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10K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  JeffAlston  
T
#1 ·
we have 2 Vizsla's - one 10 the other 7. Both female.The 7 year old started to display signs of illness diagnosed as low platelet count (went down to 13) now at circa 170. Then lost control of rear legs (looked like she was drunk - falling all over the place) - now referred to specialist (Davies Vets) - full MRI scans / ultrasound / blood tests / spinal fluid tests / eye test / ear test / test for stroke etc etc - every test you can think of - but all results back as 'normal', yet dog still cannot control balance, and has low platelet count. Clearly very unwell. Not eating / drinking.

Has anyone come across anything similar?

Very worried.
 
J
#3 ·
When my cat was 10 months old, I came home one day and his back legs were paralyzed. He had this, which is apparently more common in dogs: this:http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_ct_diskospondylitis

It is an infection in the spine that can cause paralysis or lameness. It can be caused by a lot of different things. Surely the MRI would have found it though? It did take me taking my cat to the feline neurologist before they finally diagnosed it though, and by that time he had to be hospitalized. He is 100% fine now though, and I hope that they find what is wrong with your pup and that she gets better!
 
R
#5 ·
I have cross posted your story to the Yahoo group "Vizsla Talk" to see if anyone in that group has heard of these symptoms in any Vizsla. Some of the members of Vizsla Talk are life-long Vizsla owners.

If I get anything from this I will pass it along.

God Bless your sick little girl.

Rod
 
R
#7 ·
Here is a response from Vizsla Talk and the contact

"Your girl is presenting classic signs of tick disease...loss of appetite(huge sign) low platelet (yes), and rear leg control(huge sign) Did they check for tick disease? If not to do ASAP and ask them to start her on doxicyclin immediately while waiting for results. They can do a snap test that will show positive or negative for Ehrlichia or Lyme disease but do not rule out other tick diseases. They will not show up in a snap test, but do the snap test anyhow. Ehrlichia is prevalent."

Leah Clayton

www.sunmeadowsvizsla.com
 
R
#9 ·
"I had a different breed once (pit/other terrier mix) with low platelets around
age 12 although she didnt have the dizziness issue. She was prescribed
Atopica. A little while later she unfortunately was diagnosed with bone cancer
which could have caused the low platelet count. I hope this might help in any
way."

Lil


"Presume California? If not where is the dog?

asking some very bright people for suggestions (human and animal specialists)
and they might have reference suggestions that location might be important."

Rhoda.
 
R
#10 ·
"Did they test for Myasthenia Gravis? Don't know about the low platelets but
rear end weakness/loss of control is a classic symptom of MG. Blood work needs
to be sent to lab in California (only one that does the test). A typical
complication is difficulty swallowing (often leading to megaesophagus) which
might explain the not eating/drinking. There are a couple different types of
MG....one is called focal, which affects swallowing more. Good news is there is
a treatment which is often immediatelay effective. Sometimes they treat with
the drug in a very small dosage while waitiing for the results of the blood test
to come back. Worth asking the vet about. The test is expensive, and often
there are false negatives...that's why sometimes a small test dosage of the drug
(mestinon...also called pyridostigmine bromide) will have nearly immediately
results which can point to MG even if there is a false negative."

Laurie Gaines
 
R
#11 ·
Another response.

"Not sure if this will help at all. Our 6.5 year old vizsla had low platelets and was diagnosed with ITP (idiopathic throbocytopemia). It's an autoimmune disease.

He didn't have the balance issue though and he didn't really lose his appetite. They also checked for rat poisoning, tick born illness and cancer before diagnosing ITP.

He was on prednisone and azothyoprine (and a one time shot of vincristine). He's finally come off the Pred thank God and is still on the Azo. Hope everything turns out ok for your girl!"
 
R
#12 ·
"Yes, poor dog indeed. I have seen owners spend thousands of dollars on testing, especially you know an MRI is really spendy. Had the Vet done a TBD(Tick born Disease) test initially, a dog and owner can be spared the pain and suffering, in the wallet for the owner and plain old misery for the dog. Believe it or not, many Vets just miss it all together, the testing isn't on their radar, I guess. The treatment is fairly simple if caught in time, but many complications can occur, including irreversible kidney damage. Not to say this is for sure the dog's problem, but every symptom mentioned was on the TBD checklist. I sure hope she can get to the bottom of it."

