Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Mastiffs => Neapolitan Mastiff Discussions & Pictures => : Miranda September 04, 2006, 05:55:29 AM
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Okay, Laika's always been our sickly child. Especially a couple months ago, she went through a growth spurt and apparently had really bad growing pains on her back legs. She would just start freaking out every once in awhile, it looked like she was having a seizure, because she'd scream and her entire body would go stiff. We took her to the vet several times, and to three different vets, and they all did x-rays on her and complete exams and could never find anything wrong. They just said that she was having growing pains, and they were scaring her, so that she was having panic attacks. Then they'd send me home with a mild antibiotic and painkiller and call it good. Thankfully, she grew out of that, or so I thought.
Yesterday she started acting like her back right hip was hurting again. She's acting the exact same way as she used to, except she's doing it way more often. This morning she started whining in her crate, so I got her out, gave her some aspirin, and after she walked around a bit, she started to act better, so I thought she was just a bit stiff or something. But a couple seconds ago she walked by and I absent-mindedly put my hand down and it BRUSHED her backside, seriously, I barely felt it, and she FREAKED out. Started whining again, retreated to the living room, and is still whining.
Is she hurt? She only acts like it hurts every once in awhile. She had been doing fine. Ugh! It's kinda one of those situations where if we take her to the ER, a few bills are going to have to wait. She already has an appointment tomorrow to get spayed, but I just don't know if she can wait that long. All the vets always told me she acted fine when I wasn't around. They said she was just trying to get attention and I was worried and encouraging it. But I've been trying my best to act normal and not encourage it....I just don't know!! Help!!
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Since she doesn't seem to be in constant pain, I would say just wait until tomorrow. But if she seems really distressed and hurting all the time, and you feel you need to and can't wait, take her in. I hope she starts feeling better soon!
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She has an appointment at 5 tonight. It's the soonest I could find. Turns out there's only like 2 vet clinics open today!!
I'm sure I'm going to spend hundreds of dollars on x-rays again, only for the vet to say "false alarm!"
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What did the vet say? Is Laika okay?
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We just got back from the vet. News is not good. It's not hip dysplasia, which is awesome, but she's definitely not having a panic attack, either. The vet thinks she has diskospondylit is. Basically, her spine is hurt, and has been for a long long while. There's a really bad infection between two of her disks. It's so bad that her body has formed a bridge over the infection, which made it really hard for the vet to read the x-rays. He said the infection is really obvious, but the infection is so bad he can't tell if there's a fracture under there, which he thinks there is, but he's sending the x-rays off to a specialist. He said that good case scenario, it'll be a few months of pain killers and antibiotics. Worst case scenario, surgery. Also, the antibiotics have a one in four chance of making her very sick.
They gave her a shot of morphine before we left so she's sleeping in her crate right now.
I'm so upset right now. This is all my fault. I should've gotten a second opinion a long time ago. I should've known these weren't panic attacks or cries for attention. Three times previously we've had x-rays done and they never noticed a thing.
Also, since we're completely broke, we took out a credit card for this. Bank of America gave it to us a few months ago when we opened our bank account, so we called and activated it today. Then we got online to check the credit limit, and hey, there were already $300 worth of charges done a week ago!! From the UK! So another fun thing to deal with tomorrow.
So yeah, send some major good thoughts my way, because I really need them right now.
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I'm so sorry this is all happening. :( I hope Laika starts healing up soon and that the vets have wisdom to prescribe the right thing and know what to do. Sending lots of hugs and good thoughts your way. :)
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Yikes :o
I'm so sorry you're going through this :-\
Zoey and I will cross our fingers and paws for a speedy recovery
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I am so sorry...Isn't stress & guilt wonderful? :( ...I'll be sending prayers your way...BIG HUGZ!!!
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I've stayed logged out and was planning on just lurking for a few days, but then I saw this.
Don't beat yourself up. You took her to THREE different vets - you had not just one but TWO second opinions, and they all said the same, that nothing was seriously wrong with poor Laika. This is NOT your fault.
I hope that Laika has a speedy recovery and has no complications.
Sofia
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She's doing a little better. I just woke her up and gave her a bit of food soaked in water. She's eating it, I'm just praying it stays down. The vet said it probably wouldn't.
Kingsley's going nuts. When we first brought her home he walked up to her and she yelped. It must've really freaked him out, because now he keeps pacing in front of her crate and every once in awhile he'll come to either Justin or I and I can tell he's trying to get us to follow him to her.
