Pet Health: Forum & Advice for Mysterious Pet Ailments

| Modified on Aug 17, 2023
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Dog health can befuddle dog owners, and cat health can head south in a second; but since pets only have indirect ways of showing us when and how they are sick it can be difficult to understand what is wrong with them and how we can make our pets healthy again. For that reason we have this page for symptoms in pets that have not been diagnosed by a veterinarian, where the ailment just can't be discerned from the pet's behavior and various health issues.

Holistic Health Advice for Pet Owners

When pet health is compromised and we don't know the cause, a vet visit is the best first step. After that if the ailment still can't be identified general support for the pet's health and immune function are a good idea. A change in diet can relieve unknown allergies or improve nutrition. Adding apple cider vinegar to food or water seems to help even the healthiest pets. Colloidal silver can be a safe and effective antibiotic. And as with us dog owners and cat owners, increased light exercise can often help the body overcome health issues of all kinds. For more specific advice on dog health, cat health, and ailments among other animals please look through the stories and advice found below for the knowledgable experiences of other pet owners like yourself.


Bloating, Unusual Stools, Lack of Appetite, Thirst

Posted by Missy's Mom (Us) on 08/18/2012

A few days ago I noticed that my 11 year old, 80 lb, very mixed breed dog's stomach area looked swollen just under her rib cage. For the last month or more she has not been wanting to eat all the time. I thought that it was because she is a grass eater and hasn't been able to do that lately because our grass is too dry from the recent dry weather (I have since started watering an area for her. ) Over the last few days, the swelling has gotten larger down into her stomach. She acts fine. Goes to bathroom fine, though her stool is dark green. She does not want her dry food (Pedigree), but I have found that she will eat pasta 2 times a day. I am adding mashed up mixed vegetables to add some nutrition. Also, In the past month since she started not wanting to eat, she has been panting and seems to drink more water that usual. I read the "bloat" listing on here, but this doesn't seem like the case to me. She hasn't had any shots recently. She was due for her state mandated rabies shot in June, but because she wasn't feeling well, I did not take her. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Replied by Daveyo
(Nakhon Sawan, Thailand)
08/30/2012

Yes get your dog over to a VET for immediate surgery to re-arrange the stomach. If you don't the dog will die.


Colloidal Silver, Blackstrap Molasses

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Posted by Lita209 (Sanford, Florida) on 01/18/2010
★★★★★

Cats virus?

I just wanted to tell my experience with my cat Sunny so it may help someone else. Sunny is a soon to be 4 years old male spayed cat. He asks for food every chance he gets. I try to ignore him sometimes because he is(was) already fat. Very active, outdoor and indoors. Anyways, one day he stopped pesting me for food every 15 minutes. Then he started laying in the house with no energy. I knew something was wrong. I wanted to take him to the vet but at that time I didn't have the money. So I started crushing vitamin C and adding it to his food. I saw that he ate it (I had tried to put garlic before and he would not eat it)so I started adding turmeric to his food. I also gave him ACV with water. Couple of weeks passed and even though he was willing to eat some he was just laying there without grooming himself, no energy, losing weight, his gum were paler than usual. So I decided to add Blackstrap Molasses (I hear is good for anemia)to his food and started him on Colloidal Silver. I was shooting in the dark I had no idea if this was a virus or a parasite. I continue to mix the Vitamin C, turmeric, Molasses and gave him Colloidal Silver every chance I got (3 to 5 times a day).After I started the CS I started noticing a difference, but I dont know if it was the CS or the vitamin C with turmeric that he had been taking for 2 weeks. Then one day he started coming around, he started miauing (oh, yes he had stopped miuauing!) asking for food (that's when I knew he was going to be ok), moving around more, grooming himself, etc. Today he is back to normal. I don't know what was it but I know he was very sick.I want to thank EC for this website I know that Sunny would probably hadn't made it. So now I am paying it forward by letting others know. Thanks and May God Bless You All!!!!!


Constant Itch

Posted by Burton4000 (Norwell, Ma, Usa) on 01/13/2011

Itchy King Charles. Adorable 2 yr old has a constant itch right under the join of his front leg. He uses his back leg to scratch it. We can't even go for a walk because he is constantly trying to scratch that one area only. I have tried constant visits to the VET-spent so much $$. He has a series of cortisone shots- no improvement, tried Benedyl-no improvement, changed his diet completely many weeks ago- no improvement, tried the borax with peroide - no improvement. I bath him with a shampoo the VET sold me. His coat is very nice, but he still itches like crazy in that one spot. I am willing to try anything.. Can anyone out there help little Pete?? I love this site wonderful information here.

