Wiener Worries
Last week, my 9 and a half year old miniature dachshund, Bubba, became suddenly ill. I was working that night (Sunday night, 2/26), but I received a text from my husband, Alex, around 10pm that stated Bubba had thrown up on the couch. I assumed he had the flu or eaten something that didn't agree with him, both things that have happened on occasion in the past.
However, Alex woke at 5:30am to find Bubba sleeping in a puddle of his own urine on top of our duvet, and upon getting Bubba into his own bed so Alex could frantically wash the duvet, Bubba vomited again a large amount all over the floor and wall. I worried the whole 45-minute drive home from La Jolla, but tried to tell myself it could still just be a random illness that will resolve on its own.
I quickly realized when I got home around 8:30am, that was not the case. Bubba could barely walk and consistently fell over. We took him to his own vet that afternoon, and got some anti-nausea medication for him and subcutaneous fluids to rehydrate him. It was rather perplexing as he still had an interest in food (we had started giving him bland diet - cooked chicken and rice - instead of his normal food that morning due to his vomiting episodes) and water, but we took him home to watch him and hope for the best.
The next morning, things worsened. Bubba no longer wanted to eat or drink, and his balance problems seemed more dire. The previous night, I had taken him out late after he had another episode of incontinence on the sofa, and all he did was circle on the lawn and begin to drool uncontrollably out the left side of his mouth. He seemed dazed and confused. We went back to bed and woke a few hours later and he was able to pee and poop - but therein lay another problem. He started having diarrhea. I collected a stool sample and took it to his vet and had them show me how to administer SubQ fluids at home so we could continue to hydrate him. I asked about possible vestibular disease, as a friend had notified me on Facebook that her older golden retriever had come down with that a few years prior, and had the EXACT same presentation. Idiopathic vestibular disease, nicknamed "Old Dog Syndrome," is something that affects the vestibular system (brain and inner to middle ear), and can come from unknown causes, something as minimal as nerve irritation, or something as awful as a stroke or cancer. Our primary vet stated this was possible but doubtful as Bubba wasn't exhibiting a head tilt or nystagmus, two symptoms that are apparently considered hallmarks of the disorder, but he said that at this point, he would like Bubba to see a neurology specialist, of which there are only 4 in the county. Though we took X-rays during our first visit the day before, which appeared unchanged from our last set taken in October, Dr. Abella was concerned that the inability to stay on his feet may somehow be related to worsening condition of his spinal disks. We made an appointment for the next morning at 10am at the Veterinary Specialist Hospital down in San Diego (Sorrento Valley).
That night, I was doing what us medical practitioners all dread for our own patients to do - googling the symptoms and trying to self-diagnose what could possibly be wrong with my beloved fur baby. Bad call. Or maybe good based on the outcome? Of course, I immediately assumed the worst of the things I read.
I rushed Bubba into the car for a trip to the ER at our former primary vet, which also has an emergency practice, down in Encinitas - frantic with the concern that Bubba could be in end stages of antifreeze poisoning. Though his kidney labs drawn initially, which would have been about 15-24 hours after consumption, were fine - I wanted to make sure we covered our bases. The ER doc took one look at Bubba and his attempting to stand (unsuccessfully), stated that based on our prior drawn labs and his current condition, she doubted it was antifreeze poisoning, but said she couldn't in good conscience take my money because the only workups she could do as a general practitioner would be the same as what our current vet had already done. THANK YOU! I really respected that. Her recommendation was to get him immediately to the ER at the same hospital we would already be visiting later on that morning (even though it was a different system! Integrity!) - Veterinary Specialty Hospital - so we jumped back on the freeway and were there in about 10 minutes.
The ER DVM here did a thorough eval of Bubba, identifying an additional slight left head tilt to add to his symptom list - HINT HINT! - and stated her initial concern due to his GI symptoms would be Internal Medicine, over Neurology - the soonest appointment to see an IM specialist outpatient would have been 4 days later, so her recommendation was to hospitalize him as he needed IV fluids for rehydration anyway, and he could receive consults from BOTH IM and Neurology the next morning, as well as an abdominal ultrasound, if he was inpatient. We agreed, knowing that although it would be expensive, if we had any hope for answers and getting Bubba well again, this would be the best bet.
