Poor Martha
We took Martha to the vet today. Over the last couple of months, we've noticed that she has been dragging her left rear leg when she walks, and when she's on a smooth surface (like linoleum), she slips, as if she doesn't have strength or stability in her hind quarters. We waited for a while to see if she improved, but she hadn't (although she hadn't gotten worse either), so we decided to have her checked out. She didn't seem to be in pain, but she just wasn't right.
The vet did a physical exam and suggested x-rays, which meant Martha had to be sedated and had to stay the afternoon. Well, this was a case of good news/bad news. The good news is the x-rays looked fine. Her hips were okay and the vet did a lateral x-ray of her vertebrae and they looked in good alignment (suspecting that perhaps she had some type of nerve impingement from a displaced vertebra). So the good news is there is nothing structurally wrong.
The bad news, as the vet told us, is that now it gets difficult to diagnose, because this is probably a neurological problem. This is difficult, because the dog cannot tell you how it feels or what hurts. They did do a Lyme's titer which was negative (Lyme's disease could mimic a neurological problem) and they have sent out some basic labs, including a thyroid level, because a thyroid problem can also mimic a neuro problem. The worst case scenario, although it would be very rare, is Martha could have mysthenia gravis, which is a debilitating neurological disease. It occurs in humans too, although it is quite rare. The vet said she has seen one case of canine myasthenia gravis in her career, so it would be very unusual, but still a possibility. The dog that she diagnosed with this disease had the same symptoms as Martha, although that particular dog deteriorated quickly over a course of a few days. Martha has been quite stable for a couple of months, so the vet felt it was pretty unlikely.
Martha is happy to be home now, but still moving a little slow from the sedation. I fed her and she promptly puked, which I knew would happen. But she's drinking water and otherwise is acting pretty much the same, although she's a little lethargic. I imagine she'll sleep pretty well tonight.
I suppose some of you will find it dumb to write a blog about my dog's health, but she's a part of our family, as quirky as she is. Hopefully everything turns out for the best. I have plenty of confidence in Lakeland Veterinary Hospital. They've taken great care of our two girls over the last seven years. I hope they can figure this one out.
The vet did a physical exam and suggested x-rays, which meant Martha had to be sedated and had to stay the afternoon. Well, this was a case of good news/bad news. The good news is the x-rays looked fine. Her hips were okay and the vet did a lateral x-ray of her vertebrae and they looked in good alignment (suspecting that perhaps she had some type of nerve impingement from a displaced vertebra). So the good news is there is nothing structurally wrong.
The bad news, as the vet told us, is that now it gets difficult to diagnose, because this is probably a neurological problem. This is difficult, because the dog cannot tell you how it feels or what hurts. They did do a Lyme's titer which was negative (Lyme's disease could mimic a neurological problem) and they have sent out some basic labs, including a thyroid level, because a thyroid problem can also mimic a neuro problem. The worst case scenario, although it would be very rare, is Martha could have mysthenia gravis, which is a debilitating neurological disease. It occurs in humans too, although it is quite rare. The vet said she has seen one case of canine myasthenia gravis in her career, so it would be very unusual, but still a possibility. The dog that she diagnosed with this disease had the same symptoms as Martha, although that particular dog deteriorated quickly over a course of a few days. Martha has been quite stable for a couple of months, so the vet felt it was pretty unlikely.
Martha is happy to be home now, but still moving a little slow from the sedation. I fed her and she promptly puked, which I knew would happen. But she's drinking water and otherwise is acting pretty much the same, although she's a little lethargic. I imagine she'll sleep pretty well tonight.
I suppose some of you will find it dumb to write a blog about my dog's health, but she's a part of our family, as quirky as she is. Hopefully everything turns out for the best. I have plenty of confidence in Lakeland Veterinary Hospital. They've taken great care of our two girls over the last seven years. I hope they can figure this one out.
