Is he in pain? should I put him into sleep? :( Please help me..

[Lucky09]

Hi I`m asking about your help, because I don`t know what to do I have yorkie he is 2yrs old and he weigh 3.80lb he`s diagnos is that he has GME he got medicine for that Prednisone 5mg 1/2tablet daily and Cyclosporine 8mgtwice daily he was doing little bit better but not much because during the night he wasn`t sleeping so I go to his vet and ask about medicine something for sleeping he gave him Diazepam 2mg half tablet before 11pm since he got this medicine he is very powerfull durgin the night he is going under the sofa or in small places and when he gets stuck he is making noises, when I take him he is screaming and moving his legs like crazy. I can`t sleep during the night, because he makes a lot of noise and I also worry about him, last night I had to hold him, because when I put him on the floor he was falling all the time and hitting wall. I don`t know what to do because during the day he is okay, he walks normaly and doesn`t go under the bed, he isn`t hiding. Should I stop give him medicine for sleeping? Is he doing it, because he is in big pain? What is the best thing for me to do, should I put him into sleep? Please help me if you know anything about his behavior, or you had the same problem. It hurts me that he is doing it and I can`t help him, my vet said I have to wait and see if he will get better but I don`t want my baby to be in pain. This night I plan to don`t give him Diazapam(medicine for sleeping) and I will see how he will react. Please help me if you know anything!!!! Thank you so much.

[BarbaraM]

I found this information on this site:

Granulometous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME) comes in three forms: localized, generalized and ocular.

Localized GME refers to the fact that a discrete area of the brain is affected. It can cause problems in a single activity or more generalized problems, depending on the exact area of the brain involved.

Generalized GME means that there is wide involvement of the brain tissue (diffuse damage). There are usually signs of several neurologic problems occurring at one time with this form of the disease.

Ocular GME affects the eyes, causes blindness and may or may not progress to one of the other forms.

Localized and ocular GME have a better prognosis than generalized GME. Dogs with local or ocular GME may live for years. Localized GME is often responsive to corticosteroids for very long times, as well, so the dog may have a good quality of life in addition to a longer life. Ocular GME doesn't seem to respond well to treatment based on limited experience with it -- but most dogs adjust to visual impairment pretty well so this may not be an important issue.

Unfortunately, generalized GME has a poor prognosis. The symptoms will sometimes resolve, or nearly resolve, pretty rapidly with therapy but it is necessary to continue using immunosuppressive medications, usually corticosteroids, life long. In most cases, the disease will become unresponsive to medications within a few weeks to several months and most pet owners opt for euthanasia when the signs become progressive and stop responding to therapy. When paralysis is present the most likely areas of the brain to be affected are the brain stem, but the cervical spinal cord can also sometimes be involved in the disease process. If the brain stem is involved, some dogs will be severely depressed or can even become comatose, if the response to therapy isn't good.

The differential diagnosis list for GME is pretty short. It can be confused with other forms of encephalitis (infectious, toxic) and with cancers affecting the brain. Hepatic encephalopathy can look a lot like GME but usually there are obvious signs of liver disease which make it possible to distinguish that toxic effects of liver disease are causing the neurologic signs.

There is no sure way to diagnose GME other than biopsy samples of the brain, which isn't a common procedure in veterinary medicine. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis can be helpful in ruling out other problems and hinting at GME. Computerized tomography (CT) scans or MRI scans can help rule out cancer and can help in identifying focal (local) areas of brain involvement.

Both local and generalized GME usually have to be treated continuously and treatment can not generally be withdrawn without a recurrence of symptoms. Generalized GME is almost always fatal. In most cases the prognosis for generalized GME is poor, but I have gotten at least one letter complaining that I was too pessimistic in my opinion of GME, based on a case in which one person's dog had been living with the disease well controlled for over a year.

It is usually necessary to use high doses of prednisone or other corticosteroids to get the symptoms to resolve but it is sometimes possible to use lower dosages for maintenance. An effort should be made to see if a lower dose will control the signs once they are well under control. Radiation therapy has been reported to help in a limited number of cases of GME.

I hope that this information is useful to you. I understand that sometimes people subscribe when they really want to hear better news than this. We will refund the subscription price under these circumstances if a request to do so is made.

Mike Richards, DVM
10/12/2003

Please tell the vet what the dog is doing that is worrying you. Medicines take some time before results are seen. Have you thought about getting a second opinion??

