Ok, so I posted a couple of weeks ago regarding my cockers lameness.  She had a weird lameness which seemed to be coming from her back as she would alternate which leg she lifted/limped on.  She wasn't presenting anything obvious for the vet so he had said to put her on 12mls of metacam daily for a week and see if she improved(thinking injury). 
She didn't improve on the metacam.  She isn't limping so much anymore but she has progressed to not being able to get up from either sitting or lying without a struggle.  She also can't jump onto the furniture any more.  The normal 'spaniel lift' to get on the furniture, is causing her pain too.
So, today we went back to the vet and seen another vet(one I like better).  She was very confused. 
She manipulated the entire dog, back, legs, neck and she showed some stiffness but no discomfort until she stretched her front legs.  She has pain on manipulation from both her front legs/shoulders(which in itself is strange).
A slightly raised temp. too and her lymph glands were up slightly too.
My vet has now put her on AB's(a different kind) as she is thinking Lymes disease(she called it something else) or meningitis.  But her joints are not swollen in the slightest.  Nor is she not wanting to go out or off her food.

I have to go back in 2 weeks after these AB's are finished and see how she is but even my vet has told me she is just clutching at straws.  She said if it had been an akita she would be thinking OCD, such are her symptoms.

She mentioned an immune disorder that mainly COLLIES get.  Progressive arthritic immunity something, she said?  Can anyone give me some info on this?

Having a total panic now as it doesn't seem as straight forward as first thought :(  My poor girlie.

Any thoughts? Or ideas?  Not very confident when my vet was using an online diagnosis! 

Has your dog had x-rays or MRI? Just manually manipulating doesn't always give the answers, especially if the symptoms are as confusing and unclear as in this case. I personally would instist on further investigation! Two of my dogs were diagnosed with conditions via MRI which were neither detectable by manual manipulation nor by x-ray!

No, that's the next route.  X-rays and taking fluid from her joints.  Not that I'm very keen on the fluid thing.  Vet did say we could try steroids after the AB's and metacam to see if that makes any difference.

I can't see the point of pumping medication (especially steroids) into your dog's body when they don't know what the actual problem is! Do push for proper examination and investigation!

Well, the next step which is a more thorough test, is much more expensive.  I would like to try other avenues before the most expensive one.

I have 2 collies with AI problems, 1 had Meningitis and 1 had Polyarthritis.  The younger 1, with Meningitis showed very slight symptoms - very slightly slower moving around and again slightly slower to eat his food.  Nothing like how i imagined Meningitis would be as he really didnt seem poorly just dull.  However when I took him to the vet he had a raging temp and was admitted straight away, he was moved to a specialist hospital and diagnosed via a spinal tap about 48 hrs later
The 9 year old collie was fine one day and was visibly uncomfortable the next, vet had no ideas and he was referred to a specialist immediately.  He had joint taps to diagnose Polyarthritis
Both had bloods to check for lymes disease as part of their investigations

(especially steroids)

Don't think steroids were mentioned just ABs and two weeks course of ABs would not be likely to hurt particularly if she has a raised temperature, not that steroids would either, but agree no point until you know what you are treating.

Pieandivory, thanks so much for your reply.  The vet did mention meningitis too but she's not got a raised temp. 
The Polyarthritis was the thing she thought it was.  So that's what she's treating for at the min.  Can you tell me what treatment was done for the 9 yr old and how he responded?  She is bothered by her shoulders/front end at the minute but she is walking pretty guarded from all areas.  She is also finding it tough to lift her back leg and scratch her ears and also, when she shakes her head.

My vet didn't want to test for lyme disease as the test gives false negatives too often.  She said it was pretty pointless.
Saff is definately getting worse.  She is sleeping most of the day and not to keen on moving now.  She is also attacking the other dogs when they bump into her too(which is absolutely not her at all!!).  She keeps thinking we are hurting her whenever she gets a twinge.

My vet had said that we will try the AB's and metacam for 2 weeks.  If no improvement, she will try steroids to see if that works.  I need to start treatment and the vet thinks this is the best way to go.  The testing is very invasive(joint fluid) and I don't like messing about with joints(learned that before with our OCD boy) and also, very expensive(probably not pc, but honest).  I am trying to avoid any type of surgery on her joints at all costs so yes, I would try the AB's and steroids without a diagnosis.

