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HELP - Sick Puppy

5K views 54 replies 22 participants last post by  DaniRo 
#1 ·
So Willa is a 10 week old GS. A few days after getting her, we took her into the ER for severe lethargy and no appetite, as well as no drinking. We will probably never know what it was, but she came home after a few days on an IV with antibiotics and nutrients, a healthy, happy girl.

Last night, she was screaming all night long. When I took her out again at 4 this morning, I noticed that her one ear and leg was twitching, seemingly uncontrollably. I let her walk a bit, and she was fine like putting weight on it, but she was obviously uncomfortable.

She would like run, when she would try to settle she would gnaw on the pads of her paws, front and back, and then scream, jump, and start running again. My husband and I naturally rushed her to our local emergency vet. They took xrays, suspecting panosteitis. We left with some NSAIDs for her, and that was that.

We gave her the meds, and she has calmed down. But the office called back about an hour ago say that that radiologist reviewed the films, and didn't think it was panosteitis, and told us to discontinue the NSAIDs (we were to keep going for 5 days).

So now, we have nothing. We are waiting to see if it happens again, and going to try and video it to take in to the vet.

Any ideas?

~~ A Very Scared Mommy :confused:
 
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#2 ·
Doesn't sound like pano to me, but I have no idea what it could be. I'm sorry I'm not of much help. Bit I hope they figure it out and your pup is okay. Have you tried a different E-Vet for a second look?
 
#3 ·
We haven't yet, as this has all happened in the last 5 hours. We are close to Philadelphia, and could always go there for a second opinion, but I absolutely swear by our E-Vet. They are a specialty only practice with emergency hours, and are known for their neurologists and orthopedists. But at this point, there really isn't anything they seem to know to do. And I don't necessarily want to stress Willa out with unnecessary testing, but at the same point don't want to let her be uncomfortable.

I have worked it that I don't have to return to work until next week, and beside a 3-hour window tomorrow, someone will be home 24/7 to keep an eye on her. She's our little star. Her brother seems to know something is up as well, they usually play and are goofy, but today he is guarding her, for lack of a better word. Cuddling her, cleaning her, even letting her sleep in his crate with him (that is HIS house, he doesn't share well). I don't know if that is comforting or worrying....
 
#6 ·
Which E-Vet did you go to? VSEC or CARES? I live very close to you...do you think the snow on the ground was too cold for her feet, and since she's never seen snow before, she may have been reacting to it? We don't have much left on the ground, but there is some. And she isn't old enough to have weathered and calloused the pads on her feet yet... Just a thought.
 
#7 · (Edited)
We go to Metropoliton Vet on Van Buren Ave in Trooper, right off 422. She was vaccinated on the 12th, so 11 days ago. She was admitted and in the hosp from the 17th-19th, but they didn't give her anything besides an antibiotic and IV fluids.

I did think about the snow, but the twitching and jumping started before she went outside. We also sat and gave her ample time to warm up, we palpated her paws repeatedly and they weren't cold or sensitive to touch. The vet did say she showed pain on palpation of the bone.
 
#9 ·
it sounds very much like distemper thats why I asked about the shots, the pads of her paws, the twitching, the "lethargy" which was described when she first was taken to the vets... I would definitely have her tested for distemper, I hope for Willa's sake that it isn't that!
 
#10 ·
Not trying to scare you, but based on the symptoms listed below, the symptoms resulting in your going to the first E-Vet visit, and the most recent symptoms...it does sound like Distemper. :( I would recommend going back to the vet and have them specifically test for Distemper...

The first signs of distemper appear six to nine days after exposure, and in mild cases go unnoticed.
First stage is characterized by a fever spike of up to 103° to 105°F (39.4° to 40.5°C). A second fever spike is accompanied by loss of appetite, listlessness, and a watery discharge from the eyes and nose. These symptoms may be mistaken for a cold.
Within a few days, the eye and nasal discharge becomes thick, yellow, and sticky. The dog develops a pronounced dry cough. Pus blisters may appear on the abdomen. Vomiting and diarrhea are frequent and may cause severe dehydration.
During the next one to two weeks, very often the dog seems to be getting better but then relapses. This often coincides with the end of the course of antibiotics and the development of gastrointestinal and respiratory complications due to secondary bacterial invasion.
Second stage occurs two to three weeks after the onset of the disease. Many dogs develop signs of brain involvement (encephalitis), characterized by brief attacks of slobbering, head shaking, and chewing movements of the jaws (as if the dog were chewing gum). Epileptic-like seizures may occur, in which the dog runs in circles, falls over, and kicks all four feet wildly. After the convulsive episode the dog appears to be confused, shies away from his owner, wanders about aimlessly, and appears to be blind.
In cases with brain involvement in which the diagnosis is uncertain, a spinal tap and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid may be of assistance. But this is not always diagnostic. Another indication of brain involvement is distemper myoclonus, a condition characterized by rhythmic contractions of muscle groups at up to 60 contractions per minute. The jerking can affect all parts of the body, but is most common in the head. Myoclonus is first seen when the dog is resting or sleeping. Later it occurs both day and night. Pain accompanies myoclonus, and the dog whines and cries. If the dog recovers, the jerking continues indefinitely-but becomes less severe with time.
 
#15 ·
keep her brother separated from her if he hasn't been fully vaccinated yet. I had to have a foster maltipoo put down about two years ago for distemper. It sounds as if your girl might have it. Unfortunately there is not a test for it you can only treat the symptoms as they occur. Distemper is pretty uncommon nowadays but it is seen in neighborhoods where people don't vaccinate their dogs. It is spread mostly by nose to nose contact. I really wish you the best of luck and my thoughts are with your girl.
 
