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  #31  
Old March 19th, 2008, 09:01 AM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Originally Posted by Purpledomino View Post
Please check out this site I found from the Golden Retreiver Club of America. Apparantly Goldens can have a swallowing disorder that is hereditary, I would definately check this out. It also says that vets can be unaware of this, so the more information you have the better.

I truly hope that things work out for you and your boy...you are right, he doesn't deserve this, and neither do you. You are in a good place with supportive people who have gone through stuff like this. Keep us posted.

http://www.grca.org/health/swallowing.html
I'll mention it to the vet but it doesn't seem like this is what Bob has. His jaw actually hangs down now. He can't even close his mouth because of this. Bob is vaccinated against Rabies but the more I read about Rabies the more the problems fit. I called the vet and she's telling me it's not likely to be Rabies. There is a stray cat that roams the neighborhood and enjoys tormenting bob, maybe she scratched him. There are two types of rabies, dumb and wild rabies. Of course if Bob gets rabies it would be dumb rabies. He's completely lethargic an just seems like he has no energy. Hoping it's not and there is no way to test for rabies while the dog is alive. I'm sure he doesn't have rabies but if he does then I'm even more scared for my wife. She's 3 months pregnant and I have no clue what the rabies treatment would do to a pregnant lady.

So now I've gone from being mortified for my dogs health to mortified for my dog and wife. Vet is assuring me it's not rabies but I just can't help thinking that cat might be a carrier. Bob was last vaccinated on April 2007. So if I want peace of mind on rabies I have to catch the stray cat and get my vet to euthanize it and check for rabies. I just can't do that on a far fetch theory. I can't just kill the cat to ease my worries. I'll ask the specialist as soon as I can what he thinks.

Last edited by bobsdad; March 19th, 2008 at 09:07 AM.
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  #32  
Old March 19th, 2008, 11:20 AM
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*cough* .....my what an interesting story.
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  #33  
Old March 19th, 2008, 01:20 PM
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Okay, bobsdad, you keep coming back to check the thread. Do you not have any updates?
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  #34  
Old March 19th, 2008, 01:33 PM
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*cough* .....my what an interesting story.
hmmm did i miss something?
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  #35  
Old March 19th, 2008, 01:35 PM
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I keep coming back to this thread and reading it over and over again. Doesn't it sound similar to Lukka'sma's Lukka's condition? It's being treated with Prednisone?

Bobsdad, honestly, after all these vet visits, you're thinking rabies ? Seriously, the vet would be able to tell I'm sure. What you need to do is stop trying to diagnose your dog as it seems you're running around in circles. He hasn't been diagnosed yet and you're already thinking about saying goodbye ? C'mon, get real!

You mention it may be Dysphagia yet when Purpledomino gives you a link for info you then say it doesn't sound like it??

Have you actually gone to a vet yet?
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  #36  
Old March 19th, 2008, 01:36 PM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Originally Posted by rainbow View Post
Okay, bobsdad, you keep coming back to check the thread. Do you not have any updates?
Wish I did...I just got back from 3 drugstores and couldn't find the thickner. I've read all the links and more 10 times already. I keep checking to see if anybody found another link for me to read that I haven't already found. Can't seem to concentrate on work today :sad:

Not sure if I should order the thickner online, it will take at least a week to get here and if it's autoimmune or curable viral then he'll be cured by then and if it's worse then he'll be in a better place by then. And there go the water works....sorry and thank you all for the support.

I think I'll head home and spend the rest of the day with bob
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  #37  
Old March 19th, 2008, 01:48 PM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
I keep coming back to this thread and reading it over and over again. Doesn't it sound similar to Lukka'sma's Lukka's condition? It's being treated with Prednisone?

Bobsdad, honestly, after all these vet visits, you're thinking rabies ? Seriously, the vet would be able to tell I'm sure. What you need to do is stop trying to diagnose your dog as it seems you're running around in circles. He hasn't been diagnosed yet and you're already thinking about saying goodbye ? C'mon, get real!

You mention it may be Dysphagia yet when Purpledomino gives you a link for info you then say it doesn't sound like it??

