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Now Murphy not right

murphy's mum

Well-known member
I haven't posted in a while, to be honest I just couldn't face it. I find reading people's threads about health/SM really difficult now. I'm struggling to cope emotionally at the moment, I seem to do nothing but worry and have dreams that I'd sooner forget.

I'm having trouble with Murphy, which is unusual as he's always been the picture of health. He's just not been himself lately, he was treated for a sore back in November, which he seemed to get over pretty well, the vet thought he'd pulled a muscle as he was very quiet, off he food, and had spasms when you touched his back. Over the last week or so he's just been quieter, he's choosing to lay on the floor rather than with us on the furniture, his leg licking has increased(he's been a leg licker for a year or two). And he just seems a little "down", he was off his food a day last week, so we had him in to get his glands checked and a general check. At the time the vet ask if he normally sat so hunched, but we said no, we put it down to him being at the vets.

Yesterday though I noticed the spasms were back when you touched his middle back area, so back to the vets we go. He on Metacam and in for x-rays on Friday. The vet checked his reflexes, and reactions whilst we were in, and said they seem fine. However, he asked me if he had any other behaviour changes lately, and the one things that popped into my mind is he's grumpy with Misty. He's been growling at her more and more if she's trying to get up beside him or our lap, or the couch. I'm wondering if this has been because he's sore? I actually had to split them up earlier after they started fighting over a Kong, this has never happened in three years.

The vets said he could just have tweeked his back jumping off furniture, or it could be degenerative disk disease. I did mention SM, as he leg licks, and likes a good head rub in the mornings, but he wants to see if the x-rays show anything first. I'm trying not to worry, but of course I can't help myself.

I'm already stressed out over Misty as it is, as her scratching has increased a lot, she is especially sensitive down her right side of her neck, and she's lost some of her spark too. I called Glasgow about it, unfortunately Allison isn't there at the moment, but spoke to a lovely man called Jacques. I was really surprised when he mentioned Misty's MRI had showed a small amount of fluid on the brain, as this was never mentioned. He went on to say that the scratching is harder to manage that the pain at times, as Gabapentin doesn't decrease it. He did say it was possible the fluid had increased, and this was maybe causing her scratching to increase. He's put her on a course of steroids to see if they help and I've to call back and speak to Allison when she's back next week.

I can hand on heart say I will never, ever own another Cavalier. I love my two so much, but my heart breaks when I look at Misty, and I do nothing but worry over whether she is comfortable or not. I couldn't stand to go through it all again. I'm just hoping whatever this is with Murphy is nothing serious.
 
I really feel for you, I had a bad time nearly all last year with two off mine and of course SM is ongoing there is never a break from it. I don’t think I will ever own another Cavalier I am crying just writing this. I must say I am normally a strong person but all the health problems have left me an emotional wreck.
I am hoping that Murphy will be ok and that you can get Misty more comfortable.
 
Thanks Sabby. I've been crying on and off most of the day too. I seem to cope less each day. I know if I can get Misty comfortable again it will be less of a strain. But poor Murphy's pushed me over the edge. I was in floods after they fought earlier I just couldn't stop the tears.

I've just moved all the furniture around to keep Murphy off the window sill. It's his favourite spot to sit, but he does jump off it, so no more of that. The lounge looks very strange now though.


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I feel for you and know how worrying it can be. Gus has back trouble at the moment and is on pain relief and Pippin has early MVD and other heart problems he also has epilepsy but is doing well on meds. DJ's back plays up now and again too. I sometimes find myself worrying about how long they will be with me, but most days just try not to worry and take each day as it comes.

Not sure if I would have another Cavalier though if I were to ever be without my three boys ...
 
Hi

We are with you girls ,chins up all three of you .That's why I ended up taking my four to the vets last week as you are
continually watching and worrying which sometimes makes me imagine I am seeing things with Daisy that arn't there .
 
Sending you lots of :hug:! I'm right there with ya! I love my Cavaliers so much but every day is such a struggle. Managing medications, dealing with SM & MVD. On top of that , although Flash is a wonderful dog, he has such sever guarding issues that I feel like I spend all day trying to keep him from going into overload. 24/7 I have to monitor him to see if he is going "snap". I've had to start putting him alone at night, which I absolutely hate because he has slept on the bed with us since he was 12 weeks old. I have to though because he snaps at the cats and other dogs. He is not mean at all but he gets these weird "triggers" where its like he becomes another dog. I was just talking to a friend yesterday and I said I could never own another Cavalier. Not only is it a huge financial drain but it is also an emotional roller coaster. I feel like I have to be on watch 24/7 for so many different issues.
 
It makes me sad to hear everyone saying they wouldn't get another cavalier because I know from reading all your posts how much you guys love and cherish your dogs. I also know the pain of watching your dog suffer from end stage heart disease, so I do understand where this is coming from. Many days I sit here and cry wondering how many more good days are left. Sydney is my heart and soul.

When I pray for Sydney's well being, I also say a prayer for all our cavaliers. Hugs to all.
 
Murphy's back could be something as straightforward as spondylosis, which will show up on an X-ray ('straightforward' only in terms of being a well-known condition that can respond to treatment - not belittling the pain it's causing both Murphy and you). Oliver had very similar symptoms when his was diagnosed 3 years ago, but it improved enormously after 4 weeks of crate rest. Dog steps for getting onto the bed and settee/chair are a great help, as they are shallow enough not to need any pressure on the spine to climb up and down.

