# Need help Chico is suffering!!



## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

I am watching my parents dog while they are away on vacation, his name is Chico ( named after the dog in the movie Friday After Next ) , and he has been having what looks to be muscle spasms, when he was first dropped off things were ok, he was playful, happy and loved to eat!

He is a Chi mix with another breed , and lately within the past week he has been sick, he looks like he doesnt want to move, and sometimes he breaks out in squealing and honking for no reason at all 


He has no broken bones to my knowledge , the reason why i know this is because when he feels good he runs after our cats and he barks at them and he does this without any evidence of pain. 

But then a day later he is back to moping around and having his " seizures " , where he looks to be in pain!


One night he was sleeping with me and he broke out in the middle of the night squealing and honking , and since he was laying on my arm i could feel his neck tightening up. 

We took him to the vet and they prescribed him pain killers, anti inflammatory, and a steroid. 

They said give him the medication and wait for up to 2 weeks to see how he reacts . 


It has been about a week now and he has only felt good enough to play and run for maybe 2 days out of the past week. 

He was born in 2001 and is an older dog, we took a video of him when he was honking, it was really brief but this is what he does but on a much longer scale ..






sometimes he goes on and on and i feel like the neighbors are going to call the cops or something ...

I told my parents what is happening and if he has ever acted this way and they said NO 


If anyone has any ideas please feel free to post it here , we are getting desperate !

We need help since we feel really bad seeing him this way !!


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Bless his heart! It definitely appears that he is in pain and he seems to anticipate the pain when you move him or touch him? The vet didnt say anything? What dog food does he eat? Has their been a change in any food intake while your parents have been gone? If so then maybe Pancreatitis? Can you push into his tummy without him crying? If you push into his tummy where it gets narrow, right beside his penis and he looks down when you do this or cries out then it could be Pancreatitis. Has he chewed up any toys? Got a hold of a bone or could have ingested anything as such? If so then a possible obstruction? They will tense up sometimes when they have the above issues. What did the Vet say? Did he have any ideas?


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Did the vet do an x-ray? If there is something internal, it may show up in an x-ray. Also, if the vet feels it is muscular, could it be lyme disease? When my cockapoo had it, I didn't know it. He would get very yippy and growl if I moved him and didn't want to get picked up. After the vet treated him with medication, he got totally better and he was around the same age or older.


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

get an Xray, if none has been done.... that can tell alot.... sure hope he gets better


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

I appreciate the responses , the vet felt an xray wasnt necessary since he did a thorough exam on his heart, his temperature , and the rest of his vital signs. 

The vet said it may be due to an inflamed disk in his spinal cord causing him to erupt in spasms, he determined this because when he examined his neck he noticed a little swelling .

So we took the vets advice since he is qualified to make that determination. He also said a 2 week period of taking his medication as prescribed should do the trick and he should be better . 

I don't want to question the vets expertise but i don't see how that is possible since Chico has only felt better for 2 days of the past 6. 

And he is almost out of medicine. I feel really bad when he goes into his seizures , i feel helpless. 

One thing i have noticed when he goes into his spasms if me or my wife massage him on his neck he calms down, i don' know if it's because it soothes him or if that actually helps him to feel better. 


@ Yoshismon- we have been feeding him the same dog food he has been eating all along, my mom stores it in a tub with a lid so i cant say what kind of dog food it is. 

The one thing i know for sure is he is allergic to chicken, anything with chicken in it will cause him to shed bad, i mean shed like his fur falls off, but other than that he has no other allergic reactions. And since we have cats that love to eat chicken i think it is possible he might have gotten into their food bowl. 

We have since removed the cats food bowl from the floor and moved it up higher. I also have not tried to push in his stomach, i can't remember the vet doing that to him, i do know he did some exams and determined his neck muscles were stiff possibly due to spinal cord issues . Also i would think if he ingested something or ate something and was feeling crappy, he wouldn't have been able to run and jump for the day. 

Normally when they ingest something they will feel like crap and not want to move at all. 


I am running out of ideas but will try anything at this point to make his crying go away.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

btw his stool has been looking normal


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Chico's life said:


> *Normally when they ingest something they will feel like crap and not want to move at all.
> *
> Not necessarily true. When my Dane had an obstruction at first he was fine for the most part but would tense up at times. I have seen them tense up and look like they are spasming from gas pain as well as pancreatitis.
> 
> ...


