my dog Sarge

Question
Hi, I am hoping with my question that you may have seen it before as I have been researching on my own and coming up with no answers. My dog went to the vet last monday because he was acting funny, wanting to go out alot and wanting more attention then usual. They found a stiff neck & gave him pain meds. By wednesday, I noticed he wasnt able to urinate or defecate, was straining really hard and nothing. Brought him to Emergency vet, was told he looked ok, was not in distress, and bring him back with a urine sample if i can get one. I couldnt get any, brought him back anyway, they got a few drops out of him. told me no bacteria,no crystals, no blood. Took abdominal xray-said it was normal and that he must be going to the bathroom without me knowing and that hed go when ready. I knew that wasnt true. I brought him back that afternoon, got the vet i usually get and he put in a catheter and took out 4 big bowls of urine, took another xray and referred me for ultrasound. Ultrasound showed nothing. Now decided it must be something with nerves because dogs leg is weak and his back seems weak. I must mention 6mths ago he had back leg removed due to bone cancer. I believe other leg is just strained due to my poor guys constant straining to go to bathroom and placing all his weight on the one leg because his leg was fine until 2 days ago. Vet gave him steroids and antibiotics but thinks i should put him down because if its a nerve or something on spine it cant be fixed. My dog was fine until Sunday.No blood work was done and I feel that may show something they are missing.Hes been fine with his amputation and cancer did not seem to spread. The ultrasound vet said his bladder and rectum seemed to lack control, i believe after a week of straining and holding in so much stool and urine, of course it would seem that way. Im hoping you may have had someone that could have had this or something similar. I understand medical is not your area but maybe you know someone who did. I dont want to put my dog down at all but especially without knowing what else can be done. Thanks

Answer

Hi Karlyn,

I'm sorry, but I haven't experienced anything like what Sarge is going through.

You didn't say how old Sarge is. If he is elderly, and is having these problems, then the cost of pursuing additional medical treatment, and quality of life issues need to be considered. That said, before you even talk about putting your dog to sleep, you should have him evaluated by a veterinarian who is not associated with the vet office you're currently using. There is a reason for what's going on, it's just that it hasn't been found yet. Once you have a diagnosis you can then consider all the options. I agree, it seems a little premature to talk about putting your dog to sleep at this time.

Sometimes it helps to have a dog seen by a veterinary specialist. If your regular vet can't give you a referral to an Internist, you can locate one here:

http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3

Be sure you get a copy of your dog's medical records, and bring it with you to the consultation with the new vet.

Though it's not even remotely the same as having your dog examined by a doctor, you could ask a veterinarian your question on line. There are fees for this service which will vary depending on which site you use. These services might have more insight than I can give you, since your answer is supposed to be coming from a doctor. Be sure to mention your dog's age, and all other relevant information you have. Ask your question here:

http://www.wilnerveterinaryconsult.com/

http://www.drlarrypetvet.com/ask.html

http://onlinevetclinic.com/?t202id=5746&t202kw=ask%20a%20veterinarian

There are also a couple of veterinarians at the All Experts site, which of course is a free service. Click on the Animals/Pets section, then select "Veterinary Medicine", and then click on "Ask the Veterinarian".

Has Sarge responded to the steroids and antibiotic that your vet gave? If having blood work done would help you feel better, talk to your vet and request that tests be run.

Best of luck to you and Sarge,

Patti