Thinking of you :hug:


Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Hi Murphysmum: I know how hard it can be. But please do come and post -- there's so much support here for you and I think a burden shared is a burden made lighter -- it is easy to forget how many care!

I also would say this: what you are doing right now is simply looking for a source of his discomfort which in all likelihood you can then address to make him MUCH happier and less painful. Either it is a back issue which can be addressed with painkillers and rest; or it may be moderate SM symptoms which can be addressed with pain relief as well. There are lots of options ahead :flwr:. Try not to overly worry about what it could be, but wait to see what it might be. If Metacam doesn't help, you might ask for something stronger. When Lucy had disk problems, crate rest and metacam did wonders after a couple of weeks and she never had the problem again (she was clear for SM).
 
Agree -- dog steps are great! Hyperdrug.co.uk have lightweight plastic based ones and Zooplus.co.uk have more sturdy, heavier wood based ones. I have both.
 
Thanks for all your kind words, I really appreciate them, especially with all you go through as well:hug:

I just feel so helpless at the moment. Murphy can't seem to settle, he's floating about, lying in one place, and then after five minutes, moving to another spot. I do hope it's something he'll get over easily, it's so easy to imagine the worst though. The vet never said to restrict his movement, or access to the furniture, but they way he is tonight, I'm going to try and keep him as quiet as possible. He's not crate trained, so don't know how he'll react if that's what the vets says he need.
 
Thanks for all your kind words, I really appreciate them, especially with all you go through as well:hug:

I just feel so helpless at the moment. Murphy can't seem to settle, he's floating about, lying in one place, and then after five minutes, moving to another spot. I do hope it's something he'll get over easily, it's so easy to imagine the worst though. The vet never said to restrict his movement, or access to the furniture, but they way he is tonight, I'm going to try and keep him as quiet as possible. He's not crate trained, so don't know how he'll react if that's what the vets says he need.

A few years ago, when Sydney hurt his back, diagnosed as spondolosis in the cervical disk, I was faced with the same problem. I had an X-pen and left in whatever room we were in and that wasn't good enough for him. He wanted OUT and kept smacking at the gate. I feared he would hurt himself even more. I spoke with his vet and we agreed that since I was home all day, we could keep him out. But, when he went outside to do his business, I kept him on a leash. Also, as the weather was very nice, if we just stayed outside in the yard, I put a lightweight cord attached to his harness and tied it to the patio. It gave him enough room to reach the grass when needed and to be in his favorite spot in the shade. The main objective was to keep him calm and safe.

At bedtime, he usually likes to walk around the house during the night, so we put a gate across our bedroom door which limited most of his movement.

He had trouble with the steps putting pressure on his neck and shoulder blade, so now, we have built a small ramp for him to go in and out of the yard so he doesn't have to use the steps. He isn't physically able to jump onto the couch, so we lift him up when he wants and also lift him when he wants down.
 
Thanks for all your kind words, I really appreciate them, especially with all you go through as well:hug:

I just feel so helpless at the moment. Murphy can't seem to settle, he's floating about, lying in one place, and then after five minutes, moving to another spot. I do hope it's something he'll get over easily, it's so easy to imagine the worst though. The vet never said to restrict his movement, or access to the furniture, but they way he is tonight, I'm going to try and keep him as quiet as possible. He's not crate trained, so don't know how he'll react if that's what the vets says he need.

The inability to settle for any length of time is probably due to discomfort. It would seem that the metacam not enough to relieve his pain.

Perhaps your vet could suggest something else, like a steroid, while you wait?

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
 
I've just spoke to the vet, as Murphy seems so uncomfortable, he said to give him an extra dose of Metacam, and see how he does.

I found the steps on Zooplus, but couldn't find them on Hyperdrug. The one on Zooplus look okay though :)
 
I am sorry to hear about Murphy. The plastic steps sound like a great idea, especially to help him get to his favorite window sill spot. I hope the extra Metacam dose helps him get more comfortable.
 
Just thinking of you, praying with you and sending you big hugs and and gentle kisses for Misty and Murphy. We are all here for you....all the time.
 
Managed to get him settle after the extra dose of Metacam, thank god. He snoozed the night away, and seems not too bad this morning. I've to give him the double dose at tea time tonight again, so hopefully it will do the trick tonight again :)
 
Sorry to hear that Murphy is having problems now, it's really hard when we have to deal with all these issues when we should just be enjoying our dogs...

I'm sure the grumpiness is probably due to the pain - we have this with Kayleigh sometimes :(

It's good that the extra dose of Metacam is working, and hopefully combined with the rest that will help.


You were lucky to speak to Jacques - that would be Jacques Penderis a very highly respected gentleman, if you search on here you will find more about him. He has done a considerable amount of research into Episodic Falling but also is very knowledgeable about SM.
 
Jacques was excellent, it was a pleasure to talk to him :)

Murphy's x-rays were inconclusive. The vet thought the L5 and L6 vertebrae could be slightly compressed, but definitely no rupture, calcium deposits or arthritis. He recommends 6 weeks rest, and Metacam, but not the double dose as it would upset Murphy's stomach. We've to see how he reacts to the rest, and the normal dose of Metacam, and if he needs more pain meds we've to call him. We've to take him back in on Tuesday evening anyway.

I do hope he's just pulled a muscle, but only time will tell, as the amount of discomfort he was in on Wednesday definitely says somethings not right.
 
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