Marcel - Limping in 2 Legs, Weight Loss...? Valley Fever...?

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So - we have a Neuro appt set for this Friday to explore where we're at and what our options are.

PLEASE send out some positive thoughts to my precious little man for Friday's appt !

Definitely will do!

[kjc]

Oh dear.... Hope all goes well and you get some answers. Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs, Kathy

[maxdog]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So - we have a Neuro appt set for this Friday to explore where we're at and what our options are.

PLEASE send out some positive thoughts to my precious little man for Friday's appt !

Our prayers are with you.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So - we have a Neuro appt set for this Friday to explore where we're at and what our options are.

PLEASE send out some positive thoughts to my precious little man for Friday's appt !

Checking in to see how the neuro appt went.

[yorkiemini]

Just wondering how Marcel is doing and if there is any new info?

[Wylie's Mom]

Little update...not much great news to report.

The neuro appt was okay - not great, not informative, not anything really. Disappointing. Am going to follow-up w/ neuro and regular vet with add'l questions that I feel weren't answered. Neuro recommends MRI, but didn't really address why - and I want to know why (ie, just more info? to decide if surgical candidate? what?).

Neuro kept complaining about Marcel's long hair (that she couldn't see his feet well enough), and that bugged the crap out of me . I wanted to say "So, in your 25 yr career...you've never had to do a neuro exam on a long-haired dog...?" -- I mean, seriously..? I couldn't believe that a neuro clinic hadn't run across that before and that *if* it's a problem -- they don't have clips on site to clip up the dang hair...?!!

Ugh. Just really irritated and frustrated at this point .

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[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Little update...not much great news to report.

The neuro appt was okay - not great, not informative, not anything really. Disappointing. Am going to follow-up w/ neuro and regular vet with add'l questions that I feel weren't answered. Neuro recommends MRI, but didn't really address why - and I want to know why (ie, just more info? to decide if surgical candidate? what?).

Neuro kept complaining about Marcel's long hair (that she couldn't see his feet well enough), and that bugged the crap out of me . I wanted to say "So, in your 25 yr career...you've never had to do a neuro exam on a long-haired dog...?" -- I mean, seriously..? I couldn't believe that a neuro clinic hadn't run across that before and that *if* it's a problem -- they don't have clips on site to clip up the dang hair...?!!

Ugh. Just really irritated and frustrated at this point .

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I do think you need to ask more questions.

I have only had surgery done in spinal issues twice. Once was in 2004 ... I have posted this on YT in the past but only in a comment to someone about their pup. I had a little terror of a yorkie named Maxwell...he was a biter from hell but everyone loved him. LOL He just had a bad past. Anyway....you know it is always those pups who end up at vets. Poor Max walked off of a hotel room bed when I was traveling to TX from NJ. I used to drive with him and Sassy every month. He didn't jump and didn't actually fall...he was walking and just walked off....I was there watching. He seemed fine afterwards. We came to TX for a few days and then went back home to NJ. He started slipping on my kitchen floor....just one foot...I trimmed the hair in his pads thinking that was it. But, it continued.....this went on for a bit while I tried to figure it out but it was never really serious. We came back to TX about 3 weeks later and he started to loose control of his front legs...and then he suddenly one day went down and could not even stand up. I had been to the vet a few times and she had not picked up on anything...everything was so vague. That day I rushed him in and she referred him to a specialist who told me it was his knees in the back and shoulders in the front. I asked him how they could suddenly go out like that and he said it happens....and suggested I get a wheelchair. So....basically put him on a board with wheels?? I said it looked neuro to me as his front paws were turning inward....and other stuff...but he said no it was not neuro. I left there annoyed not believing him and called my vet and asked if I could bring Max in for rads of his shoulders and knees. Sure enough...nothing showed. She immediately referred me to Texas A&M! He was admitted and MRI and surgery were scheduled for the next day. He had two herniated cervical discs. It was a bit of a long week as he had complications due to his CT and had to have a trach and stay on the respirator for a couple of days. It was scary scary...but even with the breathing issues, he was able to stand up!!! Maxwell was old then (I don't know...maybe 12 or so) ... but he did well and survived another 2 years!

OK that was a long story and I actually cut it short...LOL

The next surgery was my foster Gabby who I did post about on YT. To this day I regret doing surgery on her. She had a weird gait and the neuro didn't tell me this was a "spinal walk" due to previous issues or I would not have. Anyway...we did the MRI and the neuro said that Gabby would benefit from having the disc material cleaned out. We did the surgery and she never walked again.

These two are perfect examples of when I would do surgery for spinal issues...it is very successful surgery usually and the pups actually do better than humans since they don't stand erect....BUT it is not without risks. The only way I would do spinal surgery is if the pup couldn't walk and/or had severe neuro deficits.

As for MRI....I won't do them either if surgery is not an option....unless it was to rule out some medical thing that might benefit from some treatment, such as to rule out GME. For limping, I doubt it unless the vet had a clear convincing reason....and you know I will pretty much pull out the stops to save a pup.

