Sorry to hear about your dog. We had a similar experience recently.
Our ten year old shepard-mix got a sudden spinal injury about two months ago. We have no idea where it came from -- he just lost the use of his front legs, almost overnight. The worst part was that he was in great pain. We did what we could for a couple of days, but he was clearly miserable. Two different vets told us that these injuries are not uncommon and can happen unexpectedly, probably a slipped disc. The prognosis was not good, and any attempt at a treatment would be extremely expensive, painful, and unlikely to succeed.
It was very hard on the kids, but an inevitable life lesson for them.
My mom's dog had a knock down stroke. We hand fed her for a couple days and she rebounded pretty well. She limped thereafter but was doing OK, until after a few months she had another and we had to put her down. I don't know whether there any meds that might have helped. Sorry to hear about yours.
Just reread your OP, hang in there, a big stroke can take at least a couple of days to rebound from. We gave Trinka chicken soup by hand (nutrients and fluids).
This seems so odd....he had such a good, strong walk yesterday down along Silver Lake....was his normal self....
He is not responding to any sounds now....Micah just came over from Mammoth to see him, and fortunately, our son Paden just happens to be visiting from SoCal, so the whole family is here for him.
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
Jan 22, 2013 - 08:09am PT
That's awful. Best wishes to your pup & everybody else who loves him.
I was talking with a friend recently whose older dog had a brain stem stroke...the way it presented seemed especially dire...one vet said that prednisone was typical therapy, but only about 20% seem to respond positively. Luckily for all, their dog was part of that small percent...she's an old girl, so they know what's around the corner, and are making the most of every moment until then.
I swear, losing a pet can be more decimating than most humans.
I had a best friend (Purwanto) that was about the same size and color of your boy, though he was a Heinz 57 breed. He went through a period of losing his hind legs and then he'd come back strong with no seeming effects. I (and the vet) thought he had hip displasia(sp?) in the beginning. Then one morning he couldn't get up at all. I took him to the Vet and they found a large tumor pressing on his spine. They said that when it was smaller, it probably would press on it sometimes and then not, which was the reason he seemed to have problems and then totally "get better".
He was my only true friend when I was going through a heart wrenching divorce that tore up my family. It was too late by then and I had to say goodbye. I called my boss and told him that I couldn't come in that day. He said "it's only a dog!"
Sniff gave us a few scares starting about 10 years before she finally left us at age 17 to chase rabbits through celestial fields of clover. Wishing your buddy a great outcome.
Sounds similar to what happened with my canine last year.He unfortunately did not rebound.He was also 14 years old and was showing it before his stroke issue.I'm really hoping for the best here.Your dogs got some more trompin' to do.I think just keep doin' what yer doin'.He knows yer there.Positive vibes being sent from the OV.
Yeah Ron, the Vet said that if we'd caught it sooner, the tumor could probably have been removed fairly easily. As it was, it was too emeshed with the cord to have the probability of a good outcome.
I lost ol "Hazel-ray" (yellow lab) about a year and a half ago now- she was also 14. She started having repeated siezures...It was heart failure in her instance. But there are grand and petite-mal seizures for lots of reasons..
"Hershey" my black lab had a seven pound toumor removed from her which grew in less than a year.. Lived four more after that.
Talked with the vet a few minutes ago...trying to decide whether to subject him to the ride to Bishop or not.
Crag
That shouldn't be a hard decision at all. Get in the car and head down the hill. I vet will be able to tell you what is going on instead of just guessing. A few minutes of pain for him may save his life in the long run.
Cragman, get Cush to a vet! If it's "vestibular" (inner ear/balance) problem it's treatable and correctable! My sister's cat had this, and on prednisone and some anti-nausea meds has come back to life, with just a wee bit of a head tilt. Like Cush, it seemed at first as if Stella had had a stroke.
The last couple of times we took him down off the mountain, he had a real hard time getting his ears to clear as we came back up in elevation
Crag
That COULD be a sign there is an ear issue as well. On your way back up take Lower Rock Creek Rd and stop often to let the pressure equal out. Either way the vet will give you a diagnosis which will help you and him deal with whatever is going on. Hoping for the best.
