sick shitzu with sudden weakness and severe pain all over

[MissM2000]

I have a 3 year old Shitzu all of the sudden she became weak and in pain all over just to the touch, doesn't want to eat or drink. she is strictly in a controled area never ever out of my sight and not around any other animals period. she has never been sick ever, until now. there is only one vet in my country area. he assumed she has been poisoned and wanted to put her down right then. I took her home and need help what can I do? Please help me now?  

[MissM2000]

Hi,
its funny you said only a harness thats all she can wear, she can wiggle out of any collar so I put a harness on her at age 4 months, i have been doing physical therpy on her for quite awhile now,  I lay her on her back on my lap and move her legs back and forth and in circles, and of course she gets lots of belly rubs. she is just the most active baby I have ever seen she is always on the move. I have had her with me since she was 3 weeks old her mommy was one of my puppies from my first shiztu, her mommy lost her milk and had to be bottle fed so of course Tippy so much so became my baby. I know shes so spoiled but it will never compare to how much she spoils me. And her loyality is unending. a leash is a great idea, but it will be fun what she does is holds the leash in her mouth and walks me. But she will walk with a leash, I will do that. I had to cut her hair the sweater matted it so badly, now I actually think she is embarrased with no hair. but all is so much better, my heart is so grateful for all your kindness and wonderful information. thank you all again,   Mary & Tippy

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Mary...Glad things are going well......What you CAN start doing is leash walking Tippy......She will need a harness (NO collar ever) & start slowing walking her......She does need to be able to stretch & exercise the muscles in her back & legs......Short slow walks are the way to go......Total confinement is harmful to muscles that need to stay strong to support the back.....

Start letting her have some walk time instead of complete confinement in the sweater.....Maybe you can keep her on a leash in the house (Tied to something), so that she can move around & walk, but not have enough space to go crazy......This will mentally make her feel better, also......You have done a wonderful job by the way!!!!!!

Take care & keep me updated.....I'm so glad that she is doing so well......Bye for now, Karla

[MissM2000]

Hi to all,
today was the first day I took off Tippy's sweater and let her walk around, It didn't last long though she started running around like a bat out of hell, and it scared me she might re-injure her back, you would have thought I was taking her left lung putting that sweater back on. But I have to say I see that she has gained weight, Though she was not overweight at all to begin with. I really believe she is all better, but that fear still grabs me she may get hurt if allowed to go without that sweater that constricts her movement, the reason I have fear is because she is a wild little thing. So I guess I will try to keep her patient and keep doing the sweater thing for a couple more days. Love to all,  Mary and Tippy

[Misfits4Me]

Bump!  For someone else to read....

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Mary......You've made my evening with your update......I knew you'd come back & I'm so glad you did!

My prayers are with your son and hope his recovery will be quick! I bet that HURT!!!

And then Tippy, I'm delighted with her progress.....Keep it up for a few more weeks & then slowly start letting her do normal things......Always keep some of her medications on hand just in case of another episode, which may or may not happen......It also could happen to Prince Louie, so be prepared.....

I've been over whelmed too with a number of things and never answered some of your questions........I apologize for that......Here's what I can remember from previous posts:

Your milk yes, will cause loose stools....Some dogs cannot tolerate lactose & some can........Most dogs do well with goats milk however.....My dogs love it and get it for breakfast sometimes......It is terribly fattening so you need to be careful, but very nutritious......

Next: Your food----Good dog foods CANNOT be purchased at a grocery store or discount center.......Read labels on the foods...You want NO corn, wheat, soy, chemical preservatives, dyes, animal digest or by-products.....Unfortunately, Purina products have most of these things in their foods....

If you have no specialty centers for dogs, then you can purchase online.....
I live in a tiny town with a small Wal-Mart & 1 Grocery store......I will buy food at neither store and never have!!  I do travel 120 miles on a regular basis to a city......My son lives there & I pick up food  when we go...Otherwise, I shop online and have food delivered to my house....I do this more often than not......

