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Need help please from more experienced BC people


Fargo

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Hello all!

I need to pick any available brains. I have a two year old border collie that is a medical mystery. Not the kind of mystery I typically enjoy!!! Fargo (the BC in question) just turned two and is an intact male that should weigh 60lbs healthy. He came from working parents on a small farm in Ohio. At age six months I realized something was off. Quite simply he was failing to thrive. Symptoms included lack of appetite, anorexia, swelling at the joints, weeping eyes, lethargy, no body is home moments, odd bouts of aggression, occasional loss of balance,occasional limping of one hind leg or the other, occasional (once every couple of months) bloody loose stool,heart murmur that shows up once in a blue moon, and swelling of the muzzle (his latest symptom). A really long list I know. We have had Tick panels run, titers, two ultrasounds, joint taps, two malabsorption tests,three thyroid panels, ana tests, fungal tests, and countless cbc's all disgusting normal. I had dna samples sent to optigen on friday to rule out CL and TNS ( his symptoms don't really fit either diseases as far as I can tell). The vet is ready to cry out of frustration (this is the third vet on his case, the specialists are stumped... and I just want my best friend to feel better. He is my third BC, but I have never seen anything like this and our local vets have little BC experience. Any idea's on what direction we should try next would be gretly appreciated!

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Thanks for your suggestions, I already ruled out Lupus (I had to push fired vet #1 for the ANA) which ruled out Lupus, the tests run from the fluid collected by the joint tap also ruled out Lupus... I was at the time very sure it had to be systematic lupas.. too many strange symptoms that come and go. Allergies have been ruled out as well....... I'm at the point of repeating tests and searching out genetic testing to rule out as many disorders as possible... there are not to many left!!! Poor Fargo feels like a BC pincushion by now. :(

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I agree. His vet calls it a unknown autoimmune disorder...the specialists internal and neurological are not convinced it is autoimmune. Both cushing's and addisons were both ruled out on two different occasions. I have not opted for the bone marrow sampling or the spinal tap... both seem incredibly invasive and painful. After we get the TNS and CL results I am not sure there is much else we can do for him. At one point we tried a different immune suppressant drug (we were told to keep it in the freezer) but it made his symptoms amplify... so we went back to giving pred.

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It sounds like you have covered everything. If this were my dog, at this point I might consider dietary changes and holistic immunosupportive therapies - for lack of any other idea. What is his weight? (You said he should weigh 60 lbs.) How is his appetite?

 

Jovi

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To answer both replies, the CL/TNS tests are pending... not really a big concern I just want to be thorough, and I will dig up his pedigree in the next day or so and post it. He is ABCA... and I will post the test results good or bad as soon as I get them. I would rather be open if he is affected or a carrier then hide it, as both diseases are horrible and I hope I never have to see a BC suffer from either.

On the holistic end of things.. I currently feed Lotus Grain free duck. I tried Fargo several times on raw, both commercial and home prepared.. and he refused it touch it. It seemed to be more of a sensory issue than anything, as he also won't eat canned, rehydrated grain free, or homemade. I have tried him orijen, acana, organix grain free, instinct kibble, grandma lucy's, and a few other high end foods. I supplement him with omega fatty acids 3-6-9, only natural pet store brand GI support, immune balance, and easy strider (joint support). i do not have a holistic vet in our area that I could find. His average weight is 44lbs, he is a big boy the 60lb range would make him a thin healthy weight.

Also his most recent bloodwork came back completely normal again... the vet would like to try a immune suppressant for hemolytic? amemia...pending he genetic tests.

Thanks

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The first test to rule out addisons he had been off pred for about 4 months (when he is on it he symptoms get worse except for his appetite so we only give it when he is cruelty case skinny). We did both the electrolyte test, and the cortisole? test (the test that involved fasting and a very expensive shot). This odd disorder also cycles... it is at it's worst in winter... (I know he has only had to winters but it seems to be more profound starting around Dec.)....

Thanks Kim

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A member had asked about his lineage... his sire is Chase ABC 268096, his dam is Minnie ABC 278170... there is nothing really notable in his pedigree (I was told that the first three generations are all working BC's on the fourth generation he shows several great- great grandparents from England and Scotland. I'm not sure how long it will take to get the optigen results back.. but I will post them once I recieve them.

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Haven't tried anything other then pred... his vet wanted to wait until we got the tns/cl results back. When I talked to her last night she had said she might want to try a different immunity drug, but normally did not like to go that route without being positive what is really wrong with Fargo. At this point I am out of tests that I am willing to put him thru and I did request once we got the results that we do try a different drug. I'll ask her if we can try that one! Thank you so much!

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