Diablo

[admin]

Hi Tara

I’m sorry this happened again – I was really hopeful he was getting better – it sounds like another CVD attack if the nystgmus is back, I’m afraid. Please try to stay positive for now – he is not in pain, just very very dizzy.  Poor Diablo & poor you – this is NOT fair. I have heard this can happen but never met anyone who’s dog suffered from 2 attacks so close together. I think an urgent vet visit is need & he will maybe have to have Cerenia & antibiotics again (a non- penicillin based because of the AIHA, maybe not Baytril either) & maybe add a blood circulation improvement drug like vivitonin. If you are worried about drug interactions & AIHA, I would contact Dr Dodds straight away. You know he can recover from these attacks, albeit  slowly, so don’t give up just yet. Please give me some time to to a bit of research this afternoon & I’m going to phone a friend of mine who used to be a vet nurse. I promise I will post some more later. I’m sure Patrice will have some great information for you too.

Loads of love & best wishes from Sheena & the boys.

[admin]

Hi again Tara

Sorry – I shouldn’t have put CVD earlier as this seems to be peripheral, not central.

If this had happened to Sprockett, I would have been as frantic as you are & I cannot bear to see my animals in distress. I would never put them through any suffering at all & I know this is hard for you. From what I have been reading, I still think the correct treatment will help Diablo recover, but it may be slow.

I found this very useful slide show for you

http://www.slideshare.net/marina761/neurovetmedufleduneurovestibularvestibularppt – tests & examinations to be done – please go through the slide show, particularly slide number two to determine nystagmus relationship to head tilt – it is brilliant & explains what is going on, how to diagnose exactly what the problem is & treat accordingly. The direction of the nystagmus in relation to the head tilt seems to be an important part of the initial diagnosis. I’m sure your vet could go through this with you & could work out the best plan of action for further investigation. If you want me to go through it with you, I would be more than happy, but I need to get more information from you. It would be easier for you with the vet I think! Doxycycline is mentioned as a suitable antibiotic & as we know, it is fine to use on our AIHA babies. It also says that the antibiotics need to be given for a long time, so maybe Diablo needs Doxycycline & to take it for a  longer  period & this could be why he has had a second episode. Prednisone is also mentioned as being useful in some cases & he is on a small dose already.

Have a look at these to cheer yourself up a bit as well – the outcome is normally very good according to these vet articles:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/04/canine-vestibular-disease.aspx

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/oct/old_dog_vestibular_disease-11847

There are blogs at the bottom, but I don’t always put faith in what I read on them. Some of them are upsetting too as people had their dogs put to sleep needlessly because their vet didn’t do the right tests & diagnose vestibular disease. However, there is someone who’s dog has had two episodes & is recovering, so that is hopeful.

Because this disease is so distressing for us to see, it is easy to make the wrong decision – I nearly did. Thanks to my experienced vet, I kept going with Sprockett & I’m glad I gave him time to recover. If this is what we think (peripheral) and it’s just because he didn’t have the right antibiotics for long enough, he will benefit from the longer treatment.

Does this help? If you have any questions or worries, please tell me

Loads of best wishes & hope

Sheena