Leah

Others:

"Pernicious anemia?? (A b12 deficiency w various causes & similiar symptoms)"

"suggestion: thrombocytopenia"

Agreed Rhoda, That is what my Millie is being suspected of having... BUT
(IMO) as a side effect of a 7 day treatment of Primor for a UTI. All who own
Vizslas and Weims should read the literature on Primor.....
NOT a good Sulfa drug for our breed. If only I had known before it was
given.
Linda
 
T
#13 ·
We're in the UK. She is under Davies Specialist vets in Hertfordshire.

No sign of tick bite and not any ticks in the UK that might cause this - we have been to France but she was treated for ticks there as is normal when you travel.

They have tested for MG.

Will keep you all posted.

Thanks for all of your responses - it's heartening to know that there are so many people out there taking an interest.
 
R
#14 ·
Message body


There are several kinds of ticks in Britain, with 3 kinds of tick diseases found., Lyme, Ehrlichiosis and Babesiosis. All 3 present the symptoms mentioned. Applying topical preventatives is effective to a degree. They do not stop a tick from biting, but will eventually cause it to release. A tick transfers a TBD through it's saliva. Because one does not find a tick on their dog only means it has released, it does not mean it has not been bitten and your dog has not been infected. Thousands of dogs suffer TBD's yearly, to the point of epidemic. It is becoming more common in humans as well. A TBD cannot be ruled out. If you were to go on the tick list suggested earlier, you will read this same story over and over again....every test run, but TBD...Vet doesn't recognize it etc. I have been championing our Breed to educate owners about TBD's for over 12 years now. I cannot tell you how many people have called me back and said their dog had a TBD after testing. The hardest part for me is that this disease can be treated early on with good success, but is life threatening if not. Please do not rule this out, Google tick disease in Britain, you have it!

Leah Clayton

(I have lived with Vizslas for 56 years and have treated my own dogs for tick disease before we knew much about it. It is why I became passionate about helping others. There was no tick help- list to go to.)
 
R
#15 ·
Will keep you all posted.
Thanks for all of your responses - it's heartening to know that there are so many people out there taking an interest.
Click to expand...
Any luck with a what illness is affecting your Vizsla?

Some of the posters to "Vizsla Talk" are interested along with me on what could it be.

Rod
 
R
#16 ·
Another Vizsla owner's information to pass on.

We had a rescue dog that was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis--very weak rear, unable to walk for more than 10 or so paces before collapsing, don't know what her blood work looked like. My vet sent us to Angell in Boston, where she was diagnosed by an expert in the field. He and his wife then ended up adopting her!
Click to expand...
 
T
#17 ·
If she has been to France, I would definitely not rule out a tick borne infection. Just because she was treated for ticks doesn't mean 100% not possible. there have been documented cases of dogs having travelled under the Pet Passport Scheme being infected and unfortunately dying although this is rare. Are you saying that they have therefore not investigated this as a possibility?
Rosemary
 
K
#18 ·
I was going to say tick or Lyme disease..we have taken Holly hunting and really researched the tick issue as she was going to Pelee Island where there are tons!
The vet says that even tho she is always treated with her flea & tick medication its not always a good thing..the tick can still attach itself and put saliva in dog but because of the tick medication falls off before anyone would notice it being there in the first place. Our vet recommended Holly be checked every hour or two to make sure, it was a hassle for my bf but worth it.

Hope everything turns out ok!!!
 
J
#19 ·
t80sey said:
we have 2 Vizsla's - one 10 the other 7. Both female.The 7 year old started to display signs of illness diagnosed as low platelet count (went down to 13) now at circa 170. Then lost control of rear legs (looked like she was drunk - falling all over the place) - now referred to specialist (Davies Vets) - full MRI scans / ultrasound / blood tests / spinal fluid tests / eye test / ear test / test for stroke etc etc - every test you can think of - but all results back as 'normal', yet dog still cannot control balance, and has low platelet count. Clearly very unwell. Not eating / drinking.

Has anyone come across anything similar?

Very worried.
Click to expand...
 
J
#20 ·
I have a 8.5 year old male who they have diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. The symptoms sounds similar to what we were seeing with our boy. We are still waiting to see what long term looks like / quality of life for him is going to be. Any advice from other Vizsla owners would be awesome if anyone else has had to go down this road.
 
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