Please pray for my paralyzed dog

[RoughCollie]

I know Teddy is just a dog, and in the grand scheme of things, praying for a dog is not at the top of everyone's list.

 

Something strange happened to our perfectly healthy 8 year old collie tonight. He was standing at the door barking at the pizza delivery man. My son was standing between Teddy and the door. Teddy backed up a couple of inches, suddenly collapsed, and is unable to walk because his hind legs are paralyzed. They are splayed out from each side, like wings - a position I have never seen in him before. He was not in pain when this happened, he didn't have a seizure or become unconscious. He's been totally Teddy all the time in personality and alertness.

 

Teddy is acting completely normally, not in pain (Collies are not known for stoicism), alert, eats, drinks ... but cannot sit, stand, or walk.

 

An emergency veterinary hospital, which is an hour away, has got him now. They will call me to let me know what they think is wrong with him. I had to call a pet ambulance because I can't drive at night and we couldn't move the dog -- too afraid to damage him further if his spine is involved.

 

There has been no trauma, no illness, no exposure to pesticides (inside or out), no ingested poisons or chocolate or anything at all. We are with our dog 24/7, so we know this for sure. He has always been vaccinated for everything. No wild animals got to him. His hips have always been fine -- he was tested to see if the sockets were shallow years ago (they weren't) and there is no genetic history of hip dysplasia in his ancestors.

 

We are going to the hospital first thing in the morning. We are all devastated and worried.

 

Please, say a quick prayer for Teddy.

 

Thank you,

RC

Edited November 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[kalanamak]

How sudden! I hope it isn't cancer, which did something similar to my cat.

Poor boy!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I hope you get answers and that it is something easily treatable. :grouphug:

[Aggie]

How terrible for y'all!:grouphug:

 

I'll be praying for Teddy and your family.

 

I hope you get some rest tonight.

[Unicorn.]

Dogs are family members too. Praying for your Teddy.

[sahm99]

Praying for your poor buddy!!!:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Hedgehog]

Praying here. :grouphug:

 

Our dog is definitely part of our family and we'd be pretty upset if anything happened to her, so l understand where you are coming from.

[Mom in High Heels]

Oh, no! Your poor baby! I hope everything is okay. Dogs are part of our families! :grouphug:

[RoughCollie]

The vet just called. Teddy's calcium level is very low (canine hypocalcemia). They did a blood panel and everything is just fine except for his calcium level. His liver and kidneys are fine, and he has no tumors.

 

In the morning, they will check his blood again, and give him IV calcium if his levels are still very low.

 

They don't know a cause. Sometimes the low calcium level is the problem, and sometimes it is an effect of another problem. Right now, they hope it is just a fluke, a short-term occurrence. That happens sometimes for no known reason, according to the vet. They also did x-rays and a complete physical. He seems to be as healthy as can be ... except for the calcium level and the fact that he can't walk.

 

Also, his dog food is not the cause.

 

I expect to hear from the vet again around 9:30 a.m. EST.

 

Thank you for praying for Teddy.

 

RC

[Melissa in Australia]

Here in Australia we have paralysis ticks. I don't know if the paralysis tick is anywhere else in the world.

The ticks paralysis the dog , starting with the hind legs, and moves up the body, including lungs and heart, and if not treated quickly , the dog dies. the treatment is very expensive and is not a guarantee of survival. we have a 3 month old border collie pup that has had to be hospitalised because of a paralysis tick. he has recovered. we put tick poison on him every two weeks, but even so, he got paralyzed.

every day the kids take at least 6 ticks off him. Mostly they are just the normal bush ticks.

[gingersmom]

Hope your furry son is home soon!!!

 

:grouphug:

[KidsHappen]

Oh hon, so sorry to hear this. Let's hope it is something with a simply fix and a full recovery. :grouphug:

[chickenpatty]

I'm sorry! I hope he is better soon.

[nono]

Hang in there. It is encouraging at least that the vet has some answers.

