Posting on behalf of a friend who is desperate for a diagnosis for her much loved, 13.5 year entire beadie bitch. I realise it's a long shot but just perhaps someone has experienced something similar and can help?

Last wednesday/thursday she started to become unwell, quite stiff and not wanting to eat, which are unusual for her. She does have long standing mobility issues due to arthritis and hip dysplasia but has so far, managed extreemly well.

She deteriorated to the extent she was admitted to the vets for tests and to be placed on a drip last friday as she became extreemly stiff and obviously movement was painful. She was not eating and had a persistant raise temprature of 39.5 C There has been considerable deterioration since then. She was strugling to breathe at one point due to accumulation of mucus in her nasal passages and pronounced swelling of lymph glands in her neck. The vet was fairly certain it was lymphoma and a biopsy was done. The results are back and it is not lymphoma. She has had a blood panel done which showed reasonably normal levels of white cells, no other abnomalities. Also an extensive abdominal scan where the only unusual aspect was a small mass on the spleen which the vet did not seem to think was significant and possibly non malignant.

She is currently still at the vets, on a drip more or less continously but being persuaded to eat and drink a very little. Mobility has returned to an extent but she is still extreemly sick and lethargic. Awating a needle aspiration from the spleen and further blood panel.

The vet believes it to be an inflammatory disease of some kind, possibly tick bourne. She is being treated with anti inflammatories and anti biotics intravenously, so likely to be bacterial?

I don't know, how about maybe a neurological problem such as myasthenia gravis?  Hope they can sort her out.

Have PM'd you all info and contacts for beardie health issues.

Thank you both very much. I have passed on the information.