 Barked: Fri Aug 31, '12 2:17pm PST |
 | |  | | Hi everyone.
I adopted Kail, a Border Collie mix (?) on New Years Eve. She will be two years old next month.
She has always walked funny. She "bunny hops" when she runs, she has never been able to climb stairs, and it takes her a few moments, every time, to figure out how to climb down the one step to go out in the yard. The first time I took her to the vet, a day or two after I adopted her, I had x-rays taken and she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
A ton of vet visits later for: stolen chicken bones, random screaming in pain and holding her head to one side (Still don't know what that was about ... The vet found nothing wrong), and discoid lupus, we were refered to an orthopedic specialist for her hips. I expressed some concern about Kail's eyesight at one of these visits. She doesn't seem to see squirrels and rabbits on walks, has trouble finding treats I throw on the floor for her, and she about takes my fingers off when I hand her a treat (though she doesn't mean to). The vet checked her eyes and said she sees just fine.
We saw this specialist about a week and a half ago. He said that her hips aren't too bad, but he thought that her ACLs may be torn. He did not want to consider surgery because of her discoid lupus.
I took her to get a second opinion on Tuesday. This vet agreed that her hips are not too bad. I expressed my concern about her eyesight to him, as she has recently begun bumping into things, and is suddenly terrified of other dogs (previously she would be so so happy to see another dog!). Sometimes, when I call her name, she looks around (sometimes straight on me) like she isn't sure where I am. Just last night I was watching her try to snatch up a toy on the floor and repeatedly miss.
He watched her walk, checked her knees, and said that he sees no physical reason she should walk the way she does. He checked her eyes for me. She did not respond to a threatening jesture as another dog would: she simply stared when he went as if to hit her, when another dog would have blinked. He says that she overreaches when she walks.
He suspects a neurological problem, specifically a cerebellar disease.
I'm on a waiting list to take her to see a neurologist. In the meantime, what could be wrong? Has anyone else ever dealt with something like this? I'm so scared for her! |  |  | |  |
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