Hello, My dog has Syringomyelia and PSOM

I am new to this forum, and I am looking forward to sharing information with other Cavalier owners.
Our 6yr old blenheim Cavalier Poppy is a big part, (and a big cost!) in our lives. My husband describes her a "Not so much a dog, more of a movable ornament!"
It started about three years ago with 'air scratching' She would then lay down and stay there until the episode was over. The vet said she had a luxating patella in that knee, and it was even worse in the other one. So 3 opperations later, her knees were bionic! The 'air scratching' continued!
Different drugs were tried but to no avail. Then came the MRI scan which revealed that she had Syringomyelia and PSOM in both ears! By now I am an expert in Syringomielia and PSOM, scanning any information I can find on the internet.
So here we are £5,000+ later (thank goodness for Tesco pet insurance!) and her neurologist specialist says that we don't know enough about the condition to cure it. The ENT specialist says it is not the PSOM that is causing the problem. She is currently on Gabapentin, which does not stop the 'air scratching' but she seems to cope with it better and she is a much happier dog with more energy. Has anyone had simular experiences?

Hi

And wellcome ,so far I am very fortunate that none of my girls have yet developed any
of these horrible problems but I am sure our resident experts will soon be along to advise .

Thank you

Brian M said:

Hi

And wellcome ,so far I am very fortunate that none of my girls have yet developed any
of these horrible problems but I am sure our resident experts will soon be along to advise .

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Thank you Brian for your welcome. I am so pleased that your girls are all fine.

icon_welcome

Sorry to hear about your little one. There are many, many people here who will give advice and support when needed.

Hello and welcome to the forum. So sorry to read about your poor cavalier having SM and PSOM. You've come to the right place, there are many members with dogs who have these problems and there is loads of information on the site regarding the conditions. Take care of yourself and your furry friend and see you around the forum!:wink:

Hi Poppysmummy. I too have an SM dog. Riley had decompression surgery when she was almost 6 years old (just about 3 years ago) and is doing just great. She is treated with prednisone right now as that is the only med that controls her symptoms. Gabapentin has no effect on her, but she doesn't scratch at all unless it is really hot out. She doesn't have PSOM, so can't help you out with that one.

There are lots of us on the board with SM dogs and we give each other lots of advice and support. So welcome to the board. Like Desrae said, if you do a search on the board there is a wealth of information about both SM and PSOM. If you don't find what you're looking for, then ask. Someone else will probably have had a similar experience. Hope Poppy continues to be happy with lots of energy.

I'm so sorry about your recent news. You are in the right place and many people have helped me with ella's sm. There is no "cure" for SM but you will find many on the board that have cavaliers that have been able to help with managing.

As far as PSOM and SM, I hope blondiemaster can give advice about it. I know psom can cause some sm symptoms but maybe it would be good to talk to both specialists and come up with a treatment plan. I would think the psom would need to also be addressed and could help with some of the issues but I would get others opinions on the board and of course the specialists.

All I can say is that you will find a great many people to offer support and advice.

Anne

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Hello and welcome,
I have a four year old with SM and PSOM.
Ask all the questions you want, we'll all do our best to answer,although some have more experience in dealing with SM than others,I'm still at the question asking stage myself

Sins