Here are some links to look around at different foods:

Dogfoodscoop.com
Petfoodratings.net
DogfoodAdvisor.com
DogfoodAnalysis.com
Dogfoodchat.com

There are many more, but these should help you out.....I don't feed kibble, but if I did, I would pick "Natures Variety" for their WHOLE line of food......By the way, their kibble is teeny tiny which is what you want......You can visit their webpage for vital information on food rotation between products.....All their foods are made to be rotated......I love their Canned, Raw & Dehydrated Raw......I have fed their kibble to foster dogs & I have never had any problem with ANY of their products...Actually, I love them All!!

It's www.naturesvariety.com  Start with their webpage to begin learning about proper foods for your babies......You'll be shocked with what Purina puts in their products after you read the labels on Natures Variety.......

I loved your story about Prince Louie......Made my heart sing!

Good luck to you and your babies......Thank you again for coming back with an update.......Many many people never return here & we wonder about their dogs for along time.......Please keep me updated on your Tippy.......I'm so glad you were able to get this figured out........I gotta run, it's late and the creatures are stirring (So to speak)  :).......Take care, Karla

[MissM2000]

Hello again, I forgot to tell you all My little boy shiztu Prince Louie, this affected him too.  He worried about her so much, he cleaned her little face constantly, paced around her all the time, napped right next to her, he even brought her food in his mouth and dropped it next to her. What a man! I knew he was a real sweety but this amazed me how he acted towards her.  Just thought I would share that with you all, it touched my heart how his love for her went beyond all.  Thanks again, Mary

[MissM2000]

Hello to all, First of all Tippy is so much better. I would have loved to get back to you sooner but my son was in a horrable accident he is a sheet rocker and an entire pallet of sheetrock fell on his leg crushing it, after surgery he will get better, but right after my last chat with you I got the call and took off to be with my son.  Tippy of course wentwith me, in her travel bag, stayed with me the entire time in the hospital, (we only got caught once, by a nurse,  thank god she fell in love with Tippy at once and a promise from me not to let her roam, I explained she was not to walk PERIOD. Yes I did get the medication, I was so glad I had it sent to my son's house, it got there the day of his accident and my wonderful daughter in law thought to grab it and take it with her knowing I would shortly be with them anyway.  I still do not let Tippy walk, I have had to resort to sewing up all the leg holes her winter sweater, she could no longer handle being in her travel bag and cried to be up with mommy, but she wanted to walk so the winter sweater worked good because she coulddn't walk, I just carried her bed from room to room so she could see me.  when I take her out to go potty of course the sweater comes off, and she walks just fine now in fact she tries to get away from me and looks back as to say "FREEDOM"  she has no more pain and has her full appetite back.  But I know from reading the information that you provided for me this very  well may not be healed yet, so I continue with the sweater treatment so as to not aggrivate this disc. I did get stairs built for my bed. I am sorry this is the very first time I had any chance to get back to you. I felt so bad leaving you all hanging like this, I know you all worried so much about my little Tippy. She does seem to be back to normal. but the sweater shall remain irratateing her and bringing out her very strong will and vocal personality. I cant thank you all enough for your valuable time and love to us. All my love and respect,  Mary and the love of my life TIPPY.

[Misfits4Me]

Morning......I've been thinking about you & Tippy.......How is she doing? Did you get the meds.......Just curious.....Let me know when you can...Thanks, Karla

[MissM2000]

good afternoon to all you kind ones, my baby is pictured in my profile, her name is tippy and she is so much better right at the moment. I called the vet he was out calfing and lambing but the secretary said all looked well with the blood tests but like you said I will ask for specifics on exactly what he ran. I will demand for some medication, and if he refuses, my aunt is a doctor in Ok. she said be sure and call and she knew several vets and would fed-ex me something for her at once. she agrees with you a disc issue. I have not allowed her to even move at all I carry her to go out and pee, I put a napkin down for her to pee on so I could really determine the color it looks nice and clear. her poo looks a bit better too. not diahrea, but loose, Is that the canned milk?  Is it better to keep her stools loose for now so she doesn't have to grunt? What food do you recommend, please?  She does seem to feel better, she even welcomed her mourning bath from my little boy dog, tho I was right there and kept it gentle, I will demand the meds, when the vet returns but just in case I am feeling like calling my aunt and having her send them just in case. I will continue to not allow her to move, I looked up all the info you sited and it sure does seem you are correct knowing her symtoms. Her eyes even seem brighter this mourning, I had to chuckle early this mourning, even though I wont ler her get up she does kind of roll around to find a comfortable spot to lay, and she looks at the edge of the bed as so evil and wont even get close to the edge. I cant thank you enough for all that you have done, tippy and I ask that  God bless you with every breath!!!  

