Bensam

Fortunately over the many years of dogs I have never had one which was carsick. All have travelled distances to shows and when I went to my daughters wedding three of them travelled 12,000klms with me on a trip lasting 5 weeks. I always started pups out with a 10 minute drive slowly building up the time and distance. I have always driven but recently with Ben being so sick I have had someone drive and I have sat in the back with Ben, it's enough to make anyone ill, the difference in the ride is amazing, every bump, every sway is felt so much more. Some years ago went to a show with a friend and her Irish Setter youngster. Half hour into the trip her dog stood up, leant over the front seat and threw-up into her open handbag. :lol:

I dont know, I dont know. It's Sunday 8.30am. Ben has had me up one minute and down the next. There were encouraging signs but now he is very lethargic. I thought he had a little sight from some reactions and his hearing was so much better. He was taking an interest in sounds around him. Last couple of days have been stinkers, 110degrees + so I'm hoping it's just the heat. When I take him out to toilet he squats, wees, etc. then just sags down. Carry him back in and he lays down and sleeps, no interest in anything. He is still eating and drinking OK so I guess that's good. Wish this b.... weather would cool down. Poor old Aussie is copping some dreadful bushfires, none in my area as yet but most summers we get an outbreak up this way from lightning strikes and I dont need that. How are Mei Mei's pups going and how is Guy? To anyone having troubles I send my best wishes, I start to go through the forum but just cant seem to catch up with everything going on. One sick dog seems to take more time than when I had the kids small and they all got measles or whatever together!

Absolutely. When I moved to this area about 12 years ago, I tried a couple of the Vets in the larger town (still 150ks away) and ended up in a smaller place with the Vet I have now. He LISTENS to what I tell him and asks questions. I have told him if I get sick I'm going to him :lol: as the local Doctors have the "I'll tell you whats wrong, dont want to hear how you feel" attitude.

Hobbit, all his blood tests were fine, ones I can remember Vet telling me - red and white cells, liver, kidneys, enzymes, others I cant remember. The only thing that was picked up was slight muscle trauma in an early test, but that had decreased in the later tests. Apparently this could have been from the arthritis in his back or heart strain but his heart sounded fine. Hasn't had any recent vacs. for distemper or anything else. Vet. queried me on all manner of things, falls, bites, cuts, etc. everything had a 'no' answer. Whatever it actually is has come from somewhere/something but will probably remain a puzzle. At the moment I'm on a roller coaster, one minute I wonder if I have done the right thing, next I think I can see a slight improvement. His hearing has improved, opened the cupboard where the biscuits are and his head went up, ears forward, so the brain in working and tonight, I hope I'm not kidding myself, moved my hand beside his left eye and he turned his head, did this twice, wasn't game to go for three in a row. He is walking slowly in the morning, not so good by evening but it's very hot and long days.

:lol: :lol: way to go, Guy and Hobbit :lol: :lol:

Yes, Hobbit, how is Guy? Sorry I've been a bit off beam and didn't enquiry before this. I hadn't forgotten him. Hope things are going OK for him and you. And have we heard from Mei Mei? I've got so much to catch up with.

Interesting - The symptoms do sound the same. In the article it is a possible follow-on from Distemper, can it be a condition on it's own? Ben did not have any of the other symptoms for distemper and would not any virus show in the blood work? He has had blood done about 6/8 times over about a week.

Hobbit, West Nile Virus, I haven't heard of it. Is it mosquito borne, We have a Ross River Fever contacted from Mossies. Presents differently. Somewhere along the line Bob ruled out Encephalitis, the other one I dont remember being mentioned but have heard so many medical terms this last week anything may have passed me by.

And the Border Terrier picture isn't even a Border :evil: BK that's how most of the breed clubs here work, most have a "puppy rep" who handles calls and give out info. on the breed etc.

Ben had been a bit quieter for about a week which I was putting down to the extremely hot weather we were having and he is heading for 10years. On the Sunday he was reluctant to get up, had to call him twice. Much the same Monday am. so headed for the Vet. Saw one of the young ones, Ben showed discomfort when his neck was turned and just behind his shoulders on the spine was tender. Didn't yelp with pain, just flinched. Probable arthritis, put on Rimadyl. Was worse Tuesday, back to Vet, saw Bob this time, xrays taken, trouble with 3 discs (from Vet note:- Thoric(?) 8/9. T5/6 and T5/4. These appear to be associated with a chronic arthritic condition of the back called ossifying spondy?osis. developing over a long period and now only showing symptoms). At no time has he had a temperature. On returning to Vets on Thursday, Bob queried if he had had any trauma, falls etc. a couple of other things which I cant remember but Ben had not had any of them. Bob's assumption of infection is an educated guess as he couldn't do the spinal tap to confirm it. He was down to last options having tested for all manner of things. I would never have imagined it could happen so quickly Poor Ben may still not recover but at least he is home and Bob cant do any more.

Now I have Ben sleeping next to me, it's going to take for ever to catch up. Hobbit, I'm sure I read about a generic Premarin on the web too. As for chaining a dog, first up, it's something I would not do, but in Aussie there is a 'Code of Practice' for the tethering of animals, this includes a section on dogs, so guess this is better than nothing.

