Conservative management consists of several weeks of cage rest to allow scar tissue to form, stabilizing the atlantoaxial joint. Steroids are also given for a short time to decrease inflammation of the spinal cord. A neck brace is often used to minimize movement of the neck.


Surgical treatment. There is a high rate of recurrence of symptoms with conservative management, so surgery is often recommended. Surgery is done either to stabilize the joint with pins, cement, wire, or suture, or to fuse the joint. The type of surgery performed depends on the preference of the surgeon. After surgery, the care is similar to conservative management. The prognosis depends on the severity of the neurologic signs before surgery.

Home Care

After surgery, the pet should be cage-rested and restricted from activity for about 4 to 6 weeks. Frequent re-check examinations by your surgeon are necessary to identify potential problems and correct them as soon as possible.

Dogs with this condition should not be bred, since there may be a genetic component to this condition.

Please if you hava anymore questions about this defect let me know. I have taken care of my yorkie with this congenital defect for over three years and I have helped many parents through this also.

val should she see orthopedic as she is going to banfield now and i think with this i would see a specialist as in serious conditions i always go right to the specialist now so i get to the source immediately and much less costly in long run - it would be ortho who did surgery if need be?

[dwerten]

here is some more info

ACVS - Atlantoaxial Instability

[Mybabe4me]

Debbie you are right a orthopedic doc is great but I would recommend a Neurologist also because sometimes hydrochepalus is also something that runs hand and hand with the AAI because of the pressure on the spinal cord. BB had very good Orthopedic doc do surgery on him and If I had it to do all over again I would have gone with a neurologist. Looking back this is my opinion of what I should have done, but at the time I had no choice but to have BB's surgery done at the ER. He was in critical condition.

[BLEU BOY BARBER]

A neurosurgeon saw BLEU BOY and did his surgery as well


Bleu boy was having neuro deficits due to the pressure on his spinal chord. He did not have hydrocephalus. We caught BLEU BOYS FAST but he was in very critical condition too and we never saw to this day a ORTHO doc

[AbbysMom08]

Oh my. Those pictures break my heart and nearly brought me to tears.
I agree with everyone else. Run..............get a second opinion.
I will keep your little one in my prayers.
By the way......welcome to Yorkie Talk where you will find a lot of very caring and knowledgeable people.

[gabbriellew]

Hunched up like that is usually abdominal pain. It is possible that she may have eaten something and has an intestinal blockage. Pancreatitis is another possibility. Have your vet do the bloodwork to screen for pancreatitis. She definately needs more vet care, she looks like she is in a great deal of pain. Let us know
ruth

[Gingergirlsmom]

I'm glad to see that you are getting so much great advice from those with a ton of experience.

Please keep us posted, we'll be keeping your baby in our thoughts and prayers.

[Soccer50]

Oh my god.
Those pictures really hit home.

[manolos mom]

Roxi is just precious! I noticed you live in the Va. Beach area. Im hoping someone will know of a good specialist for Roxi. Those pics really touched me. Make sure your vet is experienced with Yorkies. Please let us know how Roxi is doing. Prayer headin your way. Lots of Love, Lissette

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by Mybabe4me

Debbie you are right a orthopedic doc is great but I would recommend a Neurologist also because sometimes hydrochepalus is also something that runs hand and hand with the AAI because of the pressure on the spinal cord. BB had very good Orthopedic doc do surgery on him and If I had it to do all over again I would have gone with a neurologist. Looking back this is my opinion of what I should have done, but at the time I had no choice but to have BB's surgery done at the ER. He was in critical condition.

ok sounds as was torn between neuro surgeon or orthopedic so sounds like neurosurgeon is best to see in this case - I do not think this is pancreatitis as my dog almost died of this and lameness is not a sign of pancreatitis or blockage

[Darlene68]

Those pictures are heartbreaking. I wish you and Roxi all the best, I hope someone can help your little one. Sending prayer your way.

[lillymae]

If the vet has done X-rays you need to take those X-rays and find a chiropractor who treats dogs . Most chiros that treat humans will do dogs for free. I have several rescues , some were completely paralyzed when they arrived . I was told they would not recover without surgery. As I sit here and type they are out chasing squirrels. And guess what ,no surgery. These little dogs often slip discs jumping off the furniture.

[lillymae]

P.S. A chiropractor will be able to tell by the X-rays if he can help, they can also feel where the spine is out. Every dog I have with spinal problems looked exactly like your dog when they arrived with me. It is very painful to have a slipped disc. If it is not put back in place , it has a domino affect and will cause problems above and below the slipped disc.

[Mybabe4me]

Originally Posted by lillymae

If the vet has done X-rays you need to take those X-rays and find a chiropractor who treats dogs . Most chiros that treat humans will do dogs for free. I have several rescues , some were completely paralyzed when they arrived . I was told they would not recover without surgery. As I sit here and type they are out chasing squirrels. And guess what ,no surgery. These little dogs often slip discs jumping off the furniture.

I would see a specialist first just to be on the safe side becuase if it is AAI going to a chiropractor can do more damage. I believe Vicki had a adjustment made On Bleu Boy before being diagnosed with the AAI and was told she was lucky he did not kill her pup. Don't quote me on that I will have to go back through her threads.
But I do know that chiropractors can cause more damage to AAI pups. Becuase it is not disks that are slipped out of place with Atlantoaxial Instability it is the ligements and dens that are involved and the dens are what holds the neck to the head.
Just my thoughts here.

[mscat]

Originally Posted by ROXI SUNSHINE

Hi everyone, I am new to this site, but I am in need of any help possible.

My 5 month old puppy, Roxi, walks and stands with an arched back, head down, shivers, inactive and screams/yelps from time to time. It also seems as if she has lost her appetite. I took her to the vet on Monday as soon as I started noticing these signs. They said it could be some neurological problem, she might have slipped a disc or something from falling or playing to rough with a dog. However, they did an x-ray on her and found nothing. They also gave her a muscle relaxer and pain injections. The vet diagnosed Roxi with lameness and gave her some medicine to bring home. The day after, it seemed as if she was fine and was no longer yelping. But for the past few days she still has the random yelping that lasts 1-2 min (mostly in the middle of the night), shivering and an arched back.

I've been trying to research about what could be wrong because Roxi doesn't seem to be getting better! I've read some stuff online and a few threads on YT to see if I could relate to someone's problem, but the closest I've gotten to are Lyme Disease, luxating patellas or perthes syndrome -- everything that could possibly be linked to Lameness. I fear that there is something more that is wrong with Roxi than just Lameness. I don't know if I should bring her to another vet for a second opinion or if I'm just paranoid. This is my first time with a dog, so I'm very new to all of this. If anyone has had this problem or could give me any advice whatsoever, it would be greatly appreciated.

It breaks my heart to see Roxi like this at such a young age. Thanks in advance.

I am so sorry your precious Roxi is going through this the pictures are heartbreaking to me. I agree with the rest of YT'ers she needs to be seen by a specialist right away. Poor baby looks like she is in pain. SOmething is causing this, and the right vet/speicalist needs to get to the bottom of it. She deserves to be treated propperly, and given the right diagnoses. IMO, it looks very serious.