Gun Dog Forum

Looking for more guidance than I can find in my vet encylopedia.

Schatzi was limping badly on her right rear leg yesterday, putting no weight on it.

A short while thereafter she essentially passed out. I could only get her to slightly open her eyes.

The limping happens every so often and may be a result of an old pad injury or hip/leg strain playing and sliding on the grass. It has happened before.

But the semi-consciousness had me worried about poisoning. I gave her benedryl and baby aspirin. Today she is a little more alert and still limping.

It's very tough to get her to a vet and she is so excitably that when I do bring her in she acts like nothing is wrong, crazy dog they call her.

Could the lethargy be a result of pain from a sprain? She catches frogs near road ponds and I was also worried about poisoning, esp. anti-freeze but I don't think she takes in enough to matter.

Any thoughts on what else to look for would be appreciated.

Schatz's Pop.

Work on calming her, she has to learn to settle and be handled. The symptoms you describe call for a vet visit and perhaps some tests. I don't go to the vet often, they usually recover, but almost passing out calls for an expert. We just can't diagnose from your clues, and I don't want to alarm you with my guess.

Get her to a vet. You could have a serious problem that could be easily diagnosed with the appropriate testing, and treated with the appropriate drugs regardless of her wild behavior.

I can't think of anything that would connect the two major symptoms, the lameness and the loss of consciousness, but it seems like too much of a coincidence that they would happen at the same time but be unrelated. sounds like a trip to the vet is in order.

DudeRN wrote:I can't think of anything that would connect the two major symptoms, the lameness and the loss of consciousness, but it seems like too much of a coincidence that they would happen at the same time but be unrelated. sounds like a trip to the vet is in order.

I can connect the symptoms and so can his vet, I hope he reports back.

He has had time to get to the vet, so I will speculate.

It could well be Lyme' s or other tick borne disease, some kind of autoimmune disorder, I suspect the dog was running a fever when he collapsed. I always carry a thermometer for that reason.

Like I say, I rarely take a dog to the vet, Mother Nature/time and I can tend to most things.

Funny story:

I had a dog find the only remaining T-post on about 1,300 acres, it ripped his guts out. I made a muzzle out of a horse rein, kneed him down, sewed him up and rushed him to the vet 60 miles away. Carried him in with dried, bloody, iodine stained grass hanging out of the wound, for the vet to ask, "What do you expect me to do, cut him open and restitch him?". He did clean him up some, and the dog fully recovered, though with an ugly scare. I do prettier work now with a modern staple gun.

Thank you all for the support. I do not drive so rushing her down to the vet is not an option for me/us, it takes about 3-4 hours to get a cab and it is expensive, ~$200. (she passed out around 3:30pm and the vet closes at 5)

But,

I took her to the vet yesterday. She seemed much better alertness wise and was barely limping. A spot between her toes, on top, blossomed into what looked like a big puss filled blister.

I brought a stool sample, just in case. When I got there, the vet examined her and took blood.

Here are the results of the visit:

-the foot had a "spongy" type puss filled spot, he prescribed antibiotics, a soak solution and a spray. He wouldn't operate as she is a bad patient when it comes to her paws,

-the stool sample and blood work came back negative, all is well there, and

-he/we have not idea about her passing out/unresponsive. He said if it happens again, we'll treat for seizures. But it only happened one other time and again when she injured her foot.

It's something I'll have to be more alert for in the future.

What kind of bloodwork was done? Hopefully a tick panel and chemistry profile and CBC?

Maybe her foot abscess was giving her the grief. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from whatever is ailing her.

Pop,

I will try hard to be nice and nonjudgemental.

You need to get a handle on that dog, she must become a good citizen.

Learn to examine your dog, you should have found the puss filled blister.

You may need another vet, I would not accept, "I would operate but she is a bad patient when it comes to her paws". They operate on lions and gorillas. I have a 150 pound great Pyrenees goat guardian that roams free to do her job, no one handles her but me. Yet I can make her behave for a vet visit, and your' s must, too.

I wish you the best, I can tell you care and are trying as best you can.

Neil wrote:Pop,

I will try hard to be nice and nonjudgemental.

You need to get a handle on that dog, she must become a good citizen.

Learn to examine your dog, you should have found the puss filled blister.

You may need another vet, I would not accept, "I would operate but she is a bad patient when it comes to her paws". They operate on lions and gorillas. I have a 150 pound great Pyrenees goat guardian that roams free to do her job, no one handles her but me. Yet I can make her behave for a vet visit, and your' s must, too.

I wish you the best, I can tell you care and are trying as best you can.

Great advice and very well said. My feelings exactly

Neil wrote:Pop,

I will try hard to be nice and nonjudgemental.

You need to get a handle on that dog, she must become a good citizen.

Learn to examine your dog, you should have found the puss filled blister.

You may need another vet, I would not accept, "I would operate but she is a bad patient when it comes to her paws". They operate on lions and gorillas. I have a 150 pound great Pyrenees goat guardian that roams free to do her job, no one handles her but me. Yet I can make her behave for a vet visit, and your' s must, too.

I wish you the best, I can tell you care and are trying as best you can.

Neil thank you, yes I did not socialize her as well as I should have, limited mobility on my part. She gets very happy and excited around people, we live a very sheltered life.

She is actually excellent at the vets office and a very good patient, we did puppy classes there. Jumps right up on the metal exam table and sits quiet for examination. The reason the vet was reluctant to operate was not of anything there, but my ability to keep her quiet during a two week, cone head recovery. She pulled her stitches out last time. She is a great patient, I'm a lousy home care giver.

As far as finding the blister, it only blossomed a few hours before I went to the vet. I did examine all four paw for thorns and bites both prior days, perhaps I just missed it.

Thank you all.