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

maybe a pinched nerve that comes and goes. I don't know.I will pray for him.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

I would call the vet office and let them know that he is not showing any signs of getting better. I know you may feel like a pest, if you call, but this is like having a child, and you feel even more helpless because you cannot comfort them. Besides, the vet may have been expecting more results by now, even though he said two weeks! I don't know where you live, but we are coming up on a long weekend and your vet may not be available after today until Tuesday.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

Thank you ! I pray he gets better i didnt want to tell my mom but i felt she needed to kn ow , you know in case he takes a turn for the worse ( i really hope not ) . She said she felt bad after seeing the video of him in pain like that. 

It is possible he has a pinched nerve somewhere in his neck or spine , but what i dont understand is the way he will feel better one day and wag his tail and bark and play and jump as if nothing hurts, then the next day he is back at it again???

Thats what is throwing me completely off . Also when he eats he wants to eat on the ground on his stomach, not sure if the spasms are causing him to do that but i never noticed that before, he used to walk up to his food bowl and dip his mouth into it and now he wants to lay on his stomach while he eats. 

My guess is maybe it hurts him to lean his head down??? 

I dont know but i am getting desperate for a solution to his problem. 

I am uploading other videos to youtube so i can show what he typically looks like laying down and moping ....

I really hope he gets better


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

Angel1210 said:


> I would call the vet office and let them know that he is not showing any signs of getting better. I know you may feel like a pest, if you call, but this is like having a child, and you feel even more helpless because you cannot comfort them. Besides, the vet may have been expecting more results by now, even though he said two weeks! I don't know where you live, but we are coming up on a long weekend and your vet may not be available after today until Tuesday.




yeah im gonna be calling the vet and see what he says , at the least i would like to get him some more medication because he is running out of Tremadol ( sp? ) the pain killer prescribed to him . 

It looks like when he takes it he is able to relax and not go into his spasms as often. 

The first day he went spasming he would go on and on , but since being on the medication twice daily he doesn't honk and squeal as often


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

He definitely needs an x-ray. It looks to be back pain to me. If your vet doesn't think it's necessary, find another vet. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for a dog to be in that sort of pain. He needs a complete workup with bloodwork, x-rays, etc. to figure this out. Just medicating him and sending him home is negligent.

He is also seriously overweight, so once he starts feeling better - I'd definitely get him on a weight loss plan! He will be healthier for it. All that extra weight is stressing his joints and making his back problems much much worse.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

Yeah we will be calling the vet at lunch to see what else can be done . I agree he should not be in that much pain and possibly due to the vet maybe not wanting to or doesnt feel the need for an xray...i feel really bad for the little guy , he is normally a playful dog and is very loving so to see him that way breaks my heart!

My parents leave his food bowl out instead of regulating it, and since he cries for them to feed him ( he loves to eat ) they just give in, they are weak and they give him what he wants. If it were up to me i would get him the good dog food , and feed him 3 times a day. But since i am only watching him for them i can only do what i can do right now. 

Here is another video i took , it's typically what he does and how he acts right befoe a spasm episode ...you can see he looks agitated and uncomfortable . 







When he gets up and puts weight on his right shoulder , it looks like it hurts, but i can tell he doesn't react to that shoulder at all when he feels good. 
Last wednesday he was feeling great , and we played with him and rolled around on the ground with him and he didn't even flinch. 

But when he has his spasms it's like his body hurts. 

Is it possible that when he has those spasms it causes him to scream as if in pain? I wish he could talk to say where it hurts, it wold make things so much easier. 

When the vet finds a solution i will post in case any other Chi owner ever sees this type of behavior . 

I appreciate everyones help


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

When I worked for a veterinary neurologist we saw many dogs that looked almost exactly like that with those same symptoms that had disc issues, anything from bulging discs to ruptured ones. The spasms are very painful and are probably what are making him scream. I've seen and heard it a lot. 

I would get him to a vet that does neurology, get x-rays done and see what they say. If it's a neck or back problem he shouldn't be allowed to do any jumping (on the furniture or anything) and no leashes attached to his collar. Ideally he should be confined so that he moves around as little as possible.

I hope he feels better soon! It's awful to see them in such pain and feel so helpless.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

omguthrie said:


> When I worked for a veterinary neurologist we saw many dogs that looked almost exactly like that with those same symptoms that had disc issues, anything from bulging discs to ruptured ones. The spasms are very painful and are probably what are making him scream. I've seen and heard it a lot.
> 
> I would get him to a vet that does neurology, get x-rays done and see what they say. If it's a neck or back problem he shouldn't be allowed to do any jumping (on the furniture or anything) and no leashes attached to his collar. Ideally he should be confined so that he moves around as little as possible.
> 
> I hope he feels better soon! It's awful to see them in such pain and feel so helpless.



Yes this is what the vet said!!! You got it right on the money !