I hope these stories help out a bit. Again, if you are not happy with the neuro...get another opinion! Usually a good idea anyway.
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Oh, and one more thing......I have a friend who has a poodle with a history of IVDD. His back started acting up last week and they put him on rimadyl, tramadol and methocarbamol. She is into things like chiro and acupuncture for herself and decided to do acupuncture and massages on her boy. She called me crying one day after a massage....he screamed out loud and she rushed him to the vet. He is ok but on very strict crate rest and the meds. I told her to stop all but western treatments....I know some people swear by these things but I had a very bad experience with chiro on my back years ago and these pups are SO tiny. One move the wrong way can injure. Unless a person has a resume with animal anatomy, there is no way I would allow them to touch my pup...and even then I wouldn't. I realize some do..to each his own.... I am just suggesting that a person doing such treatments should not be a human doctor...if they don't have DVM and extra classes on animal anatomy...no go in my book!

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks a million, Linda - so helpful!!

[sandy simpson]

I am sorry to read that neuro doc is not helping Marcel. We tend to trust these doctors and some are not competent. I will continue to pray for guidance and healing for Marcel. Very frustrating situation

[4carolyn]

I wish I had some wisdom for you and Marcel. You have always been such a help to me. Praying for you and Marcel, I know it's heartbreaking to see him this way. I hope God will send you the right people. You are such a good Yorkie mom.

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks everyone. I feel so helpless and hate seeing my baby limp like this - nerve pain is *so* horrible, it's like fire....so I just feel so bad not being able to help him the way I want to.

Me and my regular vet have been emailing a lot - and the next step we're going to try is acupuncture. She knows an acupuncture vet who also specializes in rehab, pain mgmt, and standard care...so I'm trying to be hopeful that this well help.

Chiro is out of the question for now bc we really don't know how many areas of his spine are involved - and not knowing this could make things way worse if the back is manipulated improperly.

[barneysmommmy]

I just caught up on this post. I'm so sorry Marcel is not improving. Not sure if it is the case but when we had the scare with Anna and tick fever we were told it would take 21days of strong antibiotics to improve and often the tick borne illness won't show on bloodwork. Vet gave her 21 days of doxy just in case. Has he been given steroids at all? If so did you see improvements. Anna was better within 24 hours when she started then. I almost hate to post this because I know you have probably tried all of this. But just throwing it out there in case it might help.

[danniko]

I'm so sorry you didn't get any answers from the neuro appointment, I was really hoping you would.

We are going through something similar with Sophie at the moment. We thought she ruptured a ligament and took her into the vet only to find out she failed the neuro exam with that foot and doesn't correct her stance when her feet flip over. Definitely a helpless feeling but we have been thankful that so far the metacam she is taking has helped her enough that the limp isn't as bad as it was.

It's so hard seeing these guys having something wrong but not knowing how to fix it or what to do.

Thinking of you guys and hoping the acupuncture can bring some relief for him.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by barneysmommmy

I just caught up on this post. I'm so sorry Marcel is not improving. Not sure if it is the case but when we had the scare with Anna and tick fever we were told it would take 21days of strong antibiotics to improve and often the tick borne illness won't show on bloodwork. Vet gave her 21 days of doxy just in case. Has he been given steroids at all? If so did you see improvements. Anna was better within 24 hours when she started then. I almost hate to post this because I know you have probably tried all of this. But just throwing it out there in case it might help.

He's on his 2nd round of steroids right now, about mid-way; the hope for the steroid is just to decrease the inflammation in the disc areas - it helps a little - the limp is less pronounced, but not gone.

We ruled out Valley Fever and Tick Fever, but I'm still keeping it in the back of my mind as well, since it can fail to show up on titer for months.

Thanks so much for thinking of us and sharing this - all info is valuable!

Originally Posted by danniko

I'm so sorry you didn't get any answers from the neuro appointment, I was really hoping you would.

We are going through something similar with Sophie at the moment. We thought she ruptured a ligament and took her into the vet only to find out she failed the neuro exam with that foot and doesn't correct her stance when her feet flip over. Definitely a helpless feeling but we have been thankful that so far the metacam she is taking has helped her enough that the limp isn't as bad as it was.

It's so hard seeing these guys having something wrong but not knowing how to fix it or what to do.

Thinking of you guys and hoping the acupuncture can bring some relief for him.

Oh wow! I didn't know you were going thru this! So, at first you thought it was the front leg - but now you're thinking disc issue (neck maybe?) that is causing the "knuckling" you're seeing...?

Bc Marcel's neuro believes he too is knuckling in the front - which means the disc issues may not just be mid-back, but also at the neck -- making pinpointing the problem so tough (and in turn, it makes surgical prospects a guessing game).

Have you tried Prednisone and Gabapentin and Methocarbamol and/or Tramadol yet? The Metacam was not enough for Marcel - but neither is all of them together...still limping.

But Linda (Ladyjane) has some good points about neuro symptoms - some could be rather painless (ie, a limp may not be necessarily from pain).

I hope you see improvement and fast, long-lasting relief!

[Wylie's Mom]

I want to just say a humongous, heart-felt THANK YOU to Linda (LadyJane). She has helped me *immensely*...more than she probably realizes. I can't thank you enough, Linda ! She has been emailing me and texting me on the side - providing such valuable insight/ideas/opinions - and between Linda and my regular vet - I feel like I can stay calm about this for now...instead of feeling like I'm in freak-out mode.

Honestly, without Linda and my vet right now - I think I'd be completely spun-out in indecision, doubt, and skyrocketed worry.

Thanks a million, Linda! And thanks to everyone else as well !

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