 

I hope you managed to get a little sleep. :grouphug:

[MariannNOVA]

Praying for Teddy! Hope the pooch is fine and home soon. Glad the vet had at least some answers for your.:grouphug:

[astrid]

So sorry to hear this, RC. Please know we're thinking of Teddy and your family and sending lots of healing thoughts and prayers.

 

Keep us posted-- dogs ARE family members. No doubt about it.

 

:grouphug:

astrid

[Stacia]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Not that this is the case w/ your dog, but I'll mention it on the rare chance the info may come in handy.... Quite a few years ago, I had a cat with Thrombosis. It produced the same symptoms as you're describing. It cats, it is often extremely painful & fatal (I saw 2 of my mil's cats suffer from it). My cat didn't seem to be in any pain; his back legs just wouldn't work. Surgery wasn't an option (outlook not very promising on that one), so the vets kept him & tried heparin (blood thinners) on him for a few days, hoping the clot might dissolve. I continued his heparin at home too. Over weeks, he slowly improved & eventually regained use of both his back legs. We were able to enjoy him for a few extra years! Just wanted to mention this in case you (or anyone else) ends up w/ a pet in this situation -- there may be hope....

[Teachin'Mine]

Did they check for Lymes? Leg paralysis is one of the common symptoms.

 

Praying they figure it out and he regains his health. :grouphug:

[Jen500]

:grouphug:

I hope he's ok!

[Journey]

Poor thing. I hope he's feeling better today. Will pray for your boy. Have you heard anything from the vet today? I know the Lord cares for animals. He has answered many of our prayers for our horse.

[Tammyla]

Poor boy. I hope the next call is a good news one.:grouphug:

 

The vet just called. Teddy's calcium level is very low (canine hypocalcemia). They did a blood panel and everything is just fine except for his calcium level. His liver and kidneys are fine, and he has no tumors.

 

In the morning, they will check his blood again, and give him IV calcium if his levels are still very low.

 

They don't know a cause. Sometimes the low calcium level is the problem, and sometimes it is an effect of another problem. Right now, they hope it is just a fluke, a short-term occurrence. That happens sometimes for no known reason, according to the vet. They also did x-rays and a complete physical. He seems to be as healthy as can be ... except for the calcium level and the fact that he can't walk.

 

Also, his dog food is not the cause.

 

I expect to hear from the vet again around 9:30 a.m. EST.

 

Thank you for praying for Teddy.

 

RC

[JudoMom]

The vet just called. Teddy's calcium level is very low (canine hypocalcemia). They did a blood panel and everything is just fine except for his calcium level. His liver and kidneys are fine, and he has no tumors.

 

In the morning, they will check his blood again, and give him IV calcium if his levels are still very low.

 

They don't know a cause. Sometimes the low calcium level is the problem, and sometimes it is an effect of another problem. Right now, they hope it is just a fluke, a short-term occurrence. That happens sometimes for no known reason, according to the vet. They also did x-rays and a complete physical. He seems to be as healthy as can be ... except for the calcium level and the fact that he can't walk.

 

Also, his dog food is not the cause.

 

I expect to hear from the vet again around 9:30 a.m. EST.

 

Thank you for praying for Teddy.

 

RC

 

:grouphug:

[mindygz]

I hope it is just a one time thing! How scary! Keeping your doggy in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted.

[lionfamily1999]

:grouphug: Lifting up Teddy

 

We've btdt. It was terrifying, but stopped after three days. No explanation.

[Remudamom]

Teddy is in my prayers. There is no such thing as "just a dog". My roughie did some odd things sometimes too, and died at a fine old age.

[LauraGB]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: How terrifying. Any news yet?

[RoughCollie]

Thank you all for your prayers and for your concern.

 

Good news!

 

This morning, the low calcium level turned out to be a false result. What Teddy has is a "neurological issue" and the cause can only be determined by an as yet unnecessary MRI.

 

He is responding well to non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication.

 

This morning, he was able to stand up on his own after several tries on a non-slippery surface.

 

If he continues to improve throughout the day, we will pick him up tonight and continue to medicate and take care of him at home. Otherwise, there is a small chance he will be there for a few days until he can walk on his own.