I wonder why he opted to not take an xray though?? Is it possible that maybe he has see this type of behavior so often he already knows what it is based on a physical exam??

He did say he has seen this before and like i said he has felt better after being on his medication for a couple of days. If he does have an inflamed spinal disc what could cause that ? 

Is it just from having a slipped disc?


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

The pain can be from the disc bulging out of it's space between the vertebrae and pressing on nerves. The disc problem can be caused by an injury from jumping off a couch or something, other trauma, etc. Being overweight is also a primary cause. Getting some weight off of him is not just a good idea but necessary at this point. 

I'm not sure why he didn't do an x-ray, I would insist if it was my dog but that is up to you. 

What meds is he on?


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

omguthrie said:


> The pain can be from the disc bulging out of it's space between the vertebrae and pressing on nerves. The disc problem can be caused by an injury from jumping off a couch or something, other trauma, etc. Being overweight is also a primary cause. Getting some weight off of him is not just a good idea but necessary at this point.
> 
> I'm not sure why he didn't do an x-ray, I would insist if it was my dog but that is up to you.
> 
> What meds is he on?


Well i just got back to work, i went and dropped him off at the vet and she explained to me that if his disc has moved out of place or is inflamed, any type of exercise will aggravate it and will cause it to become inflamed again. 

They are going to be reexamining him and i insisted they take an xray if nothing else for peace of mind . 

I will be returning to the vets after work hopefully with some good news. 

He is/was currently on Tramadol 50mg for pain ( 1/2 tablet by mouth every 8-12 hours as needed for pain ) 
Methocarbamol 500mg 1/4 tablet every 12 hours , Prednisone 5mg 1/2 tablet 2x/day for 3 days , then 1/2 tablet 1x day 3 days , then 1/4 tablet once daily for 3 days 



I hope its nothing more serious than an inflamed disc, because with meds he should be able to get back to normal and then we can get him a diet plan to lose weight, i will have to talk to my parents and tell them why it is a good idea to not give him everything he wants, i mean i know they love him and mean well but it isn't healthy for him to be overweight. 

Especially since they are known to have joint issues 


Got my fingers crossed


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

That med regimen is pretty much exactly what we use in the cases of non-surgical back and neck issues. I'll be crossing my fingers that the x-rays don't show anything too bad and that with plenty of rest he will bounce back from this. 

Glad you will be able to talk to your parents about it too. Make sure you show them the videos of him screaming in pain, that might really drive home the point that he must lose weight because it is really hurting him. It would be hard to deny it after seeing the video.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

omguthrie said:


> That med regimen is pretty much exactly what we use in the cases of non-surgical back and neck issues. I'll be crossing my fingers that the x-rays don't show anything too bad and that with plenty of rest he will bounce back from this.
> 
> Glad you will be able to talk to your parents about it too. Make sure you show them the videos of him screaming in pain, that might really drive home the point that he must lose weight because it is really hurting him. It would be hard to deny it after seeing the video.


yeah she already saw the video and began to cry , i felt bad showing it to her but i felt even worse if she continues to feed him the way she does . 

What would be a good diet to have him on to lose weight? Like a child he cries and whimpers when he doesn't get his treats , but i dont want him to stay overweight any longer , but i also dont want him to go hungry either. 

I can't tell when he is satisfied after eating, because i will put a small portion of food in his bowl ( btw he loves lamb based dog food ) and he eats it up as though he hasn't eaten for a week. 

I don't want him to go hungry or to be fussy because he isn't satisfied . 


The vet hasn't gotten back to me yet ...maybe no news is good news?


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

so the vet said his xray didnt show any signs of foreign ingestion or any broken bones , they said it looked like he has artheritis in his neck , they gave me more medication ( same as above ) to help with the inflammation. 

i will continue to give him what the vet gave me and go from there. 

i hope he gets better


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Poor Chico. Hopefully the meds will kick in and he will feel better. I know this sounds crazy, but I have RA and since I've been taking raw honey and real cinnamon, I feel tons better! Maybe it would be worth checking into for Chico. I don,t think it would hurt him, but, you wouldnt want to add extra calories to his diet! Hope he has a speedy recovery!


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

As far as what to feed him, first of all ideally he'd be eating a very high quality food, with few fillers or additives, and pure ingredients. This is an excellent site for dog food comparisons, and to point you in the direction of the better foods.

As far as how much, one rule of thumb is to feed him an amount consistent with what his weight SHOULD be, not what it is now. And I'll add a caution, because I've found it to be true with every dog food I've bought for my two; whatever the recommended amount listed on the dog food for your dog's ideal weight, it's going to be TOO MUCH. Maybe the manufacturers just want to sell more food, I don't know.  

As a frame of reference, if it helps, Tango and Jazz are both under 4 lbs. Tango's 3 lbs 8 oz, and Jazz is 3 lbs 12 ozs. Both are at their ideal weights. They each get a TOTAL of 1/4 cup of food a day....1/8 cup in the morning, and the same in the evening. This keeps them hungry enough come mealtimes that they eat ALL their food and aren't fussy about it, but gives them just enough to keep them at their ideal weights, and as a result, hopefully very healthy for a long time


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

@Tink, thank you for the meal recommendations, that loks to be where i will am headed with in regards to his diet, i have een giving him his meds but it doesnt seem to be working. 


Strange as it may sound but is there a possibility he could have picked up a worm somewhere along the way that is affecting his nervous system???



When he lays down he is constantly twitching in his shoulder and neck, i try and massage him to keep him calm but as soon as i stop he screams and wimpers and he looks as though he can't get comfortable and he can't sit still.


It looks to be involuntary , but i'm not sure if it is painful. He wimpers at times and at others he is fine. 


I'll try and take another video of what he is doing . 

The vet didn't take any blood. Would bloodwork be able to show anything with his nervous system??

Thank you all for your suggestions


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

personally, I would find another DR....


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

As i went to get my computer he was in the other room crying and screaming so i grabbed my camera and went over to film him real quick and i found him under the bed..
( sorry for the dark video ) 





Is this normal? Like i said he seems really uneasy and nervous, very uncharacteristic of him. 

I really wonder if his central nervous system is being affected somehow? 

It seems that he goes into his episodes when he is resting and then becomes startled . 

Like for example after a night of squealing and uneasiness he was finally able to get some rest right after i took this video...
( again sorry for the dark video ) 









He is finally sleeping right after that video ^ 


I am afraid of moving because if he becomes startled it will make him go into his episodes. 
I he hears his own whimpering like when i replay his video to watch it, he jumps up and goes into his spasm. 


I am going to call the vet tomorrow ( today is july 4th office closed ) and let them know he is still the same. 

Anti inflammatories are not working, and i don't want to tell them how to do their job, but i think some bloodwork should be done. 

I don't know what that will show if any , but it can't hurt, at this point i am not ruling any possibilities out .. ( he is snoring , finally a sound that i am happy to hear from him at this point ) 


I'll keep updating as he gets better/worse , i thank all for your suggestions, there are no better people to consult with other than passionate Chi owners ..

I pray he gets better and i can run and play with him again !!


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

jan896 said:


> personally, I would find another DR....


I'm begining to think this as well. 

Almost as though they dont want to go through procedure to find the root of the problem and are just throwing any diagnosis out there ..

I did find this great informative website, although not sure how it can be related to the Chi breed ( even if Chico is only half Chi ) 

Naturally Treating Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

I hope you seek a second opinion, and ideally switch vets altogether. I am very dissatisfied with what I'm reading. My frame of reference is my own vet, who is relentless in seeking CAUSES. And that fits my mindset perfectly. I don't just want to fix what's wrong, I want to know WHY it's wrong to begin with.

Your vet seems content to just treat the symptoms without even attempting to find the underlying cause. And yes, at times veterinary medicine IS simply the process of elimination....their patients can't talk, and so if they're not sure what the problem is, they make an educated guess, and treat and prescribe for that. If it works, great. If not, they make another educated guess and treat that. I understand the process, but those educated guesses are EDUCATED, meaning they're the result of gathering as much information as it's possible to gather using every diagnostic tool at their disposal, even referral to a specialist if that seems indicated. 

I'm not seeing your vet approaching this like that. I'm seeing him do the irreducible minimum to treat the symptoms he immediately sees, and sending you home. To my way of thinking, that's just laziness or negligence. I'm not a vet, I don't pretend to be one, but to me it's just common sense to at LEAST do an xray given the symptoms the dog is presenting with. 

I HATE to see an animal in pain. It brings tears to my eyes to watch the video.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

Tink said:


> I hope you seek a second opinion, and ideally switch vets altogether. I am very dissatisfied with what I'm reading. My frame of reference is my own vet, who is relentless in seeking CAUSES. And that fits my mindset perfectly. I don't just want to fix what's wrong, I want to know WHY it's wrong to begin with.
> 
> Your vet seems content to just treat the symptoms without even attempting to find the underlying cause. And yes, at times veterinary medicine IS simply the process of elimination....their patients can't talk, and so if they're not sure what the problem is, they make an educated guess, and treat and prescribe for that. If it works, great. If not, they make another educated guess and treat that. I understand the process, but those educated guesses are EDUCATED, meaning they're the result of gathering as much information as it's possible to gather using every diagnostic tool at their disposal, even referral to a specialist if that seems indicated.
> 
> ...




yeah my wife is wondering if we should just go to another vet, would they be able to release his medical records ? 

I dont want to take him back and just have them say something like " oh its only arthritis " or something along those lines. 
And believe me it hurts way worse to actually see him in pain and not be able to do anything about it. 
At this point my hands are tied at the situation. 



I would think that because this happened from one day to the next , it can't be simply arthritis. 

Because he is home alone all day ( we both work 9-5 ) maybe he ingested something foreign like a lizard ( we live in Florida ) or a frog or something he shouldnt have eaten. 

And it might not have showed up in the xray because maybe he digested it and it got into his bloodstream? 

Does that even make any sense? I don't know at this point, i think i am overthinking the situation he is in and am getting desperate . 

We will call another vet and get some medical advice on what to do at this point. 

I am really afraid they will tell me nothing else can be done and he will have to be put down, i don't think i can handle that kind of news right now .


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Chico's life said:


> yeah my wife is wondering if we should just go to another vet, would they be able to release his medical records ?


They won't want to and probably they won't like it, but if you request them, legally they must comply. 



Chico's life said:


> I dont want to take him back and just have them say something like " oh its only arthritis " or something along those lines.
> And believe me it hurts way worse to actually see him in pain and not be able to do anything about it.
> At this point my hands are tied at the situation.
> 
> ...


I'm old.  Well, oldER anyway, and I have a touch of arthritis in my hip. Some days it doesn't hurt at all, some days it's a b!tch, so I know that human arthritis can present that way (and I've understood that canine arthritis can wax and wane that way too.) But even so, to just ASSUME it's arthritis and that consequently there are going to be good days and bad...well, that's just unconscionable, given the obvious severe pain that poor dog is in! 



Chico's life said:


> Because he is home alone all day ( we both work 9-5 ) maybe he ingested something foreign like a lizard ( we live in Florida ) or a frog or something he shouldnt have eaten.
> 
> And it might not have showed up in the xray because maybe he digested it and it got into his bloodstream?
> 
> Does that even make any sense?


 Of COURSE it makes, sense, it's a logical way to think. And again, that's part of what has me so frustrated on your behalf...your Vet isn't even using his OWN common sense, let alone his years of training. 



Chico's life said:


> I don't know at this point, i think i am overthinking the situation he is in and am getting desperate .


In my experience, both with my kids (I have 5, all adults now) and with my dogs, medically when one starts getting desperate and overthinks all aspects of the problem, that's a red flag. It means that one's concerns haven't been comprehensively addressed and dealt with. Even with a dog/child who's situation is desperate, knowing what the problem is and getting some answers is a HUGE relief, even if the answers are dire. You are not experiencing that relief, which to me speaks VOLUMES for the kind of care you dog is getting. 



Chico's life said:


> We will call another vet and get some medical advice on what to do at this point.
> 
> I am really afraid they will tell me nothing else can be done and he will have to be put down, i don't think i can handle that kind of news right now .


Really glad to hear you will consult with another vet. I would say you have a lot more options to check out before you even begin to consider the question of putting him down. Hang in there! :thumbleft:


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

IF your dog has a pinched nerve in his neck, he will need to be kept in a playpen, xpen, or something like that. He can not just run around. The quieter he is, the better he will heal. Everytime he turns his little head, he is going to be in pain. If you hold him, make sure it is in a comfy position for him. This is a long term sort of thing. Six weeks sometimes, if it is his neck. He may be a real pain sensitive dog, and reacts to that pain that way. It is so sad. If you go to another vet, get the X-rays and blood tests. Your current vet should release them to you. They would like to get them back however. Good luck. Keep us posted.


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## widogmom (Mar 23, 2011)

Get the x-rays. It's a fairly cheap diagnostic tool and can tell you if there's a spinal issue. Pay particular attention to T-1 through T-3; that would have an effect on that shoulder (Dary had T-1 through T-3 tipped, and he had terrible spasms in his front legs). Good luck.


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

Thank you for your responses everyone, tomorrow we are going to consult with a different vet and see what our options are. 

My main concern is to get to the root of the problem so we can go ahead with a solution. I feel that i would be negligent to NOT consult with a different vet. 

I have to keep Chico's well being in mind , i cannot sit back and do nothing while they continue to give me more medication for him. 