Glad to know you're on the way to the vet. It was just over a month ago that I thought Teddy was dying, and SoftCookay kicked my rear and said "Get to the Vet!" Teddy just had a hell of an infection, and because of it was thrwoing up which through his balance completely off. With vet care - rehydration and antibiotics, Teddy was on the mend within 24 hours. Had I delayed to the vet much longer, or thought there was no hope, Teddy would not be here today.
I do fostering for Lab Rescue and going to pickup a foster today....we'll send good vibes your way and later we'll be up at the Dog Blessing Walk on Land of Medicine Buddha and pray for you guys..
"Special Blessing for Dogs by following the Stupa Path" The signage couldn't be any more clear!
Dogs lives go by too fast. It's especially tough when you think you'll get 12 or more good years before they start to go downhill and some problem kicks in early and they go downhill fast. But this could just be temporary.
One of our dogs was having problems a few months ago (he's getting old) and it turns out the majority of the problem was dehydration. He'd be spending a lot of time indoors because it was cold out (he's primarily an outdoor dog) and the alpha dog (primarily an indoor dog) wasn't letting him get water. The vet injected water under the skin in his back (he looked like Quasimodo)and he was much better.
If his ears aren't clearing let him chew gum during the trip. Just kidding, but maybe trying to get him to yawn (by yawning yourself and it IS contagious for dogs) or giving him some small treats to chew and swallow on the way.
Somehow my intuition tells me that Cush has been perhaps exposed to something poisonous in his food or on his walk that has produced this reaction- similar to food poisoning in humans, but in large canines might just provoke a somewhat inactive, comatose state.
If I'm right then a shot of antibiotic by the vet might do the trick, as it did with one of my dogs several years ago.
In any case,,hoping for a full recovery . Good luck.
Dean there are so many pet lovers on this site that you can be sure of a lot of support. We all wish the best for both you and your precious pet.
All of us who have pets feel the pain and helplessness when we see our best friends age ahead of us. They cannot tell us what hurts or where it hurts.
It's hard for the non-dog people to understand the special attachment we have to our special four-legged friends. It's the unconditional love that is hard to explain to those who not experienced it. They give us everything and ask very little in exchange.
For the last year or so I've been watching my own dog Monty start to age. He's a little guy, so he should last a bit longer, but it's still hard. I described him as having a little doggie-zheimer's, but he still hanging in there, he will be 15 this year.
Just got back from Bishop....with Cush in tow....though not looking real good.
It appears that he likely has a tumor of some sort in his skull...simple neuro/physical tests point in that direction, and his rear legs are not working real well.
His bloodwork came back good, though we did have them give him two bags of IV fluids under the skin, since he hasn't been drinking at all. (Or eating)
He was also given a shot of steroids, in hopes of shrinking the swelling and pressure on his brain.
He actually got much more alert down in Bishop, and managed to walk into the vet on his own.....he has NEVER liked the vet's office, and was MUCH more motivated to walk out, which he did under his own power.
Now that he is home and comfortable, he has gotten very much more lethargic, like he was this morning.
We have oral steroids for him to take, and our hope is that in the coming hours and days, should we be so blessed, he may make a turnaround.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you all for your kindness. Cush is family, and this has not been easy....and I know so many of you have been through this trial.
Just a thought. If Cush does not improve in the next day or two it might worth trying to see if he improves by taking him down to lower elevations on a trial trip?
I' m assuming the vet was at a lower altitude?
I feel for you Cragman, big hugs to you.
My 4 legged wingman is not wanting to walk today. He's better than he was this AM, but something is up. Heading to the doc tomorrow:(
Be assured that we are monitoring Cush very closely, and if we think going back to Bishop is the right thing to do, we will in a heartbeat.
Beyond Cush, I am praying for wisdom as a father, to an eight-year old little girl whom we adopted 3 1/2 years ago, and who has bonded with Cush as a best friend.
