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Mystery illness/neurotoxin
My 9 year old Doberman got out and was missing for over an hour yesterday. When he came back, I was of course overjoyed to see him, but had to hurry and leave for much of the day. He was in his run from 9am (when he came back) until 2pm.
Immediately on returning home, I noticed something was very wrong. He was acting drunk, staggering around. took him right away to the vet, fearing antifreeze ingestion during the time he was out in the morning. Good news is that blood/urine ruled that pretty much out. Bad news is they don't know what is wrong.
He improved with a liter of IV fluid, and was sent home with me. Shortly after getting back home, he started the staggering behavior again. Mostly he acts as though he can't get his back legs to work right. He is other wise bright and alert, has an appetite, no vomiting no diarrhea (yet, anyway). No bite marks (I was thinking snake or spider) or areas of any trauma to his head or body.
All bloodwork was entirely normal.
No real working diagnosis...possible garbage ingestion while he was out is what the vet believes most likely. Some garbage/rotting carcasses dogs can get in to can harbor pathogens that are neurotoxic in animals who ingest it. There are some rodenticides that are also neurotoxic. No real antidotes or magic meds available, just supportive care and time will tell.
Just venting a little...but if anyone has any ideas, throw them my way. He will probably have to go back today to have his bloodwork rechecked. Thanks.
Immediately on returning home, I noticed something was very wrong. He was acting drunk, staggering around. took him right away to the vet, fearing antifreeze ingestion during the time he was out in the morning. Good news is that blood/urine ruled that pretty much out. Bad news is they don't know what is wrong.
He improved with a liter of IV fluid, and was sent home with me. Shortly after getting back home, he started the staggering behavior again. Mostly he acts as though he can't get his back legs to work right. He is other wise bright and alert, has an appetite, no vomiting no diarrhea (yet, anyway). No bite marks (I was thinking snake or spider) or areas of any trauma to his head or body.
All bloodwork was entirely normal.
No real working diagnosis...possible garbage ingestion while he was out is what the vet believes most likely. Some garbage/rotting carcasses dogs can get in to can harbor pathogens that are neurotoxic in animals who ingest it. There are some rodenticides that are also neurotoxic. No real antidotes or magic meds available, just supportive care and time will tell.
Just venting a little...but if anyone has any ideas, throw them my way. He will probably have to go back today to have his bloodwork rechecked. Thanks.
No, this was too sudden for Wobbers. Vestibular disease, perhaps...but the vet didn't seem to think so for whatever reason.
I thought perhaps he could have gotten knocked by a car...but no pain, no sign of trauma at all.
He suddenly and without warning vomited an enormous amount of some yucky putrid stuff yesterday late afternoon, so I'm thinking it had to have been something he ate. Today he is 100% back to normal.
I thought perhaps he could have gotten knocked by a car...but no pain, no sign of trauma at all.
He suddenly and without warning vomited an enormous amount of some yucky putrid stuff yesterday late afternoon, so I'm thinking it had to have been something he ate. Today he is 100% back to normal.
Wobblers syndrome maybe? Or vestibular disease? Or an old dog that overtaxed himself running amok for a few hours :)
Glad he is doing better!
Glad he is doing better!
Could he have injured his back while out on the romp??? A disk problem will give the same symptoms as you describe.....Just a thought....Glad he's home, Karla
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