Anybody know what this may be?
Lizzie's medical history isn't great, she has a low thyroid, and allergies, is still slightly overweight. She's also VERY lazy, and seems to be cold all the time. Her thyroid meds perked her up for a while and the vet tells me that her levels are in the normal range now. But, she's slipping back into sleeping almost all the time, and she wants to be near the radiators most of the time. I've read a lot of posts about other people's dogs looking for a cool place to sleep, she doesn't seem to fit the norm. Also, she lumbers when she walks and doesn't hold her head up anymore. Most of these things by themselves probably wouldn't mean much, but all combined, I think there may be something seriously wrong, cancer or not. Does anyone have any ideas? |
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| If you think she is acting differently I would definitely get her to the vet and have them check everything over. |
| I am definitely going to contact our vet first thing Monday morning. Mind you, that these are things that have occurred over time. I just found a list of cancer symptoms (for dogs):
Common Signs of Cancer in Pets Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow Sores that do not heal Weight loss Loss of appetite Bleeding or discharge from any body opening Offensive odor Difficulty eating or swallowing Hesitance to exercise or loss of stamina Persistent lameness or stiffness Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating She shows 3 out of the list. I forgot to mention the stiffness/lameness, especially when she first gets up. We didn't notice this until she was spayed last summer, and at first attributed it to recovery from the procedure. The vet also found cysts on her ovaries. Yes, she will be definitely be going to the vet ASAP, but I'm always impatient, and am trying to get as much info as I can right now. By the way, thanks Willowsprite, i was hoping you'd be "on soon! I knew I could count on you for some input! |
| Just an FYI, our 12 year old OES had a few of those symptoms this summer and we also thought the worst. He was stiffer than normal, didn't want to excercise, had an odd smell and his back had what looked to be very dry skin all the time. The vet diagnosed a skin infection secondary to allergies; both food and environmental.
After 2 rounds of antibiotics all symptoms resolved. If she started this after her spaying there is a possibility of infection although it has been quite a while since her surgery and it should have either taken care of itself or gotten much worse before now. Just another possibility to check on. |
| Thank you Maxmm, I will mention this possibility to our vet. Right now I am welcoming ANY info on possible causes! Our vet here is great, but as far as I know, ours are the only OES she treats, so I'm not sure of how much breed-specific information she has. |
| I am sorry your doggie does not seem to be feeling too good. There are two other things not mentioned yet other than cancer that could be the cause of the problems. One is problems in the mouth, infections and/or teeth rotting. This happened to my parent's Afghan Hound. Another possiblity is some kind of digestive or renal infection. This, to me, seems like the bigger possibility for your dog than the oral health issues. I am glad you are checking this out with a vet. |
| I hope things are okay. Smells can come from alot of sources - as someone mentioned teeth - there's also anal glands and sometimes kidney disease. You've already decided to bring her to the vet - which is the best idea. Good Luck! She'll be in my thoughts and prayers!
Kristen |
| IN terms of her thyroid - why don't you contact Dr. Jean Dodd's and see if there's something that may be connected.
www.hemopet.com |
| I would just like to say that I am thinking a lot about your Sheepie and hope everything is going well with that whole situation. Keep us updated. |
| How are things going Brenda? |
| I 'd forgotten that we had a previous appt today (vehicle in the shop), so I wasn't able to get Lizzie to the vet today. I did talk to her vet, though, and may take her tomorrow. She is perkier today, although she did growl at my son, and she's NEVER done that before.
After reading all the posts, and everyone seems to think it's some kind of infection, I remembered her groomer saying that the ear infections always make her smell bad. Oh yeah, chronic ear infections, too! Duh! Anyway, we keep a supply of drops on hand, and I have been puting them in her ear today. Hopefully, that will take care of her laziness to a point, she's always been very laid back. The stiffness/lameness, I think may be something else, and I'm going to have her vet check her hips. Also she has a trip to the groomer scheduled for Thursday , so that should help with the offensive smell for a while, anyway! LOL! The weather here has been very cold lately, and I wonder if that has anything to do with her sleeping so much. I never did check out her lineage, maybe a bear slipped in there somewhere... She spent a lot of time running around the yard with Cooper today, it was much warmer. Ill let you know what the vet says... |
| Brenda,
If I'm not mistaken - chronic ear infections can be relative to her thyroid disorder. Maybe you should have her levels checked - she may need an adjustment on her meds - which would account for her "moodiness" and lethargy. The Bearded Collie Club of America has some great health information on their site - particularly about Hypothyroidism. http://www.beaconforhealth.org/Thyroid.htm Alot of behaviors and illnesses can be linked to thyroid. You can also go to Dr. Dodd's website (Hemopet) - she has done several studies involving OES in particular. http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM She's always willing to talk to you too! Good Luck! Kristen |
| Thanks Kristen. I will check out those links. If I ever get a long enough break from the kids! I try to set it up so that they are all napping at the same time, but it doesn't always work out that way. And sometimes it seems like there's a revoving door on the front of my house; daycare parents, teenagers, teenagers' friends, etc! |
| Well, I have discussed Lizzie's behavior with our vet, and she wants to wait a few more months before she checks Lizzie's levels again. The original dose of meds did bring her levels to the normal range. The ears look fine. but I will keep up with the drops for a few more days. Our visit to the groomer is tomorrow, she did miss her last appt. because we were snowed in. All in all, she's acting a little better, not quite back to herself, but we'll give her a little more time. |
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