My girl is sick.

[teigyr]

I believe my parents had a german shepherd mix that had a version of that. That is where there's a disconnect from the brain to the nerves? They fed him this blended broccoli mixture that smelled vile but worked really well. I'm not so sure he liked it but he was piggy and that was to his advantage. He had a mixture of that and traditional medicine and far exceeded anyone's expectations.

I hope Jane is doing better. She is my namesake and I will keep her in my thoughts tonight.

[bmccasland]

(((((((((((Aly & Jane)))))))))))

As another parent who's been at the vet on a regular basis with a fur baby, I feel your pain.

[sbctwin]

{{{{{Aly & Jane}}}}} Remember, you have given Jane a loving home since she came to live with you. She couldn't have asked for more. Our furkids can't tell us in words how much they love us. I am sure Jane knows how much you care for her and will do the best you can....

[Ninabike]

Aly, So sorry to hear about your Jane. Been there, done that. Thoughts and prayers are with you, BF and Jane.

[sundial]

That's really sad. I'm really sorry to hear about your beautiful Jane. It's scary when there is sudden health changes and you don't know what's causing it. I'm curious, did you have a blood panel done to rule out any tick related diseases, i.e. Lyme's? And if so, how is the white count and the protein values? Treatment for this might include a round of antibiotics and possibly prednisone for the inflammation. If the blood work rules out any parasitic illnesses, I would then suspect a ruptured disc over DM. I had a girl with DM and it progressed over a 5 year period, beginning with muscle mass loss in the rear legs, then knuckling over of the rear paws, until she finally had difficulty maintaining balance. DM usually does not present with a sudden onset with advanced symptoms as you describe.

Is there a veterinarian with a specialty in chiropractic care nearby? Acupuncturist?

Please keep us posted on Jane and I am sending you a big hug from me and my 4 doggers. >>>>>>>>>>>Jane and mom<<<<<<<<<<<<

[ibcycling]

My rescue rottie boy Cyrus sends his love. It's so hard when they hurt and can't tell us where or why. I hope she improves and has many more years with you and bless you for taking her in when she needed you. Financially it can be very hard but there are places willing to help. I found a page with several links to pet-related financial help. I haven't dealt with any of them but have heard good things about IMOM.

http://www.brood-va.org/financialhelp.htm

What kind of arthritis medicine was she on? Did they test her liver function? My parents recently went through something similar with their dog Ralston. He had been on seizure medicine for a few years. Earlier this year he started becoming unstable on his feet, uninterested in stuff that normally excited him, and his appetite went downhill. They lowered his meds (he hadn't had a bad seizure in quite a while) and I suggested they put him on joint supplements. The vet thought it was arthritis in his hip. He improved for a few months and then went downhill fast. Turns out it was his liver and the vet didn't catch it the first time. If she's been on Rimidyl liver problems would be my first guess. There are ways to support the liver and help it regain function if that is the problem.


Good luck and sloppy rottie kisses,
Lora

[aly]

I truly appreciate everyone's well-wishes and suggestions. After much testing, discussing and research of other options, we eventually made the decision that, as difficult as it is, we had to put Jane to sleep. We tested everything. It was definitely a spinal injury. Her pain came and went, but her spine was so compromised in so many places, that it looked like a matter of when, not if, it would be injured again. She never regained any movement in her back legs and lost all control of her bladder and bowels. That was what finally put me over the line. She was in obvious discomfort and was peeing and defecating on herself. We discussed wheelchairs, but there were many reasons that it wasn't the right decision for Jane. We thought about waiting a few days, but it wouldn't have been the right thing to do.

We spoke to three different vets and all basically brought us to the same conclusion. Now it's done. The vet cried, we cried, but Jane went quickly.

I'm sorry for anyone else who has had to make such a decision, or who may in the future.