[kbo888]

Hi,
I have never posted anything on a forum before, but we have recently been involved in a situation that has caused me to reach in any area for some kind of help or that may trigger a similar symptom experience in someone. We currently have a 3 yr old little pug/wire russell terrier mix that is (was) a very healthy, active dog...long story somewhat short...

About a month ago (April 30), we noticed a limp in our young dog's hind left leg. After seeing a Veterinarian twice for possibility of pulled muscle or bone/acl damage, everything came back negative. 2 weeks went by, and our little dog became lifeless overnight, and the limp got even worse. Along with these symptoms, we noticed that the lymph node in her hind left leg began to grow. After many visits to the Veterinarian, and a virtually lifeless, shaking dog, they tested for lymphoma...negative. She was put on pain killers and anti-inflammatories. 5 days ago, bloody noses began to the point that her blood was not clotting and she had to get a platelet transfusion to get her blood to clot. We have been to the Veterinarian, an emergency room Veterinarian, an internal specialist, and nobody is sure of any diagnosis. We have heard anything from RAT POISON, SLIPPED DISC, TICK-DISEASES, CANCER, ETC. They are beginning to think less cancer but possibly some kind of poison or very bad bacteria that she may have contracted, but we have no idea how or at this point what. She would frequently visit a dog park in the city where she could have possibly eaten something but at this point we and the doctors can't figure it out.

She is deteriorating very quickly but is fighting. An ultrasound came back to prove that there were no tumors over her body, but they can't operate until the blood is for sure clotting on it's own, at which point they will look at the swollen lymph node and see what's going on.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS OR CAN SHARE ANY ADVICE FROM SIMILAR SYMPTOMS IT WOULD BE GREAT. HER SYMPTOMS AT THIS POINT DON'T SEEM TO BE MUCH PAIN, BUT REALLY NO MOVEMENT UNLESS FORCED, SHAKES, BLOODY NOSES, AND IS GRADUALLY LOSING HER APPETITE AND VOMITING. PRETTY MUCH LIFELESS, BUT NO VALID REASON FOR BEING SO.

ANY SUGGESTIONS TO ANY BACTERIAS/INFECTIONS/OR OTHER FORMS OF TREATMENT OR DIRECTION WE SHOULD LOOK FOR WOULD BE GREAT AS WE ARE AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO HELP OUR LITTLE BUDDY FIGHT AS SHE IS VERY YOUNG AND WANTS TO GO FOR JOGS ON THE LAKE AGAIN.

Thank you very much.

 

[Criosphynx]

tick borne illness of som' kind?

Sorry you have to go through this, I hope you find som' answers.

 

[pawzaddict]

I am so sorry to hear...everything but the blood clotting issue reminds me of valley fever...ive never heard of blood clotting issues with it. I hope you get an answer soon..i cant imagine how horrible it must feel.

 

[kbo888]

thank you very much for your suggestion...we really are at a loss with this one and so are top of the line vets and internal medicine doctors...we think the blood clotting may have to do with her blood thinning from the anti-inflammatories which we have taken her off of...she really doesn't seem to be in pain, but seriously went practically in a 10 day period from full of life, to nothing. she is currently laying next to me sleeping, but shaking, and just really isn't there. they don't think it's cancer, which gives me hope, but if we can't figure it out soon then her organs may become vitally effected. i will definitely look into valley fever and suggest to the vet, i really appreciate your response.

 

[kbo888]

thanks for your response and suggestion, we actually have the tick test results coming back tomorrow so hopefully we will find something out there, otherwise we are still at square one...thanks again

 

[Mimi]

Two words reminded me of a friends dog : "Lifeless" and "Lake". A friend of ours told us how sick their dog was and they nearly lost him. Vets could not find what ailed him. They searched for several weeks. Then, they decided to do one more test having been told that the dog swam at the lake and Bingo!! The dog had some kind of bacteria that water rats carry. They gave him whatever the treatment was and he is now fine. I enquired as to what the name of the bacteria or the test was and they couldn't remember. Please ask your vet if your dog could be tested for this.

 

[close2prfct]

There are some strains of Tick Fever that will not show up on the titer, I went through this a couple years ago with a cocker however the vet knowing this went ahead because he had all the symptoms of Tick fever treated him for it and he got better. Nubbins was like a rag doll he was alert but shook and could not stand up whatsoever he was essentially paralyzed a few days after being on tetracycline he started improving.
Tick fever causes them to have very thick dark blood when they do blood work if its not a bright red and free flowing into the vial it is a possibility you are dealing with tick fever. Either way giving her the tetracycline for 30 days shouldn't hurt her.

 

[Mimi]

Another possibility is Leptospirosis which has now become a problem for dogs worldwide. It comes about from a dog swimming or ingesting food/water that has been contaminated with rat urine. The dog's kidneys/liver are affected. Treatment is with the Tetracycline family of antibiotics. I hope your Vet finds out what is wrong soon. Please let us know.

 

[kbo888]

thanks everyone for your responses...the tick panel came back today and apparently it is negative, but we have heard those aren't always accurate...i did fail to mention 2 symptoms that we don't understand...she has uncontrollable shaking, almost like she's cold (but she's not), and it's not pain because she doesn't cry/whine or anything...and she also has never come back with a fever...we really are baffled but she is deteriorating...she is on Doxycycline which I believe is like Tetrocyline, and we are going to go see a holistic vet tomorrow and see if she has any direction cause if we can't diagnose this thing soon i think we may run out of luck...again, any suggestions or direction is much appreciated as we will be continually checking this thread as all suggestions have been very helpful.

 

[Criosphynx]

Its a long shot but has distemper been ruled out?

 

[PhilK]

Has the dog been put on antibiotics? Bacterial infection screams out at me, from that limp and swollen node, but I'm sure they'd have picked that up..

As for the coagulation disorders, it is possible it is not related to the disease directly. When dogs are sick for a long time, they can often go into disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC).. this is a coagulation disease due to continual use of clotting factors/platelets. That may be the cause of the clotting problem. Snake bit can also cause clotting issues but the dog probably would have died already...

I'm stumped, keep us updated.

 

[DrMarie]

I was thinking possible distemper too...although it does sound like something tick borne, but this should respond to treatment.