mollysmum
Member
Hi to all
I am a new user to this site and thank my lucky stars I have found it! I will give you a background to my beautiful pooch . . Molly . . and the reasons I believe she is likely to be suffering from SM. Also, we have got a nerve wracking appt at 9.00 at Chesterfields tommorrow a.m. where she will be having her MRI scan - something I am totally dreading!!!
Molly is 3years and 3months old. She was purchased for my daughter by her grandparents ( they have had a total of 8 cavvies!). She was bought from an animal lover down south when Molly was just 7 months old ( Im now wondering why she wanted to sell her). She arrived at our home and was instantly loved and adored. It was not too long after she had settled in that I began to notice her behaviour was particularly odd, especially in comparison to the cavaliers we had had in our family. She was much more aggressive, not the playful, happy pooch she ought to have been. Everyone kept telling me it was her character and that she had a lot of spirit, something I could never quite take on board! The months passed by with no change in her behaviour pattern then along came a whole host of new symptoms. It became apparant as soon as she had eaten ( and I mean within seconds) she would frantically throw herself over onto her back on the lounge carpet and writhe about frantically, all four limbs up in the air, rubbing and shaking her head from side to side. This lasts about 3 mins then she stands up and pushes her face into the floor moving her head from side to side. She then finishes off by going into the corner of the lounge and frantically scratching at the carpet, tries to rip it up. If she has eaten and the back door is open she immediately and frantically runs outside to a low wall we have built, and "scratches" her left side up and down it. This appears much worse that the "carpet" scenario as her head is lifted up into the air, she is grunting and her hind legs appear to be trailing behind. This also lasts for about 3 mins ( although this mornings episode was by far worse and I have managed to record it to show Chesterfields). These incidents ars not just isolated to meal times, she can have up to four or five a day. She now does not sleep flat, she sleeps with her head elevated on the edge of her basket. She has numerous episodes daily of nibbling and frantically licking her front paws. The "Scratching" has caused patches of fur to come out of her back and she has the indentation of the low wall along her fur. She has, but only on 4 occasions and just recently, been lay sleeping and let the loudest yelp out for what appears no apparant reason. When she manages to get into our bedroom or my daughters bedroom, she frantically runs and scratches herself up and down the length of the bed, her head pushed as far back as possible, then along comes the digging up of the carpets. She also does not appear to settle for any length of time, constantly moving around the house as if to find somewhere cool to relax. She recently appears to be losing a little of her hearing . . not hearing something unless it is loud enough, then she is startled and frantically barks. She constantly pants as if she is too hot even when the weather is cool.
I have been backwards and forwards to the vets regarding her scratching and they have believed she has a skin infection. Three batches of antibiotics and bipsoy and skin scrapings taken later, with everything coming back negative I was at a loss as to do next.
Molly had an appt last tuesday at the grooming parlour and that was the day the lord was looking down on us! We were sat in the waiting area when a lady approached to stroke Molly. She said how sweet she was then explained she was a cavvy breeder!!! I explained the problems we were having with her and had had more or less since she arrived and she looked worried. She offered Molly a chew and low and behold Molly did the famous trick of throwing herself onto the floor, all four limbs outstretched, frantically writhing, scratching in the air and moving her head from side to side. She suggested I immediately make an appointment with my vet and preceeded to explain Molly was showing the characteristics of SM. She explained vets are ignorant of this condition and told me I had to be firm in suggesting a referral for a scan. I did exactly that on the same day; the vet now believing it could well likely be SM.
My story brings us up to present day. It seems Molly's symptoms are getting worse. Our appt is scheduled for tommorrow a.m. It has to be a 4am start for us, on what is to be a very scary and worrying day.
If anyone can offer any help or advice regarding the appt or symptoms I have discussed I would appreciate any feedback. My other worry is I have been told the cost of tommorrow is between £1200 and £1800 and I am hoping and praying my pet insurance will cover this.
I must apologise for the length of this thread but I felt it neccessary to highlight all that is going on.
