No motivation for getting up to go upstairs for bed.
Whiny at night, its like she doesn't know what she wants. Because i take her downstairs to go out for potty and she does nothing.. She has a water dish available upstairs,etc.
She is hesitant to go to sleep right away at night, when normally she BEGS to go to sleep upstairs. She will come to me and whine and than go to the stair case (we have a gait that prevents the dogs from going upstairs) now i have to BEG her essentially to go up to bed.
She doesn't great people and "her girls" (the other 2 dogs in the house) like she normally does. In fact sometimes she doesn't even get up at all, when usually she is up and going "ROO-ROO-ROO!" At them all excited.
Doesn't want to go outside side.
Doesn't want to play.
Eats PB kong, raw hide chew, and supplements in AM. But no food for 2 nights (exception of today, but less than 1/4 cup when normally its 3-4 cups a night.
She just isn't herself in general.. A lot of people see it.
I am so sad to see this. I will note that she is super happy to be outside on a walk and seems mostly herself then. But obviously we cant do this all day. As i have to go to work, and i am exhausted after work, and want some down time! Also stools are normal, my sister and i were trying to take her temp but she clenched her *ss so tight because she hated it that we couldn't do it! (She use to have anal gland issues so she is very tense about her butt side she doesn't get nasty, she just tries to get away and tucks her butt in,etc. Which i understand..)
Also what is wanting me to take her in to the vet is that she was limping on a front leg a week or more ago. And now its a back leg.. that being said, she does have HD. But maybe she has Lymes disease? As it tends to start in the front and than switch legs.. Which would explain her depression as well which can be a side effect to Lymes.. Being lethargic, change in appetite, etc.
I see a holistic vet who does not do lymes vaccine, lepto or kennel cough.
I dont really have the money to bring her to vet, but thats what my emergency credit card is for! I just want her to be happy and healthy. I love her so much.. It breaks me heart to see her like this..
I would try again to take the temperature. Do you live in an area where Lyme disease is common?
Has your dog gained weight? Maybe hypothyroidism?
The other of course is the worst, cancer.
Hope you get it figured out soon!
Yes Lyme is very common here, which is why i was quite disappointed and shocked my vet doesn't do it, i guess i can understand because less in their body the better. But at the same time, lepto and lyme are quite common around this area. Humans, horses, and dogs alike.
She does have a bit of a low thyroid, i brought her to the vet and got bloodwork around May 28. And my vet said it wasn't very low at all, that he wouldn't be concerned about it, just to keep it in mind.
And i hope with all my heart it isn't cancer.. I would be overwhelming devastated. Now that you mention it, i will be happy its lyme, something treatable.
I would try again to take the temperature. Do you live in an area where Lyme disease is common?
Has your dog gained weight? Maybe hypothyroidism?
The other of course is the worst, cancer.
Hope you get it figured out soon!
Wow you know a lot about nutrition! She is about 4, so i am not sure if that is old enough to get dog dementia? As for water, i make sure she has access to it, even when i am gone i have a big kennel i keep inside and i put water in there for her.
How can i make sure her electrolytes are balanced? Is this something i should ask my vet to check?
ashwagandha an ayurvedic therapeutic plant has been researched for the last 8 to 10 years in human brain research to help Alzheimer's patients . There is hope . Studies have shown that over time not only was past learning retained, but the subjects were able to add new skills.
for emergency electrolyte you can mash a banana ---
or get pedialyte from the drug store --
preventive is the key
with dementia changes in motor function are also included in the list of symptoms
use fish oil , the phosphatidylcholine (eggs whole and lecithin) and phosphatidlyserine (found in organ meat)
and I completely forgot about function oil --- coconut oil --- to feed the brain and nerves and decrease amyloid plagues.
EVERYTHING I have mentioned is beneficial to preventing (turning off the epigenetic triggers) or reducing the severity - a longer manageable period of DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY
Could be one of the others too. LOTS of dogs sick with anaplasmosis all of a sudden. Including my pup. I took him in for a random 24 hr front leg limp with no known source. Thinking lyme maybe. I thought he was tired from being on the road (traveling), didn't really realize he wasn't quite himself till they put him on doxy because he tested for anaplasmosis. He bounced right back and became a ball of energy, you know what and vinegar on the doxy. He never had a temp just mild lethargy and that one weird limp lasting less than a day.
I know two other dogs being treated for anaplasmosis right now too.
I do a couple of tick panels a year now. Even if no symptoms I will do a tick panel after the first hard freeze just to be sure we arent harboring anything for the winter
Yup, when I have dogs in tick country, I'll just treat with a two-week course of doxy after the first couple of hard freezes. Cheaper, and the titers are unreliable, at best.
OP- you can actually order Doxy from Canada for much cheaper prices right now, or just get your vet to call in to pharmacy over the border if you are up North. With my vet, we went off of response to treatment more than titers, the titers aren't super reliable- and the PCR test is expensive- and if the dog bounces back with Doxy, you know it was some sort of tick illness, and pursue full course of treatment.
I had a dog real sick with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, too. She picked it up in Pennsylvania. But no matter the tick illness, treatments are the same. I would not put any stock by a holistic vet who won't treat a dog with Doxy for tick illness. Or does your vet just not vaccinate?
My vet just does not vaccinate for it, they are willing to treat for it, if it is needed. I didn't know titers were unreliable.. That is good to know. If it is something i need to treat with doxy, than i dont think i would want t wait till Canada can ship it out to me, good to know either way.
Thankfully my vet is also very nice to me, he has given me some discounts in the past, i told him the last couple times that its okay he doesn't have to, because i felt like i was "using" his kindness!
