Somehow I missed this. So...they are not sure about FCE ? yikes...I would not be wanting to wait very long....
Neuro stuff is scary.
What choices are you looking at for the MRI? I would definitely get it done sooner rather than later.
There is a whole myriad of things that this could be and letting it wait may not be a good thing.

Maybe you could put the kennel on the bed up between your pillows if he has a hard time sleeping. I did that with one of my pups that needed to be kenneled after surgery. He was used to sleeping in the bed and had a total fit. :) Once I put the kennel up on the bed, he settled right down.
I will keep your Cobi in my prayers.

Mri
 

I wasnt able to actually speak to the vet this morning ,i had to go back to work but his daddy went with him. We both post on this site under the same name..so some of our posts may repeat themselves! For some reason the doc keeps telling us the MRI is not necessary. We just dont understand. It being a holiday weekend the South Paws clinic in La is closed but im going to attempt to call his regular vet here in Biloxi tomorrow and pray they are open to get a referral for an MRI at the closest facility possible. His diagnosis is not settling right with us. We research constantly! South Paws wants to see him next week for a followup but i want the MRI before we go! :animal-pa

Is this a board certified specialist who is saying the MRI is not necessary? Is it the one who did the myelogram?
I agree, if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis, you need to get another opinion!

I think that you are on the right track with going to get the MRI. Follow your instincts. Research is very valuable, but please do not diagnose your dog and assume the worst. I went absolutely nuts when I was waiting for MRI results for my Max. I expected the worst because of my research but it wasn't as bad as it could have been

I highly recommend LSU although it's a distance from you. They will start with all the testing from scratch and give you a complete diagnosis. It's doctors, specialists and students all working together to help Cobi.

Excellent advice!!! There are people on the internet who routinely see these posts and message people and scare the daylights out of them....needlessly! For the life of me I don't understand it. Yes, many times the diagnosis are pretty rough, but more times than not it is something not quite as bad and people have worried themselves sick for no reason.

Even IF it is the worst, sitting worrying yourself sick is just not good. It is good to research, but NOT diagnose. Only a skilled veterinarian can do that....he/she must use all subjective and objective information at hand to make a diagnosis. Symptoms alone are not a way to diagnose!

You are on the right track....you are reading and are going to ask for further testing...and will consult with your vet. I hope all goes well for little Cobi and that it is not the worst thing you can find. :)

More research
 

I actually just pulled up the clinics website and saw where his vet graduated only 2 years ago and is a surgical resident. The other doc who reviewed the mylegram is board certified and he also consulted a radiologist....but Cobi doesnt feel well.. So...WE WANT AN MRI ASAP!!!!!
:yorkietal

I would definitely go with your gut and get the MRI done as soon as possible. Please also have them check forAAI ~ better to rule out all possibilities rather than misdiagnose.

Yep. I don't always listen to my own discomfort, even though it's usually my gut instinct telling me something is not right. I agree with LJ's advice.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Good for you for going with what your gut is telling you is right. I've never regretted it when I did, even if I was proven wrong.

Again, I suggest that you call the EC and ask them how you can get a referral to LSU if you are not comfortable with South Paws. If you are talking about the facility in Mandeville, a friend of mine told me they do have a good reputation.
Why not just put a call into LSU and ask them how to go about getting Cobi in for an MRI? I am sure that if you explain the story, they could give you some suggestions. It is just bad timing with it being New Years Eve, but there is always a way!

No one open
 

Due to the holiday everyone is closed. We tried Southpaws,LSU and his vet to figure out a referral for the MRI and now we are wanting to take him to a chiropractor. So on Monday we will make a phone call to figure out our next step. I would like to let him see him primary vet on Monday just to put his eyes on him. When we took him there after the emergency clinic his primary doc wasnt in and saw one who isnt too familiar with him.:animal-pa We have been taking turns laying in his pin with him so he is comfy. When we are both away from it he crys and trys to move around alot. All the spoiling we have done for 2 years is showing off big time now.:aimeeyork

I'm sorry, but there is NO way I would go to a chiropractor for this! I hope you give this more thought and definitely speak with a neurologist prior to going. :(

:thumbup:

Original poster, just want to send good wishes for you and little Cobi, and that you get answers and a definitive diagnosis from the specialists. It is always good to go with your gut, and do your own research also to guide you and help you with questions to ask them that you may not have thought of beforehand. 2nd and third opinions are valuable, imo.

