sorry to be out of contact!

[admin]

Sounds like the team have been very busy while I have been away globe-trotting…… sorry not to be of any help! It has obviously been a difficult time – I still can’t believe a vet would leave a really sick dog overnight; it’s too shocking for words.
Back now, and will try to keep up with the site!! In the meantime, I came home to find Shona has been at the vets for two days…. :-(
No, it doesn’t sound anything like IMHA – but she may have a slipped or ruptured vertebral disk. She wasn’t eating (that is definitely not normal!), had a fever, and was dragging a hind leg. They are still doing tests, but it may need an MRI…… which may mean taking her to Leahurst – the last place in the world I want to go, because that was where Honey lost her final battle. Definitely not my favourite place…. But if that is where she has to go, then so will I.
Why do we have dogs??? ;-)
They were having a great time in our absence, being very well looked after…. but they did go mad chasing a hare on saturday. Anyway, will call vet again in the morning and see what she says. It was miserable arriving home from a long flight to find only a rather unhappy Dora!

[admin]

Hi Lynda

Sorry to hear about Shona – that is not what you want to come home to. Hope it’s nothing too serious & shes just overexerted herself – don’t forget about Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick referrals near Godalming, Surrey if necessary, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope you had a great holiday though – you needed a break for sure.

We have all been in shock about poor sweet Jack – awful for Wade & the family.

So nice to have you back, Lynda

Let us know how Shona is doing

Love & hugs
Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxx

[Vally]

Oh Lynda, I’m sorry to hear about Shona. Fingers crossed she has just pulled/strained whatever.

Bingo was suspected of having a possible slipped disc eons ago, that was when I started reading up on green lipped mussels. I know I’m always pushing GLM!!!

Love Vally & well GLMed

[admin]

Still waiting to hear from Leahurst…. my vet says that Shona was eating OK and was doing quite well. But not quite well enough, so she wants her to go to Leahurst :-(
A friend has offered to go with me, as she knows I will be traumatised having to go there again (Consuelo is staying in Chile for another 5 weeks to spend more time with the grandkids).
Will keep you posted
xx

[admin]

Hi Lynda
Been thinking about you – you are right to take a friend if you have to go to Leahurst. I’m so sorry this is doubly painful for you. Please let us know how Shona is doing.
Sheena x

[admin]

They sent Shona home as they still haven’t heard from Leahurst. She is not good. She cannot use one back leg, and is still running a fever. It looks neurological (though not sure how that relates to the fever…..). Will have to put a harness on to lift her up to take her out for a pee. Hopefully, the hospital will get back to my vet tomorrow.
At least Dora cheered up a bit to see her pal.

xx

[Patrice]

Lynda
Please tell me they have tested for tick disease. These are rather classic symptoms of certain tick diseases, not all, but for most of them (not all) it would respond to high dose, long term doxycycline treatment. And we are talking twice the dosage most vets are willing to dose and we are talking for as long as 8-10 weeks. My local vet? She is adamant that if there is a possibility of a tick disease, she says “why mess around? Treat it hard and long immediately.”

Just trust me on this, I have been on a tick forum list since 2007 and have seen these descriptions by owners a few hundred times.

You may hear things like “we don’t have a history of tick disease in “X”, but the world is changing and ticks are on the move. They don’t honor border lines on a map and will go wherever there is a meal and the opportunity presents itself. In the US there are actually two new tick diseases that I know of that either didn’t exist before or have migrated from some other location.

So just a thought, something to RULE OUT. Once ruled out, then you narrow the other choices. I can help you go through those other choices.
my best
patrice

[Vally]

I’m sorry Lynda, I read your first note too quickly and didn’t realise there was a fever and I totally missed the fact that they’d kept her there, thought it was simple lameness. My apologies.

What fever does she have? Totally agree with Patrice. In Australia, supposedly there is no lyme disease, however Bingo’s specialist said they were seeing symptoms of it in dogs and treating it as such, so Bingo also did a longer than normal course of doxycycline as a precaution.

Love Vally
xxx