 

The only reason we aren't going there this morning is that they will not let me stay with him -- he will be devastated if I show up and then leave him there. They wouldn't let me stay there all night last night, either. I understand that, but I still wish I could be there. When the mail lady came today, she knocked on the door (we don't have a doorbell) and I heard a noise and thought it was Teddy wanting in. The boys reminded me that Teddy is not here. The mail lady said she was standing there wondering why Teddy wasn't barking up a storm when she knocked (she says he is our doorbell). It's so weird not having him here. I am so excited about his return tonight!

 

Thank you very, very much for praying for him.

 

RC

Edited November 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[RoughCollie]

Here in Australia we have paralysis ticks.

 

Melissa, I mentioned this to my boys, and they knew all about it from the research they did last night. The vet said that there are paralysis ticks here in PA, but they have only seen one or two cases of animals who were bitten by them.

 

The good thing about Teddy is that ticks only attach to his face, so they are easy to spot. The ones that go onto his body never make it through all his fur to attach to his skin.

 

The vet did check him thoroughly, every inch of his skin, to make sure of that, though. I felt so smart knowing to ask about paralysis ticks, thanks to you!

 

RC

Edited November 8, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Nan in Mass]

Hugs and prayers

Of course dogs are people. Of course you can ask for prayers for them. Don't be silly.

[RoughCollie]

Did they check for Lymes? Leg paralysis is one of the common symptoms.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I will call the vet and ask about this. He is vaccinated against Lyme Disease, and is on Frontline, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

[Annie Anne]

Still praying for Teddy!

[Teachin'Mine]

I'm glad he's showing improvement. I'm also happy to hear that you'll ask about the Lymes - I don't know much about the vaccination if it's 100 percent effective or not. If it does by some slim chance happen to be Lymes, the good news is that it responds very quickly to antibiotics. :)

 

ETA: I just googled a bit and found the info here interesting: http://www.i-love-dogs.com/forums/dog-chat/20885-lyme-vaccinate-not.html

 

And continuing to pray for Teddy.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Teachin'Mine

[Patches]

:grouphug:

[Denisemomof4]

Poor Teddy! He's not "just a dog," he's a family member!!! I was so sad to read your first post but now that I've read through them all, I'm encouraged.

 

It's weird........ I've never heard of a dog suddenly becoming paralyzed, and then just being ok. I will try to remember that if I am ever in this situation!!!

 

Praying for a full recovery for Teddy!!!:grouphug:

[LuvingLife]

So terrible! I am so sorry for what happened to him! I had a dog named Teddy a few years ago, and I really like the name.

 

Praying for his health, :grouphug:

[laundrycrisis]

I am glad he was doing better this morning. I hope he continues to improve.

 

The only thought I had was a chiropractic adjustment - we go to a holistic vet and I have seen her get some great results for "strange sudden problems" by combining chiro and acupuncture. I first went to her when our vet was out of ideas for one of our dogs. If the problem hangs around and is very puzzling to the vets, a holistic vet might have some other ideas.

[ktgrok]

I'm suprised he is on NSAID's instead of steroids.....but otherwise sounds good! Probably just a slipped disk!

[RoughCollie]

It is so wonderful to have Teddy home again! He's been here for about 45 minutes.

 

He is very subdued from not getting sleep at the hospital, from the stress, and possibly from pain. He's medicated with the anti-inflammatory, but he whined a lot on the 75 minute drive home, probably because the bumps in the road caused him to feel pain. I called the vet twice while DH was driving him home, because DS1 kept calling me with questions, and this is what the vet said.

 

He walked across an 18" gap between two room-sized area rugs and slipped and down he went. We got him back up again and onto the rug. Then we blocked off the kitchen, put furniture on the part of the living room that is not covered by the rug, and put nonskid throw rugs everywhere.

 

He refused dog food, ate some baked chicken, drank a lot of water, laid down, has been surrounded by children sitting around him. I finally got the kids pried away from the dog and up to bed.