#16 ·
Well we are back at the E-Vet. She vomited non stop and then fell down, curled up, and won't really move. They took her straight back so I'm sitting playing the waiting game.

I will def inquire about distemper when I speak to the vet, and I stop crying lol.

Her brother IS fully vaccinated, as he is older and goes to day care on occasion. She had had her first round of puppy shots including distemper.

Ill keep you all up to date as much as possible.


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#19 ·
At 10 weeks, symptoms showing up 6-7 days ago, a week after the vaccine may possibly be a vaccine reaction...Acute reactions are noted within mins. to 48 hrs after, but can happen at anytime.

If it is distemper, then it is likely vaccine induced, or distemper like symptoms - neurological.

She would also likely still have maternal antibodies from distemper.

I would discuss this w/the vet and find out if she was treated for this (vacine reaction) and if so, the vaccine company may pay for care if it is confirmed by the vet....BUT insist on the lot # and manufacturer and date. The more you push and ask questions the more the vet has to advocate for you

They likely treated her for this (IV) while in hospital
 
#21 ·
Neurologic symptoms are the most common vaccine reaction seen in dogs. Canine distemper vaccination is the most common cause of neurologic disease, and can cause an inflammation of the brain. Measles vaccine in puppies has been reported to rarely cause damage to the nervous system. Cerebellar disease has been reported in puppies less than 5 weeks of age who were vaccinated with a modified live vaccine.

Adverse Reactions to Vaccinations in Dogs


Dogs Predisposed to Vaccine Reactions

Beyond the immediate hypersensitivity reactions, other acute events tend to occur 24 to 72 hours afterward, or 7 to 45 days later in a delayed type immunological response

The clinical signs associated with nonanaphylactic vaccine reactions typically include fever, stiffness, sore joints and abdominal tenderness, susceptibility to infections, neurological disorders and encephalitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) resulting in icterus, or immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) resulting in petechiae and ecchymotic hemorrhage
 
#22 ·
Well, we are home after some long hours. It was decided that her vomiting and twitching was a reaction to the NSAIDs that she was given this morning, especially because she took them on an empty stomach (my husband didn't know to give her food first).

They are still going with the panosteitis diagnosis, as she is in pain on her back legs, they are VERY painful upon palpation. The doc thinks that she isn't showing on the X-Rays yet because of her age. She also has had some serious worm problems we treated her for, but they are giving her a more aggressive treatment, as severe worm infestations can cause seizure-like symptoms. She had 8 inch roundworms when we got her, so putting her on something that will kill a larger spectrum.

So she is finishing up a two week treatment course of antibiotics from her first hospitalization for the belly issues, discontinuing the NSAIDs until her belly is more stable, pain medication as needed, and the de-worming powder for 5 days.

She is out like a light, being awake all night, morning, and day in conjunction with the pain killers has her drooling like the dickens! They also gave her some sub-q fluids and an injection of anti-nausea medication. I'm trying to convince the hubby to let her have his place in the bed tonight so I can keep an eye on her :)

Thank you so much for all the advice and support, it was scary sitting there waiting, and reading all of your posts helped greatly :)

PS the vet didn't think it was distemper, but ran a test anyway to be safe, she was negative. We had her tested for Parvo when she originally went in for belly issues
 
#23 ·
as she is in pain on her back legs,
Well it doesn't sound like pano since it's "traveling" and usually only affects one leg at a time :(
Plus there's no definitive test for distemper, so not sure what they did...what Nsaid did she have? Rimadyl or something else?
 
#24 ·
Wasn't the twitching (ear) and leg before the NSAIDS? re: your first post

Pano seems to come on around 5-18mnths.
 
#25 ·
#26 ·
I am having a really hard time believing this is Pano, because of her symptoms and age.

I am also having a hard time with vets pumping a 10 week old full of powerful drugs, without a definitive diagnosis.

Where did you get this dog?
Is there another vet you can go to?
 
#27 ·
She was given metacam.
In the US it apparently isn't rated for puppies under 6mos, but it is used in Europe at 6 weeks and above so that's what they recommended. I'm really not that knowledgeable, but I spoke to three vets at two different practices and they all agreed on the diagnosis, saying that it also explained her GI issues earlier, as it isn't uncommon due to inflammation. One was a neurologist and the other an orthopedist. One from UPenn in Phila and the other a specialty practice in NJ.

I honestly don't know. I am open to suggestions for sure, but am willing to give this treatment a day or two to try.

I'm naturally scared for my baby girl, but blood work and everything was normal, she was vaccinated for distemper, and she has no discharge or mucus, no hardening of her feet, no coughing or labored breathing, and the vet said while neurological symptoms are worrisome for sure, the lack of even a fever in addition to the yellow mucus is a large indication, as well as normal blood cell counts.

Apparently seizure like symptoms are possible with a severe worm infestation, and we are treating that.

I'm not defending by any means, I'm just trying to relay what the vet told me. I am more than willing to go get a second or third opinion, but don't want to overly stress her. But at the same time I don't want to let anything get worse or overlooked.

They hubby and I are monitoring closely for 24 hrs, no improvement and we are going to go to UPenn, and one of us will be home with her at all times until at least Monday so she will be watched.

Thanks again, I really appreciate everything, and am making notes in my "Willa notebook" so I can have a record and can bring up concerns with the vet as we go.

~~ Kait, Phil, Thor, and a sleepy, drooly Willa






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#30 ·
Does anyone know of a good place in Philadelphia area for a second opinion? The only place I can think of is UPenn, suggestions more than welcome. Preferably within a one to two hour drive, money isn't an issue - we want the best for our baby.


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#29 ·
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