What's wrong with my puppy?
 

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.

Here are some pictures of what I am talking about ...

Oh my, those pictures break my heart. I can't imagine how difficult this must be in person. I would definately take her to another vet and try to get a real diagnosis. Lameness is not a diagnosis it is a symptom. Lameness can mean any kind of limping or abnormality of gait. It could be caused by so many different things!
Here is one possibility:
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

But there are many things that need to be checked out. You can find better information on lameness on some of the equine sites. For instance:

"The most common causes of lameness

The basic processes that cause disease can be remembered by using the acronym DAMNIT:

D: degenerative, developmental
A: allergic, autoimmune
M: metabolic, mechanical
N: neoplastic (tumors), nutritional
I: infectious, inflammatory, immune-mediated, ischemic (low blood flow), iatrogenic (man-made), idiopathic (unknown)
T: traumatic, toxic"

This acronym reminder of causes of lameness was on an equine site but holds true for many species. Best of luck in trying to find teh reason behind your little one's lameness!

Those pictures break my heart! I would run to a 2nd opinion! I've seen Perthes and they don't act like that...

I agree. You are not being paranoid. There is something seriously wrong with your poor Roxi.

i would go to a specialist with this - orthopedic, internal medicine or neurologist at this point as this looks serious and would want the best care -so sorry --has anything happened recently like a fall or anything to shed some light on this

Intervertebral Disc (Ruptured Disc) Disease in Dogs

read this link does this sound like what is going on ?

just read link sounds exactly what is happening - does your puppy jump on and off furniture? I would go to an orthopedic and have them do digital xrays and you can get a copy of them and keep on cd

Not that we know of. I've never seen her fall and she's usually too scared to jump off anything. We have another dog that plays pretty rough so we don't know if that could be it. She has been isolated for the past week which is what my vet recommended but it's seems like it's getting worse than before! I will definitely be going to another Vet or find an orthopedic tomorrow! The first vet I paid a lot for an x-ray and they said they didn't find anything wrong. No slipped discs or anything, but she is obviously in much pain! Thank you guys for the advice so far..

where do you live maybe we can help you find a good orthopedic?

did you get a copy of xrays on a cd? if not ask for it and i would not mess with a vet at this point i would get to an orthopedic that specializes in this as you will get your moneys work from a specialist as you may pay for another vet then end up with specialist anyway so go direct to specialist. Call every vet office and ask who the best orthopedic is and go to the person they all recommend - make sure orthopedic has digital xray as if they do not they do not have latest and best equipment in my opinion.

What meds are you giving and are you giving mid meal? Sounds like other dog hurt your puppy. What kind of dog is it - is it a big dog ?

I just threw it out as an example of one of the possible causes of progressive lameness, since that was the only dx the vet had given her. I really did not think that was what she had since she seems to be acting like it is in the spine and Perthes is in the hip socket, but I have never seen it. I mainly just wanted to get the idea that it looks serious and lameness is not a diagnosis. They need to find out what is causing it. Poor baby!

to find a good vet call around the pet stores and rescues in your area from petfinder.com and find out who the best vet is but i still think specialist on something like this orthopedic is important

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.

Roxi,

You are doing the right thing by being here and trying to figure out what is wrong I agree with VAL when I read your post I had immediate thoughts of what my BLEU BOY has gone through. There are many stories on here about BLEU BOY. I encourage the next time you go to the vet please mention AAI.


If I can help you in any way please send me a message I check in as often as I can

HUGS and Prayers toYOU AND ROXI


Vicki

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?

here is some more info

ACVS - Atlantoaxial Instability

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.

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:)

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.

puppy pain
 

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

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.

Oh my god. :(
Those pictures really hit home.

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

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

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

:star::star::star::star::star: 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.

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.

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.

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.