My older collie  was hospitalised for about a week, the first couple of days of that was marking time in a way  as my own vet had given a steroid injection which would have masked symptoms.  He had various tests and scans during that time tho to rule out other problems
He came home on pain killers and a very high dose of steroids.  He was diagnosed with Polyarthritis at the beginning of April and had his last half tablet 2 days ago.  Touch wood he has not relapsed.
Initially he was a bit  weak and incontinent but pretty much his normal self ie nutter  :-)
My young collie was very affected by the steroids but the older one has coped well.
On the morning he was taken ill I noticed that he was standing a lot he was able to lie down if you asked him but preferred to stand and sort of gaze at the floor.  He ate his breakfast fine as always but when I took him for a walk he walked not flat out running like normal.  He walked very carefully, sort of pottery like a pony with Laminitis and struggled to turn around in his cage.  At this point his joints were not swollen although I understand they had swollen by the next day ( he was in the vets by this point)
My young collie has had blood tests before each drop in steroids but the older one who went to a different refal vet has dropped fortnightly I think
I found a group called CIMDA who are very helpful with AI problems
I hope you get some answers with your dog soon x

Definitely further physical investigation and I would still keep the chiropractor in mind, even if one only did an examination without any adjustments.  I find my dogs' chiro is much, much more sensitive to problems than my vets ever are and she has found a few problems that they've missed (or misdiagnosed) so far.

Well, yesterday was a very bad day.  Saff couldn't get up or down at all yesterday and when anyone touched her to help her up, she was yelping in pain. When we managed to get her on all 4's, she was holding up her front leg and not putting weight on it at all.  She allready had her 12mls of metacam but doesn't seem to be giving the pain relief.  Her coat has went all greasy too and she just looks terrible.  TBH, I'm surprised she survived the night(she was really that bad).
This morning she seems a bit better.  That is what is so strange about this illness.  One mintute she looks at deaths door, then in the morning she has improved.
Taking her back to the vet on Monday.  This needs further investigation definately.

My OH was thinking cancer of some sort yesterday, she had went so downhill so fast.

My vet had said that we will try the AB's and metacam for 2 weeks.

Cracar, I'm really sorry that your girl is suffering here..... {{hug}} and I'm glad that you are taking her back on Monday for further tests, change vets if you have to, don't like the idea either that she was reading online for answers, in other words she is just guesstimating.

Personally with this amount of pain and not really knowing what is happening to her, I would make sure that she is x-rayed, that way limb/back damage will show up as will cancerous lumps and shadows, she is in terrible pain, I couldn't bare it and would need better answers than AB's and metacam, it will rule in or out many problems and I also would not rule out Lyme disease at this point whether the test is good or not.

She is in excruciating pain by the look of it at times and that doesn't just go away, an xray may even give you the knowledge to let her go if need be, if it is something that can be treated I don't agree in waiting as she is suffering, the soonest found out, the soonest mended IMO, if she weren't in so much agony drugs alone may suffice but for her to show it and lose coat shine something is very wrong here.

Sending healing thoughts Saff's way, bless her, hope you find the problem soon. And if your vet is just faffing about not really knowing what to test for or do, I agree in not wasting funds, get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion sometimes older more experienced vets know just what to look for it's why I miss the good old country vet. But xray a must IMO.

Wishing you all the best.

Thanks for your reply.  It really means a lot to me.
We are taking her back this afternoon.  Thing about the vet, she is the senior partner!  She does know her stuff, I think she just really hasn't a clue.  I haven't a clue either.  I have never seen anything so strange in my life.  It's definately not anything like an injury or OCD type thing.  I have A LOT of experience with arthritic conditions having experienced HD, OCD and CDRM in previous dogs and it is presenting nothing like them.  She is eating OK but is severely depressed.  She is barely moving at all.
It's not really about the funds, I just don't want to mess about with the joints as that ALWAYS leads to arthritis.  My dog with OCD suffered terribly after we scrapped his elbows to rid him of the floating pieces.  I swore I would never do anything like that again.  That poor dog had such an awful, painful life that I wish I'd have had the strength to end for him long before I did or maybe not strength but knowledge or hindsight.
Thanks so much Carrington and for letting me just rant/get my feelings out.
I will post later as to next course of action but I agree that X-ray is the way to go.

It still sounds like back or maybe neck trouble of some sort to me - that really can be debilitating as it just radiates everywhere.  When mine was at its worst I could barely move because any movement of any kind fed to my back in some way and caused me pain.

