Yorkie Encephalomalacia
 

I was wondering if another fellow Yorkie owner has had a similar case to mine.

The night of June 11th, my beloved Yorkie, Deputy, tried to jump over a small cement wall that separates sand from sidewalk at a kids park. He missed and hit his chest. He showed no signs of pain until the next morning. He held his head straight up, nose pointing in the air, and would cry if he was touched or moved. He wouldnt stand up on his own, and flopped around, and held his head at a tilt. He stopped eating and drinking on his own, and eventually started peeing himself. Long story short he didnt show any signs of progress over the weekend and by Monday we had to rush him to the Emergency Vet Clinic.

Heres the Vets summary "Deputy presented to the VSH emergency service for lethargy and abnormal gait. On neurological exam he was found to have two different sized pupils, he was very dull/quiet, and he was falling and circling to the left. Things that could be causing Deputy's brain disease include inflammatory encephalitis (auto-immune disease), a congenital malformation, or less likely a stroke or brain tumor. Young Yorkies do get an immune inflammatory brain condition called Yorkie Encephalomalacia. Although he hit his chest the day before his signs started, it usually takes more force, such as being hit by a car, to cause signs of head trauma. It is more likely that he fell because his brain disease was affecting his balance, as opposed to the trauma casing his brain disease. A lateral x-ray of Deputy's neck showed no evidence of fractures or dislocations."

The vet also told me that he wouldnt make it through the night, and that they wanted to keep him to run tests on him. I refused and took my baby home. They put him on steroids and tramadol. I nursed my Deputy back to health, and by Wensday he was back to himself. He gained all his balance back, and didnt have a head tilt anymore. I was certain we where out of the woods, so I stopped giving him his steroids. He has been doing spectacualar, until this morning June 29th. He woke me up around 7am, crying and holding his head straight up again. I gave him steroids and a tramadol, and now he seems to be doing better..

Im so heart broken.. I dont understand how this could have happend to such a healthy smart dog. Im so confused and I dont want to believe that my dog has a brain disease... He's only a year old.

I have no clue but I just wanted to say I'm sorry. :( I hope someone will have some good advice for you!

Poor baby, I'm so sorry. Unfortunately I am not familiar, but seems he is going to need to remain on the steriods for some time. Are you going to take him back to the vet for further testing, perhaps one that specializes in neurological conditions?

This baby could have GME or Chiari. Please don't stop the meds and do some research on these things as they both have same symptoms as what your baby is doing.

Poor little guy, I'm so sorry. I can't offer up any advice, but I certainly can send prayers for Deputy. Hugs to little man! XXOXOXO

Welcome. Sorry to hear about Deputy. I would get him to a neurologist to try and get a definitive diagnosis. I hope he gets better soon.

I suggest that you make an appointment ASAP for a board certified neurologist! Speak with your regular vet..perhaps they can suggest a specialist. Do not take him off of his meds until he is seen!

There are many different things that this could be....please do not wait any longer. This could be serious and could possibly be treated once they make a proper diagnosis.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

I agree with the above. I wouldn't stop at just seeing my local vet with something so serious going on. Please do take him to see a specialist. Good luck. ~Joanne~

Thank you all soo much!! Glad to report that Deputy is doing awesome!! My dad finally admitted that he 'Fell' off the couch while I was at work on June 28th, the night before he acted up again. I hate it when my dog is let out without me being there. Im so livid with him. New rule, Do NOT let my dog out while I am not home. Anyway before I go off on a rant, I cant afford the costs of a neurologist for him.. I am just going to keep watching him like a hawk, enforce my rule, and keep on showering him with lots of love.

Have you thought that maybe he fell again because he was already having balance problems again? Like the vet suggested the first time?
i found that the more we postpone vet visits, the more costly they end up afterwords.
Blessings anyways.
XOXO

Sorry, but I totally agree!! You shouldn't risk your dogs life/health. Wish you luck!

No, my dog does not have balance problems, nor has he EVER had balance problems, besides the 5 days he was injured. The night of his accident it was dark, and not to mention he was running in sand. He missed the jump because he was in sand. Not because he has brain disease. Taking him in is NOT an option for me.

I am not asking for advice on what to do. I am asking if anyone has had a similar case. Its a very unusual case, and I know from this post it sounds very drastic, but my dog is OK. He is 100% health.

