We had a Dalmatian that started having these issues at the same age as your B. Vestibular disease got worse causing her to lose her balance and fall when walking, loss of strength in her hindquarters and incontinence. I am not aware of any treatments for the VD, but there are a number of human treatments for strokes that might be able to be used in dogs.
Please pray for Booger
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Most of you are aware of Booger's recent health issues. In case you have missed the previous thread, here it is. http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=5208&page=3
I had hoped for a few days that Booger was improving, but that no longer seems the case. He seemed like his old self for about 3 or 4 days, but since then has been steadily declining again. He is extremely lethargic and sluggish, and all he does is sleep. He has little enthusiasm for eating; he seems to do it more out of habit than hunger. He literally lays down on the floor to eat, as if he doesn't have the energy to eat standing up. Despite increasing his food a little, he continues to lose weight. Except to go out to potty & to get up to eat, Booger hardly moves anymore. He just doesn't seem to have the energy. When we come home now we have to go find him instead of him running to greet us.
Andrew & I just had a discussion about where to go from here. I'm going to speak with the vet one more time tomorrow to see what she says, but Andrew seems to think Booger no longer has quality of life. I completely agree, but the alternative is unthinkable to me. He is only 2 years old, and I am bawling just thinking about this.
I'm hoping by some miracle that if I have enough people pulling for him, maybe he can make a miraculous recovery. Please keep us in your thoughts as we go through the rest of this week, and I will keep you all updated as the week progresses. -
Well, I will surely send you all of my postive thoughts and vibe. I know precisely the situation and how horrific it is to be the parent and have to even think of doing them such a morbid service for their sake. Let me also say that we were also faced with grave news with Lycia, and then a turn of luck and we were out of the woods. Sometimes they really do turn around. I will be praying for a breakthrough. We are here for you.
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We will definitely be keeping Booger in our thoughts and prayers.
My vet's lab has a blood panel that includes the basic blood panel plus tick borne illnesses, you may want to see if your vet offers a similar panel. The last time I had this run in cost $85. His symptoms are fairly consistent with tick borne illness.
Here is an excerpt on Ehrlichia
"Ehrlichia canis is probably the most widely recognized tick borne disease other than Lyme disease. It is found in many areas of the world and is primarily spread by the brown dog tick. Infection rates are higher in warmer areas, so this disease tends to have a Southern distribution in the U.S. The first signs of infection with E. canis typically occur within 1 to 3 weeks after the organism enters the body. Low grade fever, decreases in platelet counts, weight loss, lymph node enlargement, lessening or lack of appetite and weight loss are the typical clinical signs. This phase of the clinical signs is often missed by pet owners and does not often cause severe enough illness to cause death. The majority of dogs manage to kill the Ehrlichia organisms during this acute phase of the infection and are no longer infected. " -
Forgot to include the link and that the next paragraph states dogs that have difficulty fighting off this disease often exhibit the symptom of nose bleeds.
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I'll be thinking of Booger and both of you as well.
Are there any vets you could consult for a second opinion? Maybe a fresh set of eyes could help figure out what is wrong.
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How awful, of course you and your family will be in my thoughts.
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Booger and you are in my prayers.
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I will be keeping Booger in my thoughts, hope you will find what he has!
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Some good thoughts for Booger.. I hope you find out what's bothering him..
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Awww hang in there Booger…... we're all pulling for you!
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You and Booger are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you find out what is wrong and that it is nothing serious.
Pat
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Hugs to you and Booger, sorry the little guy hasn't improved.
I have to agree with lvoss that it does sound like it could be a tick born illness…and especially lyme. Has your vet done any testing for that?
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I hope for the best for Booger and for you. Keep us updated.
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Oh no! You will all be in my thoughts and prayers!
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You can, of course, count on me for any and all support I am able to give. I want to stop by and see him (and you) sometime soon.
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I'm thinking of Booger & you as you go through this together. Hugs to you both. Keep us updated.
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Good thoughts coming your way…. hugs to all
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I am so sorry to hear that Booger has made no improvement. I will be sending positive vibes your way.
hugs
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We are still praying and sending basenji hugs your way… BTW did you ever get the blood work done? I know your Vet. didn't seem too interested in doing blood work... but maybe there is another clue as to what is afflicting poor Booger there. Maybe you could get a second opinion from another Vet.? I know how hard this is for you, we do wish the best for you.
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Hugs all around. We're keeping you and Booger in our thoughts and prayers!
