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14 year old Cavalier- Manic walkabout

L

legolfeur

New member
My sweet 14 year old cavie, with MVD currently controlled via meds, has had two episodes in the last 3 months where she starts walking around our kitchen and family room in the same pattern stumbling against walls and cabinets for over 2 hours. She pants and seems thirsty but will not drink from her water bowl. If I pick her up, she will whine to be put back on the floor and continue her manic walkabout. Eventually, she stops and will fall asleep.
The next day it's as if nothing ever happened. I am concerned that this is something more serious. Has anyone experienced this with their cavalier?

Thanks, Le Golfeur
 
I haven't experienced this myself (though i have nursed 2 Cavaliers through congestive heart failure) and others may be able to give better advice, but my guess is that she is having trouble breathing and feels the need to keep her head up - lowering the head constricts the lungs and makes breathing problems worse. It is very tiring for dogs to stand still for any length of time, and lying down would probably make the problem worse, so she is walking as the most comfortable thing to do until her breathing eases again - not really looking where she is going, just concentrating on keeping her lungs working. It might be worth discussing her medication with your vet, as her MVD may be getting worse. She's a good age!

But I may be way off beam!

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Kate's idea is definitely a possibility. Another possibility is senile dementia, not related to heart disease - I've dealt with that a couple of times, and this is a classic symptom. Another possibility is meds - has there been a change in med dose or a new med added? - But I guess that doesn't make sense since it was only twice within several months. Is she taking a bronchodilator? Agitation and restlessness are common side effects of bronchodilators. Since it's only been twice in a several month period, I think the likely cause is the beginning of dementia. Could also be a very infrequent arrhythmia episode. You can keep a diary to watch for an increase of episodes.

Pat
 
14 Year old Cavalier - Manic Walkabout

Thanks for your responses. Lily is taking Vetmedin, Enalapril, Theophyline and Furosemide plus a Proin 25mg for her incontinence.

I am scheduling a visit next week to her cardiologist to see what's what.

Thanks again.

Le Golfeur
 
So she is taking a bronchodilator - but I would think that side effects would be more consistent if it was the theo. I've never been able to give that drug without the agitation side effect.

Pat
 
Are you sure it is the MVD that is causing this problem?

Not a Cavalier, but our 15 year old Lhasa had a grade 4 murmur and when she started coughing, we thought it was the start of Congestive Heart failure. She also had some strange middle of the night episodes walking around, barking, etc. We thought at first it was dementia. In any case, it turned out not to be the heart after all, but lung cancer that was behind all her issues.

I see you have a Cardiologist appointment next week. Hopefully he can shed some light as to what could be going on. I'm (thankfully) not all that familiar with MVD meds, but I think there is a possibility that what you're seeing may not necessarily be related to the MVD meds.

Good luck next week. :)
 
I lost a Cavalier to lung cancer that was a result of metastasis from a perianal adenocarcinoma - this is a dog that I adopted when he was 14. I knew he had the perianal cancer when I got him and had a bd. certified surgeon remove the tumor. The surgery was successful but despite doing pre-op ultrasound, radiographs and bloodwork (which were all clean) there apparently had already been metastasis through the abdominal lymph system at the time we did the surgery.

At any rate, the first symptom of lung cancer was waking up in the middle of the night and sitting up in bed and panting. But it happened every night not twice in several months. I took him to GP vet and radiographs clearly showed many tunors in the lungs, so it was a very easy diagnosis to make. I confirmed with ultrasound which showed the enlarged abdominal lymph nodes so we knew that it wasn't primary lung cancer but was mets.

Pat
 
14 year old cavalier -manic walkabout

Pat said:
I lost a Cavalier to lung cancer that was a result of metastasis from a perianal adenocarcinoma - this is a dog that I adopted when he was 14. I knew he had the perianal cancer when I got him and had a bd. certified surgeon remove the tumor. The surgery was successful but despite doing pre-op ultrasound, radiographs and bloodwork (which were all clean) there apparently had already been metastasis through the abdominal lymph system at the time we did the surgery.

At any rate, the first symptom of lung cancer was waking up in the middle of the night and sitting up in bed and panting. But it happened every night not twice in several months. I took him to GP vet and radiographs clearly showed many tunors in the lungs, so it was a very easy diagnosis to make. I confirmed with ultrasound which showed the enlarged abdominal lymph nodes so we knew that it wasn't primary lung cancer but was mets.

Pat
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14 YEAR OLD CAVALIER -MANIC WALKABOUT

Sorry to give you more worries, but our Het did this at around 13, walked round and round ,the Problem was Brain Related.

Bet
 
It's clear from the answers to your query that there are a lot of possible causes for Lily's problem - I hope the cardiologist and your vet between them can pinpoint what's wrong and help.:xfngr:

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
As others have suggested there are many possibilities for this - sorry it must be distressing to watch :(

I think it would be worth listing the suggestions from here to take with you to the cardiologist and also suggesting them to your GP - you can say you are worried and these are the things that are concerning you - so it doesn't look like you are trying to tell them their job!!
 
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