My Yorkie is sick and even the vet doesn't what is wrong?

[JoeyP]

I don't know but this sounds to me like a cardiac problem
In humans this is indicative of Congestive heart failure and-or constrictive pericarditis

[LyndalB]

Hello everyone

Thank you all so much for the well wishes and the suggestions. It really has been a frustrating and heart-breaking at the same time. I just want her to get better. I feel so helpless.
She was back at the specialist yesterday, and now that we've ruled out the most common things, he's suggested possibly a problem with her nervous system, or a cardiac problem, because of the fainting. The next thing he wants to do is an EKG, but I'm supposed to first try take her pulse the next time she faints, which is much easier said than done. When she went in for the scope they checked all her vital functions, and he was happy with everything. After the scope the vet suggested maybe rhinitis as the problem, and the current medication she is on is to clear that up. She is going for a check up on Monday.

Right now we are feeding her like a baby with a spoon, which keeps her head level or slightly tilted up, and it seems to prevent the fainting.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by LyndalB

Hello everyone

Thank you all so much for the well wishes and the suggestions. It really has been a frustrating and heart-breaking at the same time. I just want her to get better. I feel so helpless.
She was back at the specialist yesterday, and now that we've ruled out the most common things, he's suggested possibly a problem with her nervous system, or a cardiac problem, because of the fainting. The next thing he wants to do is an EKG, but I'm supposed to first try take her pulse the next time she faints, which is much easier said than done. When she went in for the scope they checked all her vital functions, and he was happy with everything. After the scope the vet suggested maybe rhinitis as the problem, and the current medication she is on is to clear that up. She is going for a check up on Monday.

Right now we are feeding her like a baby with a spoon, which keeps her head level or slightly tilted up, and it seems to prevent the fainting.

I see this is a specialist....he MUST know a resting EKG is about a useless waste of money....unless you luck out and she actually faints while they are doing it....I would insist on a Holter monitor...that attaches to the dog for however many days they want, and it provides a continous running trace of exactly what her heart is doing, 24*/day....you make notes at different times...like "9pm...started to cough......10pm....drinking water....10:05 passed out....." and then they look back and compare the times you have recorded in your notes that something weird had happened, to exactly what her heart was doing at that moment. That is how they can tell if it is her heart that is causing this fainting to happen....

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I see this is a specialist....he MUST know a resting EKG is about a useless waste of money....unless you luck out and she actually faints while they are doing it....I would insist on a Holter monitor...that attaches to the dog for however many days they want, and it provides a continous running trace of exactly what her heart is doing, 24*/day....you make notes at different times...like "9pm...started to cough......10pm....drinking water....10:05 passed out....." and then they look back and compare the times you have recorded in your notes that something weird had happened, to exactly what her heart was doing at that moment. That is how they can tell if it is her heart that is causing this fainting to happen....

Yep....the cost is a bit much but SO worth it. I don't know about SA, but here it is around $400.

[nanahas3]

Don't want to scare you but that is exactly how Lolita became when her heart got bad. The vet said it was due to her heart being so enlarged and fluids building up on it. They gave her medication but for her it was to late. Hopefully a good vet cardiologist can get your baby taken care of soon. God bless.

[Yorkiedaze]

The symptoms that you described doesn't fit rhinitis. Here is an article on rhinitis: Dog Rhinitis and Sinusitis: Symptoms and Treatments

[lillymae]

I agree, this does not at all sound like rhinitis. My Wolfhound has chronic rhinitis from the bordatella vaccine & he plays like a mad man , the only thing he does is blow/sneeze HUGE boogs & the occasional gag when one gets in his throat but no fainting ever.

[Marhcarter]

Question for all my nurse peeps...is there any way to check an O2 sat on a dog? I have a sat monitor for people, but doubt it would work over a furry paw. I was thinking if she could check the sat next time he passes out...? Plus, that would give the heartrate. Don't laugh...as soon as I can find a fresh battery, I'm gonna try it on Hueys tail/nub and just see. (If I can get him still long enough...maybe once he is asleep).