Have you actually gone to a vet yet?


Been to the vet 4 times and have scheduled neurologist visit next week plus another checkup by the internal specialist Tomorrow. I already know it's Dysphagia, that is what the vet said. Problem is that there are a few things that give dogs Dysphagia and only 2 of them are treatable. I'm treating Bob for one of them in hopes it will get better but even my vet was skeptical about the treatment due to the speed the illness progressed.

For the link you mention, if you would have read it you would realize it mentions a breed problem of an enlarged esophagus that causes swallowing problems. Bob doesn't have swallowing problems, he has a paralyzed jaw which makes swallowing impossible. Also Rabies can't be tested for since it sits on the brain stem. Only way to test for rabies is to do an autopsy. I will admit rabies is far fetched but all the symptoms fit and I know I'm not a vet and I shouldn't try to diagnose the problem but the symptoms fit and the vet refuses to say 100% that it can't be rabies. I'm still hoping it's autoimmune which would be the best case scenario.

No hard feelings but if you're going to call me out for being a bad dad the least you can do is read the thread and see what has been tried. Nothing more I would like then somebody to call me out and show me what I neglected to do so I could do it immediately. I rather look foolish then be right.

I sound negative because my heart is breaking in thousands of little pieces and I simply can't keep it together. I wouldn't wish this on anybody, he's my best friend and I love him like a child. It feels like somebody is just ripping my insides to shred and all I could do is sit there and watch. He was healthy as an ox less then 48 hours ago and now he's doing real bad. Sorry if I can't be more cheerful!

Last edited by bobsdad; March 19th, 2008 at 01:53 PM.
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  #38  
Old March 19th, 2008, 02:12 PM
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I never said you were a "bad dad." Sorry but you went from allergies to dysphagia to rabies, and now back to dysphagia again all within almost 24 hours and talking about saying "good-bye' already without a definate diagnosis. A little difficult for me to comprehend.

If your dog has indeed only starting showing symptoms within the past 48 hours, you're catching this right at the beginning. Hopefully your vet has started treatment with meds such as Prednisone and you'll see improvement soon.
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  #39  
Old March 19th, 2008, 02:35 PM
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MOOSEDRY MOOSEDRY is offline
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what's up with that?

what's up with people being harsh towards bobsdad in this thread? he's coming here looking for support and comfort, and instead is being shown attitude and skepticism. he's not claiming to know what's wrong with his dog, he's grasping at straws as to what could have caused this. what's wrong with that?

bobsdad, please know that not everyone on this board is unfeeling. i'm still crossing my fingers hard for your little guy. all you were doing was voicing your thoughts and uncertainties. no one should be crucified for that.

again, please keep us updated as to how your dog is doing. it all sounds like a nightmare!

tracy :sad:
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  #40  
Old March 19th, 2008, 02:42 PM
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I second that.
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  #41  
Old March 19th, 2008, 02:50 PM
aslan aslan is offline
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I'm more intrigued with why, Rainbow and Lp are usually the most helpful people i've ever met. Somethings up.
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  #42  
Old March 19th, 2008, 06:45 PM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Have an 8 AM appointment with an internal organ specialist tomorrow. Hopefully he will be able to shed some light. I'm also scheduled to see a neurologist next Wednesday.

I think bobs paralysis is progressing downwards. It was harder feeding him this evening compared to this morning. It seems like he was able to swallow less today, could be my imagination but it seems like it. His jaw definitely dropped some more and his breathing is getting louder.

Drinking is the real problem right now. Only method I found that works is crushed ice. I put a few cubes in the blender and then hand feed him the ice cubes. Nothing else seems effective. Tried even putting a rubber band to hold up his jaw but I don't know why that didn't work. He was able to lap with his tongue but nothing went down. For now ice cubes it is.