[Misfits4Me]

Without a doubt, this is a case of a Herniated Disc in her back...The trauma comes from the jump down, not the jump up....It is very treatable w/the correct medications....Steroids are the first line of defense to get the inflammation down & pain meds are given for pain...Usually, Tramadol which is strictly a pain reliever & then the steroids are for the inflammation .......

DO NOT let her run, jump or play....She must be carried out to potty and then confined when inside.....Don't panic, this is do-able......Once the medications are started, they feel good again & the risk of greater injury is present...That's why she must be confined........

There is no sense in paying for an X-ray...More often then not, a herniation will NOT show......Your dog is presenting classic signs & that's enough to go on......You Must get your Vet to agree with you on this......

The Baby aspirin is OK, but can cause a gastric bleed with just one dose.....That's why you need pain meds from the Vet.....

On another note: You MUST get both your babies OFF of the Purina products....Not only are they extremely low quality (And always have been), they are having an enormous problem with their products......1000's of pet are becoming sick & dying from ALL Purina products...I will send you the link to read...If you do not have access to any good food, then can you mail order? I can help you with that if you need....Yes, I understand about you needing a tiny kibble for these tiny mouths......Your dogs should also have a high moisture food (Be it fresh foods from your table or canned) at least one meal a day......Dogs should not & can not live on dry food alone! Especially with small dogs; because they eat so little, it is imperative that everything that goes in their mouths is highly nutritious......

There is a warning thread (About Purina) in this forum, that I will bump to the top of the first page so you can find it easier........I will go find it......Make sure you read it...If you cannot get it to work or you cannot find it, let me know......It really is important that you are made aware of this.....

Please, let me know what's happening as often as you can.....Sometimes it helps to just talk to someone that understands........Good luck & Bye for now, Karla

[marksme]

Sounds like your dog had slight trauma and her being young may be able to weather the storm. Little dogs fear nothing and this can be a big problem at times. Make sure she does not jump around a lot and give her time to heal.

[MissM2000]

Hi agian,
It is about 5:30 a.m. I am still just holding her, but she seems relaxed so I thought I would feel her tummy to see if she had any sore spots, as I push her tummy, she doesn't even flench so it appears she has no pain in her tummy.  

[MissM2000]

Hi,
yes this weakness came on all of the sudden, she jumped off the bed yesterday as soon as I got it set up, that was early evening, not more then an hour after I got it set up I saw her shaking like she was cold I went to pick her up and she cried out in pain. I thought maybe she hurt a leg so I just sat the rest of the evening and held her until the next day to make the trip to the vet and yes hes the only vet and is a large animal vet, cows and horses. thats why I thought it might be when she jumped off the bed, I could kick myself for not thinking of the extra height, I have stacked lots of books until steps can be built. But I am carring her everywhere so as to not have her in pain. Yes she is haunched over when she walks, I can tell the baby aspirin does make a differance she stops panting for awhile and "trys" to wag her tail.  She has had Nutrical everyday since birth. I am not letting her walk tho, I pick her up take her out to pee, (I want to see if she pees and the color each time) I carry her to her food and water, she eats very small amounts of soft puppy food and canned milk, will this keep her stools loose? Won't constipation hurt her so badly?  I have checked her temp several times it is staying study at 101.4. she has only vomitted once a very tiny amount, I am feelng it was the aspirin on an empty stomach, and the trauma of the vet, she hasn't vomitted since then and has eaten tiny portions several times.  she has always eaten Purina One Lamb and Rice. It is the smallest chunks I could find that she could eat with her mouth being so small. I also have a mail Shihtzu several years older and he is just fine, my little girl is spayed.  Like I said this baby has never been sick one minute her entire little life.  I cant thank you enough for your valuable time and information.  I will certainly be more demanding to this vet, I must do what I can for my little angel, I could never give to her what she given me, she is everything to me. sleep well.

[Misfits4Me]

Another thought......Is your dog vomiting at all? I'm wondering about "Pancreatitis" here, too......Her symptoms would fit this, also.......This can turn into an emergency quickly........When you hear from your Vet, MAKE SURE you ask if the blood work pointed toward Pancreatitis...It would show up on one part of the results....Again, make sure you ask........This needs to be ruled out!

