Scout loves using her Bixby as her personal pillow
Bixby had another bout of a bacterial gastric event that he had last year. I’ll try not to get too graphic, but blood in his vomit and bowels sent us to the emergency vet, as my vet had two surgeries he couldn’t’ reschedule. Turns out that’s not uncommon with an inflamed gut.
I was thinking we were going to get away with a few meds and be on our way. His blood work was perfect, his heart and BP were in the safe zone. And then they brought him out to me. He couldn’t stand, kept falling over and was confused and lethargic.
The emergency vet sent him home anyway, despite my concerns – the least being how I was going to lug around a woozy 160 lb Dane. They said to watch him and bring him back if he got worse. We won’t discuss the words I used both in my head and in person.
By late afternoon, he was no longer able to walk and a return to the vet was not possible. Our best guess is that he either had a serve allergic reaction to the anti-nausea shot or they hit/pinched a nerve in back. He has not been able to walk since.
He’s eating, drinking, etc and on the mend that way, so we are 1/2 way there, I guess. My vet has kind of thrown up his hands and left us on our own.
I’ve now put in a call to a DVM that is also certified in chiropractic and acupuncture, hoping she’ll make a home visit and help evaluate him. If he’s just jammed his neck or shoulder when he kept falling, she should be able to help. Worst case scenario is when they did the subcutaneous fluids, he might have suffered a spinal stroke which would be a devastating diagnosis.
While we wait for some resolution, we could use your good thoughts, good energy and prayers (if that’s your thing).
I’m on day three of little sleep and can’t even imagine what might come next. Basically I just breathe in and breathe out and lay on the floor next to the big guy.
trollhattan
Yikes. Best wishes to Bixby, you and Bixby’s buddy! None of this sounds pleasant in the least.
Laura Too
Sending lots of love! Big hugs to you all. He is such a sweet boy.
Kristine
Best of thoughts for Bixby, and for you.
Worst of thoughts for that blasted vet.
something fabulous
Oh no!!! SO much love to you all, especially The Big Guy!
Emma
This day began badly and is ending horribly. Mem’s kitty and now Bixby. Excuse me I’m going to crawl into bed and pull the blankets over my head.
debit
Oh, poor Bixby and poor you. I can only imagine how you must be feeling. You both are in my thoughts. {{{{}}}}
raven
Damn it. I’m spending my days (between working) caring for my two aging pups. Lil Bit is struggling mightily to walk except when she smells food i the kitchen. I’m having to drag her to get her to walk down the street and, as much as I don’t like it, I feel that I have to keep her going. I won’t bother with the laundry list of problems she has but I’ going to keep her going as long as she eats. Bohdi is doing great for 15 1/2 which means he can walk, see fairly well and still hopping on the low living room chair. I know we’re lucky and hate to hear about the Bix. Hang tough.
dexwood
Best mojo to you and your pack. Fire the vet ( man, do I have a story about an asshole vet), you know where to come if money is an issue.
Strength and comfort.
schrodingers_cat
Hugs to both you and Bixby.
palindrome
Well, hell – I never comment but please get better Bixby. You are one of the lights of my life as well as TaMara’s.
MomSense
I’m so sorry, Tamara. Sending positive thoughts to Bixby, you, and the rest of your crew.
@raven:
Sending good thoughts to you and your pups, too.
WaterGirl
Holding my breath for you both, TaMara. If your guys are like mine, they are surely picking up on your stress and anxiety. May I make a suggestion?
Try putting on some calming but uplifting music — I did that years ago when I was in dire straights with my kitty, and things turned around. I have no idea whether it calmed me and that helped calm him, but I don’t care why it worked, I just know that it worked.
Sending love and good thoughts.
Scamp Dog
All the best to you, Bixby & Scout! I hope this turns out like Meeca’s gastric event earlier the spring, which went away after a few days of medication.
Leto
TaMara and @raven: Nothing but positive thoughts headed to your pups. Hope they get better soon!
jeffreyw
Damn damn dammit. All the best to the big guy and try to get some sleep yourself.
MelissaM
Oh, TaMara! Sending you all the best vibes I can muster! If you both could rest, I believe tomorrow will be better. Virtual cocktails and skritches and head pats for you all!
satby
TaMara, love and healing vibes to you and Bixby. Hope it resolves soon.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Oh no. Poor Bixby. Fingers crossed this gets worked out.