Replied by Antonella
(Canada)
02/29/2016

Are there any sores or red, raw patches? Any other symptoms? My dog also had itchy patches that vet products could not resolve. I was desperate to help him so one day I tried adding his probiotic (alpha omega probiotic plus 8 - must be this one- only one that works). I filtered some of the larger particles out, added some coconut oil and diatomaceous earth and made a spreadable paste. I applied the paste to his itchy spots and all kinds of nasties came off. I've since made added shampoo or some dish soap to the mixture and wash my dog with it at least twice a week. I also add it every one of his meals or feed him the coconut oil, diatomaceous earth, probiotic mixture (no filtering) and he loves it.

It's made a tremendous difference. No more itchies but am now working to determine what underlying cause is bring on this issue.


Diarrhea, Watery Mucous, Swollen Gums, Hair Loss

Posted by Mandi (Virginia Beach, Va, Usa) on 12/27/2010

My poor little kitten is very sick, but I can't seem to figure out what is wrong with her. I have tried so many websites, but nothing adds up completely besides feline leukemia... My husband and I are taking her to the vet today to figure out what's going on with our little girl... Her symptoms are as follows,

Bloody Diarrhea w/ Watery Mucous
Swollen Gums
Beautiful Coat, but hair falls out easily


She has the same appetite, and plays the same as always with our roommate's cat. Anyone have any input on home remedies for my little girl? Or any ideas on how to make her more comfortable?


Exhibiting Terrified Behavior

Posted by Deb (Pittsburgh, Pa, Usa) on 05/31/2013

My dog has been exhibiting some strange behavior lately, with the last episode downright terrifying. Just wondering if anyone can recognize these symptoms and give some ideas as to what is going on:

One minute he's relaxed and the next minute he jumps up and starts nervously pacing through the house going from room to room, very agitated. Then he will begin to try to hide as he continues to pace quickly through the house.

During this time (lasting two hours) he is panting so heavily that his tongue becomes purple in color, hanging from the side of his mouth. He seems crazed and 'not there' - either in serious pain or fear.

Nothing that we do helps, although a pay-day candy bar with some baby aspirin helped one time. We were not sure if it was the candy bar (if he was having a low blood sugar attack?) or the aspirin (if he was in terrible pain).

Two days ago it went from a 10 to 100:

Exhibiting the same terrified behavior, going into closets and getting stuck, trying to climb under the bed (big dog 110 pounds). The more he paced, panted and hid the more confused and weak he got until he was stumbling into things and getting weaker and weaker. He would stand with his elbows sharply out, his back legs in bizarre positions. He looked as if someone had put a 200 pound weight on him that was collapsing his body down to the ground but he was still holding himself up - barely

His eyes were sunken and his mouth drawn back, after two hours of incessant panting, pacing, hiding and stumbling, he looked like all of the air had been sucked out of him. I could hardly recognize him. He lost control of his muscles and fell on his face, blood everywhere. I was trying to hold him up and keep him from pacing but I couldn't get him to slide his legs down and to lay down

After two hours of watching him fall apart in front of my eyes, I was sure that he was going to collapse and die, the way that he sounded and looked. Nothing had worked this time.

When my husband finally got home, he had to carry Jake to the car to get to the vet's - who said she'd never seen or heard of this before and didn't have any ideas. She sent us home with some morphone-like pain medication which has him so drugged up he only got up to go to the bathroom 12 hours after he'd taken the medication. I've spent countless hours the last few months - and particularly after this episode - trying to find some information on the internet and have come up with nothing. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Thank you so much in advance for any information, suggestion, advice... He's a 12 year old mixed breed rather large dog with some pain in his legs and recently has a hard time with stairs some days... And other days he's fine. No medications.

Thanks again!

Replied by Claire
(Los Angeles, California)
06/01/2013

So sorry to hear your dog is going through this. I have to think about it for a while, but the first thing I would do is give him only filtered spring water. No tap water, no filtered tap water, but the kind you buy in large containers that have been filtered of all heavy metals. It's possible something in his water or food source is contaminating his blood and causing these symptoms.. High levels of heavy metals, arsenic or mercury. Will let you know if I think of anything else. I would also spend time every day massaging him and trying to pinpoint any sore areas. Could be his neck is out or another muscle is spasming. Poor boy. I am so sorry.

Replied by Om Sairam
(Hope, Bc, Canada)
06/01/2013

You can try the homeopathic remedy ACONITUM. That is for the start. But just once. Does it look like poisoning? Is his fur standing up? In that cae use nereel from heel homeopathics. After giving aconitum just ONCE try to give arnica montana or hypericum (the latter for nerves). These remedies cost little. Keep us informed. Om

Replied by Deb
(Pittsburgh, Pa)
06/01/2013

Thank you Claire and thank you Om!

The vet seemed to think that it was arthritis pain, but I've read quite a lot about arthritis pain and I've not read about such severe symptoms such as he exhibited - although he definitely does have pain.

Claire - about the filtered spring water - I know we don't name names here, but would you have some suggestions on where to find this?

And Om - what are some of these homeopathic remedies for, specifically?

Because of wonderful earthclinic, I've learned about blackstrap molasses and coconut oil for his arthritis - which he now gets every day - and from other reading I've found that dogs can get low blood sugar attacks.

So I followed poor Jake around the house for the first hour, rubbing honey on his lips (or trying to get close) hoping it was low blood sugar. It didn't help.

Also from wonderful earthclinic, I've learned about magnesium oil, so I was spraying him with that and trying to rub it in.

If you can imagine being in such pain or anxiety that you're not really aware of your surroundings, but someone keeps smearing your face with honey and spraying you and rubbing you with magnesium oil..... Poor thing..... I can laugh a little about it now, only because he's now had such a good day that I'm sure he would laugh with me about my remedies, if he could.

Thank you again both of you for your kind suggestions!

Jake, thank you as well.

Replied by Claire
(Los Angeles, California)
06/01/2013

To Deb, sorry I was about to rush out the door early this morning when I read your post and didn't have time to give a very thorough response. I meant any brand name spring water that you'd buy at the grocery store, or the even larger 5 gallon containers of spring water that Whole Foods, Home Depot and/or Lowe's sells, like Poland Springs, Crystal Geyser, etc. I give my dog filtered spring water because of impurities in the local tap water. A 5 gallon container costs about $6 a bottle after you pay the deposit plus cost of the fountain or ceramic jug you place it on.

I once had a dog whose neck used to go out and when that happened, he shrieked out in terrible pain and would lash out at anyone trying to help him and run around and hide looking terrified. It took a great vet to diagnose the issue and another vet who knew chiropractic to put his vertebrae back into place. So that's why I suggest you do very gentle massage (small circular movements) on his whole body to find out where the issues are. You never know, he might have pulled a muscle one of his back legs. Once you find the area causing pain, you can gentle work on it with acupressure or massage. I find this is a great way to find the areas that are bothering them.

My dog has a sore area midway down the spine (between his shoulder blades) and I do acupressure circles on either side of his vertebrae once a week. When I hit a sore place, he lifts up his head and looks at me with concern. If I do these same massage circles on a muscle near that area, the muscle twitches.

Most dogs and cats LOVE it when you massage the area at the top of the spine just below the skull. I think it often gets very sore, just like our necks. I have found that that area can tolerate deeper tissue massage. In my experience, dogs and cats are soooooo grateful to get massage and acupressure and they absolutely need it, just like we do, as they age. My dog will come up to me and when I massage the top of his neck, he will often bend his head down into my lap so I can dig in deeper. It is so amazing!!

I will be thinking about you and your dog!

Replied by Deb
(Pittsburgh, Pa)
06/01/2013

Claire, Thank you so much again for all of your information! I will get the water, and tried the massage on his neck, which I think he loved.

I've made an appointment with a vet who does laser therapy, which I've only heard good things about. Hopefully they can find what is wrong - I'm assuming they have a chiropractor there as well - and can fix it.

I would rather that it is skeletal or muscular pain that can be identified and taken care of, than something internal or seizures, etc.

Thank you again!

Replied by Om
(Hope, B.C., Canada)
06/02/2013

to Deb from pittsburgh. I am very concerned. It could be poisoning with drugs added. This happened to my dog. Try NEREEL from Heel homeopathics. The vet knew nothing but this helped. You can also try STAPHYSAGRIA homeopathics which fits his symptoms such as startled, jumping, fear, etc. The strength of these remedies could be 30C. ACONITUM is for the onset of such symptoms only. My own dog was o.k. after the remedy Nereel but later I realized there could have been kidney damage. Don't panic, God's pharmacy is great and affordable. Keep us informed. Om

Replied by Deb
(Pittsburgh, Pa)
06/03/2013

Thank you Om very much!

