Does anyone no much about Hydrocephalus
 

I have a wee little guy that was born on august 1 2010 was very tiny at birth 1.8oz mom had to have c section as she developed pancreatis and was pretty sick but all is good with her i have had her fixed and she is back to her self ... but our wee little guy whos name is 'Keeper' is not doing so good he is 9 months now and has trounle walking his little back legs cant hold him up and the short distances that he is able to walk is only on carpet and he walks like he is drunk, his front legs really high step went he does walk .we have had him for all the tests blood ,MRi and they have told us he would not make surgery to be able to put in a shunt ...... he is 2.2 lbs and the most loveable little guy .i just wanted to no if anyone as ever had this kind of health problem with any of there babys and if there is anything else we should be doing ,our vet sees him on a regularly

Sorry to hear about your pup.

When did his symptoms start? Has he had any vaccines recently?

When I saw "Hydrocephalus" in your post, I thought, yes, I know all about it...BUT not in a dog. My (skin) son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was 14 months old. He had to have emergency surgery to place a shunt in his brain to drain the excess CSF. Jeff is now 25 years old, graduated with honors in high school and college where he earned a degree in chemistry and biology. He was recently accepted to two medical schools on the west coast. We're going to have a "doctor in the house" in a few years !

If hydrocephalus is the same in animals, I personally wouldn't think a small pup or any small animal would survive that type of surgery. Over the years, surgeries for placement of brain shunts has evolved to be somewhat of a "simple" procedure, so they say!, but I can't imagine how a shunt valve and tubing could be safely placed in a small dogs brain?

Brain issues run in my family tree. I have had four brain surgeries myself, to date, with more on the horizon. Surgery for my shunt placement was a little over three years ago. Each surgery has been an obstacle for me, taking it's toll on my system as a whole.

Good luck and please keep me posted.....
Vicki

I only know what I've read on different sites. This is one site that discusses it:

Hydrocephalus

Thanks for the link...I just read it. I wonder if Hydrocephalus is common in small dogs? If so, there has to be a vet that specializes in shunt surgery for dogs. It's a very evasive surgery and one that should be done only by a seasoned specialist in that field. There's too much risk for permanent nerve damage if it's not done correctly.

I think you are on the right track to find a specialist. My mother (sorry, also not a dog) has hydrocephalus. Her dr is talking about removing some of the excess CSF in the brain through a lumbar puncture, that is where they stick a needle in the spine and draw out the CSF from the brain down out of the spinal cord. Apparently, the CSF flows between the brain and spinal cord. Don't know if this is possible in dogs. It is less invasive and less toll on the pt than the shunts are.

Did they look for Chiari as yorkies are prone to having this deformity. Also vaccinations can cause GME that can cause hydrocephalus. You need to take your baby to a teaching hosp & see a neurologist.

Is your baby on any meds ? Talk to your Vet about Omeprizol as it slows the Production of spinal fluid.

I don't know if it is common, but it seems to be something we see quite a bit of here. I'm sorry if your lil one has it. You'd be wanting to see a neurosurgeon.

Here are some threads:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ocephalus.html

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ocephalus.html

This is another link:

Canine Hydrocephalus and Brain Damage in Dogs

he never has had any vacs as they didnt want to create any other problems and he is never out and about we keep him pretty much with us all the time .we were praying it would go away until now

no the neurosurgen is keeping a close eye on him we see the vet or surgeron on a weekly update.but i will be asking about this drug thanks

he nas never had vaccinations they worried that it would create more issuses so we were waitng and the neurologist said no to vaccines

Back when I was younger, I bought a precious little poodle that had hydrocephalus. The little baby's head was so large she tipped over forward when she tried to walk - I didn't find that out until I brought her home that night. The next morning the vet gave me the grave diagnosis/prognosis. In those days, that diagnosis was a certan death sentence. I called the breeder who offered to replace her but I was so distraught over her having such an ill dog and just selling it off so heartlessly, I didn't want to do further business with her or want any of her dogs after that. I only wanted the dog I had fallen in love with and that now my vet was telling me should be euthanized to prevent further suffering as he said her brain was under such pressure, she was in terrible pain and too dizzy to stand. If there is treatment now for something that horrible, it is a good thing as long as the dog is not still suffering and can live a dog's life with all the joy of being a dog.

Have you gotten any more info on your little guy ?

Just checking for an update on what you have found out and how the little one is doing. I know what you must be going through.

we are going back for another vist to the canada west vet in vancouver this week. this little guy has good days and not so good days the only issue we have is he has not got the bulging head ,he does have open fontel ,his front legs cross when he does walk witch is now only on carpet as he just falls over on tile floor.he does not seem to be in any pain and is my cuddle bug,im very lucky iam self employed and i can take him every where i go and if my husband cant be home with him we dont go .people have told me i should just let him go to a better place and my comment is he is know different than having a child with the same thing .i will do what i can to make sure my liitle man is safe ,comfortable and most of all i will give him my love and attention .i will try and post a few pictures of him tonight

yes it is horrible but i just need to make sure he is safe and loved right now he requires a lot of extra care and has since he was born .im very lucky all my others a very healthy and my one other little male thinks he is his mom as he lays with him and plays as i think mikey knows he cant walk very well he also will bath him every night it is so cute

My vet told me that hydrocephalus is painful from the pressure on the brain. Does your vet not agree? Is he on any pain medication? Dogs are usually stoic and usually don't show chronic pain but maybe he should be covered in case he is hurting from that pressure. I sure hope you can find how to help him so he doesn't have to live this way, poor little thing.

It can deff be painful depending on how much fluid build up there is and this is what Omeprizole (Prilosec) is used for as it slows the production of spinal fluid allowing the fluid more time to leave the brain. I hope they can find the cause for the hydrocephalus.

he has medacam and we are going back next week the problem is he does not have a build up of fluid on the brain he says it is good that he has open fontenal as that helps with the fluid .the vet said that most will cry out and squeel when they are in pain ,the only things that are different the last 2 weeks are that he does not like loud noise and he dosent like anyone holding him but me and my husband so we will protect him and we will do the right thing i love him so very much but i will not let him suffer either

i will try and take a small video tomorrow so everyonr can see how handsome he is

No, they do not always cry out in pain. Many suffer in silence, the hearing sensitivity is also painful and very irritating to them. My Sassy Never cried out in pain but at times was clearly in pain as she would press her head into us or her blanket & squint her eyes as a human does with a migraine but she Never made a peep.

A video would be good:thumbup:

im so glad to be able to learn more about this as our little keeper does that very thing he presses into me and just stars at me sometimes .and he is a very quiet little man .thanks for sharing with me it really does help to talk about i just have

couple of pictures

Awww, What a sweet little face your Keeper has. I Pray the Dr's can find a comfortable solution for him.

Keeper is precious. Thank you for sharing pics. I know how much you love him and I'm glad he has such a wonderful family to love and care for him.:)

He is such a sweet boy! Praying drs can help him.

Forgot to post - painwise, I think that depends on volume of fluid. My mother has had hydrocephalus for years involving 3 out of 4 ventricles and she has no pain whatsoever. I think it can be painful, though, if the volume causes a great deal of increased pressure. My mother has normal pressure hydrocephalus.