Dan B
So sad to hear this. Please get some rest. Maybe you need some acupuncture and hugs too. Those guys look like such big goofy loves.
Anne Laurie
Love & all good thoughts to Bixby and to you, TaMara.
A dog like Bixby should live a thousand years!
lahke
All the best to Bixby, and also please take care of yourself.
geg6
Oh sweet Bixby! Oh TaMara! My best thoughts going out to you all. How is Scout handling this? ♥️♥️♥️
Tom Levenson
Tikka, who loathes all sentient beings, sends his love and ours to Bixby and you
Ohio Mom
Sending positive energy your way, and hoping for the best.
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
All the best thoughts for Bixby and you.
tokyokie
I’ll be thinking good thoughts about Bixby’s health as I perform my evening infusion of IV meropenem.
raven
@Leto: We’re in that place where they are not going to get better. Holding their own is about all we can hope for. It’s what we all dread with our critters, how do we know when we’re keeping them alive for them or for us. That’s the price we pay for what they give us.
geg6
@Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!):
Hahaha, I love your parenthetical! I feel the same way. Finally! Thank heaven for Conor Lamb! He may not be everything I wish for but he’s waaaaaaay better than Keith Rothfus!
Haydnseek
I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I know how you feel. I just lost a beautiful cat that was abandoned in my neighborhood. I took her in and she had some very good years before she died in a very slow painful way that I still find very difficult to talk about. I offer you my very best wishes for a complete recovery. It’s not much, but I’m afraid that it’s all I have.
Percysowner
Sending good thoughts. I hope you can get the specialist out soon.
Catherine D.
Damn. Thinking good thoughts about your gentle giant.
sukabi
Sending healing thoughts to {{{{{Bixby}}}}}
Barbara
My dog has had to get anti-nausea medications by injection too, but has never had a reaction like this. Hoping this is just a temporary thing and thay Bixby is on the mend overnight
p.a.
@raven: Positive vibes to you & TaMara, & your 4 legged families.
Orchid Moon
So sorry to hear about Bixby. Healing thoughts being sent your way for everyone, and hoping for a speedy recovery.
Drunkenhausfrau
Sending you love, strength, and positive energy!
Patricia Kayden
So sorry to hear about Bixby’s medical problems and hope that they are resolved quickly. Sending warm and healing thoughts your way. Hoping for good news soon.
SiubhanDuinne
Lots of love and good wishes to Bixby! Love that picture :-)
Am reposting this from an early-afternoon thread yesterday, and may try it once more in a late night/pre-dawn thread, to get the message out to as many RI/MA jackals as possible:
So far, it sounds like three or four Juicers will attend the EFG reception. Wish my Boston road trip were just a few days earlier — I’d love to meet you at a good fuckem farewell to our friend.
CaseyL
Thinking positive-energy thoughts for Bixby, and for you, and for the whole household.
He might need to see a vet neurologist. You know where to come if you need funds.
GET WELL, BIXBY!!
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
That’s terrible. Really hope it’s just temporary and he recovers soon..
MazeDancer
Oh, no! Sending much Light to Bixby and you. And may good vet help be on its way.
It is highly unlikely that your pup is having an allergic reaction to Cerenia, which is likely what they gave him as anti-nausea.
If he is eating and drinking, these are very good signs.
Since you’re in CO, don’t rule out a little high grade CBD oil. Which works so well, my kitty Jamie McDunett, who should have died 4 nights ago, is peacefully hanging on.
Josie
Oh, TaMara, I am so sorry to read this. I hope that things improve over the night and that Bixby recovers quickly. I know how hard it is to take care of a big dog when they cannot stand up and do for themselves. Take care of yourself as well as of your babies.
White & Gold Purgatorian
Best healing vibes to Bixby and family. So sorry this happened. Unbelievable that the emergency vet sent him home in that condition.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
TaMara, we’re sending all our positive energy from here to you, Bixby, and Scout. Harry does also.
Gin & Tonic
@SiubhanDuinne:
The destination is actually considerably closer to Nashua than Providence, so let’s not rule out the New Hampsters either.
grandmaBear (fka glaukopis)
I’m sorry and so hope it’s a temporary reaction, but I’d agree with those who think you need to see a new vet. This sounds so stressful for all of you. Keeping you in my thoughts.
mrmoshpotato
Best wishes to you and the pups. ?
