[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Weird - Dog with Swollen Hock Joint
- From: Joan Fox <campaignersgsd@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ShowGSD_L <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:11:23 -0800 (PST)
I know of 2 other Canadian dogs with the same symptoms.
Please contact Sharon Birch and Leanne Krieger.
Glad you followed your instincts!
Joan
--- On Thu, 11/20/08, cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Weird - Dog with Swollen Hock Joint
To: "ShowGSD_L" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 1:47 PM
Some of you may remember that right before the National, I made a post about a
dog with a swollen hock joint...
When I returned from the National, I found that the swelling had spread to
other joints and the Vet felt the dog had either a fulminate case of Lymes
Disease or perhaps Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever. (The titers were inconclusive as
tick diseases are endemic in our area and most dogs have been exposed at one
time or another.)
He was put on the appropriate antibiotics, but continued to decline. He
wouldn't eat and became skin and bones in no time. He was walking like an
"old man" and barely got up at all. Since he had been on the
antibiotics for almost 3 weeks and was getting weaker every day, we decided to
help him to the Bridge. We made an appointment with the Vet for tomorrow.
Yesterday, while trying to wrap my mind around the prospect of putting our
precious boy down, I started analyzing his symptoms and some things weren't
adding up. For instance... A few days ago, we found that he would eat plain
rotisserie chicken from the deli. He gobbled the chicken right up. We then
bought some organic canned chicken and he ate that too. A very sick dog, that
is close to death, doesn't pig out.
Also, when he slept he made a loud snoring noise that he had never made before.
And, he couldn't bark. His head, jowls, and even his gums seemed swollen
to me.
Yesterday, I asked the Vet to give him some Prednisone. (The dog was scheduled
to be pts, so what the heck...) After just 5 mg of Prednisone, our boy started
turning around! He had a second dose of 5 mg early this morning and it's
like he has risen from the dead! The change in him is that dramatic! The
swelling around his mouth has gone down a bit and he actually barked for the
first time in 3 weeks!
I think he was bitten on the hock by a spider or some other poisonous thing and
it set off a systemic allergic reaction. This is what I told the vet and he
thinks that is the only logical explanation. The boy's not out of the woods
yet, but we've called off the euthanasia that was scheduled for tomorrow.
The Vet is hopeful that our boy's kidney's are strong enough to filter
out the poison and he'll be okay.
Anyhow, thanks for letting me share. I'm hoping it may help someone
someday by reading this story. Always try to look at the big picture and
question your Vet when things don't add up to the purported diagnosis. This
has happened to us *twice* before and we lost the dogs due to incorrect
diagnosis and treatment.
Paulette McGuirt, GSDCA Member
Allemande German Shepherds
Qui Me Amat, Amat et Canem Meam
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POST is Copyrighted 2008. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org
NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/
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