Shay
Well-known member
Hi everyone,
I have not posted in a while, but I am beside myself, and need answers from anyone who can help me.
Just a little background, my Cavalier, Lily, who was diagnosed with a mild form of SM when she was three, has taken a drastic turn for the worse. She was showing symptoms of SM at three months, but was officially diagnosed at three years, along with PSOM, she will turn six, this August.
She has mild symptoms, face rubbing, scratching, a few times a day, but never did the bunny hop, or had weakness in her limbs. When she was diagnosed, she was put on gabapentin, and omneprozal. She has done very well, and was a normal happy, healthy, agile, and very active dog.
Just a few days ago, I noticed that she tripped a few times coming up the stairs, but did’t think too much about it, because she always goes full speed running up or down the stairs. There were no other indications of limb weakness. Yesterday, when she got up, she could not walk, when she tried, her front and back legs on her right side, would just spread out to the side, and she would lose her balance, and she tried to jump on the sofa and couldn't. I put her up on the sofa, and she just lay there starring up at me. I walked toward the kitchen, and she tried to jump off the sofa, and fell flat on her face. She was very confused, and couldn't’understand what was going on. I called her vet, who said she would call the neuro at Auburn Vet School, where she was diagnosed, but in the mean time, I brought her to the vet. She was worse by the time I got to the vet, and her little body was tuned in complete C shape. The vet had not yet heard back from the neuro, but she thought it was either her SM, or possibly the PSOM, with perhaps an inflamed ear pressing on a nerve. She started her on prednisone for inflammation, and tramadol or pain, and said to continue her on her gabapentin.
This morning she seemed a little better, ate well, and even wanted me to throw her ball, but now, she is back to where she was yesterday. This dog has gone from a happy, healthy, and VERY active dog, which I can't stress enough, to a shell of herself, almost overnight. I can’t believe she could have gone down this quickly, with no other signs.
My questions are, is his the end stages of this horrible disease? Would she have gone this far down overnight? Could it be the PSOM, or does this sound more like SM? And what do we do now? She can't even go out side to potty, because of the stairs, she has to be carried, and can't even balance herself well to potty, and keeps falling over. Has anyone had this happen, and then with the prednisone, they get better? I am beside myself and can't imagine why this happened so quickly. Any information anyone can give me of similar experiences and outcomes would be greatly appreciated. I love this dog more than life, and it is killing me to see her like this. It's like I went to bed with a happy, vital dog, and woke up with another dog. Her life has changed overnight. Is it normal for this to happen this quickly, and will she get better, or when these symptoms appear, do they stay, and even get worse?
Thanks in advance for any info you can give me. As of this morning, my vet hasn't heard back from the neuro.
I have not posted in a while, but I am beside myself, and need answers from anyone who can help me.
Just a little background, my Cavalier, Lily, who was diagnosed with a mild form of SM when she was three, has taken a drastic turn for the worse. She was showing symptoms of SM at three months, but was officially diagnosed at three years, along with PSOM, she will turn six, this August.
She has mild symptoms, face rubbing, scratching, a few times a day, but never did the bunny hop, or had weakness in her limbs. When she was diagnosed, she was put on gabapentin, and omneprozal. She has done very well, and was a normal happy, healthy, agile, and very active dog.
Just a few days ago, I noticed that she tripped a few times coming up the stairs, but did’t think too much about it, because she always goes full speed running up or down the stairs. There were no other indications of limb weakness. Yesterday, when she got up, she could not walk, when she tried, her front and back legs on her right side, would just spread out to the side, and she would lose her balance, and she tried to jump on the sofa and couldn't. I put her up on the sofa, and she just lay there starring up at me. I walked toward the kitchen, and she tried to jump off the sofa, and fell flat on her face. She was very confused, and couldn't’understand what was going on. I called her vet, who said she would call the neuro at Auburn Vet School, where she was diagnosed, but in the mean time, I brought her to the vet. She was worse by the time I got to the vet, and her little body was tuned in complete C shape. The vet had not yet heard back from the neuro, but she thought it was either her SM, or possibly the PSOM, with perhaps an inflamed ear pressing on a nerve. She started her on prednisone for inflammation, and tramadol or pain, and said to continue her on her gabapentin.
This morning she seemed a little better, ate well, and even wanted me to throw her ball, but now, she is back to where she was yesterday. This dog has gone from a happy, healthy, and VERY active dog, which I can't stress enough, to a shell of herself, almost overnight. I can’t believe she could have gone down this quickly, with no other signs.
My questions are, is his the end stages of this horrible disease? Would she have gone this far down overnight? Could it be the PSOM, or does this sound more like SM? And what do we do now? She can't even go out side to potty, because of the stairs, she has to be carried, and can't even balance herself well to potty, and keeps falling over. Has anyone had this happen, and then with the prednisone, they get better? I am beside myself and can't imagine why this happened so quickly. Any information anyone can give me of similar experiences and outcomes would be greatly appreciated. I love this dog more than life, and it is killing me to see her like this. It's like I went to bed with a happy, vital dog, and woke up with another dog. Her life has changed overnight. Is it normal for this to happen this quickly, and will she get better, or when these symptoms appear, do they stay, and even get worse?
Thanks in advance for any info you can give me. As of this morning, my vet hasn't heard back from the neuro.
Last edited: