First infected anal glands required 3 visits to the vet.  This coincided with what seemed to be a cough/snatching air which the vet assumed to be kennel cough.  Since then she has been well then has episodes when she seemed really out of sorts and lethargic.  Back and forwards to the vet, last time was last week when vet gave her chest and heart a very careful listen to and nothing found.  Vet took bloods and again all was normal.  Temperature was normal. Over the last 2 days she's eaten next to nothing and I am really really worried.  Tonight she's taken to sleeping in an odd position and when she sits, her head is hanging and her eyes seem droopy and red.  All these things have been mentioned to the vet but they can't find anything wrong with her.  I've seen 3 different vets over the past 3 months. 

Has anyone seen all these things together before?  Obviously, she's be back at the vets tomorrow.

p.s. I'm with an absolutely pants insurance company, if you're thinking of taking out insurance then please search the internet for the reviews, they're ghastly.  If I knew then, what I know now ......!

Has she been neutered?  If not when was her last season?   Could she be having a 'silent season' ?   Or, heaven forbid, Pyo?

Sitting/sleeping in an odd position suggests discomfort of some kind, is she walking/running normally?

What were the blood tests for?

Id ask for an ultrasound of chest and abdomen if I were you.
Ive just lost a dog with hemangiosarcoma, (which is very rare in his breed and in his age group) BUT another vet has told me subsequently that she always suggests abdo ultrsound in cases of slowly deteriorating dogs with vague non-specific symptoms.
Ive been contacted by so many people telling me of their Labradors/flatcoats/beardies and GSDs which suffered from the same condition and with the same vague signs... "just not right" is the common theme.
worth ruling out I would think.

Im with toolz.  I had a dog with similar symptoms and our vet couldnt find anything wrong. Her bloods were fine etc, chest xray was clear but she was struggling for breath.  Eventually after another week of tests and xrays, they ultrasounded her abdomen as a last resort and she was found to have a tumour on her spleen.

How old is your dog? 

Get an x ray too, having just lost Ben I would really urge you to get one or a scan,preferably both, although your dogs symptoms are vague, so were Ben's, he also had anaemia too,but anaemia isn't always present in cancer. He had a scan which showed his lungs , spleen and heart to be normal, the tumours were so small in his lungs only an x ray could pick them up.
Sorry to be mentioning the C word but you need to know
Fingers crossed for you both.

Any news ?

Thanks all.  She's in the vets and I am waiting to hear from them.  They are going to X-Ray her but to be honest I had already assumed the worst and I feel that the vet will just confirm my guess that there's a tumour in her chest area. Thanks your responses, but if the worst is confirmed I won't be posting on here anymore unless it's knowledge that would be beneficial to share x

I hope it is good news x

Me too x

Really hope you get good news x

Thank you. Yes, there is still some hope as X-Rays of her chest were clear.  However, her stomach is distended.  She only had some cornflakes and a little rice this morning after 2 full days of nothing so vet said he didn't expect her stomach to be distended.  She's staying at vets overnight and then he'll evaluate her in the morning before deciding next investigative procedure; probably endoscopy and/or scan. 

Fingers crossed.

Fingers and paws crossed here x

Good luck to you both & best wishes.

>she was found to have a tumour on her spleen.

My eldest Bearded Collie had a tumour on the spleen.  She had her spleen and the tumour removed.  They couldn't guarantee that she would survive surgery, and said that she wouldn't be out of the woods for at least a week.

She did take a long long time to recuperate, and I bought her a large orthopaedic mattress, as she didn't do much except lie there.  It took months for her to greet me when I came in.  When she eventually came up and did her tippy toe dance (meaning, could she put her paws on my shoulders!) I burst into tears! 

She is still here 7 years later!  :-)  Thought it would be nice to hear a positive outcome on here.  :-)

Good news on the chest x-ray but I am very surprised your vet has not done an abdomenal scan if it is distended. if they don't have the facilities get her referred to a specialist centre fast. As others have said, spleenectomy can be a very successful operation.

Keeping fingers toes and paws crossed for you

I didn't realise dogs could live without a spleen, amazing.

The scan wasn't done yesterday because she had eaten a little food in the morning and the vet couldn't be sure if the distension was due to undigested food and air. By this morning any food would have been digested so anything left would be abnormal. I'm actually hoping that she's accidentally swallowed something that she shouldn't have and that it can be removed.  Too much to hope for really, it would be totally out of character for her to swallow anything she shouldn't (except human food of course).

>I didn't realise dogs could live without a spleen,

WE can too.  :-)

I hope it turns out to be something than can be sorted fairly easily.

Humans can manage without a spleen too but need to let any medics they are seeing know, not done that area of nursing for a very long while but needing antibiotic cover prior to any procedures comes to mind.

One of our Boxers had their spleen removed due to bloat. That was 2 years ago and she is fine and healthy.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> didn't realise dogs could live without a spleen,

First GSD had his spleen removed age 4, lost him to CDRM at 8¾ and Rott had hers removed at 10, lost her through sheer old age at 13¾ by which time she had also been on thyroid replacement tabs 2½ yrs and anti-senility tabs for 1¼ yrs plus bioflow collar, devils claw and evening primrose for stiffness.
Chris

Update: Paris went into Vets last Saturday morning, had X-rays, Sunday had scans morning and afternoon and nothing abnormal found.  She didn't eat while she was there but vet said that was more likely to be because she was stressed at being in the vets, although her appetite had been poor of late.

Brought her home Monday and gradually she seems to be picking up.  Her appetite is improving as are her energy levels.  She's much happier in her self and back to being my velcro dog when I'm around, which I have to say I find a nuisance sometimes (trying to get to a ringing phone with dog walking in front, but only just so I can't get past), but her absence was sorely felt.

So, all that stress and £s and we're none the wiser but very pleased that she seems to be getting over whatever it was.

Happy Christmas x

That is super news for you and hope her recovery continues. Nice to hear some good news :-)

What a wonderful Christmas present for you. It is so great to have good news as there has been quite enough sadness here lately, you have made my day !

Im so glad you have a good outcome, such a relief :-)

It is a pain when your none the wiser after expensive tests, but the most important thing is your girl is on the mend :-)

Thanks everyone. x