restless, pacing, spacey
 

Hi all,

I'm really worried about Baby Chan. She has been pacing around the house, tail down, ears pinned back. She has got a sad look on her face. She is wobbly, drunk looking. Sometimes she is shaking. She can't get comfortable anywhere. She won't touch her normal food. I made her some boiled chicken and she's eating that up good. She doesn't really want me touching her or picking her up. This has been going on for 2 days now. Her recent blood work was all fine. Oh another weird thing is tonight for a few minutes she started shaking her head lots. Almost like uncontrollable twitching. Scared the crap out of me. Didn't want to take her to the hospital today so if this keeps up, vet right away tomorrow. Any ideas? Baby Chan just turned 1, she's eating Merricks canned, very picky eater, very small baby. I think she might be in pain. I'm so sad and scared. Also recently I left her alone with another puppy and that was the night when this all started. She ate some of his food and she did throw it all up when we got home. Maybe she got hurt? Any ideas? Has this ever happened to your dog?

Obviously your girl is not herself. I am not really sure what you might be dealing with here. My best advice is to have her seen by a vet. If it was one of my girls I would take them in tonight. Especially since this has been going on for two days now. Really a vet is the best option at this point.

I think you should be very worried and take her to the ER doctor now. Why the hesitation for 2 days?

I definitely could not sit for two days and watch one of my pups go though that. I would be at the EC.
I hope she is ok.

Yesterday I thought she was just having tummy trouble, so common for her. Yesterday being Saturday, and Friday night was when she ate the kibble at my aunts house, I thought she was sick from eating different food. I truly wanted to believe she would get better but now I see she is not. I'm trying to wait it out and see my vet tomorrow. Last time I went to the hospital, I ended up leaving there and going straight to my vet as soon as they opened. My girl has got such a history that it's hard dealing with a doctor who doesn't know her. I should have taken her in immediately yesterday! So stupid of me! I regret waiting. She seems worse. Pacing, sad. Won't play.

Forget yesterday. What about now? If she looks in that much distress you might regret waiting. :(

I'm not crazy about the idea of an ER doc either, but your pup's symptoms would scare me enough to get to one. Your pup may not be able to wait this out until morning.

Sending prayers for her.

I know you are all right. I should not have waited. I so badly want to see my vet. I'm debating going to er.

Shaking head and wobbly, along with all of the other symptoms for 2 days...I would go and not risk losing my baby or having further damage done.

I agree. You said it is worse than yesterday....I would not chance finding out if it was going to get even worse by tomorrow.

These are neurological symptoms and the ONLY right answer is to take your pup in right now. Even better would be to see if there is an ER near you that is also a specialty hospital. Might get further faster that way. Just don't wait. If neuro symptoms (generally twitching/inability to stand/head shaking type combo is neuro), your pup may need help immediately. If there is any seizing going on that you aren't picking up on and they start stringing together, it will make this even worse.

I completely get the hesitancy to bring a new doctor into this now/hating to deal with the ER thing, but that doesn't matter now. Your pup's life may be in danger.

Oh, I would have been sitting at the vet the day I saw those symptoms. You just don't wait with a dog as they cannot tell you what it wrong but leave it to you to "read" them through their behavior and the way they look. Get that baby to the vet now.

Oh my....so sorry to hear your furbaby is going through this.
Please listen to all of the advise the other YT members have been telling you. I agree, I'm not crazy about the ER vets either but she needs to be seen ASAP.
Please keep us posted.

Let us know what your vet says. Praying she will be alright.

Just checking to see how your little one is and what the vet had to say. Praying all is well.

Took her in right after I posted last night. Got a few hours sleep this morning. She's been on IV and they are doing all sorts of tests. They think liver shunt. I'm devastated. Vet says if it does in fact prove to be liver shunt she recommends surgery. So scared. Please any advice, things I need to ask for or about. Anyone who's been through this... Please help.

I'm so sorry you and your pup are going through this. Dogs with liver shunt that have the surgery usually do very well afterwards. Thankfully, I don't have personal experience in this area, but there are many people here that do, so you should get some really good advice.

Even though I am not experienced in liver shunt, I have had other illnesses with my pups and also with human loved ones. When the experts start to give you technical information, your brain is going to be full of worry and jumbled just trying to absorb all of the information .... so be ready to write down the tests and results. Have them repeat if necessary so that you can write it down correctly. You will be glad that you have these notes to reference afterwards. Then come back here and post the results, if your vet isn't able to help you understand it at the time (like I said, your brain will be jumbled because of everything coming at you at once), there will be people here that can explain it.

Just being able to bounce this off of people that have been through it will help you to understand it better and ask better questions when you discuss this with your pup's vets.

Again, I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm so sorry for you and this baby but hopefully you can learn how it is you can manage this. I will be praying for her and you.

I am so sorry. Thank goodness you got her in when you did. I will keep you and your BabyChan in my thoughts and prayers.

I am so sorry. But I am really glad that you ended up taking your pup in. Please let us know what you find out. Sending hugs and prayers.

If you do a search for 'liver shunt' on this forum; you will find many dogs with liver problems.

Liver shunt does not necessarily mean a death sentence. As with many illnesses - it can run the spectrum from mild to severe. Many of us on here have yorkies with some type of liver issue.

Sometimes surgery is required; sometimes just medication and a diet change. The testing will hopefully guide you in the right direction.

Please let us know how things are going. Will keep you and Baby Chan in my thoughts and prayers.

So I just got Baby Chan back and here is whats going on. First of all she looks awful. She is still wobbly and now she has diarhea and shes throwing up. The doctor gave her an enema and put her on laxatives? Is this normal? She's also got her on Karo syrup, Clavamox and a laxative called Lactulose. We will get the BAT results tomorrow. This is the worst thing ever.

Wonderful advice. It is completely overwhelming. I need to write everything down. I'm SO THANKFUL people here can help me. Thank you.

Another thing you might want to do is request copies of all of her lab results so that you have them. This is especially good if you end up at another vet in the future...you will have her records for quick reference.

Yes good idea. I will request all of her results tomorrow. Thank you!

I'm sorry your little one is sick.
I will continue to keep her and you in my prayers.

How is Baby Chan now?

Baby Chan is here with me. They said I could take her home. She seems more calm, no longer pacing but still has the far away look in her eyes. Still wobbly. She's on clavamox and lactulose. She ate some boiled chicken breast after I gave her some karo syrup. She ate on her own so that's an improvement! BAT results back tomorrow morning. Vet did already find crystals in her urine. Just thinking about surgery, if she needs it. Wondering about how much it's going to cost and what her chance of doing well from it is. The vet is already saying she can tell it's liver shunt and she needs surgery. She's pushing for ultra sound tomorrow but I read about something else scint something? With dye? Costs adding up fast! I just want Baby Chan feeling better. I can't imagine what she's going through! My heart...

I'm so sorry that she's sick. I will say a prayer for your little girl.

I pray the BAT test comes back normal today. I know the costs can surely add up quickly. You could try applying for Care Credit or possibly ask the vet if he would let you pay it out monthly. I've read on this forum where others have used Care Credit. Please let us know how your Baby Chan is doing.