 

He is on the bed I made for him on the floor, complete with 6 thicknesses of blanket and two bed pillows. He usually sleeps on the loveseat, chair or couch, but he can't get onto them. The lights are out. I will sleep on the couch and he will wake me up if he needs me.

 

The vet said to keep him quiet and not to let him jump or climb, play, etc. So the kids have been sternly warned not to bicker or argue because that always gets the dog riled up. The vet said for us to cosset him, and that's his normal way of life so no problem.

 

More good news. We had to pay an $800 down payment to the vet last night. The actual charge was $515, which included them driving 75 minutes to come and get him, so we got a refund. When we took the car to be inspected today, it needed $1000 worth of unexpected repairs to pass inspection, so I'm especially thankful for this refund. I thought DH would have to pay even more money when he got there.

 

Thank you for praying for him.

Edited November 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[RoughCollie]

I'm suprised he is on NSAID's instead of steroids.....but otherwise sounds good! Probably just a slipped disk!

 

The vet said it wasn't a slipped disc. I asked if he needed steroids, but I didn't argue the point since the drug is working.

 

The dx was that he has a neurological problem that may recur and that the cause can only be determined by an MRI, which is not necessary at this point. I had thought a slipped disc couldn't be diagnosed with x-rays, so maybe that is the problem. Not sure. But this is good because MRI's are very expensive and we don't have the money. The vet doesn't know that because I do not want suggestions for our dog's care to be based on the vet thinking we can't afford to pay for it and thus minimalizing the requirements.

Edited November 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[RoughCollie]

If the problem hangs around and is very puzzling to the vets, a holistic vet might have some other ideas.

 

I will ask about this when I take Teddy to our vet for his annual physical on Saturday. Obviously, he doesn't need a physical now since he just had the most thorough possible, but since he is expected to need at least 2-3 weeks to fully recover and this can recur, I want all the info I can get.

 

Right now I feel like we dodged a bullet because often this sort of thing is caused by cancer or by a spinal problem that requires major surgery, or he could have been permanently paralyzed.

 

I am thanking God for Teddy's recovery and for all the wonderful people here who prayed for him and were concerned about him.

Edited November 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[ktgrok]

How would he know it wasn't a disk problem? every symptom you listed sounds like a disk problem....and the fact that he is in pain and being treated with pain killers seems to indicate it as well. Very puzzling. If the NSAIDs are working that is great, but ask your regular vet about it as well.

 

And yes, no jumping up or down.

 

Hugs to your dog, I've been through this with one of mine years ago. She was paralyzed for 2 days, but never had another problem after that :)

 

Katie

 

The vet said it wasn't a slipped disc. I asked if he needed steroids, but I didn't argue the point since the drug is working.

 

The dx was that he has a neurological problem that may recur and that the cause can only be determined by an MRI, which is not necessary at this point. I had thought a slipped disc couldn't be diagnosed with x-rays, so maybe that is the problem. Not sure. But this is good because MRI's are very expensive and we don't have the money. The vet doesn't know that because I do not want suggestions for our dog's care to be based on the vet thinking we can't afford to pay for it and thus minimalizing the requirements.

[jazzyfizzle]

I am glad to hear he is doing much better. I thought I would mention something in case you happen to not know of it - ivermectin sensitivity. Just throwing it out there for informational purposes.

It can cause temporary (or permanent) neurologic problems that can manifest in symptoms like shaking, staggering, falling, ect.

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcpl/

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html

[RoughCollie]

Oh, I'm definitely going to ask our vet about Ted's spine. I'm glad your dog was okay after being paralyzed. I never knew a dog could go from fine to paralyzed in an instant until last night.

 

How would he know it wasn't a disk problem? every symptom you listed sounds like a disk problem....and the fact that he is in pain and being treated with pain killers seems to indicate it as well. Very puzzling. If the NSAIDs are working that is great, but ask your regular vet about it as well.

 

And yes, no jumping up or down.

