AgilityLola
Well-known member
Well as expected it isn't good news
Lola had her consultation this morning, Clare examined her and said that she had obvious scratching symptoms, no pain symptoms and might have a very slight balance problem (but she said she was probably analysing it too closely and she might not). So we decided to have the MRI on the same day, so we could get a definite diagnosis.
5 hours later we went back to pick Lola up and see the results. The MRI showed that Lola does have SM caused by the cerebellum within the foramen magnum (which i knew it would be). But what was surprising was the size of the syrinx, it is 7.78mm by 6.17mm which is MASSIVE. She also has a few other smaller syrinxes which reach to her 4th vertebrae. The main syrinx is located more towards the left as well, which because of her symptoms, scratching on the rights side, is strange because Clare thought it should be more to the right. But Clare says the strangest thing is that Lola isn't in much pain, because of the size of her syrinx it would be expected for her to be in a lot of pain. Clare said that she had seen Cavalier's with syrinxes which are 4mm in diameter in a considerable pain compared to Lola's massive syrinx which is 7.78mm in diameter. Though she did say that some dogs are just 'wired' differently, which could be why Lola isn't in any pain because the pain receptors aren't in the same place as other dogs. Clare said though Lola isn't in any pain now, within 2 years it is almost guaranteed, because of the vast size of her syrinx, that she will be in pain.
Additionally she has some ventricular dilatation, what is this?
So we came back with some Gabapentin for the time being, she is taking 100mg twice daily. But we are now know we will definitely have surgery because she has only just turned 2 and her syrinx in 7.78mm in diameter so we want to do as much as possible to slow down the growth of the syrinx and try to prevent the pain as long as possible.
Could really use some hugs right now, i am glad that we've finally started management, but i wasn't prepared for the extent of the syringomyelia that she has.
Lola had her consultation this morning, Clare examined her and said that she had obvious scratching symptoms, no pain symptoms and might have a very slight balance problem (but she said she was probably analysing it too closely and she might not). So we decided to have the MRI on the same day, so we could get a definite diagnosis.
5 hours later we went back to pick Lola up and see the results. The MRI showed that Lola does have SM caused by the cerebellum within the foramen magnum (which i knew it would be). But what was surprising was the size of the syrinx, it is 7.78mm by 6.17mm which is MASSIVE. She also has a few other smaller syrinxes which reach to her 4th vertebrae. The main syrinx is located more towards the left as well, which because of her symptoms, scratching on the rights side, is strange because Clare thought it should be more to the right. But Clare says the strangest thing is that Lola isn't in much pain, because of the size of her syrinx it would be expected for her to be in a lot of pain. Clare said that she had seen Cavalier's with syrinxes which are 4mm in diameter in a considerable pain compared to Lola's massive syrinx which is 7.78mm in diameter. Though she did say that some dogs are just 'wired' differently, which could be why Lola isn't in any pain because the pain receptors aren't in the same place as other dogs. Clare said though Lola isn't in any pain now, within 2 years it is almost guaranteed, because of the vast size of her syrinx, that she will be in pain.
Additionally she has some ventricular dilatation, what is this?
So we came back with some Gabapentin for the time being, she is taking 100mg twice daily. But we are now know we will definitely have surgery because she has only just turned 2 and her syrinx in 7.78mm in diameter so we want to do as much as possible to slow down the growth of the syrinx and try to prevent the pain as long as possible.
Could really use some hugs right now, i am glad that we've finally started management, but i wasn't prepared for the extent of the syringomyelia that she has.