Dog - Fever - Spinal Back Injury

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Fordiesel69

Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Messages
2,536
Location
Erie, PA
So I had an emergency vent appt yesterday as a result of my dog feeling warmer than normal all of a sudden, loss of appetite, and panting. He also had a little tremble / shiver to him just like during a mild thunder shower. They ran bloodwork, and a physical exam, and they felt his spine, as he worked his way down his spine, there was pain exerted towrds the back indicating he injured it. This makes sense as he is hyper active and is a jumper. Also plays romper room / zoomies a lot. The bloodwork came back "normal". Whatever that means.

He got an injection of Carprofen, and I was sent home with muscle relaxer, and also more carprofen, and am to use my already existing stock of gabapentin to relax and take away his anxienty and to keep him at rest.

They were awsome to squeeze me in so fast yesterday, but the drawback is the vet is on vacation starting today thru the weekend.

I am concerend why the dog is still running a fever. Anyone else been thru something like this on a large breed dog around 11 yrs old?

Kinda nervous to enter into the weekend this way......
 
Keep an eye on him and look for a 24hr vet hospital to have on hand if needed. We have our normal vet, and found a 24hr hospital nearby.

As far as the fever, I'm not sure. Hoping your pup has a speedy recovery.
 
Hope your guy starts feeling better. We foster rescue dogs, the last one we had was thought to have some kind of back injury. Using the same drugs you've got it wasn't improving actually her situation was getting worse. More testing led to a diagnosis of meningitis. It was decided to treat it as bacterial as a dice roll since the other forms aren't treatable. Luckily after some really bad days she started to respond and today she's on a low dose of prednisone and appears to be normal. The vet and long time rescue people say it's pretty rare. Prognosis uncertain. I mention it because I don't think vets consider it during diagnosis usually. You might want to search it a bit to be familiar with the symptoms.
 
AZ Jeff,

Waiting patiently for a slot to open back up with the relief vet. They agree with your statement. My concern is what to do "other than seek emergency care" over the weekend. Very few practices if any that are local offer emergency services.
 
Fordiesel69 said:
So I had an emergency vent appt yesterday as a result of my dog feeling warmer than normal all of a sudden, loss of appetite, and panting. He also had a little tremble / shiver to him just like during a mild thunder shower. They ran bloodwork, and a physical exam, and they felt his spine, as he worked his way down his spine, there was pain exerted towrds the back indicating he injured it. This makes sense as he is hyper active and is a jumper. Also plays romper room / zoomies a lot. The bloodwork came back "normal". Whatever that means.

He got an injection of Carprofen, and I was sent home with muscle relaxer, and also more carprofen, and am to use my already existing stock of gabapentin to relax and take away his anxienty and to keep him at rest.

They were awsome to squeeze me in so fast yesterday, but the drawback is the vet is on vacation starting today thru the weekend.

I am concerend why the dog is still running a fever. Anyone else been thru something like this on a large breed dog around 11 yrs old?

Kinda nervous to enter into the weekend this way......
Click to expand...
Call the vet's office and see what they say and who they have on call over the weekend.
 
Fordiesel69 said:
So I had an emergency vent appt yesterday as a result of my dog feeling warmer than normal all of a sudden, loss of appetite, and panting. He also had a little tremble / shiver to him just like during a mild thunder shower. They ran bloodwork, and a physical exam, and they felt his spine, as he worked his way down his spine, there was pain exerted towrds the back indicating he injured it. This makes sense as he is hyper active and is a jumper. Also plays romper room / zoomies a lot. The bloodwork came back "normal". Whatever that means.

He got an injection of Carprofen, and I was sent home with muscle relaxer, and also more carprofen, and am to use my already existing stock of gabapentin to relax and take away his anxienty and to keep him at rest.

They were awsome to squeeze me in so fast yesterday, but the drawback is the vet is on vacation starting today thru the weekend.

I am concerend why the dog is still running a fever. Anyone else been thru something like this on a large breed dog around 11 yrs old?

Kinda nervous to enter into the weekend this way......
Click to expand...

Keep an eye on him.

What breed is your dog ?
 
He may have the dog version of shingles, which can sometimes result from a back injury. I'd treat for viral infection if osteoarthritis is ruled out by the Vet.
 
Vet vist today made for more confusion.
-Reason for visit: spinal rads + abx tgh
Recheck-- is eating at home but only about 75% of food. Feels warm to owner.
BAR, no cranial nerve deficits
No back pain on palpation
Ataxic in rear, LR CP absent, RR CP delayed

Plan: Advise UA; no ob abn on rads, but unable to evaluate D/V spine, continue
treatment, add Clindamycin as prescribed.
SQ fluids 500 ml

Assessment
Comments:
Open- IVDD, discospondylitis, other neuro

The 500ml of iv fluids i feel really helped. Urine was dark like dehydration which is due to the fever. I just am uncomfortable as it seems like there may not be a concrete diagnosis. I got him eating and I add a ton of water now to his food. I also bought a turkey baster to get him thru the weekend even if i have to make a liquid broth.
 
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Update.

The weekend was not pleasant. Zero improvement. Panting, lack of interest in food, need to almost force him to eat little bits at a time. Went in to another local vet for 500ml of sub q fluids on sat. Both vets are not leaning towards menengitis becuase the bloodworkbis is not showing anything obvious. They ruled out Lyme / tick born diesese with some kind of 4dx snap test and it was negative. They don't have much explanation for the fever. The fever drifts a bit from 103 to 104.5. The sub q fluids really help.

Any suggestions for me? Vets both have good experience and good reviews so I wouldn't think they would both be wrong. But something really leans me towards some form of menegitis.
 
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