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Dalmation Disorder
My daughter has a 12 yr old Dalmation named Jake who has been showing signs of sacral-lumbar problems which cause weakness in his back legs. Evidently this breed of dog is known to develop this problem. He is taking some steroids and she has had acupuncture treatments. Since this is probably a progressive trait, she is looking to slow it down if possible. Does anyone have any suggestions short of surgery, in the way of supplements or maybe a new drug on the horizon?
Hi Jaybay, sorry for the delay in the response. I rarely check out medhelp, however there are plenty of interesing topics on here. Jake is doing well, pretty much the same. We have decreased his prednisone dose due to a recent diarhhea side effect, but that is improving as well.
Funny thing, I remember Maggie coming to us for surgery. Was it 3 or 4 years ago? I'll never forget seeing about 5" of the bamboo stake sticking out of her rectum while she laid on the gurney. Unfortunatley for her, that was a perfect aim for the bamboo! What were the odds of that happening!? Crazy possum!
I believe Dr. Sue Hunter was Maggie's surgeon. I am a surgery technician for the surgery department, I'm not sure if I worked directly with the surgery or recall it so well since it was quite unusual trauma. I do remember that since the bowels were involved, sepsis was the primary concern post-op. Thank God she recovered well! I often wondered how she's doing. I always like the happy cases! =)
As far as Chica's TPLO surgery, it would not have been Dr. Vulgamont, he's an internal medicine doctor. Most likely, it would have been either Dr. Whitney or Dr. Beale. I have definitley seen my fair share of those surgeries, by far the most common ortho/knee problem in any canine or cat (though still rare) for that matter.
I don't work too closely with the internal medicine/critical care dept, but we do share cases from time to time as needed.
Thank you for the kind words of gulf coast, they really are a great group of doctors and I do learn a tremendous amount from observation and asking questions. Seems like there's always something new going on. It's definitely an awesome company to work for! I'll try and give my 2 cents on here every now & then, but most cases still need the direct medical attention of a vet.
Funny thing, I remember Maggie coming to us for surgery. Was it 3 or 4 years ago? I'll never forget seeing about 5" of the bamboo stake sticking out of her rectum while she laid on the gurney. Unfortunatley for her, that was a perfect aim for the bamboo! What were the odds of that happening!? Crazy possum!
I believe Dr. Sue Hunter was Maggie's surgeon. I am a surgery technician for the surgery department, I'm not sure if I worked directly with the surgery or recall it so well since it was quite unusual trauma. I do remember that since the bowels were involved, sepsis was the primary concern post-op. Thank God she recovered well! I often wondered how she's doing. I always like the happy cases! =)
As far as Chica's TPLO surgery, it would not have been Dr. Vulgamont, he's an internal medicine doctor. Most likely, it would have been either Dr. Whitney or Dr. Beale. I have definitley seen my fair share of those surgeries, by far the most common ortho/knee problem in any canine or cat (though still rare) for that matter.
I don't work too closely with the internal medicine/critical care dept, but we do share cases from time to time as needed.
Thank you for the kind words of gulf coast, they really are a great group of doctors and I do learn a tremendous amount from observation and asking questions. Seems like there's always something new going on. It's definitely an awesome company to work for! I'll try and give my 2 cents on here every now & then, but most cases still need the direct medical attention of a vet.
Hi Kim! Sounds like you and Jake are in excellent hands. It's true I can't speak highly enough of Gulf Coast. You are so lucky to work there. I imagine every minute of every day is packed with learning. Also forgot the "Associates" changed to "Specialists" a while back. Luckily, we haven't needed their services recently. Knock wood.
Dr. Jones was wonderful when he treated our first Gulf Coast case of pancreatitis. I bet he still remembers me freaking out when we ultimately had to euthanize Travis. He was so sweet and even made a donation in Trav's memory. I'll never forget him.
I "think" it was Dr. Vulgamott who did Chica's TPLO surgery way back when, but I could be wrong on the name. It was a miracle she ever got back on all 4 paws again.
Our most recent experience was with our Dal/Lab mix, Maggie. In the middle of the night she went out back through the dog door and was probably jumping the fence for a possum. Right below her was a flower bed where I had used bamboo stakes to prop up some lillies. (You can imagine what's coming, I'm sure...) Maggie fell down and impaled herself through the anus on one of the stakes. We didn't discover her until 6:30 am, and by then she was in severe shock. Couldn't find a local vet on the west side until 8:00 am. He canceled all his appointments, cut her open and found 10.5 inches of the stake had pierced her rectum and ended up lodged against her shoulder blade. He couldn't reach the rectum hole to repair it so off we went to Gulf Coast the moment she was stable enough to move.
Again, I can't remember who at GCVS did the next surgery, but it was a woman and she was fantastic. Dr. Stanley, maybe? Nobody was very hopeful that Maggie would survive, or even that the hole could be repaired without splitting the pelvis. Maggie was the miracle dog. She surgeon was able to repair the rectum without involving the pelvis, and Maggie charmed everyone in ICU. She got to spend all 4 or 5 days on the island. LOL! By the 2nd day post-op, she started eating and rapidly recovered. There isn't the slightest evidence now that anything ever happened. And of course, plant stakes are now banned from our yard.
