It’s been a long two weeks and I really should have updated this before now. As of today, the vets have ruled out Myasthenia Gravis. They were saying last week it wasn’t likely a possibility. We have had several more episodes and two more trips to the vet. The ER vet was unable to successfuly do a stress Tensilon test.
The vets are now saying it could be a partial seizure or a brain tumor. It’s not a typical seizure, however, and today when I talked to them it sounded like they are leaning toward a brain tumor.
Only 25% of brain tumors are operable. Brain surgery would have to be done in Colorado. Unfortunately my financial limitations are a reality at this point. If we found an operable brain tumor, I wouldn’t be able to afford a 4-5 thousand dollar operation in Colorado.
An MRI would be able to identify or rule out pretty much all brain abnormalities. Process of elimination would prove seizures. Onset of adult epilepsy can happen between 1-6 and Dylan is just at the higher end of that. There are all different kinds of seizures and Dylan could live for years if he responds to treatment.
I really don’t know what to do. The MRI they are requesting is a significant expense. Part of me doesn’t care and just wants to get it done ASAP. The other part of me wonders what value it will Bring to Dylan if we do it? It won’t change anything since I cannot afford to operate.
The only thing that could possibly change is the small percentage that there was some other “Brain Abnormality” that was treatable.
I need more time to think for sure. If anyone in SL has a vet that does MRI’s you could let me know your vets name. There is a pretty wide range in prices on MRI’s and I am shopping docs for sure.
The reality is sinking in that Dylan is never going to be the same. We had a scary night on Friday and I have decided that despite it all we are going to do what we can to let him do the things he loves. We went to flyball and Dylan ran for the first time in Months. Sunday we took him out to the Rail Trail and let him run.
Paul has been a constant support and has been so great about watching the dogs. I have huge fears about leaving Dylan home alone right now. Paul has been helping by watching the dogs during the day. That definitely makes Dylan (and Marley) happy!
Test results are LATE! They were supposed to come back by Friday but they didn’t come in. I am not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. I am anxious for Monday.
The general bloodwork looked good so we can rule out kidney and liver problems or poisoning. We are still waiting on the Myasthenia Gravis tests and the thyroid tests. Hopefully there will be results tomorrow.
So it’s been quite the week already and it’s only Wednesday. I am sure there is both work and personal drama still to come. Dylan has some major Drama that I wanted to document here.
Last week Dylan seemed to be having more difficulty on our walks. I thought it was just soreness related to his recent injuries. He’s been calm and quiet and Sunday I even had trouble getting him to hop out the car. That’s something Dylan is always excited to do when we arrive at exciting places. Something hasn’t been quite right. Monday he has an Acu-Massage from Anita. She said his Sciatic Nerve was pinched again and I was hoping that he was on his way to feeling better.
Paul has been helping with thedogs this week (yes he is so great!) and I have been working OT. He took them out for a walk yesterday and after about 20 minutes Dylan started stumbling and acting like he was drunk. He recovered and it happened again. This ve ry smart man was brilliant enough to catch the repeated episodes on video:
And One More:
Dylan recovered after they made it back to the house and has not had any episodes left. I have been freaked out about it ever since. I took him into the vet today and thanks to the videos they have an idea of what it might be.
Myasthenia Gravis
It was described to me by two vets as a degenerative neurological condition. The paperwork they gave me calls it an auto immune disease that attacks the nervous system. I guess the simple way of explaining it is that he overuses the neuron synapses in his brain until they cannot function. So often episodes are induced by exercise when he is using his muscles over and over and over again. Eventually, the synapses give out and can’t work anymore so he loses control of his muscles. It’s common for it to start in the back legs and as time goes by become more frequent and effect more and more of his body.
Myasthenia Gravis can also lead to Megaesophagus. My friend Cynthia has a dog with this and writes about it on her blog from time to time. There can also be other complications which are common with any disease that attacks the immune system.
