Sorry this is off topic but I just got the devastating diagnosis last week that Hallie is suffering from a congenital dilated spinal cord. For the last 3 years she was going through fairly mild bouts of what I figured to be the typical doxie disc pain but the episodes have been getting more frequent and she had a really bad one 2 weeks ago, we ran to the neurologist figuring she'd need surgery but turned out she has this other evil thing.

I am totally beside myself, as you know Hallie is all I have and we are inseperable, I could never make it without her. I am trying to find more info about this, I scared myself to death googling and found syrinomyelia but the neurologist said that was a "different ballgame". I don't know how he can know as we had not done an MRI just an xray, CT scan and myelogram which only went to L2. She has had no neck pain or neurological deficits. The vet said there is not a name for this but again I don't know how he knows for sure.

I am just writing in case someone has happened to see this rare thing and has any insight or hopefully words of encouragement as this does not sound good and is not curable. She is now off steroids for the first time in 2 weeks, she has not been herself at all but she's defintely more comfortable than she was the first couople of days. We had been to a dog match 2 days before this hit and she was so happy and having a ball. She got a high score in Rally and got 4th in open bitch (my little pound puppy). Now I don't know if I'll ever see her like that again if we can ever go on another walk, etc. I've taken her to where we walk twice and where she would normally take off running with me going as fast as I can to keep up with her, she just stood or walked slow. My heart is broken and I'm really scared, we're going to another neurologist this Thursday just to see if we can get some more answers, I just hope they aren't answers I dont want to hear. An MRI would show what is going on in there all the way up but it won't change her treatment or outcome, it would just satisfy our curiosity to what things look like in there so I don't want to put her through that, she had a very rough time at the neurologist last week.

Any chance anyone has heard of this, if the vet is right and it's not syringomyelia (which is fairly rare itself except in Cavaliers where the majority have it, some just never show symptoms but it's a horrible problem in the breed)then I don't know what else it could be and if it would even mean anything different for a prognosis.

Dee Dee,
first of all, I'm very sorry about Hallie's problems. I know how much she means to you and to see her in pain must be tearing you apart. I wish I personally knew more about this but I'm inserting a link to the Dachshund Club of America site which has an article about Canine Intervertebral Disk Disease which might be of interest.

I'm also going to forward your post to a very good friend of mine who is a veterinarian, Dr. Jane Leon, and see if she has any information which might be of help. Jane tends to do a lot of research when I ask her questions about our guys and I'm sure she'd be interested in trying to round up information about Hallie's disease.

Here's the DCA link: www.dachshund-dca.org/discbook.html.

I'll forward Jane's response when I get it. Hang in there and tell Hallie that all the Garvies love her even though we haven't met her.

Jim

Thank you so much Jim. I would appreciate it very much if your vet has any ideas. I know it would be hard to diagnose without seeing her or her test results but I am just hoping to hear that it might not be something encouraging.

Thank you for the disc book link too...that's the hard thing with this. It's not a doxie back problem, her discs look great. I had to have surgery on my last doxie for disc disease and I thought Hallie was having bouts of pain from disc disease these last 2 years (I think I said 3 but it's been 2 this June). So I've studied that problem inside and out and I understand what is going on when they have pain, the things that can happen to them after their first episode (once they have one, it most likely means they are prone to more), I understand how to treat it (strict crate rest at least 2 weeks, drugs to have them on, etc) I understand the surgeries and the risks of those, I know how to protect them from having a problem (ramps, no jumping, etc), etc.

But with this thing, I have no idea what exactly is causing the pain, I know it's the spinal cord putting pressure on things but I don't know if certain activities, etc bring on an episode as in disc pain (my neurologist says no but I find it odd the two worst ones happend just after a match or show). He also says I don't need to confine or rest her past her own self limiting which I have a hard time with since it's so crucial to rest a doxie with disc problems, it goes against all I've ever done. But he says this is different.

I dont' know if I should travel with her, if she ever does feel like going for a walk again if I should limit that, I want to know if she'll ever rebound to where she was before, or if our lives will be totally different now. I also want to know if this will get worse (or maybe I don't want to know that one) or if she could stabilize and we can always manage the pain when it happens...I guess I'm wanting to hear the good parts of all this and not the bad.

From what I've read about syringomyelia, symptoms range from horrendous to they can go months without symptoms sometimes. Again though this neurologist is saying that is not what this is, but I don't see how he came up with that since we didn't have an MRI done. But I am hoping he is right and that it means she won't necessarily have to go down that path!