I totally agree with your approach to Jake and I'm so glad you're working with the best of the best. Please keep us posted if you learn anything new, and PLEASE chime in here on other topics when time permits. (Can't resist recruiting knowledgeable folk when I can!)
Dr. Jones was wonderful when he treated our first Gulf Coast case of pancreatitis. I bet he still remembers me freaking out when we ultimately had to euthanize Travis. He was so sweet and even made a donation in Trav's memory. I'll never forget him.
I "think" it was Dr. Vulgamott who did Chica's TPLO surgery way back when, but I could be wrong on the name. It was a miracle she ever got back on all 4 paws again.
Our most recent experience was with our Dal/Lab mix, Maggie. In the middle of the night she went out back through the dog door and was probably jumping the fence for a possum. Right below her was a flower bed where I had used bamboo stakes to prop up some lillies. (You can imagine what's coming, I'm sure...) Maggie fell down and impaled herself through the anus on one of the stakes. We didn't discover her until 6:30 am, and by then she was in severe shock. Couldn't find a local vet on the west side until 8:00 am. He canceled all his appointments, cut her open and found 10.5 inches of the stake had pierced her rectum and ended up lodged against her shoulder blade. He couldn't reach the rectum hole to repair it so off we went to Gulf Coast the moment she was stable enough to move.
Again, I can't remember who at GCVS did the next surgery, but it was a woman and she was fantastic. Dr. Stanley, maybe? Nobody was very hopeful that Maggie would survive, or even that the hole could be repaired without splitting the pelvis. Maggie was the miracle dog. She surgeon was able to repair the rectum without involving the pelvis, and Maggie charmed everyone in ICU. She got to spend all 4 or 5 days on the island. LOL! By the 2nd day post-op, she started eating and rapidly recovered. There isn't the slightest evidence now that anything ever happened. And of course, plant stakes are now banned from our yard.
I totally agree with your approach to Jake and I'm so glad you're working with the best of the best. Please keep us posted if you learn anything new, and PLEASE chime in here on other topics when time permits. (Can't resist recruiting knowledgeable folk when I can!)
Hi Jaybay, this response is from Linda's daughter, Kim.
Ironically enough, I work as a technician at Gulf Coast Vet Specialists. Thank you for the kind words of the practice, we all have great pride in the work we do. My dog Jake will actually be 14 years old this August. He is under the care of the neurologists, we are currently undergoing medical management with steroids (prednisone) and tramadol (pain meds).
His issues began 1 1/2 years ago, I chose to be more conservative with his treatment since he's never been completely "down". I thought about pursuing more diagnostics (myelogram, CT, or MRI), but there is no real advantage to the results of diagnostics unless I plan to pursue surgery which I'm not so sure about with his age and the restrictions he'd need. Before the steroids, I've tried NSAIDs, holistic medicine and accupuncture, cage rest and physical therapy. For the past 6 months, his condition has been slowly declining and that's when I chose to try the prednisone. It's only been 3 weeks with this, but I haven't seen much improvement just yet. He also seems to be losing weight, but I've kept him thin to make it easier for him to move around more. Which, many days he still runs around the house like the crazy mutt he's always been. So, at this point, we'll just keep going with the meds as long as he stays happy. I'll keep you posted, thank you for your concern.
Kim
Ironically enough, I work as a technician at Gulf Coast Vet Specialists. Thank you for the kind words of the practice, we all have great pride in the work we do. My dog Jake will actually be 14 years old this August. He is under the care of the neurologists, we are currently undergoing medical management with steroids (prednisone) and tramadol (pain meds).
His issues began 1 1/2 years ago, I chose to be more conservative with his treatment since he's never been completely "down". I thought about pursuing more diagnostics (myelogram, CT, or MRI), but there is no real advantage to the results of diagnostics unless I plan to pursue surgery which I'm not so sure about with his age and the restrictions he'd need. Before the steroids, I've tried NSAIDs, holistic medicine and accupuncture, cage rest and physical therapy. For the past 6 months, his condition has been slowly declining and that's when I chose to try the prednisone. It's only been 3 weeks with this, but I haven't seen much improvement just yet. He also seems to be losing weight, but I've kept him thin to make it easier for him to move around more. Which, many days he still runs around the house like the crazy mutt he's always been. So, at this point, we'll just keep going with the meds as long as he stays happy. I'll keep you posted, thank you for your concern.
Kim
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I have a Dally too and hate to think of the day when he's forced to slow down. They're such fun-loving dogs, aren't they? I think Jake needs some more testing for a certain diagnosis. It may only be a bad case of arthritis with bone spurs, a bulging disc, or even hip dysplasia. At the very least x-rays should give you a better idea of what is going on. An MRI may be necessary as well.
If Jake does need a delicate surgery, A&M is always a great place to consider. I've had amazing experience with Gulf Coast Veterinary Associates here in Houston, but it's really expensive. They practice "people" medicine, and frankly, the animals there get better care than I've seen in many human hospitals. I'm sure there are specialist clinics in your neck of the woods, but if you have to travel, A&M and Gulf Coast are the two options I've either had personal experience with or known about from friends and family.
You'll also have to consider Jake's age. As a senior dog, surgery might not be the best answer for him depending on exactly what the problem is. I have an obvious soft spot for Dally's, so let us know what happens. :-)