Aniextiy Attack

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jo Ann,
Over Memorial weekend, our 10 yr old 4 pound Chi was attacked by two coones,she had lots of punchers with one in the nasel cavity, she got bruised up by them before I got to the coones, anyway we went to the emergency vet that night and we found that she was as okay as she could be with out major injuries.   The past three nights she has started acting funny - she has started pacing through the house, on occasion she will yelp in pain somewhere in the hip and back area if we touch her just right. It's as though she is having an aniextiy attack.  I am not certain if I should just watch her or if this may be something more serious.  Any help would be apprecheaced.

ANSWER: Hi Catherine...

This doesn't sound like an anxiety attack to me being that she seems painful in the back end.  Are you saying that she had lots of puncture wounds?  Were those cleaned out and was she put on antibiotics?  The emergency vet didn't tell you to have her re-checked by your regular vet at a later date? You said this happened over the Memorial Day weekend...  Did you mean the Fourth of July weekend or did it really happen at the end of May?

Catherine, there are 21 symptoms that you should never ignore with a dog and pacing and restlessness tops that list. See:  http://www.petplace.com/dogs/21-symptoms-you-should-never-ignore-in-your-dog/pag

When you describe the pain that she's having somewhere in the hip and back end, it reminds me of when my eldest Chihuahua injured his back and had a bulging disc.  The vet (rather the radiologist who looked at the radiographs) was able to diagnose the condition from looking at his xrays.  I really think you need to consult with your veterinarian (and if you don't have one, a qualified veterinarian) and have your dog examined and have an xray taken.  I think it's imperative that you get her medical attention and that you don't just watch her at home.

Assuming that this just happened over the Fourth of July weekend, is she on any medications?  Was she put on a NSAID (non-steroid anti-inflammatory) by the ER vet (like Rimadyl)?  I'm asking because that class of drugs is often given for pain and can have devastating effects which include pacing and restlessness.

I hope you'll get her in to a vet as soon as you possibly can.  It would be great if you could get back to me with answers to the above questions, but only if you want to.

Jo Ann

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jo Ann,

This did happen Memorial Weekend. Yes the emergency vet cleaned all wounds gave medication along with Metacam for pain.  And all medication has been taken.  Yes I was told to find a new vet. (1. we moved 4 hours away from where we were the end of Feb.  2. we were visiting friends that are now 3 hours from us. 3 we have not found a vet as of yet).
Since we moved from a very cool area to a very warm area with 100+ weather could the a/c be affecting also?  Since I also have Metacam I did give her a dose last night which seemed to help.  Thank you for your information, and I will be calling to get her a new vet.

Answer
Hi Catherine...

Boy, I'm both surprised & disappointed that the raccoon attack happened at the end of May and that she has been presenting with these symptoms now.  If it would have happened as recently as the Fourth of July weekend, we'd be pretty accurate in the assumption that she has a back or muscle injury due to the attack.  She still may have and the condition has been exacerbated somehow recently.  But, my other concern is that she has been given one of the NSAIDS that I talked about in my last response to you.  Metacam is a NSAID and, while it may seem to help, it can also have drastic side effects.  How long has she been off of the Metacam?  How long was she on it?  Most vets still prescribe NSAIDS pretty recklessly and improperly - your dog should have had blood work done prior to the prescription and you should have been given the client information sheet which lists side effects, precautions, etc.  There's a number of safe pain medications that she could have been given instead of Metacam.  I thought you might be interested in reading the following:

http://rimadyldeath.com/METACAM-TRUTH.htm

http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html

http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/nsaid/survivors6.html  (this woman runs a yahoo group concerning the adverse effects of NSAIDS and she filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of everyone that has lost a dog due to, specifically, Rimadyl)

When you take your dog to the vet, you should really run some blood work, Catherine, and see how her liver is doing.  We often see dogs with elevated liver enzymes after having been on a course of NSAIDS.  Regardless of the Metacam, having the blood work done is a good idea anyway.

You ask if the A/C can be causing her symptoms.  I highly doubt that the A/C is causing her problems, but it can be making things worse if she's chilled.  You can buy heat discs (at pet stores) that you pop in the microwave and put under her bedding to keep her warm or you can take an old tube sock and fill it part way with rice, close it with a knot and pop that in the microwave for a minute or so (don't get it HOT - just warm enough) and put that next to her.

Are you having trouble finding a vet?  Please find a reputable vet and don't go to a vet clinic within some place like PetSmart.  You can always try going on YELP and typing in various vet clinics in your area and see how others have rated them.

In the mean time, keep your little girl quiet and warm and don't encourage that she move around a lot.  Get her seen as soon as possible and please drop me a note letting me know what the vet found. You can contact me through AllExperts and mark your "question" private instead of public if you'd like.

I'm wishing you the best of luck and will be thinking good thoughts for your little Chi.

Jo Ann