@Widogmom- he already had an xray done and they said he didn't show any signs of ingesting anything ( my guess is they were looking for a toy or some sort of foreign material in his stomach ) but they DID say he had arthritis in his neck which they said was becoming inflamed causing him to become pain sensitive. 

The medication he is on doesn't seem to be doing anything long term, unless i am supposed to wait it out?? I really can't see that happening, i would imagine he would be getting better at least a week into his medication, but he only feels good maybe 1 day at a time. 

Usually it's only 1 day out of 3 that he feels good , but my guess is since we have cats ( we try and keep them separated due to him wanting to chase them when he feels better ) he must like to chase them and get his disc inflamed again after feeling better . 


@ Susan Davis - he hasn't gotten any bloodwork done yet, tomorrow we are going to find out if we can see another vet and have him perform some bloodwork on Chico. I really want to know if he has any parasites or some kind of sickness that could cause that. I would be at great relief if they can tell me that came back negative, just to rule that out . I'm not sure why they didn't perform one or even suggested one. 

That could tell alot of what is or what is NOT going on with his blood. They did suggest sending his xray to a neurologist, but my wife said we had to clear it wih my parents 1st. 

Since i couldn't get a hold of them since taking him to the vet, i just got a hold of them earlier today ( 4th of July ) but since we are going to get a 2nd opinion with a different vet, we should wait to see what other suggestions they give us. 

Just today he started to feel better, no whimpering and no crying, but sadly it only lasted a few hours  

He went back to feeling and looking like crap ...ugh!







Since my parents left on vacation , the end of May, he hasn't been at home , so me and my wife took him over to my parents house so he can at least smell and see something familiar, he looked to be happy about it , for the time we were there, we let him in the back yard to see if he wanted to run around and maybe he can see his old yard, but he was looking kinda sad and down after being there for awhile . 






Is it possible he is feeling stress from them being gone for so long? I don't know if dogs get stressed the way humans do ( i would imagine it would be the case, they are smart enough and are observant enough to know when their parents are gone ) , or if that kind of stress affects their health? 


The had him since he was about 1 year old and he never left their side and this is the very first time they have been away for longer than 24 hours since 2001.


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

For me, the neck muscle twitching that you describe as he is lying down, sounds like a nerve problem, possibly stemming from a disc rather than a toxin which would result in more whole body tremors. 

If he isn't getting better and your vet isn't interested in pursuing a root cause then I would look at a different vet. I would go to a neurologist. He or she might recommend doing an MRI of the neck to look for where the pressure on the nerves is (not cheap but might give you an answer). 

In the meantime I would say that he needs to stay in a crate or small play pen with outside trips for potty only and minimal walking around. 

Good luck! It's hard to see our babies in pain!


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Have you considered a holistic vet? I went to a raw food seminar and the people there had nothing but good things to say about holistic vets. They were able to help their pets get well when others couldn't. I think you said he was 10 years old? That is 10 years young!! He could have a long life ahead if they could figure out what it is and treat it! I wish you luck. It's awful when you feel as if there's nothing you can do.
I have my golden here, afraid of the fireworks! Looking for a place to hide. No matter what I do, she cannot settle! But then, she is also afraid of flies!! Go figure. Luckily, my chi is too young to realize what is happening!
I hope you can get this resolved with Chico!!


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

@ omguthrie-I hope you are right, we are going to contact a different vet in the morning ( july 5th ) or even ask the current vet if he can take blood samples and get some bloodwork done, just to rule out any parasites or any bacteria and virus' issue, 

It is strange how overnight he went from healthy adult dog to an incapacitated one, he used to be so full of life and so willing to put forth an effort to play and run around ..


Earlier he looked to be feeling better and we decided to take him outside for a bathroom break and a 4th of july run, at first he was hesitant but after some coaxing he ran and ran and ran!! It's as if a switch turned off the pain or problem and he was able to run at least for a little while...

I swear when he feels great you would never know he has a problem!!



I grabbed my camera after the 3rd time we went for a run and i got this 






sorry for the dark video, after he ran under a street light you can see his form ...

I really wanna see the little guy pull through, up until now him and i have never bonded due to him living 20 minutes away and me working so much ....


This problem that he is having has brought us closer together and now i really wanna see him make it !!

When he feels good ( like the video above ) he is the happiest dog, willing to do anything for anyone he loves ...If it wasnt for his whimpering and screaming and squealing, you'd think he was a normal happy dog!

I hope we can make him better, he deserves it !!


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Poor thing, Please keep us posted on what you find out at the vet. So sorry, it's hard to see our babues in pain. (((HUGS)))


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

Glad you are looking to get a second opinion. 