Check your peanut butter, make sure there is no xylitol (artificial sweetener) added to it. From what I understand many "natural" ones are using this substitute. This can kill a small dog and make a large dog very very sick.
Loose the raw hide permanently. Too many risks, bleach, formaldehyde and other chemicals used to process. As the saliva softens, this swells and can block off airway resulting in death. Also rests in the gut. She may not be wanting to eat because of a swell of raw hide that may be causing discomfort.
If she hurt her knee, this can show as front leg limping...Could have a iliopsoas muscle tear, which mimics a blown knee. She may be depressed because she has discomfort trying to go up the stairs, but cannot without feeling pain
Re: Low thyroid, why wait until it is considered hypothyroid. At the low end of normal at 4 is not normal. Ashwagandha is used for thyroid and adrenal gland health. Kelp for the iodine (nourishes thyroid)
Oh the only PB at this point she will eat is Jiffs natural lol Which is just peanuts, sugar and palm oil. and 2% or less of salt and molasses.
I cant seem to find a good alternative to the rawhide chew. I always get one that is made in USA clearly and seems to be of good reputation. Good for her teeth and it keeps her busy and i can get her in a desire to work for me for it. Because she loves it so. Other things she does not. And i have antlers for her for her teeth, etc. and she rarely touches them. Take them out of her kennel for a while and reintroduce at a later time and they are fun for maybe that day lol
Ya i plan on getting her blood checked to see if it got more low, etc. If it did i definitely will be doing that.. And even if not i will ask my vet what i can do to prevent it from getting lower. (i have a low thyroid myself lol) My nauturopath never told me about kelp and what not to help my low thryoid (it isn't severely low, i am on medication) And i was told its not something you can reverse.
So prevention seems key..
I was thinking perhaps her depression is part of a pain from whatever is going on with her. Even if its just her hips or because of her HD she is getting arthritis even with the supplements she gets.. But we shall see for that too..
......
She has an appointment with a Vet i have never met before at the same place i usually go, my normal vet is booked out and cant see us. So this new lady is able to see us Monday morning.
Hopefully it goes well.
Yup, when I have dogs in tick country, I'll just treat with a two-week course of doxy after the first couple of hard freezes. Cheaper, and the titers are unreliable, at best.
OP- you can actually order Doxy from Canada for much cheaper prices right now, or just get your vet to call in to pharmacy over the border if you are up North. With my vet, we went off of response to treatment more than titers, the titers aren't super reliable- and the PCR test is expensive- and if the dog bounces back with Doxy, you know it was some sort of tick illness, and pursue full course of treatment.
I had a dog real sick with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, too. She picked it up in Pennsylvania. But no matter the tick illness, treatments are the same. I would not put any stock by a holistic vet who won't treat a dog with Doxy for tick illness. Or does your vet just not vaccinate?
Check your peanut butter, make sure there is no xylitol (artificial sweetener) added to it. From what I understand many "natural" ones are using this substitute. This can kill a small dog and make a large dog very very sick.
Loose the raw hide permanently. Too many risks, bleach, formaldehyde and other chemicals used to process. As the saliva softens, this swells and can block off airway resulting in death. Also rests in the gut. She may not be wanting to eat because of a swell of raw hide that may be causing discomfort.
If she hurt her knee, this can show as front leg limping...Could have a iliopsoas muscle tear, which mimics a blown knee. She may be depressed because she has discomfort trying to go up the stairs, but cannot without feeling pain
Re: Low thyroid, why wait until it is considered hypothyroid. At the low end of normal at 4 is not normal. Ashwagandha is used for thyroid and adrenal gland health. Kelp for the iodine (nourishes thyroid)
regarding the rawhide . You said "
I cant seem to find a good alternative to the rawhide chew. I always get one that is made in USA clearly and seems to be of good reputation
Rawhide , no matter where it comes from, is not good or safe for dogs . It expands in the gut into a slimy blockage causing mess .
Your vet should be able to do a real quick snap test for a bunch of tick diseases. I think it covers at least lyme, anaplasmosis, and erlichia, maybe one more. You'll know in 10 minutes and then they can send you home with treatment. In New england it's not if, its when....
Agree with CowboysGirl on the not "if" but "when". A snap test is a good first step. Very easy.
If it is negative, I might still go with a run of doxycycline, but that is up to you and your vet.
I've had such horrible experiences with tick illness, I don't mess around. My GSD had neurological symptoms from Rocky Mnt. Spotted Fever, my older husky-mix had heart arrhythmia (my vet thought he was going to die in the exam room) from Ehrlichia- he was treated with both doxy and a shorter course of prednisone- and I actually got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever myself- really skewed my blood values and made me super tired which was the first sign. You do not need to be anywhere near the Rockies to get that these days.
Anyway, I am glad you have an appointment with the vet. If you do need to do a longer course of doxy ask your vet about Canadian pharmacies- she can give you enough for a week or so to cover you until the drugs can be shipped. Doxy has jumped majorly in price the past year or two. I hear you on vet bill costs. I try my best to limit tests to those that will actually affect my treatment for my dogs. You can spend a lot but get no better results. But it is a tough line to draw.
If medication costs are an issue you might inquire if any local pharmacies can do better than your vet. My old girl takes chronic meds that a bottle was going to cost me like 270 at the vet. I can get the same bottle of pills down the road at Rite Aide for 40 something dollars. That is a big deal. And I think Hannaford supermarket has some sort of a discount perscription program for pets.
My older GSD is on meloxicam and there were huge differences in price among pharmacies. I first had it called in to Walgreens where it was $80. At Walmart, same scrip was just $4. So, yes, it pays to do your research!
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