Marina has never known of death in her life....even with the passing of my father-in-law late last summer, it was easier to keep her away from the depths of that. With Cush being her constant companion, however, this is a whole different story.
I was unable to hide my emotions from her this morning before school, when it appeared Cush was close to death. My tears got her plenty upset....and I will face these challenges again this evening when she gets home.....just prepping her for what may come sooner rather than later.
We continue to hope and pray for a turnaround.......and strength to face Marina with the difficulties of something that instills much fear in her.
How ironic that just last Saturday, Marina walked into my room, came up to me, and said, "Dad, I don't ever want any of our family to die."
Cragman, sooo very sorry to hear about Cush. Always so hard to know how to best care for our furry friends, since in the end WE are the ones that frequently have to make one decision or another. And indeed, they are total family, and I really feel for your little girl also. Still, animals frequently teach us what real love is about. Real love, real grief, real life. Not always bad, but frequently not easy. With my own dogs, I always just try to listen to the vet, and monitor their day-to-day quality of life. I try to put myself in their paws....is this how I would like to live out my last days? Am I incontinent, unable to walk outside, unable or not interested in eating? Is this my time? They will ALWAYS wag their tails for us...this is not the indication of what to do or not do. They depend on us to make the right decision for them, but they won't fault you either way. Given Cush's condition, it seems like you should know the answer in a few days. It will never be easy, and it will never feel good. But you have to look into your heart and see what is right for THEM. My own heart goes out to you....losing a pet in my mind is right up there with the worst things ever.
cyber hugs to you, from Pam
Thanks Pam.....and my continued prayers for you. I feel your heart.
Good news.....Cush seems to be making a positive response to the steroids. He is alert now, his hearing seems to be working, he has nibbled at a few bites of food, and perhaps the best news......has given that awesome tail of his some really good wags in response to our words!!!!
Hi Dean,
I just found and read through this thread and was glad to get to your last post. I hope it turns out well. Dogs sure can get deep into our hearts.
Just looked into sending you an email but you're not excepting them. I have a story that I don't feel like relating around the "campfire". You know, that type of story that you pull someone away from the fire to tell. If you wanna hear it shoot me an email. All the best.
Sorry to hear about you boy and hope he comes thru healthy. My golden, first dog ever, got an ear infection that lead to virtigo. If you've ever had it you'll understand. She couldn't get up because you don't know which way is up. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Cush just got up, and followed me outside, walked a couple hundred yards, peed about a gallon, took a BIG OL DUMP, then went to the creek and drank about a gallon of water, and now is on his SECOND dog bone!!!!!!
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNED! And ALL this happened just minutes before Marina walked in the door!
STUNNED!!!!!!!
EDIT: Now he is licking his crotch.....SOUNDS NORMAL TO ME!!!!!!!
Yay that sounds great, Dean :) I do hope Cush recovers fully. He looks like such a handsome pup. Of course he is family and no one wants anyone in their family to be sick.
Great turn of events Cragman.
Last year Goldie went down oddly while I was working.
Client came home and the usually upbeat and happy Goldie was just lying there unmoving except for spasm-ing.
We rushed her to urgent care and found out she had somehow essentially dislocated some vertebrae.
Scared the poop out of me. But several days of rest and Rimidyl and she was also layin a load and lickin alot.
That was similar as for Teddy. I really - really- thought he was going. When he took his first walk, and then a poop after being down(and not having pooped for 3 days), I posted to my Facebook with such joy and zeal - and it was a very poopy poop. I had never been more happy to have to wash my dog's rear. Glad Cush didn't have such a messy one!
Cush is in my prayers. Do everything you can do to help him, but realize dogs have a certain lifespan.
I will not diminish Cush in that way, I'm just saying to do what you can.
I've only recently had to put down a dog personally. My Aussie Shep/ Border Collie cross. She was adopted. She just kpet luring people in with kindness and Aussie Shep innocence, people got to close. SHe bit people in the face.
Bit my wife like 4 times! This had to stop. I sat with her as drugs were administered. She looked at me, I looked at her. And then I wept for killing my dog.