I would say, however, that I can't emphasize enough that if he does have a disc or neck problem allowing him to 'run and run and run' is not helping him; in fact it might be doing more damage. When vets say that they need weeks of rest they really mean weeks of rest; not some rest with some running around on occasion. It's just like if you had an injured disc and your doctor told you to minimize your movement to allow it to heal, you wouldn't then go out and run and play in the park with your friends would you? Please for this guy's health, keep him on strict rest and allow his body to heal. Him moving around may be why he seems to get better and then worse again.

Also, disc and nerve problems can literally happen in the blink of an eye, overnight. They don't have to be long-time coming, though they can be.

Good luck!


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

omguthrie said:


> Glad you are looking to get a second opinion.
> 
> I would say, however, that I can't emphasize enough that if he does have a disc or neck problem allowing him to 'run and run and run' is not helping him; in fact it might be doing more damage. When vets say that they need weeks of rest they really mean weeks of rest; not some rest with some running around on occasion. It's just like if you had an injured disc and your doctor told you to minimize your movement to allow it to heal, you wouldn't then go out and run and play in the park with your friends would you? Please for this guy's health, keep him on strict rest and allow his body to heal. Him moving around may be why he seems to get better and then worse again.
> 
> ...




Ok fair enough, to be honest i have never heard of this type of problem with a dog , so i was kind of skeptical about the diagnosis, but i'm glad you chimed in about the disc being inflamed and running aggravating it . 

The Dr. DID say that running or exercise will make it inflamed , but i can't remember her saying he should sit still even if he feels better. 

I am not sure how he could have gotten a neck injury , when he felt good he would like to run around the house , but since he is so short he can't jump up on our bed, he never tried . 

Today we are going to call the vet to see what kind of advice they can give us, at times we become worried for him due to his immobility and suffering , i will continue to give him his meds and hopefully he gets better with rest and minimal movement. 

He used to love to run so i feel bad for him that he can't, but if rest and relaxation is what he needs then no more running even if he feels great. 

I had asked this before but didn't get a response, is it possible that stress can bring on physical pain? 

My parents have never left him alone for more than 24 hours since 2003 , and this is the very first time they have been away from him this long , is it possible he is stressed ?


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## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

Chico's life said:


> I had asked this before but didn't get a response, is it possible that stress can bring on physical pain?
> 
> My parents have never left him alone for more than 24 hours since 2003 , and this is the very first time they have been away from him this long , is it possible he is stressed ?


trust your intuition on this one. Chihuahuas can be extremely sensitive animals.
It's possible that Chico has had this underlying condition for quite some time,
but the stress of being away from "his people" has brought on his symptoms.
Many years ago I had a Chi while I was in the military. He had to be boarded
several times during my career. Just getting out the luggage to pack would
send him crying into the corner of the room--and he would refuse to be consoled
or to come out. I had to take him to Board before I packed!
Since you have access to your parent's house, could you possibly spend some
time there with Chico each day. I'm sure he misses his routine and his surroundings.
Also, I would not change his diet until after your parents return. He is under
too much stress right now. Of course, I am only talking about comfort measures
for Chico. He definitely needs a Vet who will do a complete workup to determine
the state of his health and a treatment plan. I hope he feels better soon.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Even if you get another opinion, PLEASE keep your chi in a playpen or x-pen. NO running around, even if he feels 'better'. It may take weeks longer, for him to heal, if you give him the opportunity to 'run and run'. Tissue and nerve issues take time to heal. (My boss an MD, used to say the worse medicine he could 'prescribe' was "tincture of time'!!!!) This is what this little guy needs. Sue


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

susan davis said:


> Even if you get another opinion, PLEASE keep your chi in a playpen or x-pen. NO running around, even if he feels 'better'. It may take weeks longer, for him to heal, if you give him the opportunity to 'run and run'. Tissue and nerve issues take time to heal. (My boss an MD, used to say the worse medicine he could 'prescribe' was "tincture of time'!!!!) This is what this little guy needs. Sue


yeah i agree completely! My wife called the Dr. this morning and they told her they can't do much else other than giving him time to heal. 

They said to continue giving him medicine and to not let him run ( how did i miss this advice the 1st time??? ) and try and keep him calm even though he may want to run if he feels better. 

We will try and get a makeshift pen to keep him inside so he can do nothing but rest and go outside for a potty break. 


I will do what advice was given here and what the Dr. said , and keep him still . 


Once i see his health getting back to normal i will take him back for a followup just to make sure ( fingers crossed for that day ) and if he checks out ok then i will let him do what he loves to do ...run 


I appreciate the advice given here, i already bought him some Purina Lamb based dog food , he loves it but he can't really bend his neck down to eat so i grab the niblets and feed them to him one by one and he eats fine that way


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## pam6400 (Oct 5, 2008)

How is Chico doing today? Were you able to get a second opinion?