I'm not good at lets wait and see and not worry in the meantime....she is my whole world and this would just do me in. She has been a very good patient and has learned one little "boof" has me running to her side to give her anything she wants...even more so than normal.

Thanks for letting me vent, this is really a nightmare. But I'm praying it won't be as bad as I am fearing I guess no one will be able to tell me that though one way or the other.I just want to be sure I'm doing all the right things to help her do the best with this as we can.

Dee Dee,
do I understand you when you say it's not a disc problem but a swelling of the spinal cord itself? But your vet says enforced rest is not necessary nor is it caused by heavy activity. I'm not sure I'm buying that exactly. Whether bone or tissue, it would seem to me that increased activity would aggravate the issue. But then I'm not a vet .

I'd like to see what Jane says. We're heading off to Louisville for a couple of days to interview a prospective "husband" for Cassidy but when we get back -- over the weekend -- I'll post what I hear from her.

Meanwhile, try to just let it be and give Hallie what she needs. Worrying won't change anything. You just need to get as much information as possible so you know what you're dealing with.

Hugs,

Jim

Right, it's not a disc at all it is a congenital dilated spinal cord meaning her spinal cord is enlarged. I believe there is fluid in there due to some kind of imbalance in the pressure of the cerebral spinal fluid. So her spinal cord will always, and probably always was,dilated it is just slowly showing us more and worsening symptoms.

I hope to learn more at the next neurologist we will visit Thursday. Hopefully it won't be something worse than what I am already envisioning. She is looking a little better today and she can now bark almost like herself, before this she sounded muffled sort of like an older deaf dog does, I think they must have had a tube down her throat for the myelogram and that might be it,

Thank you again Jim have a good and safe trip adn good luck with the husband for Cassidy!

Dee Dee, I am so sorry to hear about Hallie. I am contacting others that have more experience with Cav. and hope to hear more. I shot a Cavalier show a number of years ago, thinking it might me a small breed for me. They had a cardiac vet speaking since heart disease is of major concern. This problem is new to me. I see you have been communicating with them on their site, so hopefully you will learn more.
I am told that a friend of mine who has a Cav. has this problem and works for a vet. I will check with her. She was to be her obedience dog and is now a lap dog. I am sure that would be okay with you.
Have you found more information on Doxie sites?

Remember that your fretting can go right through to Hallie so try not to worry. I know that is like saying don't think of rabbits but for your health too, try not to put too much stress on the two of you.
I know she is your life and she is yours. My prayers are with you for help.

Thanks Peggy Sue I was very surprised too to hear how rampant this is in the Cavaliers. I thought Danes were a heartbreak breed (mine was terribly unhealthy and I lost him at 6) but Cavaliers might have a step up from Danes in the health department. I know many are lost to mitral valve disease at a pretty young age. And have issues with PRA too I believe.

I am so sorry for your friends Cavalier...I am afraid though to ask specifics about her symptoms! Hallie is feeling better today and I keep trying not to think of what is going on but just enjoy it but the thought keeps creeping back.

Thank you for offering to ask your friend about this I'd really like to hear what she says. This has not been labeled as syringomyelia thus far for Hallie, the neuro said it was a "different ballgame" than that, I am calling it that only because that is what I googled before he told me that wasn't it. She does not have the typical neck/head pain or any neurological deficits in her limbs thank goodness, which are often signs I've read in Cavaliers but I imagine nothing is set in stone.

She is sitting in the kitchen right now letting out a big BARK now and then wanting me to come running to get her attention or a treat...which I always do so I don't see that behavior stopping anytime soon! (for Hallie or me!)

Yes stress has been a major player in this, I was being tested for a possible heart problem that took my brother during all this, (which turns out I most likely don't have) and diabetes (which also turns out I don't have) and I couldn't get a deep breath for 11 days straight. Hallie went bad right in the middle of this so stress has been off the charts. But we're doing better than we were that's for sure.

i hope you can figure this all out and keep your girl comfortable for a long time.

healing thoughts coming your way,
liz

Dee Dee, I know how devastated you are. Hallie is such a special girl to you. I hope that it is treatable and she has many more years of being able to do activities. Just sucks.

Dee Dee

I am so sorry to hear this news; I will pray for years of painless comfort for your dear pet.