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The SM Fear

NurseSophie89

Well-known member
I never wanted this day to come.
Since we got Lola as an 8wk old puppy, we knew SM was a possibility. We pushed it to the back of our minds. She always has a tender little front right leg/shoulder and would yelp if you picked her up wrong. She had some issues as a pup with intestinal blockages,and we got through all of that unscathed.

Now Lola is 3. She's a happy girl and loves life. I moved away 18m ago for work, and she lives with my mum. I miss her terribly. Today my mum called me to say that she didn't want to tell me about she thinks Lola has SM. Our vet has been useless, so she's seeking a 2nd opinion tomorrow. She's had a 'sore leg' with a small limp which comes and goes for a fe weeks. Vet said it was 'just a Sprain' since it comes and goes. Mum says she's frightened to jump onto the couch/bed now and I'll wait to be lifted. She's usually an active little thing, but mum says she's sleeping a lot more than usual(she's always like her sleep but this is apparently excessive). Mum has also noted some air scratching and says sometimes when u stroke her back/neck, she'll yelp.

Im sorry if this doesn't make sense. It's all just pouring out. Mum told me of her suspicions 20min ago and my world has come crashing down. I don't want my baby to be in pain or suffer. I hate to think this has been going on under my nose and we didn't see it. I can't stop sobbing. I'll update when I know more. Thank you.
 
One of the most difficult aspects of CM/SM is the wide range of symptoms - many of which particular dogs will never have (my Aled has never air scratched, for example, or yelped). CM/SM can look like other conditions, other diseases can look like SM, and it is very easy to miss symptoms. The symptoms you describe could also apply to disc problems in the spine, which are common in Cavaliers and make jumping painful and the dog will lie still (and go to sleep) in order to avoid pain. So before you decide the worst, you really need to take Lola to see a neurologist; GP vets are not specialists and they have to know something about a wide range of animal diseases. A specialist will be able to make a more informed diagnosis, will probably suggest an MRI scan as the only sure way of diagnosing CM/SM, and if Lola does have it, will work with you on finding the best medication/treatment for her. I think Karlin will be able to recommend a neurologist in N Ireland. Some of them require a referral from your vet.

Many Cavaliers with CM/SM are helped by medication to live more or less normal, happy lives, so please don't see it as a death sentence. Lola relies on you to fight her corner and get the best treatment you can for her. One small immediate thing you could do is get steps to help her up and down on the couch - the online pharmacy Hyperdrug do good ones at a reasonable price if you look on their website. You will find a lot of help and support on this forum, many of us have experienced the shock of suspecting the worst, but once the initial sadness is over, you need to come out fighting on Lola's behalf!

:hug:

Kate, Oliver and Aled (both with CM/SM)
 
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply.
My mum is talking her to some 'super vet' tomorrow who we've heard awesome things about, and hopefully will get the MRI sorted. As for the stairs etc, we are lifting her at the moment, we have a low level footrest thing which she sometimes jumps on the sofa via, but she's not even keen to do that right now. I'm praying it's not SM/CM, but I think the fact I worked in human neuro so understand the biology of these conditions makes it worse. I can't bear to think of her suffering. Human pain I can handle, animal pain i can't. She relies on us to be her advocate, and I will fight to the end of the earth for her, I just hate to think this has been going on a while and we did nothing. Beating myself up right now I guess.
 
Don't beat yourself up. As Kate says the symptoms can be so varied. The good thing is you have a sense of what is going on and are taking the next step. My Leo starting showing symptoms around age 2 and he's still with me at 10.5, having led a life of fairly normal activity, managed on medications all this time. Many cavaliers can be managed in this way.

I can't remember if there are MRIs done in the North -- I think there are in Belfast. You'll probably need a referral to a specialist as most vets really do not know much about the condition or how to manage over time, with changes to meds etc. There are a couple of places where you can get an MRI if needed in the Republic, though I would only use UCD Vet School in Dublin and none of the other places that offer them in Dublin. There's a slo a good service in Cork.

Be sure the vet knows of Clare Rusbridge's website which has info for vets and a treatment algorithm, if it is determined that this is SM.

