HiSocietyPoodle

My little Guido has been rather ill. I'm in need of help from my poodle friends here who might be able to give me some insight.

A couple of weeks ago out of the blue Guido became lethargic and didn't want to eat, he was experiencing incontinence had a rash on his belly. Then in the evening/early morning he would vomit bile. I made him some boiled rice and boiled hamburger. He ate it. (I now know it should have been chicken not burger.) This happened 3 nights in a row and then he stopped eating all together. It took 3 days to get an apt to see the VET. Thinking it was a bladder infection the first day I took a urine sample and they tested it and came back negative.

When I was able to see the Vet and he did blood work a day later the results came back and he found his kidney enzymes were elevate (only one number high) and his glucose was low (only one number low). He said it wasn't enough to put him on medication and needed to watch it for a while and see if it changed but, he suggested WD dog food for the gastro discomfort, and lose stool caused by the boiled hamburger. He put him on eye drops for conjunctivitis in his eye, and supplements called NUTRI-Cal. He gave Guido an allergy shot for the rash on his belly and gave him IV to treat him for dehydration.

The next day he was back to himself BUT something alarming was happening ONLY in the evenings. He would tremble, shake and pant. His little tongue was hanging out and it was bright red. I took him to the PET --> ER in the middle of the night they put him on Ultram (Tramadol). It did no good. He admitted he didn't know what it was and said follow up with your normal Vet.

It took me another 3 days to get in to see the VET. Today I went down a list of new symptoms he has:

increased/excessive water consumption
increased/excessive urination
incontinence and dribbling all over himself
increased appetite - begging for food, trash can diving, licking crumbs or anything off the floor
dull dry coat
scratching
hair loss (little balls of fur floating on the floor)

ONLY AT NIGHT TIME
fierce shaking and trembling
excessive panting

I researched online and these are many of the symptoms of CUSHING DISEASE. The Vet said the blood work is over $300 to DX it and it is a life long treatment of medication and testing blood levels.

He suggested we start with an xray of Guido's back. He came back and said it looks like Spondylosis of his spine. It was just enough to cause him pain. He suggested I give him 1/2 a baby aspirin in the evening when he start to tremble and pant. Well, that did little good. He said the test results would be back tomorrow from some of the urine samples they took. He gave Guido some KD dog food for his kidney function.

I'm wondering what it could be all the other symptoms? Anyone have an ideas?

I'm thinking of alternative treatments like acupuncture and chiropractor adjustments for his back issues.

I welcome any thoughts on this...

Wilbur5

I am so sorry to here about Guido. It is horrible feeling helpless when your baby is in distress.

I had a dog with many of the same symptoms (minus the hair/skin problem) and she also had a back problem. They cause the dog a lot of pain therefore the trembling and panting.

I also had a friend who had a dog with many of the symptoms you listed including the uncontrolable bladder and her dog had diabetes.

I am not a vet but just wanted to give my support and maybe some things you can look into. I hope Guido is feeling better soon.

HiSocietyPoodle

Wilbur5 -- Thank you for your kind words.

HiSocietyPoodle

Has anyone given their Poo DERAMAXX ? My primary Vet suggested it for Guido. I haven't picked up the medication yet. I wanted to see if anyone here has used it.

Today I spoke with an acupuncture Vet. I went over what happened to Guido and his symptoms. He asked if the shaking and panting only happens at night and if there are other dogs in the house. I said yes. He asked if Guido is refraining from jumping up or seems like he is in pain when he jumps up to get in the car. I said no. In fact he does his little hind leg circus dog dance and does not have problems jumping up at all. He asked if the two dogs get along. That question made me really think. I think they tolerate each other. Goomba is a guest in the winter, and this is Guidos home. I told him the last couple nights when it comes time to put them in the doggie bed pen together Guido hides. Last night after I caught him hiding, he ran away from me and began trembling and hid peeking around the wall. Almost as if to say, "I'm not going in there with him!" The Vet asked if something traumatic has happened to him in the evenings since this started? I could only think of the 3 straight nights of vomiting bile and me being up all night nursing him. It started the very next night. The Vet said it sound like a behaviorist problem not pain in his back. And that he didn't want to take my money when he felt it would be better spent with a behaviorist.

I wonder if Goomba has in some subliminal telepathic way intimidated Guido? And Guido is frightened of him? I've never seen them have a fight. But Goomba is about 5lbs bigger than Guido. And Goomba is a bad-ass when it comes to other dogs.

I'm also wondering if the Deramaxx doesn't work it might mean its behavioral?

lunamarz_31

So sorry to hear about his illness...can truly imagine how stressed out you are.
Have you contacted a holistic vet to determine the best way to treat him?
There is a website AHVMA Home Page that lists holistic vets in your area, it's worth checking out. I really believe in alternative medicine, sometimes conventional medicine is necessary in severe cases, but a lot of conditions can be cured via natural method.
Good luck!

HiSocietyPoodle

lunamarz_31 -- Thank you, thank you for your help. I'm going to search that site and find someone in my local area.

I agree holistic is the way to go. I have been doing Reiki on him. He's not a licker, but when I finish giving him Reiki, he licked/kisses me. That is very rare for him. It's conformation that he likes it.

HiSocietyPoodle

I picked up the Deramaxx and tried it tonight.

But, first I want to add an observation.

Yesterday we took the dogs in the car and before we left Guido started shaking. He loves, love, loves car rides, so that was odd. It was late afternoon and not night time yet. As I'm driving I hear Guido growling. I look back and Goomba had mounted him and was humping him. I told Goomba to get off Guido and he did. But it happened again about 4 times. It made us think... Maybe Goomba is humping Guido when they are confined the the dogie pen at night and that's the reason for the anxiety/trembling and it has nothing to do with his back being in pain?

I have moved Guido out of the doggie pen with Goomba at night and they no longer sleep together. I have noticed a difference in Guido. I am also doing Reiki on him.

Tonight I tried one of the Deramaxx pain pills in the early evening when I noticed him slightly shaking. A few hours passed after giving him the pill. I brushed him and gave him a little trim. But, when I gave him a bath the trembling resumed. In the past he has done that before. He had the pain medication in his system, so it should have prevented the trembling/shaking if he was in pain.

I'm almost convinced this isn't pain; it's anxiety based.

Does anyone here have a anxious toy poo that shakes/trembles and pants?

faerie

It sure sounds like anxiety to me. My female cairn shakes and pants when we have thunder storms.

outwest

From your initial symptoms of drinking lots of water, etcetera is sounded like diabetes, but I assume the vet checked for this? I think it could easily be the other dog and anxiety related, too. I hope you get it figured out because he sounds so unhappy. :(

HiSocietyPoodle

Yes, the Vet ruled out he is not a diabetic.

I realized when I gave him the deramaxx and it didn't stop the symptoms that it was anxiety.

All his symptoms are GONE. He is back to normal now that he sleeps on the foot of my bed. Goomba still sleeps in the doggie pen at night cause otherwise he roams the house and pees everywhere.

It cost a small fortune to get a handle on this, and it was something so simple. In the near future I'm going to get him in and work with a behaviorist.