Hey everybody,
First of all, can I just comment on how great it is to have found a forum like this? My 7 months old Blenheim puppy, Beeru, was diagnosed yesterday with a very severe case of SM where the syrinx extends all the way down to his lower back
Below is his MRI scan
It's clear that his syrinx is large and severe, although he hasnt been showing a whole lot of the clinical signs of SM. What prompted my and my vet's suspicion is of a sudden onset of headtilt. His neck is now bent about 45 degrees to the left and the xray scans have shown clear scoliosis (neurologist says its due to the pressure of the syrinx and spongy tissues causing the spine to grow incorrectly).
It is truly heartbreaking for me, as a first time Cavalier and dog owner, to be faced with a situation like this especially for a dog who is still so young... I am in the Seattle area and the doctor I went to is Dr. Sanders of Seattle Veterinary Specialist. He said that Beeru is the youngest patient he has seen with this condition and he is utterly shocked at how progressed his syrinx is.
He is recommending immediate decompression surgery with the Titanium mesh due to the severity of his SM and also his young age, but there is no certainty of prognosis because there is way too much we dont know about how a puppy his age responds to surgery.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Does anyone know of any case of a young puppy diagnosed with SM? Any help would truly be appreciated.
I honestly thought I had my work cut out by going out of the way to find a reputable breeder, one who has been breeding Cavaliers for over 15 years and has seen no signs of SM in any of her dogs whatsoever.
He is so young.....
First of all, can I just comment on how great it is to have found a forum like this? My 7 months old Blenheim puppy, Beeru, was diagnosed yesterday with a very severe case of SM where the syrinx extends all the way down to his lower back
Below is his MRI scan
It's clear that his syrinx is large and severe, although he hasnt been showing a whole lot of the clinical signs of SM. What prompted my and my vet's suspicion is of a sudden onset of headtilt. His neck is now bent about 45 degrees to the left and the xray scans have shown clear scoliosis (neurologist says its due to the pressure of the syrinx and spongy tissues causing the spine to grow incorrectly).
It is truly heartbreaking for me, as a first time Cavalier and dog owner, to be faced with a situation like this especially for a dog who is still so young... I am in the Seattle area and the doctor I went to is Dr. Sanders of Seattle Veterinary Specialist. He said that Beeru is the youngest patient he has seen with this condition and he is utterly shocked at how progressed his syrinx is.
He is recommending immediate decompression surgery with the Titanium mesh due to the severity of his SM and also his young age, but there is no certainty of prognosis because there is way too much we dont know about how a puppy his age responds to surgery.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Does anyone know of any case of a young puppy diagnosed with SM? Any help would truly be appreciated.
I honestly thought I had my work cut out by going out of the way to find a reputable breeder, one who has been breeding Cavaliers for over 15 years and has seen no signs of SM in any of her dogs whatsoever.
He is so young.....