Hello. I have a 7 year old black lab, his name is Charlie. He has been having some odd health issues and ive been to the vet twice (nearly $1,000) and I have no answers. I am just going to write out everything thats started this, sorry if its long. Before this Charlie had no health issues at all and was a normal 7 year old lab. So back in November I pulled a tick off the bak of his neck. Two days later I found a dead tick on my bed, that looked like it had latched on and died (as I keep up with the tick preventative oil) I saved both ticks just incase. Roughly a week later I came home and his cheeks were a little swollen, it looked like he might have been bit by a bug or something. The next day he was completely covered in hives and swollen all over and puking, I rushed him to the vet where they gave him steroids, anti naseau and more tick preventive. I brought the ticks with me but the vet seemed very sure that they were unrelated and when I left the ziplock bag of the 2 ticks were most likely trashed. I was told to bring him back in a month to see how he was. Charlie then began drinking excessive amounts of water, and still to this day is. He urinates constantly, and drinks bowls and bowls of water. He has been eating normally. He eventually started favoring his back left leg, constantly holding it up and not putting pressure on it. He literally learned to walk on 3 legs. Its slowly got worse. But then slowly got better, and he was even running at full speed. By this time it was time to see the vet again. He had blood work, which didnt pinpoint anything exactly. The vet said the two things the bloodwork was close to were Diabetes and Mulitple Myloma (a rare form of cancer) The vet said Charlie would need more blood work and Xrays to determine what is going on. This was around Christmas/New years. I am not in a position financially to take him back soon, as I already have spent everything in my savings. I dont have any family or friends in a position to lend me $4-500 for the blood work and Xrays. This vet office is very expensive and its killing me. The Vet who is assisting me is very kind, and is aware of my financial situation and has given me a few discounts but still every visit cleans me out. So from then til now Charlie has still been drinking excessive amounts of water. He also began favoring the other back leg in the exact same way. He wouldnt put pressure on it and held it up. This came on slowly and then eventually went away. Currently it has seemed to come back on both of his back legs to the point he cannot get up and down the steps, he can barley lift himself up. He whimpers whenever he stands up. I have to carry him up and down the steps. This has been going on for 1-2 weeks. Throughout this entire thing its been a cycle of him feeling bad then good then bad then good now bad, his back leg would be hurting and it would also affect his demeanor, he would just lay around and was lethargic and sad (but still drinking excessive water) but now its worse than ever, When he lays down his back legs twitch constantly. He is going to the bathroom normal. I am trying to save up enough to get him the Xrays and more blood work I am just getting very worried he is barely able to walk and very sad, and uncomfortable. if anyone has any input it would be greatly appreciated. Im no vet but it seems very odd that this string of health issues all started with the tick. Oh and he tested negative for lymes, however i dont think it would show as it was only a month after he was bit. I want more than anything for him to feel better and live many more healthy years. I cant sleep some nights as im extremely worried. I hope this is the right place to post this, this is my first time asking for help on the internet. Thank you if theres any responses.
I'm sorry to hear about this There are many different tick-borne diseases - Lymes is just one of them. I would think an important thing to look for in his bloods, would be markers for tick-borne diseases (not just Lymes). From what you write, it's not clear if your vet has done this or not. Which diseases ticks carry will also vary by area and location. I would really recommend you have a read of this link: http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health...g-for-your-dog/canine-tick-borne-disease.html Especially: " Canine Bartonellosis comes from the brown dog tick. Symptoms are intermittent lameness and fever. Left untreated, this disease can result in heart or liver disease." The symptoms you describe really do sound like a tick-related illness. I know that you have said you don't have funds at the moment, but I think you really need to try to raise the money somehow for treatment ASAP. For example: Speak to the vet office and explain your circumstances and ask if you can pay in instalments and if they can offer a payment plan for you - you have already spent a lot of money with them and they know that and know you are good for it. Put it on a credit card. Set up a GoFundMe page or a JustGiving page and post about it on FB to ask people to donate (here too) - but somehow, I think you owe it to Charlie to get him the treatment he needs. If you really can't afford it or see a way to afford it, then you may have to turn Charlie over to rescue so that he can get the health care he needs. Don't let it come to that... Which 'tick preventative oil' were you using?
Thanks for the response, I just got off the phone with the vet and I forgot to mention a specific protein is elevated in Charlie s blood which indicates the myloma. However we are going to run anti biotics, I'm going to pick them up today. Speaking with him I feel he doesnt want to tell me what he believes it to be, bedside manner I guess. I can only pray the antibiotics are what was needed. I forget what the name of the oil is. I believe it's similar name to the main heart worm company. I call the vet back in 7 days for an update.
Also I would never let Charlie suffer, I will find a way to get him the treatment he needs. I was more or less saying I don't have extra funds and the amount I've spent so far for little to no results is frustrating.
The vet should have been able to rule in/out diabetes pretty easily. It bothers me a little that he suggested that as a possibility. We had a lab that became diabetic at 12. She was very thirsty, and lethargic. One trip to the vet determined that it was likely diabetes and a second trip confirmed it. It was quite manageable for us, but insulin cost less 20 years ago. Where are you located? That might give other folks some ideas about possible tick related diseases.
Located in South Jersey, when he was first tested his urine was so diliuted I had to withhold water overnight and bring in a sample, which was still semi diluted but diabetes wouldn't have an effect on his back legs. I have thought about buying insulin strips and testing it myself. The thing that I did not like was the fact that I brought the tick into the office, on my first visit when he broke out in hives, and the first Vet Dr (not the Vet currently handling everything, who has been extremely helpful) did not do anything with the tick, like maybe send it out for testing? I had mentioned it to her and she basically said it had nothing to do with his allergic reaction (the allergic reaction occurred over a week after the tick bite) So this was all before Charlie was drinking excessive water and before his back legs were hurting him. Everything links back to the tick bite, as he had no health issues his entire life before. Now here I am 3 months later giving him antibiotics for the original tick bite. I feel like the first Vet (my vet office has multiple Drs) could have saved me a lot of time, money and worry, ....if the antibiotics knock this out of him. Regardless it should have been handled differently. She wasn't as attentive, or experienced as the vet I have now. I got a copy of his blood work and everything is in the normal range except the protein GLOB (7.2) AND TP (10) .....so that along with the physical symptoms, after eliminating other possibilities lead my vet to say he believes it's multiple myeloma. After this week of antibiotics if that doesn't help he will need to do xrays. I've been in total shock bc the vet told me, when I asked, that if it is multiple myeloma than Charlie might only have roughly 6 months left. It breaks my heart bc he's only 7 and should still have many more good years ahead. All the reasearch I've done, at least from a physical standpoint looks like the worst case.
Just a thought something like a tic bite could be the trigger to an autoimmune disease infections can trigger the body into a response. Clutching at straws but maybe worth checking out. The first vet did not help your situation. Hope your dog gets sorted out soon.
@SHAWNCHATBURN it's hard to know what to suggest. You could ask for a referral and a second opinion at a more specialised vets. But - everything costs money. If it is diabetes, that is treatable in humans now with a ketogenic diet - type 2 diabetes is, anyway. A ketogenic diet contains almost no carbs. This means you will need to feed raw and can't feed any kibble. With no carbs or sugar, diabetes can be reversed in people effectively. The ketogenic diet is also great for cancer - since sugar (and carbs which are converted to sugars) feed cancer cells. There is an organisation called KetoPet which advocates for the ketogenic diet in dogs with cancer and - although it is less directed specifically at dogs with diabetes - it would also help with that: https://www.ketopetsanctuary.com The other huge supporter of ketogenic diets for dogs with cancer, is Dr Becker who's behind the Dog Cancer Series of videos: https://www.dogcancerseries.com (Watch the trailers on that site.) And if you look on YouTube, you'll also find some free clips to watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcBP2Dp1pUnVriNUr_ZqIEg If you want to feed a ketogenic diet properly, download the ebook and info from the KetoPet Sanctuary: https://www.ketopetsanctuary.com/pages/resources There is also a KetoPet FB group which is very helpful: https://www.facebook.com/groups/KetoPetSupport/ You could also buy the Dog Cancer Series - but the set is pricey if you are strapped for cash. The above resources are all free.