You are right - God has given us everything that we need in his natural pharmacy.

I will check out those homeopathic remedies. It has to be better than the pharmaceutical pain medication from the vet.

But I had to give him one today; he went under the outside table this morning and hid for a moment under the tablecloth - something he only does when he's having these episodes - so, trying to nip it in the bud I gave him one tramadol.

He did it again a few minutes later, but now I'm wondering if he has just discovered a new fun thing to do, and that I may have overreacted.

But since he started to include many minutes of (slower and quieter) pacing as well, I think I may have stopped something with the tramadol.

Can't wait to get him off of that, however.

I will update when I have discovered what this is - surely it will help someone in the same situation.

Earthclinic is amazing!

Antonella
(Canada)
02/29/2016

I`m so sorry. I know how horrible it is to watch pets suffer and not be able to help. My dog had a similar episode a couple of times. He would start acting panicked, scared, almost paranoid. Could not sit still but would not wonder more than a few feet away from me. Nothing I did seemed to reassure him.

On a hunch, the second time it happened, I let him outside because I had seen him eat grass I assume to soothe his tummy. He began eating grass and shrubs like his life depended on it. I let him eat for a couple of minutes then brought him inside and force fed him about a quarter cup of hydrogen paroxide to induce vomiting just in case he had eaten anything bad. He immediately vomited his meal (which was the same he had been eating all along) along with all the grass and vegetation. Again I let him out and watched very closely as he continued to eat grass but not as desperately as he had the first time.

The next day I watched him when I let him out to the back yard and immediately saw the problem. He had started drinking from a small pond in my back yard. The pump had recently broken and I had forgotten to empty the stagnant water. I emptied and covered the pond and have not had an issue since.

Also I`ve since added a probiotic to his food every day as he seems to have a sensitive stomach and bloats. I only use alpha omega probiotic 8 plus for pets. It is an amazing product that I`ve used for internal and topical applications.

I hope this helps.

EC: Thank you for your feedback. For those who don't know, please note that the dosage of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting is as follows:

"The general rule for peroxide is 5 mls (or 1 teaspoon) per 10 pounds, orally. Repeat every 15-20 minutes, up to three times, until the animal vomits."

From http://www.sunrisepetclinicaz.com/vomiting.html


Hot, Itchy Ears, Runny, Smelly Nose

Posted by Radar Jindo (Seattle, Wa .u.s.a.) on 04/26/2012

My dog Radar finds this solution soothing to the ears, like putting out a fire.

What I am not sure about is the cause of the problem. His ears are always clean, but sometimes hot and seem like they are itchy. I will rub his ears (which he loves) and he lays on his side and softly "grunts" with relief. His nose will run at this time, and there is a foul odor from the nose. I am wondering if it could be a sinus problem. This has been going on chronically for years, and our vet is stumped on this one...


Incontinence

1 User Review
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Posted by Nunmuri (Caloocan, Philippines) on 08/02/2014

Hi, I have a 4 year old Shihtzu named Snowpy, I'm worried for her since for the last few days I notice she keeps on peeing when she's asleep and usually she didn't get up. I noticed that from the place where she lay down (up on the chair) there's urine under her even though she peed even before she goes to sleep. I also notice that unlike before I can feel her bones at her back but she still weighs 4.7kg. She eats a lot these days compare to before. I am planning to take her to the vet to check her up. What do you think is the problem?

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
08/02/2014

Hey Nunmuri!

It's possible Snowpy has diabetes. I agree with taking her to the vet for a diagnosis. It is also possible, if Snowpy is spayed, that she is experiencing incontinence. Treatment is available for both conditions. Please report back and let us know what you find out.

Replied by Bempierre
(Ca)
07/13/2015
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Too bad I did not see this back in 3013, but I noticed that no one had addressed the pay day chocolate bar that was given to the dog. Chocolate in very small amounts can be deadly and also cause seizures. A tiny chocolate chip in a cookie can cause seizures. Wondering how many other occasions this dog has been given chocolate?


Infection

Posted by Ambiii (Guwahati) on 07/22/2014

My puppy is having infection in his body below ear and stomach; he is 25 days old.... How can I treat it at home??
Vet doctor is sayng he can't suggest solution

Please help me.

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
07/22/2014

Hey Ambiii!

I am trying to understand. What kind of infection? Skin infection?


Listlessness

Posted by Quita (Hearne, Texas, Us) on 12/02/2012

Okay! My 12 week old Pitbull puppy is not herself right about now. She isnt running around, eating or drinking anything and everytime my Mom tries to syringe her some fluids she makes an gasping noise.. I need answers!!!

Replied by Wendy
(Columbus, Oh/usa)
12/03/2012

Bring your puppy to the vet IMMEDIATELY!! There are so many illnesses a puppy could have, especially if it hasn't yet had its shots. Has the puppy had her shots?? Please bring her to a low-cost vet in your area (call your main vet or people you know, and ask them if they know of a low-cost vet).


Listlessness
Posted by Karen (San Diego, Ca) on 10/01/2010

My cat is in need of help and I could use some suggestions... 6 year old male, ultra healthy, gorgeous golden long hair. Came in 3 mornings ago and refused his food. He proceeded to lay down and sleep all day (not unusual) but when dinner time came, I noticed that he wasn't coming to get it and he hadn't moved from that same spot all day (very unusual). Now we are on day 3 of his not eating, just resting, and not going to the bathroom that I can see. He is very lethargic and when he moves, he moves as if he is ill. He was like this about 3 years ago, where I thought he was dead, as he wasn't even lifting up his head and was cold to the touch. Vet visit did nothing ($300) accept talk exploratory surgery to see if there was a blockage. A holistic friend later told me to keep flushing him with Pedialyte every hour to keep him hydrated, which I did, and after a few days, he became well and began eating. We suspected that he had eaten something poisonous and made it through. This time, I am doing the same thing, yet he is not responding the same. I have added a bit of ACV to some water and baby food (after finding this site a couple of hours ago), which he had a few droppers of, yet he is still not coming around and looking any better... Any suggestions from anyone would be so appreciated. I think he has a few lives left, but this is so hard to see him so sick. Thanks, Karen

Replied by Pam E.
(SouthWestern Inland California)
08/16/2023
145 posts

Sorry I didn't see your post when you posted it! I hope your cat got better!

For now, tho, I'll share what I do for my community cats when they won't eat & seem to be uncomfortable, etc.... I offer them Coconut oil (or another natural treatment for food poisoning: GrapeFruit Seed Extract). If they won't voluntarily eat it, I wipe it all over their front paw/s. So far, even if not immediately, they have obligingly licked it off, and usually in about an hour they want their dinner. (I suspect they're eating next door, where it seems old food from a fridge is put outside for strays or opossums or? It often causes food poisoning, tho. The neighbors speak another language, so it's not easy to communicate.)


Losing Teeth

Posted by Terry (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 03/12/2011

Help! Does anyone know what is causing my dog's teeth to fall out? It all started last December when I found 3 very large openings in her gums above the teeth. My holistic vet treated it as a trauma injury from possibly a stick that she chewed on. But after 2 1/2 months it hadn't healed and her teeth were very loose. So, I took her to a dentist and they pulled 6 of her teeth and said that the alveolar bone ( it holds the teeth in the socket) was black and fell apart. So, there was nothing holding her teeth in.

The dentist sent it out for a pathology to be done and it came back with possible squamous cell carcinoma. But, she didn't have any tumors in the mouth. I don't want to do chemo or radiation because I believe that depresses the immune system and right now she is very healthy looking and acts very normal. But, now I am noticing two more small holes developing above two of her teeth in the gum line. I have been using silver shield from Nature's Sunshine to clean her gums, then swabbing with Young Living Essential oils that were recommended.

She is on many supplements to boost her immune system and I have taken her off of all grains. I cook her food using grass fed meats , no antibiotics or hormones and organic veggies. I am at a loss as to what is going on. And I don't want to see her loose all her teeth! She is only 4 years old and a gorgeous beagle girl! I would appreciate any suggestions or if someone else has experienced this with their dog to tell me what I am dealing with. Thanks!

Replied by Diamond
(Salisbury, Mass.)
03/12/2011

Maybe he/she has a gum disease(?) are the gums white? maybe it would be good to take him/her to a vet it maybe costly but our pets are worth it. good luck

Replied by Sharon
(Seattle)
10/18/2016

Hello, the symptoms sound exactly like "myiasis" which is caused by a disease-causing black fly and the larvae now live in the mouth. There have been several reports of people developing this condition in medical journals and the larvae were removed manually and systemic medication given (antibiotic and something like ivermectin along with a topical ivermectin + DMSO). This has been occurring more and more frequently since these "flies" now live in the US for some reason. There was an article in the Phoenix/Scottsdale newspaper this year, 2016 or 2015, stating several disease-causing black flies have been identified in the area and people/animals are developing diseases from them - Botfly, Tumbu fly, Midge, other black flies from South America and the Middle East. Find a Vet knowledgeable about this type of disease - one from the Middle East, South America or China since they treat these diseases in their environment all the time. Good luck. And pray for guidance and healing.


Loss of Appetite

Posted by April (Lake Villa, Illinois, U.s.) on 03/11/2012

My cat squeeky won't eat. She is losing weight. I took her to the vet twice and they did x-rays and blood work and do not know what is wrong or why she won't eat. I am very scared for her and I don't know what to do. I have been mixing food and water and sqirting it into her mouth with a needless syringe like the vet told me to do and she is on a medication to stimulate her appetite, but so far she will not eat. I mixed a little ACV in with the food and water but she still won't eat or drink on her own. she ate a little bit of wheat grass and she tried to eat some grass outside when we took her out for fresh air, but the snow just melted and the grass is all but dead. Does anyone have any idea what I can do?

Replied by Pam E.
(SouthWestern Inland California)
08/16/2023
145 posts

It sounds like this cat was nauseous.... I give my cats coconut oil when they get an acute tummy ache. If they won't eat it voluntarily, I smear it on one of their forefeet/legs for them to clean off. So far they've done so, & an hour later want to eat again. IF the catfood doesn't have live enzymes, those should be added.


Loss of Appetite
Posted by Elizabeth (Austin, Texas ) on 10/06/2010

Help for my dog - 4 year old lab - hasnt been eating abt a week - he will eat rice(bland) I make for him not drinking much -initially thought it was worms - gave him some tobacco about 3 days ago - (less than half a cigarette with some rice) then noticed no diarrhea - he's not "acting" sick but he is looking very thin. And this morning noticed his tongue is pale - I've been "forcing" water about 6oz he'll drink it not gulping ?? help

Replied by Bb
(Atlanta, Ga Usa)
10/16/2010

You need to see a vet, preferably a holistic/osteopathic one. You did not mention urination or defecation patterns. Doesn't sound good. If you go to a conventional vet, get a diagnosis. Then find a holistic vet to have a phone consultation with if you can't find one locally.


Loss of Appetite, Listlessness, Loss of Leg Movement

Posted by Lucky12 (Longwood, Fl, Usa) on 12/02/2012

Hi - Just before Thanksgiving my 8 year old mix breed (80lbs) stopped eating and seems to be very sensitive to his backside. He lost his appetite and stopped eating for about 5 days. I took him in to the vet for multiple testing (blood, urine and xrays) The xrays were all normal and didn't find anything. His globulin levels were way high and protein in his urine. They can't figure out what's wrong with him. We tested for tick borne disease as he is showing signs/symptoms. If it comes back negative they are sending me to a specialist for some bone marrow testing. Vet has suggested possible bone cancer. Since been on pain meds - he's eating, drinking still and his bowels are all normal. He sleeps majority of the day and his bag legs are giving out. I'm so upset and confused why we can't figure out what's wrong with him. Any thoughts/suggestions would so be greatly appreciated.


Loss of Leg Movement

Posted by Peter (Bristol, United Kingdom) on 11/04/2010

Our 1 year old female Jack Russell started limping on her front right leg about 6 weeks ago. When this limp became more pronounced, 7 days later, we took her to our local vet. After certain tests were carried out, we were referred to a "specialist" vet practice but in the meantime, she could no longer stand on her front or rear legs. We eventually took her to "a national veterinary institution" here in the UK where she stayed for 4 days and all possible tests were carried out to determine "where the problem lay". Samples of muscle tissue were taken as well as spinal and nervous system investigation. Samples were sent to specialists in California USA as well as (UK) local laboritories.

We have been following the recommended dietary programme of low fat meals with plenty of protein, some fibre, natural laxative (virgin olive oil mixed with her food)and vitamin supplement programme. We must admit that there has been some gradual progress but her response seems to have "plateaued" after about 4 weeks. The recommended vitamin supplements included Vitamin B2, C, E, L-Carnitine, Selenium, and Co-enzyme Q10. Our vet was reluctant to administer steroid injections but as we cannot see any further progress, we were wondering if this would be the path to follow now. We are giving her physiotherapy by muscle stimulation/massage and hydrotherapy. We have to carry her everywhere, including into the garden to do her ablutions and we have purchased harnesses for transporting her to her ablutions and another to act as a life jacket when we put her into hydrotherapy. We would appreciate any advice from people who may have had a dog that is experiencing simlar problems.



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