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

pam6400 said:


> How is Chico doing today? Were you able to get a second opinion?


He's actually getting better ( i hope for good ) ...last night he was only whimpering and not really crying out loud for the first time in 2 weeks. 

Last night he looked to be feeling better and he started to run after our cats , but we told him to lay down and we turned down the lights and turned the volume on the tv down low and he laid down and took a long nap with very little whimpering. 


I don't know if he is getting better or if it just the medication, i think he is getting better because when we first got his medication, even though we gave him his doses, he would still squeal and squirm and not want to get up, now he just whimpers like he is agitated , and not really like he is in pain. 


Occasionally there will be a loud motorcycle drive past our house ( we live next to a busy street ) and he will get startled and then one of us will quickly massage his neck or back and he will calm back down . 


As soon as he feels better for good i want to be able to take video of him being happy...he is such a funny dog ...:hello1:


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm glad he is feeling better. Please remember that nerve injuries take weeks to heal so even after he seems to feel great for a week don't let him start running around. Give him the full 6 weeks of rest, no walks, no running, no jumping, etc. Then introduce exercise slowly, don't just take him outside and let him take off, that could just re injure the area.


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## pam6400 (Oct 5, 2008)

So glad to hear he may be on the mend. We hate to see our babies suffering, they can't really speak to us and it hurts US too. We are sending healing thoughts your way for Chico. Keep us updated on his progress!


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

omguthrie said:


> I'm glad he is feeling better. Please remember that nerve injuries take weeks to heal so even after he seems to feel great for a week don't let him start running around. Give him the full 6 weeks of rest, no walks, no running, no jumping, etc. Then introduce exercise slowly, don't just take him outside and let him take off, that could just re injure the area.





pam6400 said:


> So glad to hear he may be on the mend. We hate to see our babies suffering, they can't really speak to us and it hurts US too. We are sending healing thoughts your way for Chico. Keep us updated on his progress!



Thanks everyone for the positive vibes, i'm sure i speak for him when i say that we appreciate it very much, i was never close to him until he got sick, we are kind of bonding now , i really hate that it was under these circumstances, but its done nonetheless. 

I spoke with my parents and they are please he is doing better, i will not let him run around even if he feels good, i think i might have made that mistake of letting him run around the neighborhood when he was looking better, but if he needs more time to heal properly then no running for him until then. 

Tonight i will lay with him and massage him if for nothing else, reassurance that everything will be ok . 

He's such a cool little friend!

Again thank you all for the support!!


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Glad to hear he's feeling better:hello1:


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

well he hasnt taken any meds since lunchtime and he looks great ...but still he isn't allowed to run around. 

Right now he is laying down next to my wife and he hasn't even whimpered since we have been here . 


I will give him his meds so he can rest through the night and maybe now we can get a full nights sleep ...


I don't want to jump the gun on his health just yet, only time will tell if he has gotten better , i hope sooner than later so we can have some exercise and begin to shed those excess lbs off ...



More videos to come when he is feeling 100% healthy 100% of the time ...


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## Chico's life (Jul 1, 2011)

well to update this thread for the past 3 or 4 days he has been feeling better, enough now that we have been able to take him a much needed bath, he is still not allowed to run after our cats although we can't keep an eye on him 24 hours a day , but when we are here, we massage him and spoil him rotten!

He is only allowed 2 treats a day even though he whimpers for more, it is for his own good that we limit his food intake to lose those extra LBS. 


I have not given him his medication since saturday morning and he looks to be feeling better . 

I took a quick video of him and his treat he loves to eat .... i'm sorry this was the 3rd time we gave him a treat, i am a sucker for his sad doggy eyes  









I hope to see him more and more this way, but until he can maintain this level of comfort, he is not allowed to run and the more he rests the better. 

I told my parents that he is doing better and they were excited with joy!

He has been sleeping well through the night , with very little whimpering and he can get up without any major problems now , with the occasional scream here and there. 

Nothing like before though ..i will hopefully make the last post on this thread with great news!

Go Chico!!


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

So good to see him feeling better!! Keep it up Chico!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Just remember that because he is feeling better it will take WEEKS before he heals. Please do NOT stop the meds, unless the vet says to stop them. Don't let him roam around to chase the cat! The pen is his life saver for now. IF he reinjures himself, it will be another 6 weeks! The pain med may make him feel better, but please remember it is a spinal nerve that is inflamed. Sue


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