I'll post again after tomorrows vet appointment.
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  #43  
Old March 19th, 2008, 07:15 PM
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I hope everything takes a turn for the better soon but in the mean time here are a few ideas for supportive care

Our golden had a tumor along the lower jaw that caused him simmilar issues. The tumor was removed and he had some good months but the cancer had spred to his sinus cavity so he had trouble drinking. We fed him lots of watermellon, jello and we used sub Q fluids. I am not suggesting that your dog has cancer, your vet must have eliminated that as a cause by now. It's just a similar symptom and our golden was 15 y/o. My vet has also had me do sub Q fluids for a cat and 2 other dogs for a variety of issues. Dehydration can prevent the body from being able to heal. It affects many of the internal system that your dog depends on. As far as it affecting quality of life - some don't mind it much and some hate it but it only lasts a few minutes and if he is so weak and lethargic already it would seem worth a try.

As for being emotional about this - welcome to the club. You know from the moment you get a dog that someday they will break your heart. But they are so worth it and every time your heart breaks it makes room for the next one. I hope it doesn't come to that for you this time. We went 12 years without a loss and have lost 5 dogs and a cat in the last 3 years.

Best of luck keep us informed
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  #44  
Old March 19th, 2008, 07:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
I keep coming back to this thread and reading it over and over again. Doesn't it sound similar to Lukka'sma's Lukka's condition? It's being treated with Prednisone?

Bobsdad, honestly, after all these vet visits, you're thinking rabies ? Seriously, the vet would be able to tell I'm sure. What you need to do is stop trying to diagnose your dog as it seems you're running around in circles. He hasn't been diagnosed yet and you're already thinking about saying goodbye ? C'mon, get real!

You mention it may be Dysphagia yet when Purpledomino gives you a link for info you then say it doesn't sound like it??

Have you actually gone to a vet yet?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aslan View Post
I'm more intrigued with why, Rainbow and Lp are usually the most helpful people i've ever met. Somethings up.
I would like to apologize for what I said. I've been under alot of stress lately and shouldn't post in emotional threads. So I thought because it's spring break right now and the OP's posts were jumping all over different things that he was just one of those people that flood the forum at this time of year. Again, my apologies.

I agree with luckypenny,...... it does sound like the condition Lukka had. It was called masicatory myositis.....here are the relevent posts....

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=47393

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....atory+myositis

Good luck, Bob I am sorry for what I said.
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  #45  
Old March 20th, 2008, 06:14 AM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Thank you for the info. If I got it correctly Masticatory Myositis locks the jaw due to muscle inflammation. The inflammation occurs because the dogs immune system attacks the nerve ending. Seems similar to what Bob has except he's got drop jaw. Although in the links provided for Masticatory Myositis they speak about the trigeminal nerve. It seems a lot more like Bobs problem fits with a trigeminal nerve disease. All this is good because I can ask my vet some pointed questions in 1 hour.

Trying to find more docs on trigeminal nerve diseases for dogs. Also it seems like my vet is treating him for Masticator Myositis, he put him on Prednisone.

For the first time in 3 days I feel a bit better. I'm no longer thinking it's rabies and I finally found some documentation that could explain what's going on. Dogs with these types of problems can live long happy lives while being on Prednisone for ever I can live with that and so can Bob. Let's pray this is what he has and that it's not something worse like the big C.

I'll let you guys know what the vet says after the appointment. If he still thinks it's neurological then I'm not going to be a happy camper. Lets hope he thinks it's an autoimmune problem
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  #46  
Old March 20th, 2008, 06:24 AM
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still here for you, bobsdad

hey there bobsdad.

so happy to hear you sounding a bit positive this morning. i know that if bob's condition is treatable that you are the kind of dad that will move heaven and earth to make it happen. i can just tell how much you love your little buddy. i'm going to cross everything i own that you get to the bottom of this and find a way to help bob. he's one lucky little guy to have you. let us know what's going on asap!

tracy
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  #47  
Old March 20th, 2008, 06:43 AM
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Good luck bobsdad, I too will be waiting to hear!!
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  #48  
Old March 20th, 2008, 07:10 AM
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Good Luck Bobsdad! Hoping to hear some good news!!!