So, Bubba was hospitalized for the rest of Tuesday and then also Wednesday night. His stool sample given to his primary vet came back negative for ova and parasites. I picked him up Thursday morning and he already looked immensely better. They stated he was still having occasional urination accidents but the diarrhea had become less, he had no vomiting, and apparently, all the techs and docs thought he was "very sweet." They sent him home on prescription wet food for a 3-4 days (can wean him back to regular food at this time if GI symptoms are resolved), a probiotic for 7 days, and anti-nausea medication for at least 4 days. His diagnosis was nonspecific gastroenterocolitis (stomach irritation of unknown cause - but I read online this often accompanies his other diagnosis), and suspected idiopathic vestibular disease (cannot tell if central/brain or peripheral/ear unless further imaging - read, $2,300 MRI - was performed, and even the neurologist MD stated there wasn't indication for this at that time and we could continue with supportive therapy to see if Bubba improves, as most cases do, within 1-2 weeks). His head tilt had continued to worsen - but they said they expect him to improve from here on out overall (although in some cases the head tilt is permanent). Sucks getting old, huh, buddy.
It is now Wednesday of the following week and I am ecstatic to report - Bubba has made MARKED improvements. He is eating and pooping and drinking, normally and regularly, and we are even starting to wean him back to his normal dry kibble. He also has regained much of his balance, though he still gets very wobbly after first waking up, or if he attempts to walk on anything except solid pavement (dirt, wood chips, grass, basically any non-concrete landscaping). He finds it hard to lift his leg to pee without falling over, but he is getting by. His left head tilt is still there but back to slight, and intermittent. He's back to begging from us at meals and barking at neighbors and visitors - we can tell he is much more himself and feeling much better.
Praise the Lord! I know to some, he may be "just a dog," but I think most who have owned and loved a dog, and been loved by them, especially for so many years, can relate to the feeling of them being a member of the family - even another baby. You hurt when they hurt, and you worry when they obviously aren't well, aren't feeling well, and they cannot communicate with you about what is wrong. This week has reminded me to focus on the things that are really important, put time into my snuggles and scratches with him, and cherish every moment with the ones I love.
Also, God bless tax returns.
<3 p="">
However, Alex woke at 5:30am to find Bubba sleeping in a puddle of his own urine on top of our duvet, and upon getting Bubba into his own bed so Alex could frantically wash the duvet, Bubba vomited again a large amount all over the floor and wall. I worried the whole 45-minute drive home from La Jolla, but tried to tell myself it could still just be a random illness that will resolve on its own.
I quickly realized when I got home around 8:30am, that was not the case. Bubba could barely walk and consistently fell over. We took him to his own vet that afternoon, and got some anti-nausea medication for him and subcutaneous fluids to rehydrate him. It was rather perplexing as he still had an interest in food (we had started giving him bland diet - cooked chicken and rice - instead of his normal food that morning due to his vomiting episodes) and water, but we took him home to watch him and hope for the best.
The next morning, things worsened. Bubba no longer wanted to eat or drink, and his balance problems seemed more dire. The previous night, I had taken him out late after he had another episode of incontinence on the sofa, and all he did was circle on the lawn and begin to drool uncontrollably out the left side of his mouth. He seemed dazed and confused. We went back to bed and woke a few hours later and he was able to pee and poop - but therein lay another problem. He started having diarrhea. I collected a stool sample and took it to his vet and had them show me how to administer SubQ fluids at home so we could continue to hydrate him. I asked about possible vestibular disease, as a friend had notified me on Facebook that her older golden retriever had come down with that a few years prior, and had the EXACT same presentation. Idiopathic vestibular disease, nicknamed "Old Dog Syndrome," is something that affects the vestibular system (brain and inner to middle ear), and can come from unknown causes, something as minimal as nerve irritation, or something as awful as a stroke or cancer. Our primary vet stated this was possible but doubtful as Bubba wasn't exhibiting a head tilt or nystagmus, two symptoms that are apparently considered hallmarks of the disorder, but he said that at this point, he would like Bubba to see a neurology specialist, of which there are only 4 in the county. Though we took X-rays during our first visit the day before, which appeared unchanged from our last set taken in October, Dr. Abella was concerned that the inability to stay on his feet may somehow be related to worsening condition of his spinal disks. We made an appointment for the next morning at 10am at the Veterinary Specialist Hospital down in San Diego (Sorrento Valley).