I am so sorry you are going thru this. As for pain, I do not know. Call the vet and ask please. This is serious. You should not feel that you are being cruel to the dog. Ask your vet how long it will take to see improvement. Did the sleeping meds cause the dog to scream and walk into wall?

You pay alot for the vet, get him to answer ALL of your questions, please.

I do hope and pray for a quick recovery.

[BarbaraM]

Oh, maybe accupuncture? I am not sure, tho.

Hope your baby gets well quick!!

[ladyjane]

I am so sorry your pup is so very ill. If he is fine during the day, I would wonder if perhaps the medicine is causing this. Have you called your vet about this?

Another thing I would do is to limit his ability to get under your sofa and in other spots. Do you have a crate? He would be better off confined so he cannot bang his head or run into things. Maybe a soft sided carrier would be best if you have one.

Definitely speak with your vet. I totally understand that you don't want him to suffer. That is something you need to discuss in detail with your vet.

I will keep him and you in my thoughts and prayers.

[sbgooljar]

Reading about your baby and his illness makes me very sad and I can't even begin to imagine how you are feeling. Sounds like the meds to help him sleeping is causing the nighttime reactions but like others have suggested, please speak with his vet and if possible seek a second opinion. If only these babies could tell us in words what they are feeling we'd be so much better positioned to help but all we can rely on are tests/results and advice from vets and other pet parents.

I am praying for your baby and you.

[ladyjane]

OP, I just sent a message to someone who had a pup with GME. Hopefully she will be around to help you out.

[Lucky09]

Thank you for responding, I called my vet and he said that I should put his medicine for sleeping away and see what will happed.I hope this night will be better.

[Lucky09]

Thank you

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Lucky09

Thank you for responding, I called my vet and he said that I should put his medicine for sleeping away and see what will happed.I hope this night will be better.

I hope so, too! Keep us posted.

[Lucky09]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I hope so, too! Keep us posted.

I will

[yorkiemini]

Diazepam can cause drowsiness or the opposite CNS stimulation which is what is going on with your baby. Stop it and talk with your vet. Sometimes a lower dose will help but some times it just does not work for that dog.

I had a yorkie with necratizing GME (they told me it was the worst kind) and that she would not live very long. She lived a very happy 6 years longer and died from the damage the medicines has caused to her renal system. Those 6 years were great!! And I would not have changed them.

Since your dog does not have the necratizing type I would certainly wait it out some before thinking about putting her to sleep. Ask aout the prognosis and be sure to get to a neurologist specialist.

[maggiesmom_2007]

Originally Posted by Lucky09

Hi I`m asking about your help, because I don`t know what to do I have yorkie he is 2yrs old and he weigh 3.80lb he`s diagnos is that he has GME he got medicine for that Prednisone 5mg 1/2tablet daily and Cyclosporine 8mgtwice daily he was doing little bit better but not much because during the night he wasn`t sleeping so I go to his vet and ask about medicine something for sleeping he gave him Diazepam 2mg half tablet before 11pm since he got this medicine he is very powerfull durgin the night he is going under the sofa or in small places and when he gets stuck he is making noises, when I take him he is screaming and moving his legs like crazy. I can`t sleep during the night, because he makes a lot of noise and I also worry about him, last night I had to hold him, because when I put him on the floor he was falling all the time and hitting wall. I don`t know what to do because during the day he is okay, he walks normaly and doesn`t go under the bed, he isn`t hiding. Should I stop give him medicine for sleeping? Is he doing it, because he is in big pain? What is the best thing for me to do, should I put him into sleep? Please help me if you know anything about his behavior, or you had the same problem. It hurts me that he is doing it and I can`t help him, my vet said I have to wait and see if he will get better but I don`t want my baby to be in pain. This night I plan to don`t give him Diazapam(medicine for sleeping) and I will see how he will react. Please help me if you know anything!!!! Thank you so much.

Here is a website of a very dear friend of mine that just went through this recently I am also posting her email so that you or anyone else that needs info on this can talk to her. connie@yorkiexpress.com
Isabella GME Research Fund

[susan lynn]

pRAYERS AND hUGS FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY THAT HE GETS BETTER SOON AND YOU HAVE MANY MORE YEARS TOGETHER.

[ladyjane]

Checking in to see how things went last night......

[Munchki]

awww i hope your baby gets better our thought are with you.