We were lucky enough to get three opinions today. They all agree that this is likely the right diagnosis. Testing is expensive but we underwent the first steps today. A full blood panel to rule out other problems (Dylan was due for one anyway) and an antibody test that tests for the antibodies that are attacking the nervous system. We may need to do one more test that consists of an injection immediately following an episode. If we see this stumbling drunk behavior we are to rush to ER and ask for the test. Right now the goal is to prevent him from having more episodes until the blood tests come back on Friday. If they determine the injection test is needed we may stress test him in the vets office on a treadmill. I’d prefer to avoid this step since I really don’t want to put Dylan through anything more than he has already been through this week.
There are treatment options to slow the progression. I’ve contacted my holistic vet and may end up seeing her Friday for her opinion. I want to get the blood tests back first but she is leaving town for a month so we sent her the videos and will wait to see what she requests.
I’ve got some conflicting information about the disease. The vets today made it sound like he will degenerate throughout the rest of his life. The literature states that 89% go into remission in an average of about 6 months and in no more than 18 months. That’s pretty good odds. However, those that do not go into remission do get cancer withing 3 years. I hate thinking about that 11 percent. I am going to ask for more clarification on Friday when I consult with the vets.
The vets at K-9 Rehab have been fantastic and helpful today. I am happy with my decision to take him there today. They were all so willing to work together to discuss his issues since they aren’t the most common.
Paul keeps reminding me to think about the positives. I am trying hard but still not holding myself together very well. I’ve been an emotional wreck since yesterday and I am sure it’s not going away overnight but I am so grateful to have such great friends standing by me. I really appreciate the support.
It’s been a hectic day today. I just realized haven’t even blogged about our foster. Another day another post I guess. I am so ready for bed. My new 6 AM Shift will be here in a flash…
Time flies when you are busy. I’ve not only been neglecting my blog but I have been neglecting facebook and other sites. I still manage to update my facebook from my phone but I haven’t had a chance to do much else on there.
I have been crazy busy at work. I’m still learning the new job. It’s difficult but satisfying. I like feeling like I am making a difference and I like being busy, busy, busy. We’ve had some major changes company wide and I am adjusting to life as is pretty well. 9 years with this company has taught me that I need to be adaptable to survive. Everything is always changing and people who are reluctuntant to change don’t succeed there.
Part of the changes was closing of our Canada Office. It’s been a sad time for us here but apparently it’s what fits the business need. Really the loss of the canada office allowed me to get promoted since I took over a Canadian job. It makes me feel bad but there isn’t anything I can do to change it. One positive outcome of the Canada Office change is that I had the opportunity to meet a long time IM Buddy from work. He came to Salt Lake on a business trip shortly before getting laid off. Here are a couple pics from the visit!
I’ve also been trying to get re-focused on my weigh ins weekly. I am weighing in weekly and not doing so hot. Yo-yoing a lot lately but I really want to get committed and focused. I started an aqua-aerobics class and really like it when I am there. It’s just getting there is a bit of a challenge. My friend is taking it with me which helps keep me motivated but if she can’t make I try to rationalize my way out of it. Most the time I replace it with something a little less humiliating — like walking my dogs. At least it’s something right?
Paul and I took Ammon to Lagoon last weekend. We had a great time and Ammon was adoreable as always. Here are some highlights (yes they shaved off those curls for summer):
Dylan has good news for a change. It’s been over 4 months since he was injured. Yesterday, my vet released him to start doing some recalls at Flyball Practice. She thinks it will be good for him. No box work for a while but at least it’s something. 4 months of leashed walks has gotten very boring for him. He and Marley have both gained weight. He will be so thrilled to go to practice Sunday.
We have stopped Physical Therapy. I’m nearing the end of the financial resources that I am willing and able to dedicate to this injury. I have spent a lot of $$ and until yesterday I wasn’t too sure if it was paying off. He still has a way to go but we are doing exercises at home and will continue to get acu-massage from Anita DeLelles as often as possible. Marley has been enjoying her massages as well:
Dylan also had his 6th Birthday last week. I can’t beleive this baby boy is 6 already! Marley celebrated her 5th year gotcha day at the same time. Time flies with these two and I am afraid one of these days it will be 11 and 10. I never want these two to age but it’s happening right before my eyes. I notice Dylan’s muzzle is more and more white these days. He has age spots on his nose and ears and he is developing allergies. Marley is getting a bit of white in her face that is new as well.
