We have 2 dogs, a Staffy x Lab female and a "mutt" male, not sure what he is but we guess boxer mixed with some kind of hound. He is about 3 years old now and always a bundle of crazy, happy energy. Unfortunately he is cursed with this weird issue that keeps popping up.. This will have been the 5th time it has happened.
This is the VERY predictable timeline of his "illness".
Day before: No issue whatsoever, no hints that it may be coming. He eats and drinks like normal, no diarrhea or vomiting.
Day 1 (Where we are today): Noticeably less excited, he is usually very very hyper, and is not putting weight on 1 hind leg. Won't even put it down to go to the bathroom. He will play lightly with our other dog outside, but comes inside and lays down right away. Right now he is laying down next to me whining and trembling, breaking my heart. Did not eat breakfast, most likely will not eat dinner. DOES have a fever usually, but I have not taken his temp today, and our vets office is not open.
Day 2: Same thing, but will limp on both hind legs, will sit down unless I lift his hind end and bring him outside, will stand reluctantly to go to the bathroom. Won't eat unless there is rice, boiled chicken, cooked hamburger, or something yummy in the food, still feverish and trembling when laying down.
Day 3: Same thing, but will start limping on a front leg now
Day 4: Will not walk at all, we have to carry him outside to go to the bathroom, which he will stand to go, but then lays down. Will only eat the yummy stuff, but still drinking.
Because we know how this progresses we will take him to the vets on day 1 or 2 now, and he will be given antibiotics starting on either day 2 or 3 and by day 5 he is significantly, if not entirely, better. We always finish the entire 10 day prescription of antibiotics. Our vet did x-rays, and blood work but found nothing, and has no idea what is going on, and said if it happens again to take him to a neurologist.
He was taking Keflex the first couple times, then the last time our vet prescribed Clindamycin, and Rimadyl for pain.
Does anyone have any insight whatsoever as to what could be going on with our boy? We figured infection, particularly Lyme Disease, but why the re-occurrence if we are finishing his antibiotics every time? Our other dog has never had this issue and is roughly 6 months younger than him, and we have dogs visit often with no issue, so an environmental issue seems unlikely.
We do not want to continue putting him on antibiotics. We are going to call around to find a dog neurologist tomorrow. I'm just at such a loss.
This is the VERY predictable timeline of his "illness".
Day before: No issue whatsoever, no hints that it may be coming. He eats and drinks like normal, no diarrhea or vomiting.
Day 1 (Where we are today): Noticeably less excited, he is usually very very hyper, and is not putting weight on 1 hind leg. Won't even put it down to go to the bathroom. He will play lightly with our other dog outside, but comes inside and lays down right away. Right now he is laying down next to me whining and trembling, breaking my heart. Did not eat breakfast, most likely will not eat dinner. DOES have a fever usually, but I have not taken his temp today, and our vets office is not open.
Day 2: Same thing, but will limp on both hind legs, will sit down unless I lift his hind end and bring him outside, will stand reluctantly to go to the bathroom. Won't eat unless there is rice, boiled chicken, cooked hamburger, or something yummy in the food, still feverish and trembling when laying down.
Day 3: Same thing, but will start limping on a front leg now
Day 4: Will not walk at all, we have to carry him outside to go to the bathroom, which he will stand to go, but then lays down. Will only eat the yummy stuff, but still drinking.
Because we know how this progresses we will take him to the vets on day 1 or 2 now, and he will be given antibiotics starting on either day 2 or 3 and by day 5 he is significantly, if not entirely, better. We always finish the entire 10 day prescription of antibiotics. Our vet did x-rays, and blood work but found nothing, and has no idea what is going on, and said if it happens again to take him to a neurologist.
He was taking Keflex the first couple times, then the last time our vet prescribed Clindamycin, and Rimadyl for pain.
Does anyone have any insight whatsoever as to what could be going on with our boy? We figured infection, particularly Lyme Disease, but why the re-occurrence if we are finishing his antibiotics every time? Our other dog has never had this issue and is roughly 6 months younger than him, and we have dogs visit often with no issue, so an environmental issue seems unlikely.
We do not want to continue putting him on antibiotics. We are going to call around to find a dog neurologist tomorrow. I'm just at such a loss.