Sadly the reality with the breed is that more than half of cavaliers over 5 will eventually have SM so the chances are always more likely than not that any given cavalier will develop it. For most of these dogs symptoms may be too mild to even notice or they may be symptomless on a clinical exam. For symptomatic dogs there are treatment options. The difficulty is always the uncertainty of where things will go.

But the most important thing is to be aware, as you and your mother clearly are, and then to act when you have suspicions, which you are doing, and get your dog whatever help she needs.

My advice from experience of having five of 6 cavaliers now with some degree of CM/SM is, worrying a lot just stresses you out but doesn't help your dog. :) You are doing all the right things. Hopefully you'll be able to get Lola a lot more comfortable on some meds and have her jumping on and off sofas again in no time.
 
Hi ladies. Lola was taken to an awesome vet today, who manipulated her within an inch of her little life, rotated her neck, legs etc and she didn't make a peep. Typical haha. He was saying that all the symptoms sound like SM, but nothing could be confirmed without MRI. He said he was reluctant to commence her on any meds until it's confirmed. She's been referred to Earlswood vets which was also recommended to me via a private message here, were she'll have an MRI in the next 2wks, bit of a wait. Apparently he thinks if she has it, it's a mild case which is reassuring. Also he was telling mum that some vets don't believe in SMs existence. Whhaaaat!? Also something I'm pissed about, Lola has what our original vet said was 'just an ear infection', but it turns out she's a really bad case of ear mites. Not impressed they missed that. This new vet is wonderful, mum got a good vibe from him, and he didn't even charge for today's consultation. I'm feeling a little better now, and today was a good day for Lola in that there was no yelping or anything thank god. Just gotta stay positive and deal with everything as it comes.
 
That sounds really positive and looks as if Lola is in good hands. Well done! (y)

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Sorry I've not had a chance to catch up for the past few days, as I've been very busy with other thins, so I apologise for not seeing and replying to your thread earlier.

Every Cavalier is different and also every collection of Cavaliers owned and loved by one household, so I'm pleased to say that my experience of Cavaliers with SM has been quite the opposite to Karlin's. I have four Cavaliers and only one has SM, for which I am truly thankful. Having said that, I was like you absolutely devastated when I took one of my boys for a routine MRI scan which showed a very large syrinx, CM and curvature of the spine. Symptoms only appeared a couple of years later, which suitable medication keep under control for most of the time. I would be dishonest if I said all of the time, because I am human and fallible and sometimes miss a sudden and iminent change in air pressure, which will be sure to require extra medication. Even then, it really doesn't take long to bring the symptoms under control, not that I am making excuses for myself, quite the opposite in fact.

The 2 other boys I had MRI'd 3 years ago for my own peace of mind so that I could have a fair idea of what the future held for me and them. Fortunately, although it's no guarantee, both scans were clear.

As Kate has just said, it definitely looks as if Lola is in good hands.

Keep us updated please.
 
When we got Lola, we knew nothing of health issues cavvies could suffer, nor of SM. She was an accidental litter, from a family with 2 males and a female cav. The family thought the boys were 'gay' and then suddenly after 4yrs, the girl was pg, and Lola and her brother and sister entered the world. I stated researching cavaliers as soon as we got her, and knew quite a lot about SM so knew what to look out for. I guess I've always worried about it but thought 'it won't happen to us.' Now that it probably is, the guilt I feel is overwhelming. The fact that I moved away for work and left her. I left her with mum, and I know she gets spoilt rotten. I know it'd be unfair of me to have brought her away with me, and that's she's happy and loved, but still,the fact that I'm not there through this hurts me so much. My poor little baby. I know that meds can make it liveable and control symptoms, but it's just so unfair that it should happen at all. Think I might be moving into the anger stage of grief now. Sorry to rant, just need to vent. Thank you for listening and giving such good advice ladies. X
 
Lola is having a bad day today according to my mum. She's awaiting MRI next Tuesday(pretty quick thankfully). Apparently she hasn't eaten a bite all day, is yelping on movement a lot and is stuck to my mum like a sticking plaster. Laying on the couch, not wanting to move. Mum says she's even been trembling on and off. Watching her closely tonight, and may take her to out of hours. I'm working nights in a&e this week, and all I want is to go home to belfast to my baby. :(.
 