Marley’s therapy dog certification went through finally. This happy girl will be out working again as soon as we can. I miss my special time with her and will be glad when the two of us can go out visiting again.
Lastly, I have been spending time with my family as always. I appreciate them more and more all the time. I have wonderful parents and siblings. I feel bad for the many years that I didn’t recognize how good that I had it. I feel badly that the downturn in the economy has had an impact on family jobs but I am hoping things are starting to turn around for them. My Dad is now employed full time and hope my sis will be one day soon.
We had this family picture taken at the Temple Open house. Paul came along with me and is always so good to do that.
And speaking of Paul (last but far from least) I must add that he continues to be a wonderful and loving boyfriend. I grow more and more in love with him everyday and can’t express enough how much I aprreciate the way that he treats me. He’s an incredibly kind person and he makes me very happy. I hope that I can do thing to make him happy in return.
This blog is in desperate need of an update. I have been so busy lately I haven’t had much chance. So here are a few things that have been going on lately.
I started a new job! I got a promotion at my full time job and have been in training. It’s thrown my schedule off and caused me a bit of stress so I haven’t been keeping up on stuff like I usually do. The new job is a more technical position so I am going to be learning a lot and it will be really good for me. I may be struggling for a while but I am prepared for that.
Dylan is still injured. I’m really getting down about it. I don’t know if he will ever go back to his norm and it’s really syncing in that he is aging. I just never expected to pull him out of sports so early in life. I can’t really think too much about it. I have to still hope that one day he will be better. I don’t know what to do to help him and all the differing veterinary opinions don’t help either. Oh well, we are continuing with PT for another month and then will regroup and see where he is. I had to take the last two weeks off of PT but I am thinking he seems better when he is doing PT so maybe it really is helping?
Marley is still the princess. I am taking her in for a well pet exam next week so she can start working as a therapy dog again. She doesn’t care that she has taken time off. She’s just happy to get some loves and kisses and treats of course!
I am sure it will be several days before I post again but maybe I will get some good pics at our flyball demo this weekend. I am not running a dog because Dylan is still injured of course. Marley will go with me though to keep me company!!
When I look at the pics from our most recent flyball tournament it seems so obvious that Dylan was having issues. When we were there I knew there was a problem but I wasn’t sure exactly which limb was bothering him. The images make it clear. See how his left rear leg isn’t extended fully in the image above? I see the same in many of the pics of him from that day. It was a tough tournament for me and Dylan was such a good sport and ran hard despite the injury. There are still days that I fear that the Santa Clara tournament may have been his last and final flyball tournament. Only time will really tell.
We saw our holistic vet this week. I trust her opinion and was anxious to see what she had to say. Dylan went in to see her right before the tournament and shortly after the trauma. She didn’t think there was going to be a significant problem at that time. The injuries we are dealing with now didn’t show up on the thermal imaging we took then. They also didn’t show up in the same views when we did them on Friday. However, when she put the thermal camera underneath him to take views of the underside of his rear it was obvious there’s a lot going on under there.
She looked over his x rays and found some unrelated issues. She believes there may be a ligament spur in his left shoulder. She said it would be easier to know for sure if I had done digital x rays. I wasn’t expecting film but we will redo some x rays of that shoulder in a few months in digital format. She said it’s not a rush because the injury is the primary issue at this time.
She also thinks there is probably just a touch of arthritis in the Left Elbow. This elbow was really inflamed in the thermal imaging. She wasn’t sure if it was hot because of the arthritis or because he is compensating for the injury in his rear. Time will tell and if the inflammation doesn’t go away when he gets better than we will look into some other options to treat the arthritis. I’m not sure what this will mean as far as Flyball is concerned. Rigth now, I am just worrying about getting him better. That left elbow takes the brunt of the pressure when he turns on the box because he uses it to pivot. It’s not surprising to see him starting to get arthritis. I expect doing more box turns will cause the elbow to get worse. I gotta stop speculating though and focus on the injury until it heals.
She said there are some bones in his pelvis that are fusing. I guess it’s totally normal when dogs and people age and not something to be overly concered about. It mostly means he will have less flexibility in his back than he did before.
When it comes to the rear end, my boy seems to be pretty messed up. Some inflammation showed up in the right leg and the right hamstring. We think that’s from the compensation on the right side.
