• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Update on Abbey

linderbelle

Well-known member
As many of you know, my dear Abbey had surgery approximately 2 years ago--was 2 years in March. She has been on omeprazole, gabapentin and prednison since her surgery and doing relatively well. She of course still shows symptoms and has permanent neuro damage from being misdiagnosed for so long. We recently noticed that her back legs are shaky. Unfortunately, the neuro that did her surgery from Auburn U in Alabama is no longer there--he is now at Mississippi U which is 400 miles from here. I have a call in to my vet and have also emailed Dr. Shores at Mississippi and I think they will probably do a phone consultation. So in case she has really gone downhill fast I want to prepare myself as its going to literally kill me to hear that she has gotten bad. I want to be positive as she's still a happy dog but I'm getting nervous and I've always said I will never let her be in pain.

So feedback?
 
There is a possibility that Abbey's shaky back legs are not related to her SM - Cavaliers seem fairly prone to other spinal and disk problems. My Oliver, for example, has spondylosis (osteo-arthritis of the spine) which produced wobbly back legs - and complicated the issue! - just at the time he was diagnosed with SM. He copes very well with it but still walks a little stiffly with his hind legs a bit far apart to balance himself. Doesn't stop him running across rough grass, climbing over ditches, jumping onto furniture or doing anything else he wants to do!

Hope your vet and neurologist can get it sorted.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
My advise is not to assume the worse. Like kate said, it could be a number of things which to me seems hard to diagnose through a phone consultation. I don't know exacty where you are located and I hate dr. Shores moved but I would either look up the board certified neurologists on www.cavalierhealth.org at the ones in red. I'm not sure who is now at auburn but imo, I would see a specialists even if not dr. Shores to get accurate diagnosis.

I'm so so sorry but hopefully you will get some answers

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
Dr. Sorjonen is there now and did Maggie's surgery. We really liked him. He's also listed on the SM infosite.
 
Good to hear from you again, Linderbelle, and so glad that Abbey has been leading a good life after her surgery 2 years ago.

I'm another one with an SM-affected Cavalier with weak hindlegs, but who also has degenerated disks, so we just can't know what is causing what. Megan was diagnosed in 2007 and is now 12 years old and still leading a contented (though obviously less active) life, so please don't despair too soon.

Let us know what the consultant says and good luck hugs to you and Abbey.
 
Hi Linda,
Its great to hear from you again. I'm glad to hear that Abbey is hanging on in there - hopefully her shaky legs can be sorted out easily and that it's not a sign that her sm is progressing.
Will you let us know how you got on with the neuro?
Best wishes....
 
Taking her to Vet today

I contacted Dr. Shores in Mississippi yesterday by e-mail and we agreed that a good starting point is to take her to my vet today and then the two of them do a phone consultation to go from there. Yes I know there are other neurologists at Auburn and her records are there etc. but if I have to take her somewhere I'm really leaning towards Dr. Shores but unfortunately he is now 400 miles from me. I feel he knows her as he has seen her numerous times and wouldn't just be working from her records. He did her surgery etc. I know it can be numerous things and she does have neurological damage from being misdiagnosed for 5 years--one of which is scoliosis which maybe this has something to do with. I will try to post tonight from home and if not will certainly tomorrow morning. It is so hard to get in here these days as I'm still working for my husband part time and hold another full time job--just not enough hours in a day anymore. Thanks for the advice all. It helped ALOT.
 
Well Linda I wondered what had happened to you. I was hoping that Abbey was OK. If it's not one thing, it's another with these dogs! I hope you get some answers today. Hopefully it's not related to a downward spiral of her SM. Please let us know what the specialists say. We're all anxious to hear. Riley's doing great by the way.
 
Bev I'm certainly busy but I love it--had way too much time on my hands before--the reason why I was on here so much--lol.

Anyways, took Abbey to vet late yesterday afternoon. He x-rayed her and ruled out any disc problems etc. and said he would call Dr. Shores last night and would give his cell # so I imagine they will hook up today and my vet will call me as soon as he talks to him. My vet did say she looked happier than she did before and she is happy and I don't feel she's in any more pain than before but just concerned about the shaky leg deal. I know Dr. Shores would love to mri her again but we shall see what happens. I will post as soon as I know more.
 
So nice to hear from you again and know that Abbey is still relatively okay. She has been such a little Wonder Dog.

My one and only Tommy has very weak and shaky back legs. I have always presumed that it is due to his SM.
 