 

Hugs to your dog, I've been through this with one of mine years ago. She was paralyzed for 2 days, but never had another problem after that :)

 

Katie

[RoughCollie]

I am glad to hear he is doing much better. I thought I would mention something in case you happen to not know of it - ivermectin sensitivity. Just throwing it out there for informational purposes.

 

Teddy is on a heartworm medication that is safe for collies. I'll double-check it though, because new information about it may be available. Thanks for the tip.

[lionfamily1999]

Poor Teddy! He's not "just a dog," he's a family member!!! I was so sad to read your first post but now that I've read through them all, I'm encouraged.

 

It's weird........ I've never heard of a dog suddenly becoming paralyzed, and then just being ok. I will try to remember that if I am ever in this situation!!!

 

Praying for a full recovery for Teddy!!!:grouphug:

My dad has a chihuahua/yorki mix. He woke up one morning and was dragging his back legs around (spread apart, like roughcollie described with her sweet pup). There was nothing found wrong with him, and after two or three days he was fine, like nothing had happened.

 

It was bizarre, but a great relief when it was over.

It is so wonderful to have Teddy home again! He's been here for about 45 minutes.

 

He is very subdued from not getting sleep at the hospital, from the stress, and possibly from pain. He's medicated with the anti-inflammatory, but he whined a lot on the 75 minute drive home, probably because the bumps in the road caused him to feel pain. I called the vet twice while DH was driving him home, because DS1 kept calling me with questions, and this is what the vet said.

 

He walked across an 18" gap between two room-sized area rugs and slipped and down he went. We got him back up again and onto the rug. Then we blocked off the kitchen, put furniture on the part of the living room that is not covered by the rug, and put nonskid throw rugs everywhere.

 

He refused dog food, ate some baked chicken, drank a lot of water, laid down, has been surrounded by children sitting around him. I finally got the kids pried away from the dog and up to bed.

 

He is on the bed I made for him on the floor, complete with 6 thicknesses of blanket and two bed pillows. He usually sleeps on the loveseat, chair or couch, but he can't get onto them. The lights are out. I will sleep on the couch and he will wake me up if he needs me.

 

The vet said to keep him quiet and not to let him jump or climb, play, etc. So the kids have been sternly warned not to bicker or argue because that always gets the dog riled up. The vet said for us to cosset him, and that's his normal way of life so no problem.

 

More good news. We had to pay an $800 down payment to the vet last night. The actual charge was $515, which included them driving 75 minutes to come and get him, so we got a refund. When we took the car to be inspected today, it needed $1000 worth of unexpected repairs to pass inspection, so I'm especially thankful for this refund. I thought DH would have to pay even more money when he got there.

 

Thank you for praying for him.

Woohoo! That's great about the refund and I'm so glad you have your boy home :)

The vet said it wasn't a slipped disc. I asked if he needed steroids, but I didn't argue the point since the drug is working.

 

The dx was that he has a neurological problem that may recur and that the cause can only be determined by an MRI, which is not necessary at this point. I had thought a slipped disc couldn't be diagnosed with x-rays, so maybe that is the problem. Not sure. But this is good because MRI's are very expensive and we don't have the money. The vet doesn't know that because I do not want suggestions for our dog's care to be based on the vet thinking we can't afford to pay for it and thus minimalizing the requirements.

I've had a bulging disc diagnosed with x-rays. They look at the bones in the spine, if something is wrong with the discs you can see it, because the vertebrate are not sitting correctly. On my x-rays you could also faintly see the discs themselves.

[Jen500]

I'm glad Teddy is home and I hope he's doing better today.

[BeckyFL]

Glad for the good report. :grouphug:

[kristavws]

Teddy is on a heartworm medication that is safe for collies. I'll double-check it though, because new information about it may be available. Thanks for the tip.

 

I would also recommend looking into the possibility of a drug side effect. Our Dachshund would have seizures about once a month - It was finally determined to be caused by Frontline.

 

:grouphug:

 

krista

[Teachin'Mine]

I'm so glad to hear he's home. Hoping and praying for a speedy recovery. :)

[newbie]

:grouphug::grouphug: