Big pain in the neck?

[Miztiki]

I think I narrowed down where his pain is but want your input.

 

He's doing a whole lot better tonight! He had a bit of spring in his step and is hungry.

 

I gave him a hunk of meat in his crate and he didn't eat it. I had a thought and held it up at his level so he wouldn't have to bend down. He tried to eat it but cried out in pain.

 

I've got some kibble I use for training treats, so grabbed that and fed him from my hand and he woofed it right down with no problem. Lots of kibbles fell on the floor and they are still there. He tried to get one off the floor and cried out in pain again.

 

He ate a gorge meal just fine the day I picked him up from his spinal tap though.

 

So I'm wondering if it's one of two things.

 

Either his neck suddenly became painful yesterday, or he has a bone shard lodged in his throat.

 

If he had a shard lodged somewhere, would he so easily woof down handful after handful of kibble?

 

Many times last night he took a step or two backwards and hunched over, arching his back like an angry cat. Would a bone shard in his throat cause that?

 

I've palpated all along his throat, fairly hard even, and he didn't seem to mind.

 

Remember that pic I posted last night where he's holding his neck sideways and his head tilted? Would a bone shard cause him to hold himself like that?

 

I'm wondering if I should have him x-rayed to see if there's a bone shard in his throat. Wouldn't it be infected if it's causing that much trouble and show up in the blood test? Only his ALT's were abnormal (no reading, likely due to being too high for their machine).

 

What do you think? Think it's a bone shard? Or some side effect from the MRI/spinal tap?

[Lunar]

I am NO medical person at all, but it sounds like his neck/spine, not his throat to me. The poor guy. Jeez he just can't catch a break.

[Miztiki]

Why do you say that Natalie?

 

Don't frown though. Smile! He's really doing a whole lot better than he was last night.

[Beth G]

Hhmmm...I was thinking- and No,

I'm not nuts- but there is chiropractic for animals. Is that worth a shot? Maybe he has a vertebrae out?

[Miztiki]

I just did a bit of experimenting on Boy with some bologna.

 

He bent his neck up, side to side, and out, and even down to within about 4-5 inches from the floor for the bologna, but past that point he cried out.

 

Beth, he had x-rays of his neck and spine and everything appears normal. That's why they wanted an MRI of the brain and spinal tap. They were looking for a central neurological problem.

 

Thing is, the MRI and spinal tap were normal also. Boyden was normal before that stuff too. I don't understand what happened. I've had dozens of MRI's and two spinal taps, and never had anything happen like he's going through. I got the horrible spinal tap headache, but dogs don't get that because they are horizontal.

 

If he had a vertebrae out then I wouldn't hesitate to give chiro a try if the vets thought it might help.

 

Bending his head to the floor is causing some sort of sharp pain, causing him to cry out. He's pretty stoic too, so it must hurt pretty bad.

 

I aggressively palpated all over his body tonight too - his throat, neck, spine, abdomen, all four limbs... He seemed fine with it all.

[Beth G]

Could it be a pinched nerve? And if so, what kinds of test would show that?

 

If all else fails- there is a way to find out but I don't want to cause a ruckus mentioning the animal communicator again.

 

Maybe Boy had some kind of accident yo need to know about and that is one sure fire way to find out if you believe in that kind of thing. Let me know if you are interested, and I can refer you, so you don't end up with a charletan.

[Lunar]

Miz, I just thought that because he would eat without apparent problem, but wouldn't couldn't bend his neck. Plus he showed no discomfort with his neck, but was holding his head funny, etc.

 

This is one of those times where you really really wish you could talk to the dog - or have him talk to you. "WHERE does it hurt??" I guess I've been extremely lucky, I've never had medical issues with my pets to try to decipher.

[Miztiki]

I've been doing some research and just came across this about acute Toxoplasmosis. It's confirmed that he has it but he was not showing any signs or symptoms - until now maybe?

 

 

...acute toxoplasmosis is usually asymptomatic [no symptoms]and self-limited [goes away on it's own]. The most common manifestation of acute toxoplasmosis is cervical lymphadenopathy (enlargement of the lymph glands of the neck) [which I noticed yesterday]. A smaller proportion of symptomatic individuals have myalgia [muscle pain, and he had lots of spasms yesterday], sore throat, abdominal pain, maculopapular rash [might explain the "razor burn" where he's shaved?], meningoencephalitis [inflammation of the brain and covering of the brain], and confusion.

