CIMDA

I'm sorry you lost your sweet dog to this disease.
Take lots of time to remember her good times.
gail

Sorry about your dog being sick. My dog had this and she lost so much weight even though she was eating lots of food. Her head muscles, all of her muscles, it was alarming. I took her to the university hospital since I was so disturbed by it. They didn't do anything differently. It takes a long time for them to improve entirely. Best to limit exercise as they really need their strength to just get better. For us it took a good four months to see a real recovery. Even then there were days when we saw an occasional limp. As long as you follow the recommended dosing and watch for setbacks, if your dog is improving, then there is an excellent chance that he will get over this and never have it again. Relapse is always a possibility though.

Best.
gail

Jo,

Her eyes do protrude more than they should, so I think she might pick up more bits of things from the environment. I use the sterile artificial tear drops at night for her. Since this has happened twice in one eye and once in the other, it seems like it is something she is coming in contact with. hmmm...I recently changed her bedding. I wonder if that is what could be going on. Maybe I wash her blankets once a month? I just do it when I notice they are not fresh, don't really keep track. But maybe that's it.


gail

Jo,

My feeling is that the vomiting is unrelated. I wish the vet had not even mentioned immune system to me. He should know better (haha.) It could be that something was blocked, perhaps with hair since she did have that one hairball recently. But she didn't seem to be in any pain at all. I also agree with your comment about the eye swelling. Why only one eye? If it happens again I may take her to the University in Minnesota. I have had her there once before for small scars on the cornea. They told me they would never go away but they did.

gail

No vomiting the first two times with the eye swelling. The vomiting is distressing since she has never vomited before. She is seven 1/2 and really only had one episode of vomiting after she ate Lola's poo, with Lola being on meds at the time. But two weeks ago she did spit up a hair ball, of all things. She wasn't sick just retched a bit and up came a hair ball...my hair evidently   and yes I vacuum, but she must have been collecting it for a long time in her belly, very strange. I wonder if the vomiting had anything to do with that....maybe more hair?

No eye pressure test was done with this episode since it was a Sunday ($$$) and I had Dex tabs at home to give.

Hi everyone,
As most of you know Bizzy, my well dog, Boston terrier, I thought I would throw this out to see if there are any ideas from anyone. For three months in a row she has had one of her eyes swell, the tissue around the eye. No fluid could be extracted from the swelling. Skin appears very inflamed, red. White of eye is red. It begins with what looks like conjunctivitis and quickly blows up. Swelling is above and below the eye. It seems like a cycle now as it has come a month apart each time.

The latest event was last Sunday. On Friday evening before, she vomited her meal at 10:30. It was totally undigested from 5:30 feeding. She vomited about six times during the night, and twice in the morning. Tinged with blood. I took her straight to the vet. No fever, not dehydrated (still drinking) gums pink and wet. She had not eaten anything different. She got pepcid, cerenia and went home with sucralfate.

Sunday she was depressed and then the eye swelled. It never seems to bother her but when examined the two times before, was found to have a pressure reading of high 30's. Treatment the first two times was a shot of Dex. and followed with pred or dex and weaned down. She doesn't present with usual symptoms of glaucoma. The first shot produced results before we even left the hospital. The second one took about four hours.

The emergency vet I talked to by phone on Sunday suggested I try diphenhydramine first, which did nothing to reduce the swelling. So he agreed that I should give her one mg. of dex. which after about 2 hours reduced the swelling. Since this process went on for most of the day, I wonder if it would have gotten better on it's own by evening. I talked to her regular vet Monday. He suggested that this could be an immune system problem, since it happened again after the vomiting. He would like to do CBC now. Not sure what he will be looking for. He did not suggest it was an auto immune problem. But I wonder if that could be next.

She does have something going on with this eye problem for sure. The first two times it was her left eye, but the last time it was her right eye. If anyone has any ideas I would surely welcome hearing them. We have not changed any products or food in the house. It is winter here so it is unlikely it is something outside affecting her. I am stumped and so is the vet. I am concerned that it is glaucoma and not presenting as usual. Repeat eye pressure tests the first two times showed normal pressure.

Thanks you and sorry it is so long!
gail

Andy,
Thanks for showing us how beautiful Neo was. And loved...
gail

I am very sorry to read your news. So sad...You did all you could. So hard to see our furry friends suffering and so hard to say good-bye.
Take care...
gail

Vaccinations affect the immune system and are known triggers for AI disease. Most of us never vaccinate our dogs again, after an immune disease. I don't even vaccinate my well dog, although I am considering rabies since she is illegal here in the states.

gail

Your vet is not very accurate. Yes, it goes into remission, and it MAY come back. It often will have two or three rounds. So once the nails come back, the dog loses them all over again. But when that happens it is generally not as bad as the first round of losing them. The severity of this disease varies widely from dog to dog. Some only lose a few, one time. Some have the quicks dry up and the nails slip off w/o the bleeding of the kind that lift up and tear off.

In bad cases there are meds to be given. I didn't give my dog anything and she lost hers three times, but she only had three nails on her two front feet involved. After that she never had a problem with it. Have faith that your dog will get through this and be fine. It can be painful, but once the quicks are dry the pain should go away.

Please check the files since there in info there on this disease. Your dog will get better. Your dog may never have it again.
gail

Yea, for Meg. Long may she live
gail

It's a no-go with Bizzy and the potential adoption of the rescue dog. Bizzy did not like him and would not stop staring at him. He was a perfect gentleman.
g.

Did they do blood work to check for autoimmune disease? If it is a form of myositis then your dog needs proper medication as soon as possible. My dog had polymyositis and the vet didn't even wait for blood work, just started her right off on prednisone. Is your dog running a fever? Did they check for something lodged in her mouth?

Sorry your dog is sick.
gail

Hi CIMDA members and Happy New Year. Here in the Mid-West of the US we are hunkering down for the coldest night in many years. Forcast says to expect -30 degrees tonight. Wind chill of -79 tonight and tomorrow. Deep freeze. But we live in Wisconsin and we are tough. NFL football in an outdoor stadium late this aft. in Greenbay. It is sold out. I think these people are a little over the top hardy, or just crazy.

In about a month I am trying a very special dog. I have been following him since last summer when he was rescued in Ohio and transported to a shelter in Wi.  This dog is tracking me I think. I have met him once and soon will introduce him and Bizzy. Then we can see if we can go forward. If it works out for us I will post more about him, special needs. Fingers crossed.

I hope all our dogs stay healthy in the coming year. Congrats Jan on your new puppy!
gail

I'm so sorry to read this news. YoYo was given a good life by you Jan. That is what is important to remember now. I hope that you know we are all with you in thought and spirit, many of us having recently traveled this road.

xooxo
gail