Regards
Mollysmum
I am a new user to this site and thank my lucky stars I have found it! I will give you a background to my beautiful pooch . . Molly . . and the reasons I believe she is likely to be suffering from SM. Also, we have got a nerve wracking appt at 9.00 at Chesterfields tommorrow a.m. where she will be having her MRI scan - something I am totally dreading!!!
Molly is 3years and 3months old. She was purchased for my daughter by her grandparents ( they have had a total of 8 cavvies!). She was bought from an animal lover down south when Molly was just 7 months old ( Im now wondering why she wanted to sell her). She arrived at our home and was instantly loved and adored. It was not too long after she had settled in that I began to notice her behaviour was particularly odd, especially in comparison to the cavaliers we had had in our family. She was much more aggressive, not the playful, happy pooch she ought to have been. Everyone kept telling me it was her character and that she had a lot of spirit, something I could never quite take on board! The months passed by with no change in her behaviour pattern then along came a whole host of new symptoms. It became apparant as soon as she had eaten ( and I mean within seconds) she would frantically throw herself over onto her back on the lounge carpet and writhe about frantically, all four limbs up in the air, rubbing and shaking her head from side to side. This lasts about 3 mins then she stands up and pushes her face into the floor moving her head from side to side. She then finishes off by going into the corner of the lounge and frantically scratching at the carpet, tries to rip it up. If she has eaten and the back door is open she immediately and frantically runs outside to a low wall we have built, and "scratches" her left side up and down it. This appears much worse that the "carpet" scenario as her head is lifted up into the air, she is grunting and her hind legs appear to be trailing behind. This also lasts for about 3 mins ( although this mornings episode was by far worse and I have managed to record it to show Chesterfields). These incidents ars not just isolated to meal times, she can have up to four or five a day. She now does not sleep flat, she sleeps with her head elevated on the edge of her basket. She has numerous episodes daily of nibbling and frantically licking her front paws. The "Scratching" has caused patches of fur to come out of her back and she has the indentation of the low wall along her fur. She has, but only on 4 occasions and just recently, been lay sleeping and let the loudest yelp out for what appears no apparant reason. When she manages to get into our bedroom or my daughters bedroom, she frantically runs and scratches herself up and down the length of the bed, her head pushed as far back as possible, then along comes the digging up of the carpets. She also does not appear to settle for any length of time, constantly moving around the house as if to find somewhere cool to relax. She recently appears to be losing a little of her hearing . . not hearing something unless it is loud enough, then she is startled and frantically barks. She constantly pants as if she is too hot even when the weather is cool.
I have been backwards and forwards to the vets regarding her scratching and they have believed she has a skin infection. Three batches of antibiotics and bipsoy and skin scrapings taken later, with everything coming back negative I was at a loss as to do next.
Molly had an appt last tuesday at the grooming parlour and that was the day the lord was looking down on us! We were sat in the waiting area when a lady approached to stroke Molly. She said how sweet she was then explained she was a cavvy breeder!!! I explained the problems we were having with her and had had more or less since she arrived and she looked worried. She offered Molly a chew and low and behold Molly did the famous trick of throwing herself onto the floor, all four limbs outstretched, frantically writhing, scratching in the air and moving her head from side to side. She suggested I immediately make an appointment with my vet and preceeded to explain Molly was showing the characteristics of SM. She explained vets are ignorant of this condition and told me I had to be firm in suggesting a referral for a scan. I did exactly that on the same day; the vet now believing it could well likely be SM.
My story brings us up to present day. It seems Molly's symptoms are getting worse. Our appt is scheduled for tommorrow a.m. It has to be a 4am start for us, on what is to be a very scary and worrying day.
If anyone can offer any help or advice regarding the appt or symptoms I have discussed I would appreciate any feedback. My other worry is I have been told the cost of tommorrow is between £1200 and £1800 and I am hoping and praying my pet insurance will cover this.
I must apologise for the length of this thread but I felt it neccessary to highlight all that is going on.
Regards
Mollysmum