Few of us bond so closely to any animal more than a dog. They really mean a lot to us. Wishing you all well, but especially Deans pup. All of us, too soon, will pass as well, and it seems sad, but it give our lives more urgency in the knowing of it.
This is Sadie yesterday (wifes dog). It speaks to and reflects on the whole issue I guess. I'd miss her a lot when she's gone, my heart would break. We've gone on so many adventures. But the squirrels, mice, voles, moles and other small furry critters won't miss her. She's currently got a thing going with the racoons who cruise the backyard at night, they've been steering clear for now and so there's distance. But....
Cragman........truly sorry to hear about your pup. Never an easy thing, but at least he isn't in pain. We just went down this road with our dog companion, who developed a brain stem tumor and we miss her dearly. We wish you all the best. God bless.
Blue I didn't see that one coming. Wrong place, bad story, no matter how well intended. Besides I always blame the owner any way. I'll edit and remove this as soon as you do.
I remember Teddys firt bark after being so ill. Music to my ears, like I am sure Cush's tail is like a conductor's wand keeping time on the most beautiful music to you!
EDIT: God bless you too, Dean. I knew you knew what it takes to say goodbye to old friends. It's hard. It reveals our compassion, and our remorse for friends. And that's what dogs are. They are little buddies, and friends.
God bless ya, Dean! You, Cush, and your whole posse over there! You have a great family.
It's all good man. I just thought the post to be a little on the down side as opposed to the up side. After further reflection it's truly not my place to decide these things. Intertardum at its finest. My apologies for coming across as some sort of thread aligner. Sorry you had to go through that. Carry on.
I am glad to read of the recovery of your beloved dog. I will hold him in my prayers.
I just lost my dog, Lucky, on the 13th. He was 11 years old and had been having seizures for two months. Most of the time he was his happy self. But some days he would be comatose for a few hours. I was gone to visit family for three weeks over the holidays and Lucky waited for me to return home before dying. I brushed him and trimmed him and loved on him on Sunday morning. He ate a dog biscuit in the afternoon and lay down in the warmth to sleep. A little while later I came into the room and he was gone. He never seemed to be in pain and it was a peaceful passing.
Losing our pets is the one downfall to loving them, but all the tail wags are well worth the grief.
It's all good man. I just thought the post to be a little on the down side as opposed to the up side. After further reflection it's truly not my place to decide these things. Intertardum at its finest. My apologies for coming across as some sort of thread aligner. Sorry you had to go through that. Carry on.
Matt
I think we just misunderstand one another. No problem.
I know Dean, and I know what he can handle. I was just trying to sympathize with maybe having to put his dog down. Sounds like CUsh is better.
And that is AWESOME!!!
Just trying to remind people that dogs don't live so long. We need to cycle them through our lives! That's what I do.
EDIT: I don't mean cycle them like meat, but more like little friends. Let me clear on that.
Can't email you directly. I am so happy to hear you have more time with Cush - I hope this means many years more!
I lost the soul that was everything to me last year. One thing (of many) I learned is this - take pictures. Take videos. Take photos and video of each of you with Cush.
After Ferne was gone, it was imperative that I find every picture in existence of him. I was obsessed. I had lots of photos. But not enough. I discovered TWO - only two - had photos of me with him. I was always taking them. And I had only two video too. Inexcusable given how easy it is to get video.
So get a ton of photos - of photos with you and each of your family members. Get video. Get lots. You may not be able to look at it when the time comes that he moves on, but having it will mean everything.
This is great news, Dean. There is a lot of love coming Cush's way; for you and family as well. I know it's tough. Like I said, Family member; no less.
TY
Sorry to hear about the tumor and glad that the Prednisone is working. It is indeed a wonder drug.
Give your dog all your love and know that many people are sending theirs to you your family.
Almost lost my Healer (5y/o) this past November to somehting very similiar. Took her to Bishop Vet at 2AM thinking she was a gonner. The Doc evaluated her, had no idea what was going on and immediately started to pump her with a steriod and liquids.