I think Vera's point about the MRI is a good one, not enough may show on x-ray for an answer.

Vet says it's not likly to be a nerve/back issue.  She thinks it's the immune system thing(poly arthritis).  She says because the AB's and metacam didn't amke the slightest difference, then the steroids are the best course of action.  So she got a shot today that will last till Wednesday and then she takes prednisolone orally until back on Monday.  I should see an improvement almost immediately if it is this.
She said that with the symptoms that she is showing, it's likely to be something that won't show up on x-rays or scans and she would end up being no further forward and try the steroids anyway!
She also said that if she gets any worse, to take her back straight away and they will then start to check for something more sinister.

It's not liver disease is it? I know it sounds odd but a lot of the symptoms you are describing are similar to those Hamish experienced in his final days. A scan may show if her liver is small but from what I understand a biopsy of the liver is the only way to get a true and accurate diagnosis. Hamish showed a lot of "mild" symptoms in the previous months but all tests for liver problems came back clear or within the normal range. He had regular urine/blood tests because he was on long term medication for his arthritis but only the biopsy taken showed severe liver disease.

Pedlee, thanks so much for your input.  Liver disease?  I suppose it gives us something else in the pot.  Thing is, her symptoms are so random, that they could point to a million things.  The treatment we are trying this week will work for this polyarthritis thing and also meningitis(which it could also be).  Basically at the minute they are just trying to 'treat' as getting a proper diagnosis for random symptoms takes ages.  She needs treatment now.  Not sure if the steroids are kicking in or we are just have a 'lull' in the pain.  Hoping it's the first!
My poor little girl.  She's having her turkey dinner tonight.  And then I really need to get her in the tub!  She has a horrible greasy coat and her skin is very clammy too and she stinks!  Don;t want to bother her with a bath but needs must. 

She does know her stuff, I think she just really hasn't a clue.  I haven't a clue either.

But how can either you or your vet have a clue if no proper investigations are done? Your vet doesn't have x-ray vision so there is no way she can second guess what is going on in there by giving one lot of medication after another... X-rays don't take long, many blood results take no more than 24 hours...  By all means, treat her whilst waiting for results, but I can't see the point of medicating without knowing what the problem is.

If she was my dog, I'd expect my vet to throw every diagnostic procedure that would give some sort of idea what is going on with her at her starting off with x-rays and in depth blood. Then possibly MRI etc. Once you know what is wrong, you can make a decision what you want done about it if anything, but at least you wouldn't be stabbing into the dark anymore and you can either get targetted medication or management of the situation depending on what's appropriate for you and your dog. 

Whatever course of treatment, I really hope something helps soon, fingers crossed.  Don't ever be afraid to go for a second opinion, however lovely your vet is.  This happened to me last year with one of mine, different diagnosis but I just felt in the back of my mind that I could be more proactive rather than just leaving it to the vet I had been with for many years.  Ended up speaking to a number of vets at local practices who seemed happy to talk to me and offer advice and consequently ended up at a different practice with immediately fab treatment which worked.  If I had stayed where I was with the vet second guessing I'm not sure my boy would still be with me.  Food for thought perhaps?!  Good luck and best wishes.

The vet explained that the illnesses she thinks that Saff has, the tests are not worth it.  She says that the test for Lyme disease has so many false negatives that she doesn't bother with the test now as there is no point if you don't have any faith in it.
X-rays are pointless too as she knows this isn't an injury and says that what she is treating for now, wouldn't show up on either an x-ray or MRI, so what would be the point of all the added expense for no results.
She told me that if the steroids work, then they will be pretty sure it is the polyarthritis and then will go for joint taps and stuff for a complete diagnosis.
I can understand what you mean, Lurchergirl, but my vet is by no means a money saver so if they are not pushing and in fact are putting me off further testing, then I am going to listen to them.  I was the one that was so worried after our weekend that took her back a week early to demand testing.  It's not about the money or anything now, I just need her better by any means.

Not sure if the steroids are working or not.  She seems a bit brighter but the limp is returning which signalled a downward spiral for the weekend.

"And then I really need to get her in the tub!  She has a horrible greasy coat and her skin is very clammy too and she stinks!"
If this has developed since the illness began it could be canine oily type seborrhea which has developed as a secondary problem. If this is the case and you do bath her choose an appropriate shampoo. Cockers are one of the breeds particularly prone to this.