Thanks for everything, guys. The first thing I did when we got home was make a bee-line for the computer!! But, since I only got four hours of sleep last night (thanks insomnia), I think I'm going to head to bed. Thanks again!
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Ugh. I can't sleep. Couldnt sleep last night because she was crying, and I couldn't sleep this morning because she was quiet and that worried me even more.
The vet said to keep her on a very easily-digestible and mild diet while she's on these antibiotics, like boiled chicken and rice. Are there enough nutrients in that? Should I be giving her vitamins?
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I know danes get that as well....and they say that you can give extra vit. C to help boost the immune system. I am Sure you know more about it then i do, but definitly start 500mg of vit.C then up to 1000 mg. Good luck!!!
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Should I get vitamin C from the vet or can I just go to PetSmart and get some?
Also, will that react negatively with her medicine? She's on Doxycycline and Rimadyl.
And trust me, I don't know more than you do. All I know is what was on the little info sheet the vet gave me. It did mention on there that Great Danes got it the most often, especially males.
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Human vitamins...als o with rimadyl... also give her 2 capsuls/pills of milk thistle to protect her liver...ALWAYS because those types can cause liver failure when the dog is older. The vitamin C or ESTER C in human form.
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You don't have to get the vit C from the vet, you can even just get it from a regular store doesn't have to be Petsmart. I think it should be fine with the meds, but call the vet just to be sure.
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Just don't forget the MILK THISTLE!!!!!! For that follow instructions for people.
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I've never heard of milk thistle. Any place would have it, too? Or will I have to go to a specialty place?
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Usually any store that sells any vitamins like stop and shop or somehting like that would have it
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you can look it up online too...for the benefits of it .. just google Milk thistle or liver protection
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Thanks so much! I'm so nervous for the vet to call today and tell me if it was caused by Brucella or not. From what I've read, if it was caused by Brucella, it'll never go completely away, we'll just have to keep it in check.
Justin's making fun of me because I said I was thinking about putting the TV in there with her so she could watch it. The radio is keeping her semi-company, but I still feel bad for her stuck in the crate all the time. I gave her one of my old stuffed animals (that I've managed to save from being destroyed by either her or Kingsley) and she's cuddling with it now. Poor Spongebob.
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i leave the tv on for my deaf dog... it keeps her company too... i understand. Jaz loves watching animal planet. It is definitly hard to keep them in the crate but you can work on some commands while she is in there...such as the watch me game, sit, wait, down. Work on all your commmands. The crate can help with those things because she must have eye contact to come out of the crate to go potty, or must wait so she doesn't bolt out of the crate. I don't make fun of you with the TV.....
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Will this week get any worse?
I got to work, only to find out that my pathological liar co-worker had called my director and told her all sorts of nasty things, and the director gave her permission to handle the situation as she saw fit, and so she told me to go find another job.
This will really help with the vet bills.
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Everything happens for a reason... just think she will have it coming to her... She has bad Karma if you would say. So Sorry you are having a bad start..and it is only tuesday!
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Great news! I talked to the vet last night, and there's no fracture!! So no more being stuck in the kennel! We still have to regulate her activity, obviously, but so far she's been doing great. The infection did spread to her lymphnodes, though, so he put her on another antibiotic for two months, amoxycillin (sp?). He said as long as we keep her on the amox. for two months and the others for 3 months, this should be taken care of. Oh, and it wasn't caused by the brucella bacteria.
Also, my co-worker called me yesterday morning and asked if I'd be coming in or if I needed to take yesterday off, too, because of everything. So basically...sh e must not have had the authority to fire me, and she's now covering her @ss and saying I willingly took Tuesday off. She's still giving me the silent treatment, but oh well.
AND my dad gets here tonight and tomorrow is Justin's birthday! It's a happy day here! Except that I have to do a few hours of mad cleaning to try to get the house decent looking...
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YAY!!! SEE YOUR WEEK turned right around!!! That is so wonderful about the pup..and your job.... YAY i am so happy for you!!!!!!
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Thanks!
Now if I can only figure out how to reattach Spongebob's spatula, crabby patty, and the corner of his head...
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well she tried to keep him intact.....jus t the spatula kept hitting her in the head...and she wanted to round off the corners....
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;D
And how can I expect her NOT to want to eat the crabby patty?!
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Well, it's good to know that throughout all of this, she hasn't lost her ability to guard me from the vacuum. I don't know what I'd do if I thought I'd have to face the vacuum alone!!
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So glad to hear she's doing much better! Yes, amoxycillin is very good for clearing up any infection she may have. We've had to give it to our cats many times. Start feeling better, Laika! And I hope your mommy is doing okay too!