Confused!!

[Kate H]

It would be worth trying Chester Gates Referral Hospital, just north of Chester - it's only about an hour and a half by car from where I live in Coventry. Geoff Skerritt is another leading SM researcher, and he has a good team of neurologists there, one of them looks after my Oliver, who has SM. Tel. 01244 853823.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Gem]

Heidi had her MRI scan today and the neurologist has advised that the scan is clear and shows no sign of SM which is obviously great news.
The insurance are going to pay the vet direct so I only had to cover the excess, as the scan was £1511.34
Heidi is rather sleepy now bless her but am sure she'll be back to normal by morning.
Thanks for all the advice & support!

[Sabby]

I am so pleased for you and Heidi. It’s so nice to hear of some good news for a change.

[Margaret C]

Wonderful news. I am so pleased for you.

Did they find anything in her ears that would explain the symptoms?

Please would you think about sending the certificate/report to Sarah Blott at the Animal Health Trust, to help with her research.

The address is..................

Dr Sarah Blott
CKCS Health Breeding Programme
Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU

This can also be done electronically: sarah.blott@aht.org.uk

It would also be good to let Heidi's breeder know the good news. People need to know both good and bad results when cavaliers they have bred are scanned.

[Karlin]

That is excellent news.

Did they say anything about the Chiari-like malformation? I some dogs this alone causes facial pain and scratching at ears and head and face -- often treatment with a CSF-inhibitor drug helps. Also any sign of PSOM -- as Margaret says -- can also cause these symptoms.

More info:

http://www.veterinary-neurologist.co.uk/part2.htm#21

[Gem]

they did mention that Karlin- but advised that they really couldnt find anything wrong with her. Im now wondering if it was me starting to be too cautious and misreading her behaviour. They have still got all copies of her scans as they apparently send the copies off to be studied again - for their own research purposes. I will ask for these back next week and will definatley send them on Margaret.
Unfortunatley as Heidi was a rescue we cant contact her breeder and sadly they wouldnt care less
Thanks again for all the support!

[Gem]

just had a call back from the neurologist and am completley stumped...
she has now advised that Heidi's scans have been looked at again by someone else (even after advising she didnt definatley didnt have it) and advised that she does in fact have SM. she was quite vague and said it is only very mild etc etc and suddenly seemed to know very little about SM. I have requested the report sent to me asap as am no longer convinced that they know as much as they claim to. She said she'd check if their allowed to do this - the invoice yesterday was £1511.34 surely im entitled to this by law??
When I get the report/scans back is it possibleto take them to a specialist in SM to getter a better diagnosis
Im just so annoyed at the vet for been so sure then changing her mind???

[Margaret C]

I am so sorry to hear this has happened. Such a disappointment after being told that your little girl was unaffected.

I cannot understand how you could have been given such wrong information. It sounds like you were seen by someone who has no experience in reading a scan for syringomyelia.

Clare Rusbridge does sometimes review scans if there is a CD of the dicom images ( don't ask me what that means ) not just a sheet of film. There is a charge of about £35 + VAT

[Love my Cavaliers]

I was advised to have decompression surgery for Riley when she was diagnosed with SM. Since it is such an invasive surgery, I wanted a second opinion. Her neurologist made a CD of the entire MRI (I believe this is what Margaret was referring to) and I was able to take that CD with me to another neurologist. The second neurologist was then able to load the CD into a computer and look at the images. I even asked them to make another copy for me because her breeder wanted a copy also. I don't know if it's different in Europe, but I got my two CDs of the MRI for free. And I do believe you are entitled to them by law.

I would absolutely ask for a CD and send it off to Clare Rusbridge. I'm so sorry you are having to endure this nightmare. Although I did wonder what they were going to attribute Heidi's symptoms to if she didn't have SM. Hopefully you'll be able to get a copy of her scan (not just a medical report) so you can get someone more qualified to look at it and give you some definitive answers.

[Gem]

thanks very much have just emailed them asking how to get a CD. Im not upset or suprised that Heidi has it as I knew she did,but the woman so definate she didnt - she even made me question myself for over reacting. Will definatley contact Claire to see if she can read it - as am not convinced by anything they have told me. Its just amazing as yesterday the vet seemed so confident and had an answer for all my questions- today she couldnt care less, just advised that we monitor her and if symptoms persist toget her scanned again!!