Desperate to save my baby
 

My 1 1/2 y.o. Yorkie, Fancy, has been very ill for over 2 weeks now... it began literally overnight with what they said was a seizure - fever, bowel/bladder evacuation, rigid body, loss of use of one back leg - and she was treated initially with Prednisone and Doxycycline for SteroidResponsive meningitis, but when she didn't respond, in fact some of her symptoms got worse and she has developed some new ones (grunting, wheezing and rasping when she breaths, something going on with her ears, her coordination is poor and she can barely walk) our vet suspected GME, though the onset and symptoms, and her age, aren't typical of this illness. Her spinal tap revealed slightly elevated white blood cells but was otherwise normal, as has been the rest of her blood work and xrays. We took her for a 2nd opinion and the new vet is testing her for liver shunts today because it's the only thing we haven't looked for, but if those tests come back negative, I suppose we have no choice but to begin preparing for the worst. Can anyone offer any theories, or similar stories with happy endings??? Her appetite is fine, she's never had a single instance of diarrhea, she vomited once the day before her 'seizure' and though she is a bit disoriented, she otherwise seems very aware, and scared, of what's happening and my heart is absolutely breaking for her... I can't bear the thought of losing her, especially if there's some resource I didn't exhaust. Please help us!!!

I'm so sorry that you and your baby are going through this:( I have no clue what to suggest, other than seeking out a teaching veterinary hospital near you. I hope that some of the more knowledgeable members see your post soon!

You're both in my thoughts:love:

I've no experience or advice at all, but just wanted to say that I will keep you all in my prayers.

I don't know how specialized these 2 vets are in small dogs, but perhaps you could contact the vets at TX A&M. I know there are many Texas YT'ers here that maybe able to give advice/help. So please don't give up, keep us posted and we will do everything we can to help.

YES this does sound like she may have a liver shunt. Please know that this isn't a death sentence. She may be a good candidate for surgery to close the shunt. Or she may have multiple shunts that no surgery can be done. Either way, these babies do very well with the proper diet, supplements and medical precautions.

How much does she weigh? What does she normally eat?

I have no suggestions on what could be wrong, either. But I will be sending lots of prayers and best wishes that you discover the problem & she's well again soon!

You must be so frightened for her. I am sorry she is going threw such
an awful time. I hope and pray the vet's find out what's wrong and
can correct it for her. Poor baby.

****Answer (I'm not sure I'm posting correctly) She normally weighs about 4.5 lbs but she's gained at least 6 oz since this started - the Pred. has given her a voracious appetite. One weird thing about all this is that I was feeding her Avoderm, and a few days before this started I began transitioning her to Eukanuba Healthy Naturals (only because she was out of the Avoderm and no where near me carries it). This all started on a Monday, and preceding Sunday was her first day on nothing but the new stuff. It's hard to dismiss this timing as a coincidence... I feel terrible now, too, because I've been administering her meds in peanut butter, and trying to supplement her new Euk. dogfood (which the vet has assured me is ok) with ground up brown rice, a little bit of chicken/chicken liver and mixed vegetables, so she could eat more often without increasing her calories or fat, and maybe it would keep her full longer. But I feel like, knowing now about the shunts and the implications of protein in her diet, I've made it worse!

Also the Pred is no good for liver issue dogs. How soon will you see the specialist? How is her appetite now? Is she being picky at all?

No more organ meat or red meat. Natural Balance makes a veggie dog formula. You can use a small amount of cheese for the meds. No more PB :(

She's at another vet today, we took her there for a second opinion and we won't find out the results of her bile test for a couple of days I don't think. We're in a pretty rural area - we'd have to go to Houston, or possibly Texas A&M for any specialized procedures. Cost is another factor, although I'm aware of some assistance resources - my husband and I married about a month ago and we've pretty much spent the money we had set aside for our photographer on vet bills. The vets here aren't very positive about her prognosis, whether its liver shunts, or their other theory -GME- even though I have heard, too, that liver shunts don't necessarily mean the worst. Is Natural Balance easy to find? I was thinking about transitioning her off this food and on to something else, if the vet thinks its safe to do. She is still eating everything that's offered to her. I suppose I will ask the vet if we can start backing off her Pred dosage since we're pretty confident at this point that it isn't the meningitis, I've read the same thing about the effects of Pred on her liver. Thank you so much for your insight.

I can hear the sincerity and worry in your posts for your baby. I wish I had the answer. I will tell you Texas A&M is the absolute best and if you just walk in as a emergency patient they will just charge you I believe 90-100.00. I promise you will get the best care and in no time they can give you a definitive answer on what is taking place with your brown eyed baby girl.

Please let me know if I can be of help to you .. I pray alot and I will add your little one to my prayer time.

I am in Corsicana and travel East Texas often.


HUGS
Vicki

I believe Petco carries Natural Balance. Also, our local feed/ag supply stores carry it. I think you should be able to find it pretty easily in Texas.

You might want to go to A&M :(

The problem you will run into right now, it that the Pred is already effecting her liver, hence will effect the BAT :(

Yes, Natural Balance is pretty easy to find, I think Petco carries it.

You are welcome. I have a girl with MVD (Microscopic Shunting), so I know a good deal about this all :)

Thank you - I'm in Nacogdoches, we don't have a Petco but we do have feed stores, I will start transitioning her tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who have expressed their thoughts, concern and insight! My husband picked her up, and the vet had a new theory in case the BAT comes back normal: toxoplasmosis, which he said is relatively easy to treat with antibiotics, so we're still hopeful. My husband had an encouraging conversation with the new vet, more candid than he would have felt comfortable having in front of me, he said, and while he didn't tell me exactly what was said, he did say the vet didn't just forecast doom, so we appreciate your prayers and I'll keep the results posted.
I'm happy to have found this resource, and look forward to posting good news that my precious angel is back to being her normal, goofy, sweet little self.

It sounds like you are on the right tract.
If this new vet doesn't come up with an answer, then I'd go to A&M.
If it happens to be a shunt, I would personally choose not to do surgery there though. I really don't think they are extremely knowledgeable about shunts (doesn't mean they aren't good..but compared to UT and Cornell, I wouldn't want to do it there).

The Natural Balance would be fine for now.
Do you have the ingredients available for the food that you took her off of and the one you put her on?