teeth cleaned, microchipped then vomiting, slipped disc
 

Here's our story.

I took my 6 year old yorkie (who's always been healthy minus the occasionally vomitting when our schedules change and seem to stress her out) to the vet last wednesday to have her teeth cleaned. They did a blood test to check her health, and while she was under, I had them microship her and do a quick-clip on her nails (she hates getting her nails clipped). When we picked her up that night, she was pretty lethargic from the meds. She didn't eat very regularly, which I expected from the meds and I assume sore teeth.

By the weekend, I got a little concerned, because then she was eating the food, but then throwing it up. She does this from time to time, we figure it's stress, which seemed normal in this situation. I called the vet Monday morning to get something for her stomach, but they couldn't get anything ready for her before 3PM. I had to leave town and my husband wouldn't be off work until 8PM. That night when he came home, he found bloody vomit and diaherra (sp?) all over the house. She had never done this before, so he took her to the emergency vet.

The emergency vet said she was dehydrated and that her blood test did not look good. He thought that she might go into system organ failure and that he should keep her overnight just in case. She made it through the night (better than I did, I'm sure). He told my husband to take her to our normal vet that morning. He did, and that vet said her blood results from the night in the er looked better than the ones before they cleaned her teeth (that made me mad). Anyhow, they gave her some antibiotics and soft food. She ate the food every 2 hours no problems.

However, Wednesday morning when we woke up, our little dog lost use of her back left leg. She just drug it behind her limp... she didn't seem to care at all. She was in high spirits and wanted to run and play, but couldn't. At 8AM, there were no improvements, so I called the vet and took her in. She was in no pain and nothing showed up in the x-rays... they suggested I take her to a specialist. We did the next day, and they think she has a slipped/herniated disc in her back. He told us that we need to make sure she does not jump or run, and that we need to be careful with the way we pick her up as to not put any stress on her back.... and that she might get better.

It is so hard to make her stop jumping and running.. she wants to so bad. In just a few days, she seems to be better... but now she seems depressed because she can't play.

So, my questions are:

1. Do you think any of this is connected? Why did this happen all at the same time?
2. Anyone else have a yorkie with a slipped/herniated disc? What happened? What should we expect?
3. How can I play with my yorkie and keep her happy without hurting her?

I can't seem to think of anything else right now... I feel so sad for my yorkie... I can't even pick her up anymore.. she moans/yelps a little when I do. I'm just wondering if anyone has been through anything similar and can offer an advice. Thanks so much. :aimeeyork

I have no experience with this at all - but I'm very sorry your little girl is sick. I would be suspicious if my vet said the blood tests showed abnormalities but they anesthetized anyway, particularly without telling you this. My thoughts and prayers will be your little girl for a full recovery.

No advice but I hope that your pupster will be okay. So strange that all of this happened at once. :confused:

It would concern me that your vet didn't mention the bad blood test results and that the Er vet said she might go into complete organ failure when she was a healthy dog prior to surgery. I had a male yorkie Zorro who at 7 had a herniated disc. My husband came home and called me at work and said he thought he had had a stroke becasue he wouldn't walk and he stood with his head down. I took him to my vet and then an orthopaedic specialist who diagnosed him. They gave him I think, it''s been 20 some years, meds maybe steroids? and he made a complete recovery and never had a problem again. He lived until he was 13. I hope she gets better soon.

Thanks... that's reassuring. I thought she was getting better... but just this evening, it seems like she doesn't want to walk and she has an arched back. I am taking her to the specialist first thing in the morning.

So sorry your little one is going thru so much at one time. Sending prayers that she starts feeling better. I hope the vet can give you some suggestions to help you both get thru this ordeal.

Well, they want us to start her on steriods and really limit all of her movement. I've talked to a few people at work with small dogs, and seems some people have gone through similiar things with their dogs. They all said the steriods helped and kenneling them keep their activities down and that within 4-6 weeks they were better.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep my dog from getting depressed since she can't run and play.

Im so glad that your dog will recover!! Get lots of bully sticks!! Zoe had to go through 2/12 months of recovery. first he nueter and then LP surgery a few weeks after. Bully sticks keep them calm and in one place. They ar greeeaatt!

Well now, I am totally confused. I am a new Yorkie owner and everything I know (not too much) I am either learning as I go along or thru these 2 books I picked up specifically about Yorkie Care. What I have read and what I have been told if you have the option to pay extra for those blood tests, IF YOU WANT TO BE SURE THEY COME BACK GOOD & OUR LITTLE GUYS ORGANS WOULD NOT BE EFFECTED. When I made my appointment to get Chloe fixed, I paid for them because I was advised it was safer for her to go through the surgery knowing her blood tests on her organs were good... Soooo why else did your Vet do the blood tests???? I never heard of another reason for the tests, nor anything saying do the tests for safety prior to surgery, then ignore the results and do the surgery anyway!!! If I was you, I'd be sitting face to face for a consultation with the Vet for this explanation, then I would be checking around for a new Vet, if you didn't like their answer.
Good Luck:eek: