Kirislin Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 One of my blue whippets, Feather sometimes gets the wobbles in the sun. I've just taken them for a walk at the park, it was leisurely, she didn't run much and we only walked for about 10 minutes. She even had a play in the dam and then as we were about to do another circuit I saw her back legs start to sag. I plonked her in the dam and she seemed to recover. It's not the first time this has happened to her, it's been going on for a couple of years but infrequently. She'll be 12 in May, is not overweight at all and is in otherwise good health for her age as far as I can tell. It is only 19C here but as she's dark in colour I wonder if that is the problem. Anyone else had something similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) I have to be careful about heat stroke & hyperthermia with our small, short-nosed breed. I've learned it's not just the hot temperature of a day... it can also be about how the extent of exercise affects that particular dog by raising the body heat, on any day. I've also found the vulnerability increases with age. Maybe have a word with your vet about your whippet's situation. The PetMed site has good information: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/c_dg_heat_stroke#.Uq0Uuhw_-yM Edited December 15, 2013 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy mum Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Is Feather okay now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wundahoo Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 It doesnt sound like typical heat stroke but there is a form of exercise induced hyperthermia that does affect whippets. They are also one of the breeds that can be affected by exercise induced collapse, and it sounds a bit more like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 Is Feather okay now? she's fine now, she was back to normal as soon as I got her out of the sun and into the water. Wundahoo, she wasn't doing anything physical, just trotting along in the sun. Thanks though, it sounds like I might need to take her to the vet, although I am not sure if there's much they can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wundahoo Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Is Feather okay now? she's fine now, she was back to normal as soon as I got her out of the sun and into the water. Wundahoo, she wasn't doing anything physical, just trotting along in the sun. Thanks though, it sounds like I might need to take her to the vet, although I am not sure if there's much they can do. Exercise induced collapse is classically associated with high degree of activity but the level required to induce collapse in an individual can decrease with age. It doesnt sound at all like heat stroke because the ambient temp was only 19 degrees and you say that she wasnt in high exertion, which is the way that heat stroke might happen at that temperature. The other problem could be exercise induced hyperthermia but the signs are usually persistant even when core temperautre has been reduced to below normal. The other thing that springs to mind although it isnt high on the list, is myasthenia. I do agree that it's probably a good idea to get her checked by a vet. perhaps it might be possible to exercise her lightly for them and see if they can find anything afterwards. Sometimes a cardiac arrhythmia will only show up when the animal has been exercised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Having a BC with the BC version if EIC it sounds fairly similar to me. They are just starting to do research into the whippet version of the condition and I am aware of at least one whippet in SA who has episodes. I only found out when I was sending blood off to the states for the BC version and was put in touch with a vet who's whippet suffers. EIC type dogs do recover reasonably quickly without any lingering symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 strange, I've had whippets for almost 30 years now and never seen this before. I bred Feather, she's almost 12 now, and it's only been the last few years this has been happening, only on sunny days and not after strenous exercise, just walking brings it on. is there anything I can do for her, other than leave her at home when the sun's out? She wont be happy about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) It may not be given the later on set. Normally EIC type conditions are something which you see at a much younger age as far as I can tell. Here is a whippet collapse example on youtube - And a link to the website where they are doing the research - http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vbs/faculty/Mickelson/lab/WhippetEIH/index.htm Edited December 15, 2013 by ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) I was just watching that video but stepped when the woman kept insisting the dog chase the ball when clearly it didn't want to. I've found this description and it doesn't sound like Feather. She doesn't pant hard if at all, she just becomes wobbly and wants to lay down in the shade. http://www.whippetworld.net/board/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11484 Edited December 15, 2013 by Kirislin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) If you meant the video of the first one - it was deliberate for the purposes of documenting the condition and the women is a vet. Based on the age though I would wonder if it was the beginnings of a neurological problem in your case. Spinal issues can present as a weakness in the hind end. Edited December 15, 2013 by ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 frustrating. we're back from the vet and he could find nothing wrong with her, which is what I thought would happen and why I haven't taken her sooner. He doesn't think it's exercise induced because from the way I described it she wasn't fatigued and so thinks it's from the heat, even though it's not actually very hot sometimes when she gets it, like on Saturday. He thinks it's just age related, she's not coping so well with the heat. I'm going to take a thermometer with me and if it happens again I'll try to get her temp. He commented on how well she looks, good heart and pulse, not overweight, nails trimmed and she is fit, so that's good. :) One thing I was wondering about is something that happens to racing greyhounds. My friend gets them into her grooming salon and some collapse while being hydrobathed in warm water. I wondered if Feather might be doing something similar. Anyone seen it happen to greyhounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 19 degrees can be "hot" if there's a humidity factor... I've been known to break out in a sweat in 19 degree "heat"... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 frustrating. we're back from the vet and he could find nothing wrong with her, which is what I thought would happen and why I haven't taken her sooner. He doesn't think it's exercise induced because from the way I described it she wasn't fatigued and so thinks it's from the heat, even though it's not actually very hot sometimes when she gets it, like on Saturday. He thinks it's just age related, she's not coping so well with the heat. I'm going to take a thermometer with me and if it happens again I'll try to get her temp. He commented on how well she looks, good heart and pulse, not overweight, nails trimmed and she is fit, so that's good. :) One thing I was wondering about is something that happens to racing greyhounds. My friend gets them into her grooming salon and some collapse while being hydrobathed in warm water. I wondered if Feather might be doing something similar. Anyone seen it happen to greyhounds? I've never seen it happen to greyhounds but I've definately heard of it. When I adopted my two I got a booklet from the rescue that warned it can happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 19 degrees can be "hot" if there's a humidity factor... I've been known to break out in a sweat in 19 degree "heat"... T. It wasn't humid that day but I know what you mean. Hell, I'm forever breaking out into a sweat these days, and that's age related too. ;) frustrating. we're back from the vet and he could find nothing wrong with her, which is what I thought would happen and why I haven't taken her sooner. He doesn't think it's exercise induced because from the way I described it she wasn't fatigued and so thinks it's from the heat, even though it's not actually very hot sometimes when she gets it, like on Saturday. He thinks it's just age related, she's not coping so well with the heat. I'm going to take a thermometer with me and if it happens again I'll try to get her temp. He commented on how well she looks, good heart and pulse, not overweight, nails trimmed and she is fit, so that's good. :) One thing I was wondering about is something that happens to racing greyhounds. My friend gets them into her grooming salon and some collapse while being hydrobathed in warm water. I wondered if Feather might be doing something similar. Anyone seen it happen to greyhounds? I've never seen it happen to greyhounds but I've definately heard of it. When I adopted my two I got a booklet from the rescue that warned it can happen. I'm thinking this is what it's closest to, I'd love to know why that happens to them, I wonder if it's something to do with large surface area over their chest, so heart and lung area. Feather has a lovely deep chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 One thing I was wondering about is something that happens to racing greyhounds. My friend gets them into her grooming salon and some collapse while being hydrobathed in warm water. I wondered if Feather might be doing something similar. Anyone seen it happen to greyhounds? I sometimes collapse or faint when I'm having a hot shower (not super hot, just very warm). Same on very hot days even with low humidity. No doctor has ever been able to find a reason for this, though I do sometimes have slightly low blood pressure. Wonder if it is similar... It's a very unsettling experience as my whole field of vision can go dark (like ants on a tv with no signal) so I can't see even though my eyes are open. I feel very hot and weak and if I don't sit down in the shade (or turn the water cold in the shower) I pretty much just collapse..... I'm perfectly fine afterwards though, no lasting effects (unless I bump my head obviously lol) Is it known why this happens to greyhounds? One doctor said I might have trouble controlling my body temp due to being tall and skinny/having low body mass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 If it is weakness in her back end she could have DM (Degenerative Myelopathy). There is a simple test available for it now - just a cheek swab so non invasive. Might be worth investigating if she continues to get the wobbles in the back end, or if she or her relatives have been breeding dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 (edited) One thing I was wondering about is something that happens to racing greyhounds. My friend gets them into her grooming salon and some collapse while being hydrobathed in warm water. I wondered if Feather might be doing something similar. Anyone seen it happen to greyhounds? I sometimes collapse or faint when I'm having a hot shower (not super hot, just very warm). Same on very hot days even with low humidity. No doctor has ever been able to find a reason for this, though I do sometimes have slightly low blood pressure. Wonder if it is similar... It's a very unsettling experience as my whole field of vision can go dark (like ants on a tv with no signal) so I can't see even though my eyes are open. I feel very hot and weak and if I don't sit down in the shade (or turn the water cold in the shower) I pretty much just collapse..... I'm perfectly fine afterwards though, no lasting effects (unless I bump my head obviously lol) Is it known why this happens to greyhounds? One doctor said I might have trouble controlling my body temp due to being tall and skinny/having low body mass? I suspect you and Feather and greyhounds are the same!! If it is weakness in her back end she could have DM (Degenerative Myelopathy). There is a simple test available for it now - just a cheek swab so non invasive. Might be worth investigating if she continues to get the wobbles in the back end, or if she or her relatives have been breeding dogs. It's only in the conditions I've described and she goes wobbly all over it's just that the other day I noticed her back legs going wobbly. Does DM only show when the dog feels hot or is it all the time. I bred Feather and I have her mother who shows no sign of the same. Feather was never bred from and is now speyed. I just read up on DM, it's definitely not that. Most of the time Feather is perfectly fine. When it happened the other day it was the first time since last Summer I'd seen her do it. The vet checked all her legs today and did the paw test to see what her awareness was like. It was perfect. Edited December 16, 2013 by Kirislin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 I even took my camera on our walk today hoping if she did it again I'd be able to get it on video, but it never happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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