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

Hi

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has maybe seen these symptoms before and can maybe suggest what could be wrong?

About a week and a half ago my little yorkie (she is 6 years old, weighs 2.5kg) started to sound like she was having breathing problems. She sounds like she has a really awful cold, and her tummy is really very swollen (she's been spayed, so she's not pregnant). Off we went to the vet... we got antibiotics for what the vet diagnosed as pharyngitis. The antibiotics made no difference, so we went back to the vet, they did an X-ray, her trachea is in good condition (so it's not tracheal collapse), the vet prescribed some anti-inflammatories. No difference. We had quite a bad night, really uncomfortable, and not breathing well. The very next day I took her to a specialist physician vet, he did another x-ray, and tested her liver and kidney function, and did a scan on her swollen tummy. Said that everything looked fine - her lungs are fine, he's happy with the heart, kidneys, and liver, etc... and the swollen tummy is from swallowing air. He prescribed cortisone, and said to bring her back after the weekend. This was on Friday.
Friday night, she passed out cold while eating her supper, we woke her up, and she just bounced back to her self. I was worried at this point, and spent the whole of Saturday with her, she ate food and drank water, no problems. Saturday night it happened again, and again a couple times on Sunday night. So Sunday night I phoned and made an appointment with the Specialist on Monday to do a scope, to see if there is maybe a obstruction in her throat.
They did the scope on Monday, and could find nothing wrong. They scoped her oesophegus all the way to her stomach - nothing. Scoped her throat, checked her tonsils - nothing. Scoped her nose - slightly inflamed.
The vet has no idea why she is fainting, or what is really causing her to have breathing trouble? He prescribed another antibiotic, and anti inflammatory, and a liver tab, as her blood work showed up some liver enzymes (most likely from all the medication she's been on).
She's still fainting and it's getting worse, becasue now she is shaking after the episodes, not just bouncing back to herself.

Any idea what could be wrong?

I am so sorry your baby is experiencing these problems, and I am frustrated for you that all of the testing and exams have not determined the cause.

I haven't heard of a similar situation. Does she still have a swollen belly?

I found something on petMD -- just something to maybe consider, about narcolepsy and cataplexy: Narcolepsy and Cataplexy in Dogs | petMD

The article does not indicate shortness of breath as a symptom, but it mentions that episodes can be triggered by moments of excitement, like eating.

Sounds like something neurological may be going on, and often these things cannot be explained. Do you have access to a neurologist?

Keep us posted.

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.

prayers you find out what is going on.

Does she burp after or during eating? My pup fainted on 2 different occassions shortly after her meals. I rushed to pick her up and put her on a table and she let out a horrible smelling burp. So for her it was built up stomach gasses. Now after meals I watch her for signs of distress: panting, swollen, hard stomach, inability to get comfortable, roaming. When I see these signs, I hold her upright to allow the gas to escape. She's also on probiotics to help with her digestion.

I really can't help but wanted to let you know I am praying for your girl.

I agree that it sounds like the heart because my Pom used to faint (not often but a few times over the last 3 years and it started when she was around 5 years old). She died of a heart attack at 7 1/2 years old. So, I would ask if they might could do that heart monitor on her as ladyjane suggests.

:thumbup::thumbup: I didn't think about cardiac going undetected with just a routine exam.

Forgot to add, she drools a lot when this happens. I also give her Mylicon (simethicone) drops for infants to break up the gas.

Did a cardiologist do the chest echo?
EKG done?

Welcome to YT!
Wow, that's a new one for me. I'm so sorry, it sounds so scary!
Prayers sent your way for a quick diagnosis and help for your baby.

Bless your heart....this has got to be so very frustrating for you. I would also lean toward perhaps a cardiac issue...syncope or a vagal response was the first thing that came to my mind....I have to add I have never been involved in a situation such as this.....just trying to think of a direction that maybe helpful for you to explore....this will require a specialist (cardiac) and even the advantage of a Holter monitor, which he will wear for 24-48 hours, or however long it takes to record the abnormality in his heart rhythm.....I am sending prayers for this baby, as well as you....

Mine as well.

Just a thought... when a Yorkie tummie is swollen, there's not a whole lot of room in a Yorkie body to accomodate it, so it uses room from the lungs and heart.... everything gets squished together and has less room to work properly, which can account for the fainting and difficulty breathing.

If the swelling keeps increasing, she will need to get to an ER to relieve the pressure...

Doesn't sound like she's getting enough oxygen to her brain, and that could be some heart problems going on. Do you have a cardiologist you could take her to?

please keep us up dated

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

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....

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

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.

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

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.

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).:confused:

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

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

VASG Pulse Oximeter Monitoring Basics

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

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.

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.