Gotta get all the creatures to bed......It's 2 AM and I'm tired.......Bye for now

[Misfits4Me]

Ok...She's not vomiting and does not have diarrhea, so poison is not possible!

Panting is a sign of pain......Did this weakness come on suddenly? How long has she been like this? When she does walk, is she hunched over?

"But could that happen?"
Yes, it could happen & does all the time! I think she has herniated a disc in her back......Yes, from the bed!  This is a very painful condition & She needs prescription pain meds & Steroids.......She will not eat as long as she is in this much pain.....You can find information under IVDD (Intervertebral Disc/Disk Disease).....She also needs complete cage rest for 4-6 weeks in order for the disc to retract.....You can read all about it by googling IVDD......

An xray may show the herniation and it may not........However, all Vets should recognize these signs & start treatment immediately......What you don't want is for the disc to rupture......Then your looking at an emergency surgery.....

If this is the only Vet available, then your gonna have to call this to his attention......He works for you!!!!!  

You must get some pet stairs for your bed & couch for the future.....You will have to train her to use them, but it's easy to do.......

I would like to know what Lamb & Rice food you feed.....There have been a number of recalls lately & all though unrelated, it is important to not be feeding one of them.....Especially, to such a tiny dog.......

You can get some childrens pedialyte to keep her hydrated.......When you go back to the Vet, ask for a Tube of Nutrical (Or something similar)......It's a high calorie paste that you squeeze on your finger and put in the roof of a dogs mouth......This supplies nutrition for a dog that is not eating......She really does need this.....Can also be purchased at any pet store if you have one around you......

The tight tummy is classic for a back injury........Most Vets probably DO NOT recognize it as such, but IT IS!!!

Please let me know how her blood work comes out & any other developments or questions........I'll be thinking about you both.........Karla

[MissM2000]

I did tell the vet something and he dismissed it totally yesterday I got a new bed which is about 10 inches taller then my other one was she sleeps with me and easily jumped up and down off my old bed. this bed being so much higher is it possable she jumped down and may have injured something inside with the height differance she is only 3 pounds and 7 ounces. very small. the vet said she had excellant muscle stucture so that wouldn't be it. But could that happen?

[MissM2000]

hello again, he took blood tests this afternoon, no results yet. the only vet near me is 100 miles away. this vet seemed to have very little interest in my baby. no urine tests, no tick tests,  she has no fever. He came to this conclusion he said because her tummy was hard as a rock and she was stiff and in pain and acted larthargic. It was a mere suggestion by him she was probably piosoned and it was kinder to put her down then have her suffer. I was never so hurt in my life, I am newly divorced and this 3 pound shih tzu is my entire life and love. she never ever leaves my side even when she goes out to pee I am right there, thats why I know she didn't get into anything, she eats lamb and rice dog food. She has never ever been sick at all.  her poo is dark brown and kinda sticky this seems gross but when pooped this afternoon when I got back home and I put gloves on and went through it to see if I could find reasons. It was just dark and gooie. her temt stays at 101.4, she finally drank some canned milk this evening and I gave her a half baby aspirin and that did help the pain. But she just lays there, and pants her tummy is a bit hard. she doesn't seem to have any interest in drinking water so every 20 minutes I squeeze about 4 TBSP of water down her with a sirygne. I am so scared. There is no other vet to take her to. I live in the mountians in Montana.

[Misfits4Me]

Welcome to the forum.......Does she have Poisoning symptoms? (Vomiting/Diarrhea) What led the Vet to that conclusion?

This is not enough information to go on....What your describing could be a result of many things......Can you describe her symptoms in more detail so we can try and narrow it down?

Did your Vet do a blood panel?.....This would have been the place to start....Did he offer you a blood test to see if any of her levels were off?
Has she ever been tested for Tick Borne Diseases? Did he do any testing? How about a urinalysis to check for UTI or blood in urine? Is she running a fever? Did your Vet give her any medications? Did he treat her pain with any anti-inflammatories? Did he offer you any help at all?

How far do you live from another Vet? Within driving distance for a second opinion?

Any more info that you have would be helpful.......Thanks, Karla