It really sounds as if Lola has deteriorated and is in a lot of pain. She needs medication, preferably a neuropathic pain killer like gabapentin.

A week is much too long a time to leave her in such discomfort, and pain relief will not change whatever it is they will find on the MRI.

If she was mine I would go back to the vet and ask for something to keep her comfortable while waiting for the scan.
 
Lola settled down in the evening when my stepdad came home, had a little play and some dinner, and has slept soundly all night. I found a number for a responsible breeder lady called Kay on a cavvie website, she lives quite near my mum and I got mum to call her, she give us contact info for another vet you specialises in SM in the area we live. Mums taking her today to be seen for another opinion while we wait on the MRI. I feel really useless. I'm not coping well at all. I'm working nights this week, don't know if I'm extra emotional cause I'm tired, but I just keep bursting into tears randomly every time I think of Lola. I think of her smell and I cry. Of her sweet little face and her big loving, trusting eyes and I cry. I just can't bare that she could be suffering. I want to fly home this weekend, but it's over £250 for a last min flight and I just can't afford it. I feel like I've abandoned her in her hour of need, like I'm a **** mummy. Sorry to go on and on.
 
Lola settled down in the evening when my stepdad came home, had a little play and some dinner, and has slept soundly all night. I found a number for a responsible breeder lady called Kay on a cavvie website, she lives quite near my mum and I got mum to call her, she give us contact info for another vet you specialises in SM in the area we live. Mums taking her today to be seen for another opinion while we wait on the MRI. I feel really useless. I'm not coping well at all. I'm working nights this week, don't know if I'm extra emotional cause I'm tired, but I just keep bursting into tears randomly every time I think of Lola. I think of her smell and I cry. Of her sweet little face and her big loving, trusting eyes and I cry. I just can't bare that she could be suffering. I want to fly home this weekend, but it's over £250 for a last min flight and I just can't afford it. I feel like I've abandoned her in her hour of need, like I'm a **** mummy. Sorry to go on and on.

It is so distressing to any owner to be told your cavalier may have SM. So often there is a situation of panic and uncertainty while tests are done and medication sorted out, especially when the little dog is obviously in discomfort

You are not a terrible Mum. You are a very loving and responsible owner who is doing her best while trying to earn a living. You have left Lola in very caring hands and it sounds as if your Mum is doing all that can be done at the moment.

You may feel helpless, living far away, but it certainly doesn't sound as if you are being useless. It sounds as if you are gathering up a lot of information and using it to advise your Mum in a very supportive way.

I would imagine you are very tired and that is affecting how helpless and emotional you feel. Try and take care of yourself a little.

I am sure we all understand how hard this is for you and we are keeping our fingers crossed for Lola.
 
So today Lola saw a vet who specialises in Cavaliers. She assessed Lola a lot, and feels that she doesn't have SM. She thinks that Lola has arthritis with calcification in her back joints. She had lolas neck rotated in all ways and didn't get a single yelp from her. However she was able to pinpoint the joint pain and make her yelp, all in her back legs. She feels if it was SM the symptoms that we thought were it, such as scratching would be more frequent than every few weeks. She's prescribed Lola Rimadyl and Robaxin which are apparently muscle relaxants. She wants her to have X-rays in 10days when the swelling and inflammation has gone down. She says she doesn't think she needs an MRI and says that even if it's negative, our pet insurance will sky rocket. I would still like her to have the MRI, but mum is conflicted and worried we will lose our insurance. I guess after the XRays if they're inconclusive we could still have the MRI... I just don't know what to do. Lola is much more settled today, pain free and relaxed. They've also said she needs to lose 2kg, which we knew haha. Spoilt little girl. Thank you all again for listening to my moaning. Your support has been so helpful.
 
My Oliver has mild osteo-arthritis in his spine as well as a syrinx and rimadyl had an immediate effect in relaxing him - or more accurately, dealing with the pain so that he could relax. If Lola does have it, it should show up clearly on an X-ray, and the medication should have made a real difference. If the meds don't help then you will need to look again at possible neurological pain, which needs a specific neurological pain suppressant such as Gabapentin - rimadyl won't do very much for it.

If Lola is in pain, it sounds awful to say I do hope it's 'only' osteo-arthritis - but you know what I mean!

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
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