He had some adjustments in the left leg that will hopefully help him feel better. There was lots of inflammation on the understide of that left leg. His gracilis muscle though was cold. The vet said she thought it had definitely been strained but maybe it is cold because it is healing from the treatment that he had been receiving. The cold laser therapy in that area probably helped. He had inflammation pretty much everywhere else all the way from his groin down to his hock.
When she examined him she rattled off one muscle after another that was stiff and strained. That leg really took a beating. Whe he ran into Paul and the fence he hit Paul with that left side. I am fairly certain he hyper extended that back leg during the process.
It sounds like there is a lot more complicated issues going on in that back rear leg. Prior to going up there I had seen some tremoring in his leg when it was sore. I could touch the leg and cause the tremoring to happen when he was more tired or sore. During the acupuncture, his leg started tremoring. The vet said it was his sciatic nerve acting up. She put a few more needs in and the tremoring stopped. That scares me a bit - it seems sciatic nerve issues in people cause so many problems. I am sure the same happens in dogs.
The vets keep reminding me that he is getting older. I don’t really want to admit it but his 6th birthday is coming soon. I never thought of 6 as old but most of the aging dogs I have known were a bit smaller than him. He’s a good medium to large dog and I know they have shorter lifespans but 6? It seems so young to be considered “aging”. I guess he is technically middle aged though and middle aged people don’t bounce back as quickly as young adults do. The same is true of dogs and at six I can’t expect him to heal as quickly as he did at two.
More PT this week and hopefully we will start seeing some more improvements. For the most part he is walking better but there are still days where he is very obviously hurting!! I just hope for his sake that he heals up sooner rather than later!
Can you tell which one is Marley? I can but she’s my dog of course! The one on the left is Lucy. A rescue dog from CAWS. Lucy needs a foster and a permanent home. Yes, I want to foster her so badly but I am smart enough to know she wouldn’t get the care she needs here. Between two jobs, two dogs, Physical Therapy for Dylan, and spending time with Paul I don’t have time for a foster dog right now. Maybe in a month or two when Dylan is better but not now.
Lucy is a nice girl. I just can’t beleive how much these two look like sisters. Marley has bigger ears and more spots and ticking but they are similar in size and shape and even have many similar markings. Lucy is a bit younger and needs to lose a few lbs but she’s a nice mellow dog and really would be a great little house or family dog for people.
Lucy will probably be spending some nights here on the days that I have more time. I wish I could have her around a bit more often. She’s just a sweet and easy going dog!!
This pic reminded me of one I have of Marley from when she was younger.
If anyone is looking for a good little house dog, let me know. Lucy sure is sweet and needs someone to take great care of her.
This little boy had his second PT visit yesterday. It should have been his third visit but I didn’t know they wanted me to definitely bring him in twice this week. No one really told me what the plan was and I thought the vet was going to tell me when I talked to her Monday but I never talked to her. This pic was taken in the private waiting room at the vets office. They have loose dogs hanging out in the office (I find it a bit strange!) and so we have to rush Dylan into a private room so that there aren’t any dog/dog issues.
I think we went too long between visits. I was thinking I was seeing improvement until Wednesday. Wednesday night we went for a walk (long slow walks on leash are all that Dylan is allowed right now). Early into our walk, his leg seemed weak and wobbily. It was more wobbily than it had been the past few days. When we got back, I used the rice back to heat up his leg a bit. If I even just touched his leg, it started trembling. I’ve noticed more and more that he is doing things differently than normal. His usual big stretch with paws on the floor and back legs on the couch is limited to stretching the right side. He doesn’t extend the left rear leg when he is stretching. Sometimes I will notice him laying with the left leg tucked way up under him and the right leg pushed forward a bit like normal. Things are not equal on both sides for sure!
Dylan seems to be doing well with PT though. He did 10 minutes on the underwater treadmill yesterday and the PT tech commented that he could keep going and going and going. I told her that’s a flyball dog thing for sure. They have to have great endurance for all the racing they do at tournaments!!!
He relaxed (sort of) in the estim tank for 15 minutes. He really thinks he is supposed to swim in there and its pretty cute. I got all wet again but I held his front legs while they massaged his back legs. He kept trying to kick those front legs to swim.. Silly Boy!!
