Chiari Malformation Diagnosis It has been a while since I have been on this board and I am looking for information, support and hope. My dog Piper (she is 3) has been struggling for the better part of the last two years with what we thought was soley allergies. She will have attacks where she scratches her head, behind her ears and bites her paws. We have had testing done and have been to specialists. Piper has been living with my inlaws the past 2 months because she needs 24/7 care to monitor her attacks. And my mother in law is willing and able to provide that. We were recently referred to a neurologist because she was put on apoquel for her allergies and it wasn't 100% working. We had narrowed out a liver shunt and since she isn't completely "all there" we were referred to a neurologist. Sadly, Piper has been diagnosed with chiari malformation after the results of her MRI. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. She is being put on a compound of pills as treatment vs. the surgery route. The vet informed us that this is a birth defect and to inform Piper's breeder. We have reached out to Piper's breeder and she has never heard of chiari malformation but said she would do some research for us. In the meantime, I am looking for stories of hope or encouraging words from everyone during this very difficult time. |
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about the recent diagnosis. I understand that prognosis is guarded and dependent on many factors. What has your vet said about treatment? Sending hugs x |
Piper unfortunately exhibits most of the symptoms it is so sad :(. I'm upset that our old vet only passed it off as allergies and never thought to refer us to a neurologist. |
Sadly, I think this condition mimics a lot of benign conditions and is, therefore, commonly misdiagnosed. Are you under specialist care now for your puppy? I have read some research today re: treatment which is hopeful in that some of the signs can be reversed or slowed down depending on how early the correct diagnosis was made. Sometimes, the diagnosis goes missed for up to six years as some of the signs do not manifest to the point anyone is concerned until around age 4. I don't think all hope should be lost but I do think you should probably have a realistic discussion with a specialist so that your dog gets the best type of care for whatever stage the condition is at... xxx |
I am very sorry to hear of this diagnosis. There might be a support group of Yahoo for chiari. Also I know some members here have had a pup with this. |
Piper now has a new vet, an allergist, a dermatologist and a neurologist. She is definitely in good hands and we are hoping the medication works! |
It galls me that people breed dogs and don't know about such things. This condition is not necessarily common in yorkies like it is in the king charles...but it does happen. There are varying degrees. Did they mention Syringomyelia? One symptom of it is the neck scratching you are talking about. Often it is hand in hand with chiari. I had a foster pup who had multiple neuro issues....AAI, syringomyelia, chiari and some other things. He was a senior when he came to me. I am sharing this with you to let you know that it can happen that they live to be older. I don't know what Sammy's age was nor do I know what treatments he had; but he did fairly well and was a little charmer. Following is a thread about him that may give you some hope: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ro-issues.html YT member Lillymae has some experience with Chiari I believe. Perhaps she can add to this. Please keep us posted. I will keep your Teddy in my thoughts and prayers. |
Thank you ladyjane. I will look into the thread. We got Piper from a very reputable, well respected breeder so I was surprised she wasn't aware of what the condition was. |
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Lady jane, my mother in law just looked at the neuro report and piper also has syrimgomyelia. And sorry it's my dog piper that was diagnosed. My user name us confusing... Teddy is our other yorkie. |
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Thank you lady <3 |
I will be Praying for your Piper. Very often meds is all it takes for a long and full life. It is not uncommon for a Chiari pup to have neck and/or shoulder issues that can be treated with VOM/Chiropractic , acupuncture or K-Laser. |
Is there an update on this baby |
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