Bryce went to the neurologist yesterday – it was a lo-o-ng (not to mention VERY expensive) day! First a neurology intern examined him, then the neurologist came in and examined him some more. Poked and prodded him, looked in his eyes, turned the lights off and looked in his eyes some more… Then they took him to run some xrays of his back, hips and chest, an ecg, checked his blood pressure, took blood to run a thyroid panel …
Can’t say she’s not thorough, but I like that in a doctor. And she’s a Sheltie person too. Bryce got to have a little social moment with her 14 1/2 year old sheltie girl after he was done.
Tentative diagnosis: He hurt his back! The doctor found a place along his spine where, when she pressed it, he collapsed his back legs just like he did during those episodes! Very possible that the tight spinning put the same kind of pressure on that area. His spine itself looked good as did everything else they checked. She said she had a LITTLE arthritis starting in his back, but nothing major.
So he’s on a week of STRICT crate rest (and a few days of a higher dose of prednisone again) with another recheck to follow. He’s not a happy camper (and a little sore/tired today from all the poking and prodding!), but hopefully that’s all he needs.
The girls did great at the trial over the weekend – more on that later!
we all have to learn to listen to Granny Toni more thoroughly!
Glad they found nothing although it was an expensive nothing!
We’re not 100% POSITIVE this is it, but it sure looks that way.
My vet is the one who needs to listen to Granny Toni – I thought it made sense, especially when I remembered him wiping out in my hallway, but she totally “pooh-pooh’d” the “hurt his back” theory.
If this doesn’t fix it, the next step’s an MRI, but they’d have to do an AWFUL lot of convincing to make me think that’s worth doing, as an MRI would cost around $1,800!!!!!
(Bryce would have to sell all his toys to help pay for it)
Glad there is nothing major!
Seems like you could have learned as much from a chiropractor for a lot less $$$$$.
Two other vets looked at his back and found nothing notable. I think the neurologist squeezed harder…
If it’s a disk injury (no way to know for certain, at least not without a very, VERY expensive MRI, but I’m thinking that’s a prime suspect given the symptoms) he can’t be adjusted – at least not until several weeks have passed. I am going to try to talk to his chiro after the weekend anyway and see if I can get him in somewhere for acupuncture.
He’s not acting painful – he’s acting very much like himself, though very put out at not being allowed to DO anything. And knock on wood no additional episodes. But his mid-lumbar region is definitely very sore on exam and was still sore when they re-examined him after 1 week of rest.