Wednesday 12.30pm. Mentioned in an earlier post that Bob (Vet) was treating for a spinal infection. He phoned me late last evening, new blood tests had come back with lower enzymes than the morning tests, so that was good. More done early this am. lower again, and Ben a bit brighter. Bob suggested that I bring him home as he would benefit from home comforts. So dashed over and Ben is walking slowly and his hearing is improving. Eyesight very bad, Bob cannot tell if the retinas have detached because of severe odema so will have to wait until this clears, hoping it will be OK. Ben is on large dosage of Prednisolone, decreasing gradually over 3 weeks. I'm not real happy about using it but it appears to be working and at the moment I'd walk on fire to get results. He is sleeping in his trolley at the moment. Had a little walk when we came home, small meal, big drink and settled down in the lounge. A long way to go but this is the best he has been since yesterday week. Thank you my friends, I know all the good thoughts have helped Ben and me. It really helps to tell someone. Mei Mei, things going OK for you, I hope?

Hi BK. Hobbit will probably give you all the right places to look. I was sent a link re a condition with symptoms similar to stroke. Very interesting. Anyway it describes the problem causing ataxia. I then did a search on Rimadyl, it says one of the side effects can be ataxia. I'm practically convinced now that it was the cause of Ben's collapse,( have yet to convince my Vet.). Apparently liver damage can be the main worry, thankfully Ben's test cleared that. [url]www.peoriahs.org/vestibular.html[/url]

Mei Mei - how are things with you? Please let your news be hopeful too. Ben - (not writing a book today, you have all been so great ) Phoned the Vet. Ben is very slowly improving, can stand and is eating and drinking a little. More tests to be done.

Hi, it's 7.30pm here and I am not long home from a very long day at the Vets. and that after a bad night. I am now hoping for a miracle. Yesterday Hobbit posted a site to look at and then I did some searching re the meds. he was on. There was a tenious link between them, rang my Vet. who wasn't happy with my suggestion of stopping the meds. Anyway I decided to, so he had had one at 5.30am yesterday then no more. All yesterday he just lay there, by evening he had no reflex action at all and no eye movement, the urine was just running away. He was the same this morning headed for the Vet. 150k trip. About 10ks to go, he tried to lift his head and focused his eyes on me. I tell you I was bawling, got 20mls water which he lapped off the syringe. By the time I left the Vets, he had reflexes in 3 legs, still not standing, eyes good and responding to voice. He is at the Vets on a drip, blood taken, more xrays, not out of the woods by a long shot but just maybe? Vet. nearly agreed he had a reaction to the meds. Mei Mei every time I lose a dog I swear there will be no more, but there always is, we are suckers for heartbreak, aren't we? I know just what you are going through. So sorry to hear you are suffering too. Thanks everyone for your thoughts I really appreciate being able to talk to you all and it's not so hard to type where no-one can see how often you have to dry your eyes. Love you all.

Things aren't good, I'm afraid. Phoned my Vet a while ago, Ben just getting worse by the minute, no feeling in his legs, just lying there. I'm taking him over to the Vet in the morning again. He's afraid that the discs in his back have prolapsed totally and has told me to be prepared for the worst. God, I dont want to lose him, but I afraid that's going to happen. If he could only be better for one day and enjoy life for another minute and be PTS when he would know I was there with him and not have pain. Damm damm it's not fair. At least by morning I wont have any tears left. I cant even pick him up and cuddle him, it hurts him. Sorry to unload but it's only us stupid dog people who know what this feels like.

I'm going to try a syringe in a short while, he gets very distressed when I move him at all. Took him out to toilet and had to hold him up and he did nothing. He is sleeping at the moment, next time he stirs I'll try the syringe.

Thanks for your replies. My boy is really down, tonight he wont eat and I'm having awful trouble getting him to drink. Just got my fingers crossed.

Does anyone know of a good site on the 'net with info about strokes in dogs or has anyone had any experience with this? My boy is being treated for acute arthritis and now has had a minor stroke and I was wanting to find out about rehab. from this condition. Can anyone help, please?

Love it, BK :lol: :lol:

I have 6 sons and a daughter, she's youngest by 6 years. They all spoilt her rotten. If I growled at her I would have 6 boys not talking to me! THEN she grew up and, boy, was there some arguments. We lived in a small town and every time my daughter looked at a boy the brothers would vet him and none every seemed to pass muster. " He drinks", "he smokes", 'he cant hold down a job", "he goes with a rough crowd", anyone would have thought my sons were angels, far from it! My daughter was posted to Darwin with her job, met and married a wonderful guy, so perhaps her brothers' warnings paid off :lol:

:cry: :cry:

When I started reading the article I was assuming the person was just a child THEN, next paragraph, she is 42! and her Mom stopped her! Time to cut the strings and get a life. Thank goodness for that policeman.

Know the feeling, Gigi. My girl, under 12ins at the shoulder, always want to take on the big guys! When I was showing her, in Group 1 with the rest of the toy breeds, she wouldn't look sideways but in the General Specials ring, with possibly an Airedale behind us and going on down the line through maybe Collies, Affies, Setters etc. I had to watch her. Rotties were always her favorite target. Must be something about them. :lol:

It's taken a while, but I'm getting smarter in my old age. Leaving Ickle's lovely posts till last, it's hard to read the others through tears :cry: