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MIL dog may have had a stroke

MIL dog may have had a stroke

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by: Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 8:56pm  
She called me this afternoon pretty upset.... that is my MiL not the dog. "She's not acting right." So I headed over. Dog who is 13 or 14 and quite overweight from much to much human food was in her lap panting and shaking. Eyes looked kind of glassy but she does have cataracts or something like that so whatever. She was acting very strange, very disoriented and off balance. She did wag her tail when I spoke to her but she was really not in very good shape.Mom was very distraught but I reasoned with her that if the dog had actually had a stroke or something like that at the dog's age the vet wouldn't do much. I asked her if she wouldn't really be with the dog as she passed instead of the dog with strangers in a strange place. She agreed. She held her baby tight and cried a bit. I told her to keep showing her love to her dog. I just checked in by phone a short while ago, the dog is in her lap and still sort of out of it. Mom says she will just sleep in the recliner tonight. We will try to make sense of it tomorrow. It's sad, her really best friend. Perhaps this will let mom see it is ok to go now. She has been talking about it for some time, how she doesn't enjoy life as much. I think we should let our older folks decide their future. If it's her time it is ok. Please don't flame me for my thoughts. 4951
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MarT Active Indicator LED Icon 9
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 9:16pm  
@ChrisinKingwoodThese things seem to have a way of working themselves out.  My Gma was in her 90's, doctors said there was nothing wrong with her, she could live forever.  Except, she was mostly blind and deaf and really had lost the will to live.  Her friends had died, and she wanted to go.  She fell and punctured a lung with a broken rib.  The family decided not to do heroic measures, but let her pass away.  It was a hard decision for my uncle who is a devout Catholic, my dad made peace with it after having a discussion with a doctor who said the procedure would have been incredibly painful and difficult and she may not have survived anyway.  It's hard to watch the decline, hang in there.    4951
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Weathergirl5 Active Indicator LED Icon 8 Forum Moderator
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 10:01pm  
The dog might be suffering from idiopathic vestibular disease aka old dog syndrome. My 10 year old golden had it. Comes on suddenly. We thought it was a stroke too.
 
4951
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donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 10:21pm  
@ChrisinKingwood: Emoticon for MIL and the puppy...no judgment and no flaming 4951
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mutton Active Indicator LED Icon 9
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 10:29pm  
Dear sir, is so sad and hard to deal with.  Our old one (around 17) had an event and we put on watch till there was no argument to be had. Love them and hug them when we can! 4951
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Ann2800 Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 8 years ago   Feb 11, '16 10:53pm  
Awwww we just love our animals 4951
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Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 8:35am  
Talked to mom this morning. She said she finally headed off to bed at midnight and put Little Bit in her bed and she seems to be holding her own and sleeping. Not sure what the day will bring. Wish me luck!  At least Paul is here repairing the washer so that's one less thing I have to deal with. 4951
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GoldenGirl Active Indicator LED Icon 15
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 8:42am  
@christiankingwoodMy dog had the same thing and totally recovered...  Read below !!!A fairly common reason for a veterinary visit is the concern that an older dog has had a stroke, when he suddenly starts walking like a drunken sailor with his head tilted. I know of other cases, where these sorts of symptoms are assumed to be a brain tumor and the dog is euthanized—maybe unnecessarily. (The condition plays a role in the new Hallmark movie, Duke.) Well, I want to shed some light on a much more common and less concerning cause of these and other disturbing signs, something known as idiopathic vestibular disease, in case it is something you ever experience with your own geriatric dog. Idiopathic (meaning unknown cause, think: idiot) vestibular disease is a syndrome that looks really, really bad, but usually gets better all on its own with little or no treatment.The vestibular system The vestibular system is composed of portions of the brain and ear and is responsible for maintaining a sense of balance. When something goes wrong with this system, it’s like being drunk on a rocky boat. Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease have some combination of the following signs: A head tilt, An unsteady gait, loss of balance, or falling over, Circling in one direction,Eyes rapidly moving from side to side, known as nystagmus, Sudden vomiting.These videos show a dog with mild, but very typical, vestibular signs and another dog with more severe signs. Now for the caveat: These clinical signs are unfortunately not unique, or diagnostic for, idiopathic vestibular disease and other things can cause this same presentation. These can include (yes) a brain tumor, an inner ear infection, inflammatory disease or sudden bleeds into the brain—to name a few. But with that being said, when the symptoms seemingly appear out of nowhere in an older dog, I always recommend a “wait-and-see approach,” treating symptomatically and supportively, as there is a good chance of improvement.Wait-and-see approach For a dog showing the above signs, I first discuss the possible causes. Next, I recommend blood work and a blood pressure check to make sure there is no “obvious” disease. I discuss the availability of an MRI to evaluate the inner ear and brain. Although an MRI allows for the best evaluation of disease, it is often not pursued due to cost (about $1,500 here in the Bay Area). I examine both ear canals, and if an infection is suspected, I discuss antibiotic therapy, as inner ear disease is one of the possible causes of vestibular signs. The inner ear (pictured below) is something you cannot see during an exam because the eardrum obscures the view to the inner ear. The eardrum is like a closed door that sits in front of the middle and inner ear. However, if there is a nasty looking outer ear and an inflamed eardrum, there is a chance that inner ear disease could be present as well.If the dog’s clinical signs are so severe that they cannot walk, I then recommend supportive care with IV fluids and injectable anti-nausea medications. Urinary catheters are sometimes placed for hygienic reasons. If clinical signs are mild, pets can often be managed at home with over-the-counter meclizine (for the feelings of “motion sickness” they experience). We also provide instructions for general nursing care as well as how to protect from falls. The conversation ends with discussing a very loose rule of thumb: If there is gradual or complete improvement within 72 hours, it is likely idiopathic vestibular disease and additional diagnostic testing is not necessary. If there is no improvement or progression of signs, it is likely something much more serious, such as a tumor, and an MRI would be recommended to reach a definitive diagnosis. With idiopathic vestibular disease, marked improvement is usually evident in this time frame, with the pet returning to normal in 7 to 14 days (although in some dogs, a head tilt will still persist). It should also be noted that this is not a painful condition, and my recommendations stem from the fact that euthanasia is a permanent decision, so why not wait and see, giving time a chance? There is a high likelihood that improvement will be seen and the difficult decision of euthanasia can always be made at a later date if there is no improvement or if there is a change in your pet’s quality of life. I feel there is reason to hold out hope and be cautiously optimistic, as idiopathic vestibular disease is the most common form of vestibular disease in dogs. It is the direction I would take if it were my own boy experiencing this.Please note: There are times, however, when a physical exam points undeniably to a brain tumor, but these neurological exam findings are beyond the scope of discussion, so feel free to ask me any questions. 4951
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Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 4:15pm  
Thanks @GoldenGirlI went over to check on my MiL and her dog about noon and found her out motoring along in her wheelchair with Little Bit in he lap, she clearly recognized me when I walked up and wagged her tail.  Mom hadn't put her down on the ground yet so I helped her out. The dog is really having a hart time with balance as the article mentions, it's mostly in her back legs. Her hips sway from right to left like her legs are all rubbery. She did do a pee but nothing else. I put her back in mom's lap and we headed inside. We tried letting her walk around in the apartment a bit but it was the same thing, she couldn't keep her balance. So far she has improved, she isn't panting or trembling but she doesn't seem interested in water of food. Not sure if that is normal. My wife gets home later this evening and we will go over. The dog is 13-14, we aren't really sure. It's a hard decision as to take her to the vet or not since mom is on a limited budget and it can get real expensive fast for IVs and other care. My wife is going to talk to her mother about it. 4951
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lola Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 4:22pm  
I think Lonestar on Atascocita still offers the first office visit at no charge.Call them. Get her examined.They are open tomorrow.Maybe they can squeeze you in if you tell them the circumstances.You don't want her to suffer over the weekend.281-812-0257www.lvhcares.com 4951
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magnoliamam Active Indicator LED Icon 7
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 5:15pm  
..."mom is on a limited budget".........?So how can she be living at Watercrest on a limited budget?  I ask because I've checked the place out for myself......?  Sorry maybe I shouldn't be asking but I'm just curious and mostly frustrated in my own search for a decent nice senior independent living option for a reasonable price..... 4951
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Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Feb 12, '16 10:03pm  
..."mom is on a limited budget".........?So how can she be living at Watercrest on a limited budget?  I ask because I've checked the place out for myself......?  Sorry maybe I shouldn't be asking but I'm just curious and mostly frustrated in my own search for a decent nice senior independent living option for a reasonable price.....
 
@magnoliamam: Watercrest was cheaper than many others we checked for what you get, she was at Terrace of Kingwood (used to be something else before the name change) and it cost more there. Her budget is limited as she does get her late husband's SS and a small pension payment. Her son in California pays about $600 per month just to get her enough for food and medicines but nothing else so every penny each month goes into paying her bills. My DW and I also cover a lot of small things and somtimes bigger ones when we can. I guess a lot of us are on a limited budgets if you think about it.
4951
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klp1972 Active Indicator LED Icon 7
~ 8 years ago   Feb 13, '16 7:10am  
@Chrisinkingwood: Is there an update (hopefully positive) on your MIL's best friend?? 4951
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Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Feb 13, '16 8:16am  
@Chrisinkingwood: Is there an update (hopefully positive) on your MIL's best friend??
 
@klp1972: Yes and thanks for asking. I know there are a lot of dog lovers on this forum!  My DW flew into Bush at about 5pm so we stopped at her mother's on the way home. The dog is doing much better but still has a bit of a rubbery rear leg walk. She isn't panting and her eyes seem to have stopped twitching so much. She finally stooled albeit out on the enclosed patio but mom in ok with that, this dog has never been super good about waiting to go outside. I think we will just wait and see. I did a lot of reading up on Vestibular strokes as they are referred to and it seemed like most vets said many dogs improve with time, sort of like a human after a TIA stroke. Most of what I read or watched said the dog should be encouraged to eat and drink and might need their food brought to them which is how my MiL does it every day.... This dog has been treated like a little prince most of her life.
4951
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