[Scoobstersmom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I would speak with the vet about having her evaluated by a cardiac specialist. It sounds cardiac to me. My son has a pup who had a couple of fainting spells and that is what they feel is causing it. He is scheduled to wear a Holter monitor to check his heart over a 24 hour period. Often there are no sounds that just auscultation will pick up.

The term for what LadyJane is referring to is syncope. If you google it there is a lot of information on the net.

Diana and the Scoobster

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Question for all my nurse peeps...is there any way to check an O2 sat on a dog? I have a sat monitor for people, but doubt it would work over a furry paw. I was thinking if she could check the sat next time he passes out...? Plus, that would give the heartrate. Don't laugh...as soon as I can find a fresh battery, I'm gonna try it on Hueys tail/nub and just see. (If I can get him still long enough...maybe once he is asleep).

Tech peep here: yes they do use O2 sats on dogs.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Question for all my nurse peeps...is there any way to check an O2 sat on a dog? I have a sat monitor for people, but doubt it would work over a furry paw. I was thinking if she could check the sat next time he passes out...? Plus, that would give the heartrate. Don't laugh...as soon as I can find a fresh battery, I'm gonna try it on Hueys tail/nub and just see. (If I can get him still long enough...maybe once he is asleep).

VASG Pulse Oximeter Monitoring Basics

There is a video on You Tube, but I cannot get it to work...maybe you all can:

Veterinary Emergency - Pulse Oximetry for Dogs,...

[Yolanda Crawfor]

I just lost my yorkie. We kept taking him to the vet with the same sypmtoms as you mentioned. He had an enlarged heart and is was pressing on his lungs. The vet kept telling us it was seizures. When we took him yo emergency that's when we found out. They put him on oxygen and he was to stay over night. An hour later he arrested and they could not resuscitate him. Please take ours to a cardiac specislist and get more than one opinion. They can xray his heart to see if it is ok.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Yolanda Crawfor

I just lost my yorkie. We kept taking him to the vet with the same sypmtoms as you mentioned. He had an enlarged heart and is was pressing on his lungs. The vet kept telling us it was seizures. When we took him yo emergency that's when we found out. They put him on oxygen and he was to stay over night. An hour later he arrested and they could not resuscitate him. Please take ours to a cardiac specislist and get more than one opinion. They can xray his heart to see if it is ok.

I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your story.

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

VASG Pulse Oximeter Monitoring Basics

There is a video on You Tube, but I cannot get it to work...maybe you all can:

Veterinary Emergency - Pulse Oximetry for Dogs, Cats and other Veterinary Patients - YouTube

The video worked for me and was informative.I just don't have the proper probe to check a dog, which is why I tried the tail nub...didn't work...too hairy. I think if my baby were passing out, I would shave his tail or whatever I needed to monitor him. He is a very skittish yorkie monster, so I haven't tried his ear, but if he were passed out, I think I could get a reading. All of this, to the OP, is just data collection that could help with diagnosis, IMO. You can't collect to much data, and no matter what anyone else says, I think internet searches of symptoms can be very helpful, as long as you don't freak out and convince yourself he has every thing you see sometimes professionals like vets might need/appreciate a little research by the owner that might point them in the right direction for an appropriate diagnosis. Be proactive in your pups health like you would your own!

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

The video worked for me and was informative.I just don't have the proper probe to check a dog, which is why I tried the tail nub...didn't work...too hairy. I think if my baby were passing out, I would shave his tail or whatever I needed to monitor him. He is a very skittish yorkie monster, so I haven't tried his ear, but if he were passed out, I think I could get a reading. All of this, to the OP, is just data collection that could help with diagnosis, IMO. You can't collect to much data, and no matter what anyone else says, I think internet searches of symptoms can be very helpful, as long as you don't freak out and convince yourself he has every thing you see sometimes professionals like vets might need/appreciate a little research by the owner that might point them in the right direction for an appropriate diagnosis. Be proactive in your pups health like you would your own!

You could try the ear, the flap of skin at the underarm, or also in front of the hind leg. Give him a good belly rub or butt scratch to distract him.