From one Kobi to another Cobi
I just read your posts. My Kobi's diagnosis is not the same as your Cobi's, but the neuro issues have a similar feeling.
The first thing that helped us was coming to a correct diagnosis. I was jumping to all kinds of conclusions, the Yorkie talk members helped me to not jump but wait till I spoke to a vet that I felt comfortable with. I saw an orthopedic surgeon and neurologist at two different medical facilities to be comfortable with the diagnosis.
An MRI was done, Kobi had disc disease so surgery was done. His neck and lower back were affected but surgery was only done on the lower back. It has been one year since the surgery with continued neuro deficits. What has helped us is:
1. I put a mattress on the floor next to the couch so that I can lay close to him. Immediately after surgery, I enclosed the mattress with an exercise pen so that he would be safe. This allowed him freedom to move without the dangers of injuring himself. You can not have any people visit you during this time because they will think you are CRAZY. I called the pen the TIGER cage!!!
2. I tried rehab...underwater treadmill...but Kobi was unable to use his back legs so this was not effective.
3. I do range of motion daily, massaging his legs and back.
4. I have him on low dose Medicam and Cosequin daily.
5. I swim him in the bathtub using a life vest for 3 minutes 3 x per week.
6. I put dog boots from All dog boots on his back feet for protection due to the dragging of his back feet.
7. This is the tricky intervention. I bought a dog wheelchair (K 9 carts) which helps him move about better but the neurologist warned..."Once he becomes dependent upon the cart, he will NEVER walk again." So I am very cautious using the cart.
8. I try to stay positive (sometimes the hardest part) because he is still my Kobi...alert with a true Yorkie personality. I spoil him with toys and adding the best foods for his meals. But I do really watch his weight. Becoming overweight would be devistating for him. He still seems happy without pain so that makes me happy also. He means so much to me.
Here are the suggestions that helped my Kobi...But you MUST first have a correct diagnosis. We may not being talking about the same medical problem. Kobi will be 13 years old on Feb 11th. Hope this information helps.
Kobi and Abby:aimeeyork

:thumbup: Totally agree, I'd be going to for a neurology opinion and take it from there. I would not be seeing a chiropractor for this (or any other reason for that matter).

Do you know what kind of damage a chiropractor can do to Cobi? Well, neither do I or anyone else without a proper diagnosis. Please get the MRI before anything else. I'm 40 minutes away from both LSU and South Paws and willing to help you in any way I can.

Thanks all
 

:aimeeyork Thanks everyone for your opinions and concern for our little Cobi. We definately want to do the MRI first before anything . Its very hard playing the waiting game. Monday cant come soon enough.

:animal-paCobi
:heart toAshley and Matthew

Good luck tomorrow! Keep us posted. I will be saying prayers for Cobi.

Just checking in, I hope everything goes well tomorrow!

Checking in..

There is another line of thinking when it comes to dogs using wheelchairs, which is that a wheelchair can be very useful in rehabilitation bc it helps keep the dog in a more natural position and can thereby help to stimulate the nerves through cell memory.

I have seen a number of dogs with spinal injuries that were given grave prognoses recover completely through the diligent use of wheelchairs by their owners. You may want to seek out a neuro with a bit more of a positive attitude... I know no one wants to give false hope, but nothing should limit the resources available to owners for rehabilitation of these pups, nor should their attempts to rehab and help their pups be thwarted by outdated thinking....


Also checking in....

Waiting
 

Update.:aimeeyork Cobi is officially at LSU tonight with daddy and will recieve the MRI first thing in the morning. The doc there is saying this should show all the damage. Please keep us in your prayers. We are mentally and physically drained. No sleep all weekend. I think we are all turning into zombies:(. This is also becoming very expensive...were in the thousands already. I hope this will show everything we need and we can just fix him. I would not wish this upon ANYONE in the world. We have never had to deal with anything like this. Thanks all for keeping up with our story. All the support really helps.

ALL BOOTS: they tried delivering his ortho boots today but we were not home..i will be picking them up tomorrow after work!!! THANK YOU:animal-pa

You and your family are in my thoughts. I do know how difficult it is. Hang in there. You are in very good hands.

You and your precious Cobi are in my thoughts and prayers. I do understand about the whole thing having been through a neuro thing with one of my pups many years back. Emotionally and financially draining. I really hope that things will go well for Cobi at LSU.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I feel your pain as I am going through this with my Kobi. It is so hard:(
You are doing everything that you can.

Sending positive thoughts and prayers to Cobi and his mom and dad. I hope you get positive results from the MRI today. It is much easier to deal with the known than the unknown. I hope Cobi's issues can be handled with therapy and medication. Fingers and paws crossed.

Keeping Cobi and Kobi in my prayers...

Cobi is in our thoughts. Hope all goes well for him tomorrow.

Mri results
 

:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-paRESULTS ARE IN:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa

Cobi and daddy will be on there way from LSU soon. The MRI did show the FCE (spinal stroke). YAY. The vet said he was confident that Cobi will gain some or all of his movement back with lots of therapy. We will have to clean up alot after him..but thats ok with me! So thats good news to us. Does anyone have experience with puppy diapers?? He dribbles pee when he moves too much...and i thought they would be a good idea but im concerned with the moisture causing a rash or yeast?? I wonder if i could use baby powder like a baby!? Please let me know your opinions on this! Thanks again everyone for keeping us in your thoughts...we have a long road ahead of us,but its worth it.