That night, I was doing what us medical practitioners all dread for our own patients to do - googling the symptoms and trying to self-diagnose what could possibly be wrong with my beloved fur baby. Bad call. Or maybe good based on the outcome? Of course, I immediately assumed the worst of the things I read.
I rushed Bubba into the car for a trip to the ER at our former primary vet, which also has an emergency practice, down in Encinitas - frantic with the concern that Bubba could be in end stages of antifreeze poisoning. Though his kidney labs drawn initially, which would have been about 15-24 hours after consumption, were fine - I wanted to make sure we covered our bases. The ER doc took one look at Bubba and his attempting to stand (unsuccessfully), stated that based on our prior drawn labs and his current condition, she doubted it was antifreeze poisoning, but said she couldn't in good conscience take my money because the only workups she could do as a general practitioner would be the same as what our current vet had already done. THANK YOU! I really respected that. Her recommendation was to get him immediately to the ER at the same hospital we would already be visiting later on that morning (even though it was a different system! Integrity!) - Veterinary Specialty Hospital - so we jumped back on the freeway and were there in about 10 minutes.
The ER DVM here did a thorough eval of Bubba, identifying an additional slight left head tilt to add to his symptom list - HINT HINT! - and stated her initial concern due to his GI symptoms would be Internal Medicine, over Neurology - the soonest appointment to see an IM specialist outpatient would have been 4 days later, so her recommendation was to hospitalize him as he needed IV fluids for rehydration anyway, and he could receive consults from BOTH IM and Neurology the next morning, as well as an abdominal ultrasound, if he was inpatient. We agreed, knowing that although it would be expensive, if we had any hope for answers and getting Bubba well again, this would be the best bet.
So, Bubba was hospitalized for the rest of Tuesday and then also Wednesday night. His stool sample given to his primary vet came back negative for ova and parasites. I picked him up Thursday morning and he already looked immensely better. They stated he was still having occasional urination accidents but the diarrhea had become less, he had no vomiting, and apparently, all the techs and docs thought he was "very sweet." They sent him home on prescription wet food for a 3-4 days (can wean him back to regular food at this time if GI symptoms are resolved), a probiotic for 7 days, and anti-nausea medication for at least 4 days. His diagnosis was nonspecific gastroenterocolitis (stomach irritation of unknown cause - but I read online this often accompanies his other diagnosis), and suspected idiopathic vestibular disease (cannot tell if central/brain or peripheral/ear unless further imaging - read, $2,300 MRI - was performed, and even the neurologist MD stated there wasn't indication for this at that time and we could continue with supportive therapy to see if Bubba improves, as most cases do, within 1-2 weeks). His head tilt had continued to worsen - but they said they expect him to improve from here on out overall (although in some cases the head tilt is permanent). Sucks getting old, huh, buddy.
It is now Wednesday of the following week and I am ecstatic to report - Bubba has made MARKED improvements. He is eating and pooping and drinking, normally and regularly, and we are even starting to wean him back to his normal dry kibble. He also has regained much of his balance, though he still gets very wobbly after first waking up, or if he attempts to walk on anything except solid pavement (dirt, wood chips, grass, basically any non-concrete landscaping). He finds it hard to lift his leg to pee without falling over, but he is getting by. His left head tilt is still there but back to slight, and intermittent. He's back to begging from us at meals and barking at neighbors and visitors - we can tell he is much more himself and feeling much better.
Praise the Lord! I know to some, he may be "just a dog," but I think most who have owned and loved a dog, and been loved by them, especially for so many years, can relate to the feeling of them being a member of the family - even another baby. You hurt when they hurt, and you worry when they obviously aren't well, aren't feeling well, and they cannot communicate with you about what is wrong. This week has reminded me to focus on the things that are really important, put time into my snuggles and scratches with him, and cherish every moment with the ones I love.
Also, God bless tax returns.
<3 p="">
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| Bubba, resting up on our sofa wrapped in the fuzzy Costco blanket, on Monday, 3/6/2017 You can still see where they shaved his left front paw for the IV. <3 td=""> |
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