Does anyone have any experience of AI in dogs?  Two weeks ago Nellie started showing signs of pain in the hindquarters - reluctance to jump, stiffness, hind leg lameness, panting and lethargy.  Vet suspected simple muscle strain initially and she was treated with painkillers, but she reacted badly to metacam, and anyway was no better after a few days, so they switched her to Prednicare for 5 days.  Her tolerance to exercise improved over about 7 days, but she seemed very depressed at being stuck at home.  So today, 36 hrs after finishing the steriodal painkillers, she went back to work and spent an hour running around with the other dogs as usual - but then she deteriorated and was back to heavy panting, feverishness and stiffness in the hindquarters.

Tonight she went back to the vet for the 4th time in 10 days, and they mentioned checking for AI disease.  They are going to rule out spinal or pelvic injury first by doing x-rays, then follow with muscle biopsies.  They gave her Tramadol to go home with, and she's booked in for x-rays on Thurs.

But later this evening she took a bit of a turn for the worse, and I had to meet the emergency vet at the surgery to give her an injection of steroids as she was in severe pain.  The vet managed a proper examination of the spine this time though - probably thanks to a dose of tramadol she'd had earlier - and she found a specific spot where Nellie was significantly sore.  So they are going to x-ray there first on Thurs.

I have posted about this on another forum, but I'm keen to gather as many experiences and ideas as possible!  Can anyone help or add some thoughts?

Thanks
Susie

Has she had her hips done, as many of these signs to me are suggestive of HD, including the panting and lethargy, panting can be a sign of pain.

One of my dogs was diagnosed with an AI disease about 6 weeks ago now - although a different type than yours seems to be suffering with.  Her AI disease causes problems with her feet and nails which stopped her walks completely because it became to painful for her.

My girl has been treated for 5 weeks with steroids and an immunosuppressant drug and has made a massive improvement already.  Her steroids are slowly being reduced.

I have heard with AI it can cause inflammation of the joints, lethargy etc.

Is your breed prone to AI diseases?

Perrodeagua - no I'm not sure they are considering HD, as she is a small breed.  Is it likely in a small terrier?  I can certainly raise it with them before they do the x-rays.

Staff - sorry to hear about your dog.  Oddly enough Nellie has had a history of a sore front foot, which has caused her to be intermittently lame and was never diagnosed as anything other than a nail bed infection, or a random sore toe!  She hasn't limped on that foot for some time - a good six months anyway - but now this.

Nellie is a Patterdale Terrier, which isn't actually a recognised breed - they are just a general working terrier with quite a bit of variety in appearance.  As far as I know they are not prone to AI disease, the closest breed which shows a history is the West Highland Terrier.

I suppose its possible in any dog.  I know it is thought that there could be a genetic disposition to it - I saw both her parents, her father was 100% working dog but her mother was a "pet".  The breeder never mentioned anything, but I'm sorry to say she was a BYB, so she wasn't likely to care was she. :(

Hi

Hope you don't mind me butting in. I don't know if I'm allowed to advertise, if not sorry and please delete me. 

There is a website on Yahoo called CIMDA Support  (Canine Immune Mediated Disease Advice) which you have to join, but it is run for and by people who have dogs with Autoimmune diseases.  I have just lost my boy to AIHA and they are very helpful whilst he was ill.

Its interesting to hear they diagnosed her with a nail bed infection as this is what my Akita looks like she has although it is really where the immune system is rejecting her nails.  I have to say it is early days but my girl has even surprised the specialist at how well she's responded to treatment.  The only way of diagnosing my dogs AI problem was through a biopsy of her pads.

Well, if nothing shows up on the x-rays to show a problem with her spine or ribs, they are going to take muscle biopsies.
She goes in at 8.30am this morning.

Good luck - I hope they find out what is wrong and that it is nothing serious.

Me too Staff, thanks!  My fear is that they won't find ANYTHING at all, and we'll be left trying to rest her for weeks and weeks without ever knowing what was (or is) wrong. 

She has already been rested for two weeks and had improved in terms of her tolerance to exercise - she was being walked normally after 14 days, but had a major setback after an hour of free exercise.  Even after 14 days rest, she was still reluctant to jump and was rather depressed.

The vet says her symptoms don't really fit with a muscle strain or direct injury (symptoms would be more acute and less generalised, and anyway the bloods did not indicate muscle damage).

Its a bit of a mystery - I really hope we know more later.

Looking at websites in America HD is everywhere, small breeds, medium breeds  crossbreeds!

I have JUST got off the phone with the vet. The x-rays showed NOTHING - no bone injury, no swellings or problems with discs, nothing to indicate any sort of injury. They didn't do the muscle biopsies, as its rather an invasive and complex procedure which would be painful for Nellie, and may not tell them much anyway.

So they have moved to plan B - which was to take bloods to test for Lymes, and two other similar parasitic infections which can cause what they termed "shifting illness" - generalised muscle and joint pain, depression, fever, weakness in the hindquarters and intolerance to exercise.

They briefly considered another condition - the name of which escapes me - which also presents with intolerance to exercise and weakness, but dogs with that condition actually collapse and pass out, so they are not convinced on that one.

They admitted that parasitic infection is unlikely, but they want to rule it out - and if she DOES have something like that, it is treatable with prolonged antibiotics. And at least they know what they are dealing with.

And if the bloods come back with nothing? Plan C - referral to either London or Bristol university hospitals (I can choose), where she would go in as a day case and they would do a full work up on her to look for auto-immune disease, amongst others.

Phew, my head is whirling a bit. At least we know that she is not injured, she just feels very unwell - and as such, the vet said she should do as much exercise and running about as she wants, with careful monitoring and rest when she seems to need it.

Is this the same dog that was having problems with choking etc. in December?  Has myasthenia gravis been looked into?

Yes, I did post about her odd choking episodes back then!  How clever of you. :)
That condition is precisely the one the vet mentioned which I couldn't remember, so yes, I believe they will check for that too.  They seemed a bit sceptical though, as she has never collapsed or "fainted"/passed out.
I've since been convinced that her odd episodes are simply reverse sneezing, something I never knew existed.
S x

Depends of the degree of MG I think so not all pass out etc.  Hope you get some news soon so you can do something to help things.

My father had MG I know the symptome in humans and cannines are probably slightly different but the first signs he had was being unable to chew and swallow properly thinking of the choking, As it progressed his lung function was affected  together with generally muscle weakness. The good thing is it it is treatable although not curable and isable to be tested for. I agree with perrodeague i would not expect exactly the same degrees of problems in all animals therfore not passing out does not exclude it.
In my dads case after a few months of quite intense treatment he was back to normal just had to keep an out for reoccurances.

Hmm, thanks for the info.  I know the vets are not ruling out MG and are going to test for it.  Nellie doesn't have any trouble chewing or swallowing and has never regurgitated food, although she has always been a fussy eater.  Her symptoms are muscle pain of varying degrees, weakness in her hindquarters, reluctance to jump, intolerance to exercise, tremors and occasional shortness of breath.  She has only shown symptoms for 2 weeks.

*sigh* I just wish we could test for everything all at once, and hurry up and treat her!!

I sympathize it is so frustrating , I dont believe my Dads symptoms included pain due to MG ( he had other conditions too)Hope they find out something soon and can help her