Maybe not balance problems, but problems nonetheless. I will pray for Deputy.
Sounds like he is going to need a lot of prayers. :(

Thank you :)

Sorry , but this is NOT an unusual case. First of all you said he hit his chest NOT his head. Hitting his chest would NOT make his pupils two different sizes that can ONLY happen if he has something going on in his BRAIN unless he was born with a congenital defect with one eye or has an eye condition like glaucoma. Yorkies are prone to a condition called Chiari Malformation. It can be hereditary or congenital and can vary from mild to very severe . An MRI and Spinal Tap are the ONLY way to diagnose Chiari. If he has Chiari and this was his 1st symptom you will see other and more frequent symptoms. If taking him to a vet if his symptoms become more frequent and severe is not an option, then I recommend finding a reputable yorkie rescue to turn him over to. If you had a sick child would you say taking it to a Doctor is not an option ? NO you find a way.

I have been on both sides of this dilemma. And the one time I opted not to do the MRI on my then 10 and a half year old yorkie, because she was asymptomatic is a decision I have regretted daily since July 16, 2005. That day will haunt me forever because I constantly wonder, was there something I could have done for her? If I had been more of an advocate for her health, was there something I could have done to make her life more pleasant.

We opted not to do a necropsy, because she was gone....finding out whether or not it could have been curable at that point was useless. Even if it wasn't curable....her symptoms came back so quickly and the episode that took her from me was so very violent, you could tell from the look of her little body that I walked in and found in the crate we had been keeping her in since her symptoms first presented on April 2, 2005.

Had I known then what I know now.....I will try to abbreviate this story as best I can.

Gidgi was a lively, happy, healthy baby girl. She loved her toys, food, going places, and mostly she loved her mommy. The morning of April 2, 2005 her symptoms began to show. She was sleeping, work up crying, running in circles and the sound she made when you went to touch her.....HORRID. This passed within a few hours, but she had a decreased appetite and just laid in my lap. I phoned the vet, my reg vet and her husband were still on vaca and would be back Monday. I took the first available appt. That evening we were to go to a birthday party for my boss, I reluctantly went and that was the first night in years that Gidgi had been back in a crate. The next day another episode in the morning, again at lunch, and twice that night. I was scared to death.

The next month, she was asymptomatic. I felt foolish walking into the vet. He did a full exam, manipulated her head and neck (she always held her head contortidly and to the side during an episode)...NOTHING. Dr. S sent her home for us to observe. She slept most of the day, had ate some chicken and rice a few times and seemed ok, not normal but recovering like. Dr. S thought perhaps she has strained a neck muscle and she would be fine. At 5:12 that evening....the HORRID screams had me running into the living. She was crying, walking drunkenly in a circle....I was on the phone with the vet's office. Dr. G (my regular vet and Dr. S's wife) wanted her in the office right away. Gidgi was still exhibiting symptoms when I was there (THANK GOODNESS). She got a shot, steriods to start the next day, and Dr. G called the neurologist. He wanted her to complete a course of steriods and us to go in to see him in 4 weeks. We followed up two days later with Dr. G. Then a week later and the next two weeks. When we went to the neurologist, he insisted that if Dr. G hadn't called him and he didn't have her records, he would swear that nothing was wrong with her. He gave me the option to do a MRI but I didn't want her to have anesthesia if he felt she was fine. OH HINDSIGHT!!!! He suggested that if the symptoms returned to call him for an appt. She was normal, running around playing, loving life. Fast forward to July 15, 2005.....11:30 ish that night. She was non-responsive and staring blankly into space. (June of 2005 my Belle, non-yorkie baby had her second episode of paralysis from herniated discs and had her second surgery for repair.) About 40 mins later that horrid screaming again. The drunken circling, crying if she thought I was going to touch her. On the phone with Dr. G (I have her cell number). We had filled another dose 1 week dose of steriods in case of emergency, she advise me to start that tonight. I called the neuro Saturday morning and made an appt for Monday. I left for a few errands, decided not to take Gidgi with me because Belle was outside walking and visiting with Gidgi and Sassy for the first time since her surgery. I returned home from the car dealership (service on my car), the mall for a cd, and Petsmart for new food bowls and treat containers.

I was going on to get my girls and take them to the lake. Belle was acting funny when I walked in and it took 30 seconds to know why. Gidgi was dead in her crate. Her little body contortided and appearingly a very violent end to her precious little life.