She stayed at the Vets for two days when she finally came around the afternoon of day two and returned to her normal self.
To this day the Doc has absolutely no clue what happened. He thinks that maybe she had an alergic reaction to a Black Widow bite. Still...
My "Sage" is back to herself these days.
I will pray for yours as the same thing may have stricken him and he returns to his old self.
i thought my dog lucy had a stroke, walking unstable, glazed look, really paranoid. turned out that she had eaten 1/4 of a "brownie" i left out. next day she was fine. have you done any baking recently?
I love the pictures of Sage & Callie sending their best wishes... ...(-;
Also love the picture of Crush with your daughter, and Crush in the kitchen smiling.
When a big Lab is in the kitchen wagging their tail, you know things are on the up-swing.
I can't, but wish I could own a dog. This thread is about being nice to the dog and it's needs.
Cush is a great family member.
My father had a stray cat show up out of the BLUE and would only answer to him regardless of the wheelchair and dementia. It was really sweet for all concerned.
Well, I wish the news continued to be good....Cush has had a couple more episodes this morning....convulsions that are causing him great pain, with involuntary spasming of his left front foreleg, where his paw bends awkwardly backward and uncontrollably pulses in that awful position.
When I tried to soothe him during the most recent one, he almost tried to snap at me.....very odd, as he has NEVER done that in his life.
I'm staying close by his side.....and making the most of all of the time we have with him.
You said the vet DID see a tumor near his brain or spine, is that correct? If so, have you discussed how to proceed?
If the tumor was not a confirmed thing - is it possible Cush might have Lyme Disease? The symptoms you have provided do have a familiar ring to when Teddy got it, and what I read about Lyme. Not sure about a steroid medicine response with Lyme, though.
It's comes in waves....he is presently peaceful and looking at me with those big brown eyes.....then these waves of spasms will hit...the last of which left him fighting for breath and shaking.....this would be so much easier with a human....
Has Cush been properly diagnosed, Dean? Does he have any sort of auto-immune disorder? Some dogs respond well to steroids in combination with anti-seizure meds. But of course this would only work if the cause of the seizures were inflammation, which it might not be in Cush's case.
My successful experience in this came with a much younger dog, however. Prayers, buddy.
When we think about it now we believe we kept them alive longer in their last days not for the dog but for us, because it was too painful to end it when we should have.
Their quality of life was over long before we ended it.
We gave them more suffering in exchange for us feeling our love from them longer.
Not fair.
Looking back, we should have had the courage to end their lives much earlier.
Not any advice but how we came to deal with our pet's deaths.
The time to "put him down"....is just not here yet.
You are right, and you are the one there, who knows.
I used to have a companion animal care service, and one of my canine clients was Zeke, a Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix. He came down with bone cancer - which often displays very quickly with no earlier signs. The vet said he was a good candidate for leg amputation surgery and that was what his people did.
Zeke had a tough time after the surgery - up and down while in recovery. They asked me to use the regular session time to come be with him in hospital, and as he recovered I was even able to give him outdoors walks.
It was tough, helping Zeke as he learned to walk with three legs, and patience was imperative. Many neighbors would stop and comment about what they thought Zeke's people should do. But Zeke's people were the ones who made a day to day decision about going forward.
Zeke had a tough winter that year. There were many a day I, too, wondered why his people were proceeding as they were. Only later did I find out they had also decided to forgo chemotherapy, and simply love Zeke until the day they knew they would say good bye. They never asked for a check up on his condition.
Zeke lived another three years, and left this earth peacefully in his sleep one day at the age of 15. Pretty good for a dog of that size.
My Basenji, Kip, passed away a few years ago, after 18 yrs. 7 months.
I raised him from 8 weeks old.
On his last birthday I stood in the rain by his grave and remembered all our good times together. I talked to him in the way I always had, as if he were still looking back up at his master.
For me, this is the way these things must be done.
Cragman, that's great news, I'm glad Cush is doing better!!!
Our little Chicky puppyboy Chihuahua (9 years old) just had his second Stroke in the last three months!
