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Nightly Nightmares...

Pavane

Well-known member
Barkleigh, age 5, is a very happy pup most of the time--except when we leave him. People who are on hand and watch us drive away say he has a pathetic howl that sounds like "Ah woo-woo-woo" and it takes him awhile to calm down. We never hear it. Well, recently he has been having nightmares almost every night. He sleeps in our bed and stands at the bottom facing out and beings that same howling. One of us has to get up, go to the bottom of the bed, put our arms around him and gently waken and tell him it is all right. Then we settle him back down. He has the same "look" on his face as when he stares out the glass door and watches up leave--even just to go out in the garden. He definitely gets more upset when we pack suitcases and leave with them. So I figure he is having an abandonment dream, even though we go away very infrequently. Of course he may have some other terrors of his own, but we feel sorry for his nightly terrors. Anyone else been through this?
 
Interesting and worrisome follow-up. Barkleigh's nightmare's began this summer. Just this week we have noticed that he is not hearing anything! Thinking back we have reason to believe he started going deaf only a few weeks ago and now is very deaf.

Saw the vet and she is sending us for a neurology consult tomorrow to the U. of FL vet school which is thought of highly here. Will report. Of course we are looking at PSOM etc. The vet thinks the "nightmares" may really be
seizures.

Barkleigh's aunt is 8 (he is 5 1/2) and she had one flushing surgery, was better, then became deaf again. She really can't here. The breeder--who is very responsible--says there is no other deafness in the line, but I don't know about PSOM.

The only other change in his life is switching to Trifectis meds for heartworm etc. this summer due to severe flea infestation in Florida.

All advice welcome!
 
Interesting and worrisome follow-up. Barkleigh's nightmare's began this summer. Just this week we have noticed that he is not hearing anything! Thinking back we have reason to believe he started going deaf only a few weeks ago and now is very deaf.

Saw the vet and she is sending us for a neurology consult tomorrow to the U. of FL vet school which is thought of highly here. Will report. Of course we are looking at PSOM etc. The vet thinks the "nightmares" may really be
seizures.

Barkleigh's aunt is 8 (he is 5 1/2) and she had one flushing surgery, was better, then became deaf again. She really can't here. The breeder--who is very responsible--says there is no other deafness in the line, but I don't know about PSOM.

The only other change in his life is switching to Trifectis meds for heartworm etc. this summer due to severe flea infestation in Florida.

All advice welcome!
 
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I wish that we could give you some hope of a cure but it doesn't seem likely. Our 12=yr old Blenheim has been deaf for years although he did not start that way and has suffered nightmares for years although there may not be a link. We look after him just the way that you do. He seems to be happy and integrated. The vet says that he cannot do anything to help.
It took us a while to get used to the reality but we are all happy now!
Hope that it turns out that way for you - wish you every success.
 
Barkleigh had the MRI which showed he had PSOM or Glue Ear. He had very thick mucus in both ears that had to be removed under anesthesia, which he was already under for the MRI. That doc found that the poor boy's eardrums had both ruptured! Obviously the cause of deafness. The dermatology team at U. of Florida was on standby and were called once the diagnosis was made so he only had one anesthesia.

He has paid meds and others and is in fairly good spirits but fairly sleepy. We think he is hearing a bit better. It can take a few months for the ear drums to grow back. This is a procedure that may need repeating, but maybe not. He may be epileptic, but maybe not. (Those nightmare could be seizures.) We are planning to diary them and film them if we can jump up and get enough light in time. Hopefully they are gone, otherwise this will be quite a comedy routine. No brain lesions to indicate it, but his weird nightmares might be a symptom. Also showed a slight Chiari malformation in the back of the brain, but not likely to cause SM, thank goodness.
VERY interesting to work with these doctors. We had a 90 min. consult going in and a 90 min. exit consult including seeing every party of his MRI and understanding it. Then his cerebellum was compared to a Cav with very serious SM and we could see that difference, which was consoling. Had a tour of this amazing brand-new facility that is all state of the art, but more than that I would call it State of the Heart.

I do a lot of work with abused poor kids here, and they don't get as good medical care. Why, even I don't get that much attention from any of my docs! A lovely medical student was Barkleigh's one-on-one the whole time. Really nice and he befriended her and she lessened the trauma of leave mom. He's a really mommy's dog.
Insurance will cover most of it. Whew! We're just hoping for a lot more progress with hearing and no other set backs. The doctor wrote on her notes that Barkleigh was a sweet and brave patient!

Awwwwww.

Thanks for the kind words AND brilliant info and links here.

My local vet was very impressed when I came in with the glue ear info and also that I (CavTalk) nailed it!
 
Please do keep us up on how Barkleigh is doing. I had a deaf dog, and he coped quite well. But I'm hoping and praying that Barkkeigh gets his hearing back.
 
I am posting Barkleigh's multiple issues on the health forum, but basically the PSOM has been cured after surgery and we are treating for potential seizures. He is a very happy boy, so I am happy. You know how that goes.
 
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