If only I had gotten that MRI, she would have been on meds to help whatever she had or perhaps it could have been cured or worse case, I would have known it was hopeless and would have been more aware of symptoms that likely needed addressing. The staring blankly had become something not unusual and because she otherwise seemed fine I dismissed it until the night she wouldn't respond to her name, "treat", or "let's go out". I beat myself up over not pursuing the MRI because of the anesthesia and the money. The anesthesia, these doctors know what they are doing....the money, well we would have made it work somehow.

Every since, whether it is BATs, conjunctival flaps, labs and labs and labs, euthanizing because one was bleeding out internally and she wasn't operable, er visits for mushroom consumption, whatever......we have always been able to make it work.

I am so sorry, Christie. I cannot imagine how painful it was for you to write that post. I sat crying as I read it.
I want to thank you for your courage in sharing your story. Perhaps it will help another.
Hugs to you.

It is very interesting to see how some people behave in this forum. They only accept whatever they want to hear! And then if a few people give their very best opinion and advice about something they are criticized by the OP who was asking for the help. I have given up on answering here for months because of this. I am glad some people like "christiers" are still willing to write such big post sharing their experiences in the hopes that the OP will listen and do something beside attack whoever wants to help .
It is a tough time for every body ... but there are always options. There are many reasons we are seeing more and more quality of life in dogs for the longest years and a advanced vet care and more conscious ownership are big factors. Unfortunately if we decline to use the vet resources available and to open our minds and step up as more responsible owners our pets will be deprived of life quality !
I do not mean to offend you OP, but i really hope you listen, research and accept some sincere advice from great people who are taking the time, effort and are trying to help out. It just happen to be that most of us here are very much responsible, to the point we so much consider our yorkies as part of our families that we can dedicate the same care and consider them as a real part of our "families" . Please do not make any more excuses, there are always options.
By the way , i really wish and hope your boy will be fine. If you say he is 100% , just to be sure, get the vet confirmation on that !
Blessings.
XOXO

Thank you LJ. I just re-read my post and noticed my many errors...the sad part is I edited it. It is painful, as well as therapeutic all at the same time. I couldn't talk about it for years. I still cry on her birthday and Christmas. My poor DH tried to make things better the second Christmas by decorating by himself and putting her ornaments and stockings away in their own container and back into the Holiday decorations closet in the basement. BIG MISTAKE. But he is still with us. I wish I had known of YT back then, I imagine I would have gotten advice to do the MRI, opinions that may have opened my eyes. Unfortunately, through my experience with Gidgi it has taught me to be more assertive and a better advocate.....that will benefit all babies I ever have the pleasure of sharing their lives with. I will always have that "too little too late feeling" about her though AND I wouldn't wish that on my WORST adversary. I hope this helps the OP, it not....then hopefully it helps someone else, the tears I have shed with these two posts will be well worth it IF it helps just one baby. Steroids are amazing, I imagine the situation would have deteriorarted much more quickly without them. They worked so well, I honestly believed she was better.

Thank you again LJ for reading about my first precious little angel.

:thumbup:
I think we all need to remember when getting a puppy, the cost of that pup is just the beginning. If you can't afford veterinary care, you can't afford that pup.
Not bashing the o/p, but please, listen to the advice you are being given and not just get upset because people aren't telling you what you want to hear.
We are all just concerned about your dog.

Praying for you and Deputy.

To the OP- Yes, vet care is expensive and times are tough. But if there was something you could do that could improve the quality of your pets life, wouldn't you at least want to look in to it? And if all the tests come back negative, isn't that worth knowing, too?

There is a great thread on some ways to get help with vet bills.
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...vet-bills.html

I hope you will be open to at least looking at that thread. And I do hope that everything works out well for Deputy.

Thank you for sharing your story, its very touching.

If you cannot afford vet care for doggie, then you need to give him to someone who can. Ultimate gift of love...Could save his life. :(

Thats very helpful advice, thank you. I will be researching those sites, I really appreciate that. I cant help but to get upset with these responses. These people are making me feel like a horrible person for not affording vet care. I feel very attacked after putting my story out there. I will be deleting this account.

Horrible.

sorry
 

sorry you are feeling so bad about the answers you are getting. I'm sure they are all given in love, both for you and your dog. We all have to make decisions and some of them are very hard. I hope your problem wil be resolved quickly and your little one restored to health.:cry:

:thumbup::thumbup: Bless you for caring so much!