Jaxsonthebulldog
New member
- Aug 1, 2016
- 8
- 1
- Country
- Canada
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Jaxson
Hoping for some help or direction. Our 2.5 year old english bulldog Jaxson had what appeared to be a seizure Thursday night (July 28th) and 4-days later is still in ICU with cause unknown. Will try to give as much detail as I know. Suggestions, own experience, help would be greatly appreciated. (for history of Jaxson please go to [MENTION=16188]Jaxsonthebulldog[/MENTION] on instragram - https://www.instagram.com/jaxsonthebulldog/
Jaxson has been fighting what we thought and were told by the vet (and a separate visit to the hospital) was a middle ear infection for the past two months. Concerned, we followed up with vet visits regularly. Prognoses was always that he had a middle ear infection. During this time he has been on antibiotics, antinausea, steroids, naturopathic drops, and Vitamin B injections. Some days were better than others, but the basic symptoms included,
-head tilting to the left
-lethargic
-loss of balance at times
-loss of appetite
-weight loss
-depressed/disconnected
-occassional moaning
Thursday evening Jaxson appeared to be agitated/wouldn't keep still, pacing back and forth and breathing heavily. We attempted to give him water, but he wouldn't drink it. I picked him up and when I placed him on the floor his front paw was beneath his belly and he couldn't seem to get up from that. He then panicked and started having what appeared to be a seizure.
Panicked, I drove him to an emergency hospital.
Jaxson went into ICU immediately. Electrolytes were low (better now). Wet him and put ice packs underneath him to cool him off. Gave him Valium and put him on IV. He has since had x-rays, blood work, MRI and a spinal tap done.
-x-rays good
-blood work came back good with slight elevated numbers in his liver, but so small it was okay.
-spinal tab showed 0 count on white blood cells (the norm is 0-4)
-MRI showed an irregular area in the right brain stem and an irregularity in the right medulla.
Bit of a mystery as to what the underlying cause is.
In the front part of the brain there are fluid chambers called ventricles. His are quite large. Neurologist is not putting too much weight on this because most bulldogs can have large ones. If they are big it can be a disease called Hypersephalus - these normally can develop signs at 1-year of age. Jaxson will be 3 in October.
What specialist did see in the MRI that shouldn't be there was an irregular area of brain in the right brain stem. In the right medulla. That will explain why he's delayed to correct the paw-claw correction test.
The only other thing they saw that's irregular in the brain was on that same side in the cerebellum (sits right above the medulla). But that won't cause the dull and circulating to the right, which he does do sometimes recently.
Dull, pacing, circulating - these are usually symptoms of the front brain.
-Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, but his spinal tap was normal, no elevated white blood cells.
Middle-inner ear seemed ok on MRI
The other consideration is Lymphoma in the brain, but this usually has high white cell count and targets older dogs.
-They see dysfunction in an area of the brain, but struggling on the underlying cause. The diagnostics do not fit nicely with the dysfunction.
Can anyone please help? The worse part is not knowing.
thank you in advance.
mdr
Jaxson has been fighting what we thought and were told by the vet (and a separate visit to the hospital) was a middle ear infection for the past two months. Concerned, we followed up with vet visits regularly. Prognoses was always that he had a middle ear infection. During this time he has been on antibiotics, antinausea, steroids, naturopathic drops, and Vitamin B injections. Some days were better than others, but the basic symptoms included,
-head tilting to the left
-lethargic
-loss of balance at times
-loss of appetite
-weight loss
-depressed/disconnected
-occassional moaning
Thursday evening Jaxson appeared to be agitated/wouldn't keep still, pacing back and forth and breathing heavily. We attempted to give him water, but he wouldn't drink it. I picked him up and when I placed him on the floor his front paw was beneath his belly and he couldn't seem to get up from that. He then panicked and started having what appeared to be a seizure.
Panicked, I drove him to an emergency hospital.
Jaxson went into ICU immediately. Electrolytes were low (better now). Wet him and put ice packs underneath him to cool him off. Gave him Valium and put him on IV. He has since had x-rays, blood work, MRI and a spinal tap done.
-x-rays good
-blood work came back good with slight elevated numbers in his liver, but so small it was okay.
-spinal tab showed 0 count on white blood cells (the norm is 0-4)
-MRI showed an irregular area in the right brain stem and an irregularity in the right medulla.
Bit of a mystery as to what the underlying cause is.
In the front part of the brain there are fluid chambers called ventricles. His are quite large. Neurologist is not putting too much weight on this because most bulldogs can have large ones. If they are big it can be a disease called Hypersephalus - these normally can develop signs at 1-year of age. Jaxson will be 3 in October.
What specialist did see in the MRI that shouldn't be there was an irregular area of brain in the right brain stem. In the right medulla. That will explain why he's delayed to correct the paw-claw correction test.
The only other thing they saw that's irregular in the brain was on that same side in the cerebellum (sits right above the medulla). But that won't cause the dull and circulating to the right, which he does do sometimes recently.
Dull, pacing, circulating - these are usually symptoms of the front brain.
-Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, but his spinal tap was normal, no elevated white blood cells.
Middle-inner ear seemed ok on MRI
The other consideration is Lymphoma in the brain, but this usually has high white cell count and targets older dogs.
-They see dysfunction in an area of the brain, but struggling on the underlying cause. The diagnostics do not fit nicely with the dysfunction.
Can anyone please help? The worse part is not knowing.
thank you in advance.
mdr
Praying for you and Jaxson
for you both.
and you,that they find the answers. His symptoms also sound like symptom of MS.
