KJ Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I would ask them to do a neospora titer so you know for sure what you are dealing with. Interesting that your vet has had 2 cases recently, I did not think it was that common. Do you know if the other cases survived? Has your pup been fed raw beef? Sending healing thoughts for your puppy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 Sorry guys, should have made it clearer - he IS as stiff as a board, very rigid like a statue BUT he can still move - ie not completely paralysed, but when you pick him up it's like you're picking up a robot or a stuffed toy or something - his legs don't relax at all. KJ they will be doing the neospora titer (I thought it was spelt titre ?? dunno) today, hopefully we will have some sort of answer. As far as I know the other cases were fine after the right a/bs (the one he's on now). He gets raw beef/roo mix every night - should that make a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 *fingers crossed for him today* Hopefully the vets have it right, and the AB's will sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 You are right on the spelling, it is titre! I was told to stop feeding my puppy raw beef, as eating infected meat (or in the womb) is possibly how she got neosporisis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldD Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Have been following this thread, hope today went well. Any news? Hope you have a full recovery really really soon emmark... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Fox 001 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I have been following your thread too - hope you had some good news or he is at least showing some signs of improving. Gosh it must have been quite scary for you watching this happen to your pup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Well, no news The path company didn't pick up the blood till late today and we haven't yet got the results The vet has put him on yet another different type of a/b - Microgyl, which treats anaerobic infections, more specifically bowel infections and parasitic infections, also treats tetanus. She hasn't seen a case of tetanus before, the senior vet is on vacation, but she has asked around and read from textbooks, one being from the '60s which says that a mild case of tetanus is possible, presenting (logically) milder symptoms, which you could possibly say that Davey has. Hopefully we're on teh right track now. HOpefully we'll have answers tomorrow morning. If not, I'm looking for another vet Keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I really hope this new AB does the trick - At least they are thinking of different things. *fingers crossed* again for tonight. Take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 How awful for you Tetanus is pretty rare in dogs. Still possible though. Toxoplasmosis might be another thing worth considering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) Tetanus is rare but not impossible. We have seen 2 cases in the last month, and I know of another 2 cases in the surrounding area (Western Sydney) just from talking to my colleagues generally. If the dog is very stiff, with a wrinkled face I'd definitely be considering it. If it is tetanus, then it can be progressive especially if generalised and not all cases end well. I'd be searching every inch of dog for a puncture wound. Edit: I suspect that the antibiotic you're referring to is "Metrogyl" which is metronidazole. Edited January 21, 2009 by Rappie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaves Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Enmark, hope Davey responds quickly and gets better soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Well, no change in symptoms this morning - except that he can now blink his eyes properly instead of the third eyelid coming across, but he still has the wide open eyes. Hopefully that's a good sign! He isn't getting worse, so I'm also taking that as a good sign. See, this is the puzzling thing: he still wolfs down his food, is drinking well and wants to try and play (so we have to let him out to keep his spirit up but it only lasts about 2 mins before the other pups rumble him) but his ears are still drawn up and his body is still stiff. I have gone over and over him and there are no puncture wounds. There are quite a few scrapes on him whcih I would guess he earned through rumbling or going under the house (naughty boy) so it is entirely possible that the bacteria has gotten through there. Toxoplasmosis has already been considered at the same time as neosporosis. Still waiting on path results. And yes, sorry, it was Metrogyl, not Microgyl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) Well, results are back and ......... NOTHING! All counts are good, no traces of neospora etc. Vet is more stumped and I am really worried. There is no real test for tetanus so we are throwing all a/bs into the poor kid. The vet has spoken to a NZ vet who deals with problem cases who has only thrown up one other suggestion: cryptococcus, which is a fungal infection and very rare. Apparently the only test for it is a spinal tap, the treatment is very aggressive and the survival rate is slim to say the least Personally, my unqualified gut feeling is that it isn't that - if it was some kind of infection his white blood cells would be through the roof and they presented as normal. Plus the fact that he hasn't gotten any worse, plus the fact that as it affects the dog neurologically, he would be having balance problems, which he is fine with. I have now contacted another vet recommended to me. I am waiting for his call now. Kinda feeling low now Edited January 22, 2009 by emmark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) How frustrating. If it's primarily neurological, has a brain disorder/tumour/ been ruled out. Has he been thyroid tested? Edited January 22, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaves Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well, results are back and ......... NOTHING!All counts are good, no traces of neospora etc. Vet is more stumped and I am really worried. There is no real test for tetanus so we are throwing all a/bs into the poor kid. The vet has spoken to a NZ vet who deals with problem cases who has only thrown up one other suggestion: cryptococcus, which is a fungal infection and very rare. Apparently the only test for it is a spinal tap, the treatment is very aggressive and the survival rate is slim to say the least Personally, my unqualified gut feeling is that it isn't that - if it was some kind of infection his white blood cells would be through the roof and they presented as normal. Plus the fact that he hasn't gotten any worse, plus the fact that as it affects the dog neurologically, he would be having balance problems, which he is fine with. I have now contacted another vet recommended to me. I am waiting for his call now. Kinda feeling low now Speak to *Bella* if you think it is that Asher her gsd boy had cryptococcus last year The vets had to grow the fungus in a petri dish which took a few weeks. Some breeds are more susceptable to fungal infections, gsds are one of them. I would suggest that if it was cryptococcus he would be a lot worse - Asher went down hill very quickly - within a few days he was deathly ill. So my guess would be that it is something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well, after speaking to quite a few vets and specialists today, the consensus is tetanus, even though it's not full blown (yet). Apparently it can present within a few days to a few months of initial infection. So it's off for anti-toxin jabs this afternoon and to change meds yet again. Keep fingers crossed for the poor little fella. Em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I am guessing that , once he has the anti toxin, he should improve well... he is on the AB's .. and is still happy, the blinking is GOOD!! sending prayers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dackel Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Hi, "Tetanus is very rare in Australia. Dogs and cats tend to have a natural resistance whereas horses and humans are the most susceptible to the illness. Tetanus is caused by an anaerobic (living in environments free of oxygen) bacteria, Clostridium tetani, that is spread by a penetrating wound or by contamination of an already existing wound or contracted by a dog that is teething finding an old bone in the yard and the germ entering via the open gums. It is killed by digestive enzymes, and therefore does not cause illness when ingested. Clostridium tetani produces two toxins, one of which, tetanospasmin, causes a blockage of neuromuscular transmission--that is, paralysis. The blockage is irreversible and recovery relies on the creation of new nerve cells." Don't want to be an alarmist bt it could be possible. Petra and Felix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 It is completely possible, probably not with an old bone though as we're pretty careful to take all bones off them when they come out of their run. More likely he's pushed through the dog wire to get underneath the house and has been scratched, the bacteria has gotten in there. The anti-toxin won't reverse the damage done, but it will prevent further damage. The penicillin will kill the actual bacteria. Poor kid's going to be radioactive by the time this is finished, the amount of medicine he's had to ingest. Oh, recovery is about 3-4 weeks so naturally I'll keep things posted. It's actually been quite a learning curve in quite a sad way. Neither I nor my vet have seen a case of tetanus before (one's enough thank you!). And just so I know sods law is working perfectly, his bottom canines have decided that NOW is the perfect time to come out so I'm not able to get them surgically removed as was planned. So fingers crossed that he can eventually open his mouth properly again and toes crossed that he has a good mouth when that happens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyk Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 He is in my prayers.... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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