Treatment includes the medicines he's taking now. If he's suffering from acute Toxoplasmosis then hopefully these meds will help.

 

Who has info on long term affects of Toxo? Will he be "cured" or "permanently damaged" or what? Could the Toxo have anything to do with the liver and high ALT levels? Does the liver have anything to do with bruising by any chance?

[Miztiki]

Here's more:

 

Mortality/Morbidity:

 

Acute toxoplasmosis is asymptomatic in 80-90% of healthy hosts. In some apparently immunologically healthy patients, the acute infection progresses and may cause potentially lethal consequences.

Acute toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent hosts:

 

Approximately 80-90% of patients are asymptomatic.

 

Patients have cervical lymphadenopathy with discrete, usually nontender, nodes that are smaller than 3 cm in diameter.

 

Fever, malaise, night sweats, and myalgias [muscle pain] are reported.

 

Patients have a sore throat.

 

Retroperitoneal and mesenteric lymphadenopathy with abdominal pain may occur.

 

Chorioretinitis is reported.

There were several other symptoms listed, including acute liver failure and behavior changes.

 

Scary!

[mado]

as a vet assistant for years and years , I just don't feel anyone but a professional , and one who knows the dog ,and his anamnesis , can have an angle here ...but I keep wishing you all the best

[bobh]

steroids can make a dog a dog very hungre. My GSD (RIP) would not eat unless he was on steroids. try to wean the steroids and he stoped eating,

I hope your Boy feels better soon

bobh

[juliepoudrier]

Miz,

The questions you are posting here are all questions you should be asking your vet. None of us is qualified to comment on what might be causing Boy's latest problems.

 

It seems to me that the symptoms you post for toxoplasmosis are human symptoms. Dogs may or may not react in the same way. At any rate, if toxo is generally self limiting and he is on the appropriate meds, then you are taking the appropriate steps to deal with the problem.

 

Did you read my response to your post in the Health and Genetics section? I would be much more concerned about the TBD and making sure he's got the right treatment for that than I would the toxo. I'll repeat here: discuss with your vet the need for a strong steroid. Steroids are immunosuppressants, and if Boy is battling multiple infections you need to discuss with your vet whether the need for the steroids outweighs the risks of immunosuppression given that he is fighting toxoplasmosis and Bartonella.

 

If it were me, I would make sure that *all* of my vets were involved/coordinated on his treatment and I would designate one vet as the "lead" vet through whom all treatments proposed by any of the other vets are cleared. This way you address some of the issues like the steroid thing, and all are on the same page when it comes to what's being done and why.

 

Searching the Internet can be informative, but if it's going to cause you additional worry, you need to stop. Why latch on to the fact that some folks die from toxo when the majority don't, especially given that Boy is apparently receiving the appropriate treatment? You could make yourself sick from worry that way, and how helpful can you be in Boy's treatment and recovery, and as his advocate to your vets, if you've gotten yourself all worked up about stuff you've read on the 'Net?

 

As for his eating, I would let him eat whatever he *will* eat, and if that means placing his food at shoulder height (or wherever) so that he can eat more comfortably and providing him with a soft diet that is easy to eat (swollen lymph nodes can cause pain when you chew, etc., at least from a human perspective) then rais his food dish. I am not a vet, but of lowering his head causes him pain (and given the diseases and the tests he's had lately, it could be just about anything that's making him sore), then make sure he doesn't have to lower his head.

 

I don't mean to sound harsh, and I know you're worried about Boy, but really the most any of us can do from a distance is give you moral support. Talk, and I mean heart-to-heart, with your list of questions in hand, to your vet. That's where you'll get the best answers to help Boy through his illness and recovery.

 

J.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

And if you can't get your vet to listen, find a new vet. I too feel frustrated feeling like your time is better spent (to speak frankly) getting some answers from a local veterinary professional! Meanwhile we are always here for moral support and comfort, for sure.

 

Good luck!

[bc friend]

Glad to hear he can eat with some help. Since it's going to be a couple more days at least until the vets have any answers, may I suggest you feed him either a high quality kibble that has been moistened or canned food. If he does happen to have a bone shard like you suspect, the softer food should slide by easier. If you prefer more of a meat diet, try pureeing it in a blender. I'm keeping you and Boy in my thoughts.