Sick Yorkie, Vet says not much longer for her...
 

My 7.5 year old yorkie is having some serious problems.

She's become very skinny to the point you can feel all her bones when petting and touching her on her back and side (spine, ribs, etc.) and her legs are skinny as well. She has a bloated stomach and it's become worse.

I've taken her to the vet many times since July when we started noticing all of this (it had probably been going on for at least 30 days prior).

One vet says it's PLE, another vet says it's probably intestinal cancer. The prognosis is not good.

She was on prednisone and an enzyme to help her digest her food but we've taken her off because it's not helping. Her albutimin (blood protein) levels are very low...about 1.4.

I've put her on a a wet food that's low fat, RX type food as of yesterday and she seems to like it. Before that she was simply on a kibble and she didn't like it (Zessential).

Anyways, he says if things don't turn around she's probably got 30 to 60 days left.

Has anyone else experienced this or have any suggestions?

My Callie started to become very skinny with a pot belly and it was Cushings. I would try to get in with an internist as soon as you could.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. For what it’s worth, I think 7.5 years is way too young for your vet(s) to simply give up without a full diagnosis and say your pup only has a month or two left. PLE, in particular, is more a description of symptoms than a diagnosis. It can have many causes, some of them dire but others quite treatable.

You haven’t said exactly what tests have been conducted, but I do hope you are still trying to get a more specific diagnosis so you will know whether this problem can be successfully treated.

We've done two blood tests and an x-ray.

The first vet wanted to do an ultra sound and then a biopsy but I felt like that vet was trying to get me to do anything and everything they could to bleed more money out of me. I've felt that way for a long time about this vet.

Which is why I went to the new vet, he came highly recommended.

I do agree, she's quite young. I'm going to put her on a natural food diet (considering Darwin's) and see what that does. The first vet felt like a low fat diet would be the best option but the RX kibble he put her on didn't seem to work or at the very least, she didn't like it.

She likes the wet food she's on now. She eats it all up when I give it to her. I think a wet or soft home made diet will work for her.

Here’s an article that lists some of the causes of PLE.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-p...hy-ple-in-dogs

As you can see, some of them are much more treatable than intestinal cancer. If your new vet has recommended tests to determine the cause, I hope you’re going to follow through with them rather just guess that a diet change might help.

New vet did not recommend any further courses of action, tests or anything else.

I told him I'd like to try her on a more natural, easier to digest diet and lower in fat (as PLE recommends low fat diets). His response was, "well, what do you have to lose?"

So it seems I'm at an impasse. Either find another vet and/or try a new diet.

Changing the food is probably not going to do any good until you find the cause of the issues. Feeding raw to a dog that is already sick is not a good idea and I doubt her system can handle it and it may make her even sicker.

I have had extensive (unfortunately) experience with PLE. Usually, in yorkies, it is lymphangectasia and/or IBD . Here is a link about my Cookie. She lived for about 6 years after being diagnosed and died from lymphoma, so it IS possible to maintain them.

https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/si...ia-update.html

My Kiche has lymphangectasia and has been doing pretty well. He is on prednisone daily and a low fat diet. It has been a couple of years I believe, I would have to look it up.

Anyway, they definitely need low fat diet with diet being key in the treatment. They also are put on predisone and sometimes need other meds, one being a type of chemo.

I home cooked for Cookie because she had IBD and needed a novel protein so the Low Fat foods may not have worked, but Kiche is on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat and he loves it. He is also on daily prednisone. They both were scoped which is the ideal situation but if not affordable, your vet should be able to manage her anyway.

You seriously need to get her back on the prednisone that the vet put her on!!! She may need additional medications to turn her around. Sometimes, when they are really out of kilter and have fluid in their abdomen, a hetastarch infusion may help. (its like plasma)

Her protein level is really, really low and I encourage you to get her back on her meds and on a super low fat diet. If you can do so, I highly recommend a consult with an internal med specialist. If you cannot do that, just make sure your vet is up to date in treatments for PLE.

I hope you can turn her around...she is young and could have a long life ahead of her like my Cookie did. I know other people with PLE pups who have also been treated successfully.

Here is a helpful link:

https://www.marvistavet.com/intestin...ngiectasia.pml

BTW the first vet was right. An ultrasound would ideally be done .. and a scope and biopsies. They CAN treat her without testing, but it is a bit like doing a treatment blindfolded.

When money is an issue, it is acceptable to do basic stuff that I mentioned above...but it would be wrong for a vet not to suggest tests that would reveal an exact diagnosis.

The following link is a bit more involved, but I like it because it discusses the other medications that can be given when prednisone alone doesn't turn them around.
Chlorambucil is one of the meds.

https://ripehosting.blob.core.window...-dandrieux.pdf

Thank you LadyJane! I will put her back on her prednisone tonight and I have a call in to the vet to see what else we can do if we assume PLE.

I'll ask him about an internist too. And I plan on reading through your materials. Thanks!

You are very welcome! I do hope you can turn her around. She sounds very ill.

If your vet doesn't know of an internist (I am sure he does) you can search on this website:

https://vetspecialists.com/

I am sending you a private message. :)

Just wanted to provide an update on Coco.

She saw an internist this past Friday. We had an ultrasound and GI track done, along with a physical inspection by the doctor.

Results were as expected from the ultrasound. Her intestines are sick and don't look good. She showed me the ultrasound of the intestines and also an ultrasound from a healthy dog. Quite a difference. As I said though, that was expected.

Results from the GI track won't be back until later this week.

We have an appointment with a vet the internist recommended this Friday. The internist is working with the vet on her long term plan, which will likely include a very low fat diet (she mentioned a Purina brand both wet and dry) but I'll talk to the vet about other options as well. She'll also be put on some different meds or additional meds from the current daily dose of prednisone and B-12. She may needs weekly shots based on her GI track results but we don't have those yet.

Thank you for the update on Coco! So happy you were able to find an internist. I hope she responds well to the treatment plan!