I thought this last time, that was it, and couldn't take it, had me ball 'in!
After three day's in the hospital the vet has him on Phenobarbital (for life), Tribrissen, and Robaxin for now!
He went from lifeless and limp with seizures to happy and licking us, best $1700.00 I've spent!
The vet said that Chicky was in "pre-seizure" I guess that means not full blown?
After his first stroke the vet gave him Azium (Dexmethasone) and was taking Rimadyl for his joints after his double knee surgery, but the vet told us to give him just the new meds because if we mixed them with the old ones it would be bad for his kidneys! Chicky is known as Super-dog and is a legend at Collett Veterinary!
He's your DOG, man. We(used loosely) understand that kind of love.
No matter how it turns out(I reckon you know that tune), you know the times you've shared. Well, now the value of those times shines.
And they always will. The ripples fade so quickly...Time is brief:-(
One of my favorite pics of Cush...eye-balling a bald eagle that was hovering over our trout pond. Cush has always been very protective of 'his' fish. :)
Cush could have been hazel-rays brother.. The pinkish nose,, was actually considered a defect by the old queen of england when breeding this line,, odd cuz they are the BEST of dogs out there imho...Ive had 2 labs, and will have another when this noodle head english setter of mine gets a wee older..
Cant imagine life with out these noble life forms.
^^^ Nice pix.I betcha Cush makes that snorking kinda noise when he brings the stick back in the water doesn't he?Also,second pic is right near Horseshoe Lake boulder,no?Ironically that boulder is called Dog Boulder in Charlie B's new book.Best of luck to Cush and your family.
Great pics, Dean. Thoughts and prayers your family and Cush's way. Ron put it more elegantly than I could think of, in a fashion that absolutely hits the nail on the head.
Ding, I'm up by 0300 every morning, and have always appreciated the priviledge. :)
We had a good night....slept on the floor in front of the fire with Cush. Let him out twice during the night to pee....he slept really well with no issues, unlike the previous night.
I gave him a couple of doggy aspirin last night, which probably helped. He is still sawing logs....a beautiful sight in the firelight. :)
Cush has always been my early morning, alpine start companion. My mornings have always been consistant.....Cush, coffee, and the splendor of watching the sun rise on Carson Peak. Oh, how I will miss him sharing with me....
Big moon lingering, I can see it right out the kitchen window from where I'm sitting right now. About to go get the morning paper off the stoop. Time for a 2nd cuppa. Its gonna be a great sunrise what with that lingering moon.
Thinking I may dash off to Knights Ferry this morning for a couple hours of chossness, frikin munge got me munging! But gotta be in Bay Area this evening so whatever I do today (maybe I should do that front brake job on the van instead of playing) I gotta get it done by mid afternoon.
Sorry for the chit chat... but you know how I am. I'm just not a serious person , ... :-)
Late to this, Dean, but sending you and Cush the best wishes our pack of critters and I can summon.
Like many of us, I've been a companion and caregiver to many of my own aging friends, and I do it for a living. Never gets easier - you just get better at making decisions.
PM me if you have any questions. I'll be in and out this wkend.
I tried to compose something in my mind about how great my dog was when I was a child but it always comes out light.
That said, I hope things go well with your friend Cush. I am a sarcastic skeptic but I will say that I have a hard path disputing the divinity of a dog's love and music.
He had a good night last night and another good day today....Cush has been outside off and on today chasing a tennis ball and had a walk down at June Mountain parking lot!
He's been enjoying sharing the floor and the fire....and so have I!
dont laugh about the water thing.. As a child i suffered from severely cracked heels.. So bad they would bleed. After several doctors and treatments it persisted with out cure. We went on a week long stay on the Metolious river in OR, where i ran around in the water barefoot fishing the whole time, and my heels were HEALED 100% and have remained so to this day.
This brings a smile to my face, Dean. So happy for you and your pup.
I am also happy to read Ron's post and see that at least some people still know their "heels" from their "heals." I wince every time I see the wrong word used.
Let us know!