Sm aggrevation after grooming?

[Blondiemonster]

I brought Blondie to the groomers because my bf insisted (shedding..).
She came back and hours later has clearly aggrevated symptoms.
As a matter of fact, I've never seen quiet like this. She's rubbing her head,
lies on the floor and doesn't wanna move and seems in discomfort. She seems mad at her hindlegs! Everytime she wants to play or do something it seems like they "twitch" and then she bites at them and gets really really mad...
This all happened right around when the gabapentin 8 hour mark was coming up, and I gave her the gabapentin just a half an hour ago and gave her a teeny chunk of tramadol left from he spaying surgery. We are already seeing the neuro once every 3 months , and obviously if this doesn't subside I will be going in sooner but,
is this common after grooming? she seems to be seriously irritated by something on her back leg as well... Is it possible they aggrevated the nerve endings somehow? I don't know.. Just guessing. I knew this groomer thing was a bad idea. Darn. Thanks for any advice.. p.s I should add this seems to be a similar episode like last year, which i what led me to find out about the SM... LAt yearm It lasted a few days after which we got her MRI'd and they did a myringotomy and the symptoms subsided. It was a very acute episode. It seems to be the same thing now and I'm really frustrated...

[sins]

I think it's possible that the grooming causes some level of upset to her.
Our Daisy is clearly annoyed when she comes home.
But sometimes a visit to a groomer is essential when you can't get to groom her yourself.(Daisy is at the groomer this morning as I have a trapped nerve in my neck)
Some things I've found which can help.
Ask the groomer not to use heavily scented products.
Trim her ears and coat and thin out some of the heavier coat.
And finally,not string her up by the neck on the grooming table.
I expect vigorous dematting would be unpleasant for her too and we've learned to avoid slicker brushes.
Try giving her a blanket with her own scent on it and she might feel a bit more relaxed.
Hopefully she'll settle for you and not have any more problems after her visit to the salon
Sins

[anniemac]

I'm so sorry I have heard grooming can be aggrevating. I remember one groomer being particularly bad. Sins gave good ideas. I told mine not to use anything around her neck.

Also their feet can be extra sensitive and I would tell them if it seems to hurt her cutting toe nails to leave them. I would give ella tramadol before and I found one familiar with condition. Wow! Actually shows cavaliers but I have had one really bad experience that led me to being real picky.

Please keep us updated.

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[anniemac]

Did she calm down after gabapentin?

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[Blondiemonster]

Unfortunately she has not calmed down. Not even the tramadol helped at all. It all reminds me a lot of what happened a year ago: the sudden onset of problems. The massive problem here is that i once again am clueless wheter it is the psom or sm that is aggrevated. She is acting really, really strange. Its as if her hind legs keep spasming which causeher to completely freak out. She doesnt yelp but she seems to be so irritated and frustrated its really hard to explain. I dont know what to do. Wheiter to go straight for a miryngotomy ( last year these exact symptoms were follow by a miryngotomy which caused relieve). Wheither to go to dr west and ask for prednisone, or do sonething else or wait a few days. Like i said the whole psom thing is seriously annoying.

[Karlin]

I would call your neurologist for advice; that sounds fairly serious.

A lot of SM dogs cannot tolerate grooming -- they can be touched and manipulated in ways that can be painful as groomers don't really understand that even brushing, or the massaging that goes with washing, can hurt. A lot of us keep our dogs ears short as well or the coat, if the dog is bothered by bushing or if claws get caught in hair (this happens with two of mine so I keep their ears short).

It is hard to say whether the grooming brought this on; it could be coincidental. If it was grooming it really should stop very quickly. SM dogs do tend to go through good and bad spells. If the existing meds are not managing a bad spell then you'll want to get a mix that will. Hopefully this isn;t a further decline overall but just a bad spell.

[Blondiemonster]

Thanks Karlin. I just spoke with Dr West. He is giving her prednisone for 3 days starting tonight. Re-evaluate by Saturday...
This is so very weird, and I know people thought I was crazy when I first brought this up. Last year when this "attack" happened I had frontlined her the day before. Vet was laughing at me for thinking there was a relation. Guess what I did the day before yesterday? Frontlined her. Nobody was laughing when I brought it up this time. I know frontline works on the neurological system of ticks and fleas, and when I do a google search there are many other who claim Frontline to be very toxic. I wonder if it aggrevates her neurological system. A coincedence or not, we shall see.. I hope, just like you, thatt this is just an isolated event and that the pred helps.

[Karlin]

Oh geez, I would not use Frontline again then -- it may well be a neurological reaction. This can happen in a tiny number of dogs. I would guess that is your problem.

[Karlin]

Concerns About Fipronil

While the typical side effect to Frontline is skin reactions, its active ingredient, fipronil, lists other potential concerns when used on canines.

Skin problems – As stated earlier, fipronil can cause irritation to your dog’s skin. This irritation can go beyond simple itching as the scratching can cause ulceration and open sores.
Nervous system damage – Fipronil is a neurotoxin, causing damage to the fleas’ nervous system. It can have the same effect on your dog, causing symptoms such as convulsions, body twitches, loss of appetite, unsteady gait and other effects.
Carcinogen – Fipronil has been shown to cause thyroid cancer in dogs. Because of its carcinogenic qualities, it is important for the person applying the Frontline product to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and warm water to adequately remove the product from their skin.
Organ damage – Autopsies have shown an accumulation of fipronil in canine livers and kidneys, causing an increase in organ weight. Fipronil has also been shown to alter the levels of hormone secreted by the thyroid gland.
Infertility – Fipronil has also been shown to have an effect on a dog’s fertility. Its use has led to smaller litter size, difficulty in conception, decreased litter weights and increase in litter deaths.
While Frontline products have had successful use in the control of flea populations, there have been negative results seen when dogs have been maintained for extended periods on the products. The fipronil builds up in your dog’s body, giving it the chance to cause problems. If Frontline is your choice for flea control, consider taking a 3 to 6 month break during low flea infestation periods to allow your dog’s body to rid itself of any toxic build up that may have occurred. This will help to avoid the potential of any problems arising from the fipronil.

My emphasis. There have been reports of dogs with these issues. See:

http://www.vetinfo.com/side-effects-...line-dogs.html

[Blondiemonster]

My emphasis. There have been reports of dogs with these issues. See:

http://www.vetinfo.com/side-effects-...line-dogs.html

Wow Karlin. I cannot believe it but it sounds exactly like what is going on. (body twitches, etc..) I can only hope the pred will help. I would imagine frontline doesn't cause permanent neurological damage? Oh my. No I'm all worried.