I still haven't heard anything from my vet. I know him and know that he called neuro right away although there is the possibility that something has prevented that. I will call this afternoon to see why no call.

Margaret--how long has yours been like that?
 
I still haven't heard anything from my vet. I know him and know that he called neuro right away although there is the possibility that something has prevented that. I will call this afternoon to see why no call.

Margaret--how long has yours been like that?

Tommy ( age ten ) has had shaky legs for well over a year. Sometimes they appear dreadfully weak, other times the shake is almost non-existent. He also gets very twitchy sometimes, a real noddy dog, but Clare Rusbridge did not think that was SM, but another peculiarity of aging cavaliers.l

Matthew ( age 11 ) and William ( age 14 ) also had SM and both developed very shaky legs.

I suppose that one should be careful drawing too many conclusions as all three developed severe MVD murmurs, so perhaps the weakness in the hind quarters could also relate to general weakness caused by heart problems.

I hope you get some answers soon.
 
Heart problems can definitely be associated with weak legs; have seen that listed a few places. My Lucy is noticeably wobbly on her hindquarters now, with an advanced grade murmur.

Leo is a bit wobbly from SM -- has never had great hind leg strength and easily loses his balance if say he jumps up on a lap (so I always have to be ready to stabilise him!).

So I would guess that if she is doing well otherwise, the problem is probably minor and associated with the SM over time, or another cause.
 
Hi everybody. My vet and her neuro have been playing tag for days and they finally connected this weekend. I heard by e-mail from Dr. Shore this a.m. requesting what meds she's on. He did also say from speaking with her vet that he's not overly alarmed and wants to help us find a solution. Stay tuned. With luck I may not have to go to Mississippi--not sure I would at this point with all the flooding going on. I will post as soon as I hear the plan. Thanks!!!
 
Still Waiting

My vet called on thursday and told me that Dr. Shores wanted an x-ray of her stomach so hubby took her in. I imagine my vet mailed the x-rays to Dr. Shores on friday so hopefully soon we will hear something of the plan that Dr. Shores has.
 
Nothing

I still know nothing.

I need to get with regular vet to figure out what to do.

[edited by admin to remove personal comments about an individual. If people wish to PM or email you privately for an update, that is fine. (y) -- Karlin]
 
Video

Ok all I have heard from Dr. Shores and we're trying to come up with a plan as I'm having surgery in 9 days and will be down for awhile--knee replacement. Yesterday I was able to get a great video of what we are dealing with and I know I will get some great feedback from ya'll.

Go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jllwW-qfl0o

This is more prevalent with her when she is excited and as you can hear from the background all dogs were barking demanding breakfast. This was the first thing yesterday morning.
 
To be honest? I think part of the problem is very likely that she looks quite obese, coupled with her SM and existing neurological damage pre-surgery -- her hind legs may simply now not be able to manage the weight she is carrying in any coordinated way, if she already has neurological deficits.

I know a heavy westie who nearly had to be put down because he was carrying a lot of extra weight which had caused spinal damage that was making his hind legs very wobbly in a similar way -- you could see the effect in an xray and it was very serious: the vet was not even sure he would not need to be euthenised; his one chance was to take the weight off and see if he would recover some ability to move around (he couldn't by then even raise his leg to pee). He is still around and lost about a third of his overall weight, but has permanent disability from the issues the extra weight caused.

Have you talked to an orthopedist about what may be going on? I just wonder whether this anything at all to do with her SM and may be her weight; or if there's a cause and affect with the weight maikng it hard for her to manage to walk if she already had existing damage.

Also she seems unable to get any kind of grip on the smooth wood floor which won;t be helping the situation -- I'd be sure to clip out all the hair from between her foot pads etc or have a groomer do this so that she isn;t sliding on her fur, and also then get something on the floor like those plastic walkway strips you can place on carpets, or area rugs/runners. My friend did this for her elderly labs when they found it difficult to get any grip on a wood floor and she was afraid they would fall and hurst themselves. Is Abbey finding it this hard to get to her feet when on carpet as well?

If it turns out she cannot recover the use of her legs there are small carts you can get for them but this would be very hard for her if she is hauling extra weight -- you'd want to get her quite fit and lean. :)

For her health overall and to help give her every chance to recover some ability to walk normally, I would really focus on getting about a third of her weight off gradually. Especially if she isn't getting much exercise given her disability, I'd maybe halve her food -- she cannot burn off the calories she would have had as a norm in the past.
 
Back
Top