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  #49  
Old March 20th, 2008, 07:44 AM
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Bobs Dad,when I read your post,the first thing that came to my mind was Lukka,I am hoping this is what your pup has,since Lukka is now doing great
for good results today
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  #50  
Old March 20th, 2008, 09:14 AM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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First off thank you all for the positive energy. Today was a good day at the vet. The expert is pretty certain that what bob has is a Trigeminal Nerve autoimmune disease. It's basically a neurological problem in which the body attacks the trigeminal nerve. The autoimmune drugs (same as Lukka, Prednisone) are used to suppress the bodies immune system and stopping its attack on the nerve. Good chance he will have to be on this drug for a very long time but the vet is hopeful that he will not have to be on it forever. The vet also worried that Bob might get pneumonia. We took some x-rays to make sure he didn't have it, which he didn't, and then gave him a big dose of antibiotics as a preventative.

We're still scheduled for a neurological consult on Wednesday but he hopes by then we'll see improvements. If we don't have any improvements by Tuesday we're going to have to do blood works since the neurologist will want those tests. He ruled out Rabies and Masticatory Myositis which made me happy. He's fairly certain it's Trigeminal nerve autoimmune disease.


He also said this is a very rare disease and in his 37 years of being a vet he's only seen 1 other case. In that case the dog made a full recovery. I almost cried when he said that, pure joy and release overwhelmed me. I know it's not over yet and we're still not 100% this is what Bob has but it's better then not knowing and dreading the worst.

Keep your fingers crossed
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  #51  
Old March 20th, 2008, 09:16 AM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Originally Posted by MOOSEDRY View Post
hey there bobsdad.

so happy to hear you sounding a bit positive this morning. i know that if bob's condition is treatable that you are the kind of dad that will move heaven and earth to make it happen. i can just tell how much you love your little buddy. i'm going to cross everything i own that you get to the bottom of this and find a way to help bob. he's one lucky little guy to have you. let us know what's going on asap!

tracy
Thank you and if I could take his place and have this problem for him I would with out hesitation. He's family and you do whatever you can for family.
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  #52  
Old March 20th, 2008, 10:19 AM
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I hope you see improvement quickly. Take deep breaths, dad, you can do this.
Quote:
He also said this is a very rare disease and in his 37 years of being a vet he's only seen 1 other case.
Good, he will be that much more invested in maintaining his record
We're all pulling for you, bobsdad.
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  #53  
Old March 20th, 2008, 10:52 AM
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So glad to hear the news bobsdad. You're an angel to your pup, and I sincerely hope you see improvement quickly!

We're all rooting for you!!
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  #54  
Old March 20th, 2008, 11:00 AM
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Glad you got a diagnosis and that it is treatable.
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  #55  
Old March 20th, 2008, 11:51 AM
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Glad to hear the news. I think we would all like to see a pic of Bob now.
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  #56  
Old March 20th, 2008, 12:16 PM
bobsdad bobsdad is offline
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Glad to hear the news. I think we would all like to see a pic of Bob now.
He's my screen saver at home and the wallpaper on my cell phone but for some reason I can't find any of his pics on my office PC. I'll make sure and post some as soon as I can.

Hopefully I can get some with his patented "I'm a cheap hooker" pose. Imagine an 80 pound dog on his back spread eagle with his upper gums in the air so he looks like he's smiling. So cute
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  #57  
Old March 20th, 2008, 12:20 PM
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Hee hee......looking forward to the pics.
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  #58  
Old March 20th, 2008, 12:36 PM
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MOOSEDRY MOOSEDRY is offline
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Yay!

hi bobsdad.

sooooooo happy to hear some hopeful news. i thought about poor bob (and you) all morning at work. i was anxious to get home to see if you had posted an update. won't it be great if bob is on the road to recovery!!!!

i agree with the others. can't wait to see a pic of the little cutie.

again, please keep us updated as to how his condition is coming along.

take care.
tracy
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  #59  
Old March 20th, 2008, 12:43 PM
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So happy that you got some good news. I'm with everyone else in wanting to see a pic of those big brown eyes!
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  #60  
Old March 20th, 2008, 02:13 PM
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so glad you got some good news.. been following this thread.. please continue to update us.. and send some pics over of your handsome guy
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