Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Allergies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 That sounds like some sort of autoimmune disease. Lupus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 One other thing I forgot to mention, he gains some weight when on high doses of Pred, but his neurological symptoms- dropping in the wrists and hocks, loss of balance, and no body is home moments get worse during pred use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 There's still something about the all-over-the-place symptoms that just screams autoimmune disorder to me. What about Addison's or Cushing's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'm curious about the TNS/CL results. While he doesn't fit it's not that far off. What are his lines? Can you divulge this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 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? Â Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Oh sorry! His appetite is poor at best. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach BCs Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 When the vet tested for Addison's, had Fargo been taking Prednisone recently? What test was used to rule it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Just curious. Have they tried immuren (sp)? That's is what I used when Tommy had her major auto immune flair up. It took about 30 days but once it kicked in she was just a whole lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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