They had him do some work on the cavaletti poles which are similar to the PVC ladder we built for him last weekend. We have been working on the ladder every night to help him recover. They rehab place has a new laser that we tried out on all his joints. The laser therapy is supposed to stimulate blood flow.
We took in his Xrays from Tuesday. The vet we saw last week was out of the office so another vet looked them over. She agreed that there is no sign of athritis. YAY! We were happy to hear that. She said the knee isn’t a big issue and the swelling should go down as he gets treatment for the muscles in his leg.
While we were doing PT the vet we saw last week stopped by the office. She came in to chat with me for a minute and looked over his xrays real quick. She said there is an osteoarthritic point on his right shoulder. Last week it was the left this week its the right? I could see the rounding of the bone that she pointed out but I am not really sure what all that means. She seemed to be just running in and out of the office so I didn’t want to take up too much of her time. We will be seeing our regular holistic veterinarian in a few weeks. I am sure she can explain all that to me and tell me what the risks are and how that will affect him at Flyball.
We are still contemplating Adequan. It’s looking to be a bit more expensive than the supplement that we are currently using but I am wondering if it would be good for Marley especially. My holistic vets office says they use it sometimes but mostly for horses. I can’t wait to get in to see the vet so we can talk more about all of this. I trust her and so much of this goes over my head that I need to rely on a professional that I know and trust.
I have been so busy that I haven’t been posting much. I wanted to get a post up about my reunion with Sadie so that I would have a chance to look back on it. This blog is more for myself than anything. It’s kind of my journal of life events since I am too lazy to actually create one. Or maybe a scrapbook/journal combo.
I got to see Sadie a couple of weekends ago. She’s amazing and I have missed her a lot. Such a wonderful girl and she ended up in a wonderful home. Her new guardians have tried to connect with me for a while but I am always too busy or we just miss each other. They go to a lot of the same events as us but are always there at a different time than I am. I happened to be in their neighborhood a few weeks ago so I gave them a heads up that I would be close by. When I finished with our stuff, I called and they said I could come by.
I always wonder about foster dogs and their memory. Do they remember me or living in my household? I hope that the training that I give them transfers over to the new owners pretty easily. Clicker training is great that way. Sadie has been training since she went to her new home in December. She will be an agility dog one of these days. I know she will mature into a great working dog for the first time Agility owner. She’s easy to work with and focuses well.
When I rang the doorbell I could hear her barking. I waited patiently why her mommy made her sit and wait patiently for the door to open. She stuck her head out and looked at me. All of a sudden that memory kicked in. She always was attached to Paul and myself but I never expected such a response at a reunion. She clobbered me to death and I tried to wait until she calmed down to reward her but it made me so happy that I just couldn’t help it. There was no doubt that this jumping, screaming, and squealing dog still loved and remembered me! She ran out to the car and then ran back to me and then clobbered me again. This whole process was repeated a few times and then still in the house she would run around and then come back to clobber me! I cried when I left because I was so happy that she is so happy and in such a good place. They really love her and I am glad that she’s settled into her new home so well.
She’s doing great and looks as though she has grown up a bit. She was still a puppy when I placed her but is now getting to look more like an adult. She’s at a great weight with a great coat which is a sign that they are taking good care of her. She’s getting along well with her kitty housemates too.
Anyway, it’s actually the first time I have been reunited with a foster dog after an extended period of time. I stay in contact with new guardians for a while and get emails and pics here and there but I’ve never had the opportunity to go back and see the dogs again. I’m so glad I was able to stop by and I am sure that Sadie and I will cross paths again. I’m hoping that there will also be an upcoming reunion with an old foster Hudson. I placed him about two years ago now. He is doing great and has transformed from the dog whom could not be trained (per a crappy prong collar trainer) to a dog who is well behaved and runs and plays off leash!!
Anyway, it was so great to see Miss Sadie. Her new mommy gave me this pic to share with Paul but I thought I would also share it with all of you!
Lucy will probably be spending some nights here on the days that I have more time. I wish I could have her around a bit more often. She’s just a sweet and easy going dog!!