SiubhanDuinne
@Gin & Tonic:
Thanks for that. I’m woefully ignorant of New England geography. Indeed, anyone within reasonable* driving distance.
* (or unreasonable — looking at you-know-who-you-are).
Mary G
That is horrifying. Will pray for you, Bixby, Scout, the cats, the ducks, and everyone around you.
Cckids
Sending best wishes and hopes for Bixby, he’s such a love.
NotoriousJRT
Hugs to you and entreaties to the universe for Bixby. I am sending positive thoughts your way.
Amir Khalid
Get-well-soon wishes to Bixby from Bianca and me.
MagdaInBlack
Oh, TaMara, this just makes my heart hurt for you.
Hoping along with you that this is a simple fix.
Breathe ?
Wayne
Sunday night, my male mix breed was fine. Monday morning, rear legs were shutting down, walking wobbly. Tuesday morning now the fronts are starting to fail. Main vet did xrays, lots of arthritis, did some meds. Recommended a Neuro vet. NV did MRI on neck, bulging disc, operated wednesday, comes home Saturday. Already walking. So he’ll be fine but OMG it’s expensive.
Tazj
Good thoughts and positive vibes for Bixby. Hopefully, he continues to recover and you can get another vet to make a home visit to check him. May everyone in your household have a restful night sleep.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Ugh. Best of luck to you all.
Steve in the ATL
@SiubhanDuinne: using Waze in Boston: “destination is 1.2 miles away, 53 minutes”
SiubhanDuinne
Need to indulge in a mini-vent.
Yesterday early afternoon I set up a new PayPal account so I could send a small contribution to debit’s kitty transport fund. In the roughly 30 hours since, I’ve had four emails from PayPal all basically urging me to go shopping and spend money.
I’ve lived for years without a PP account and, although I’m more than happy to support debit and other worthy jackal causes, I’m already kind of regretting establishing an account. More suspicious these days than I should be, I guess.
Aleta
Hope for holding these lives close, wrapped in love, safety, health, and joy, and for miracles around the corner and for grace always.
{{Bixby, TaMara}} {{Lil Bit, raven}} {{Mnem and Mnem cat}}
@Haydnseek: Sending you deep sympathy. I’m there too right now in this worst grieving pain.
Major Major Major Major
Oh, no. Best vibes to you, and hugs!!
MomSense
Tamara, did the vet test for tick borne diseases? I just remembered that my first lab lost use of his hind legs and was also really sick from Lyme disease. It was before the vaccination was released. I think technically it was the combination of Lyme and a neurotoxin that Lyme ticks carry that causes paralysis in dogs. I’m trying to remember what they did – I think antibiotics and perhaps a steroid.
SiubhanDuinne
@Steve in the ATL:
That’s fuckin ATL levels of bad traffic!
Steve in the ATL
@SiubhanDuinne:
Dossier updated.
Heidi Mom
Wishing you and Bixby the very best of luck.
Joy in FL
My heart is with you and Bixby. Sending all positive love and health and care to you both.
MomSense
@Haydnseek:
{{{{{{haydnseek}}}}}
Steve in the ATL
@SiubhanDuinne: it’s way more painful if you have a couple of daughters
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steve in the ATL: You do remember she’s a Mob Enforcer?
@OP: Sending Bixby healing thoughts.
Mnemosyne
I’m so sorry, TaMara. I hope Bixby improves quickly. ♥️
As Emma alluded to above, we also got to spend all day at the vet with our middle kitty Annie. When your regular vet steps out of the room after examining your kitty and comes back saying, “I was able to get you a 1 pm appointment today for an ultrasound at the specialty vet, can you go?” that’s never going to be good news.
Right now, the best case would be feline lymphoma, because a majority of cats go into remission after one round of chemotherapy and can get another good year or two. The other possibilities are much more grim, so we’re in the weird position of hoping for a lymphoma diagnosis. ?
An interesting factoid I saw on Wikipedia — feline lymphoma is very strongly associated with FELV and FIV and can be caused by a subclinical infection that never causes symptoms or is found by ordinary tests. Annie is our kitty who was found living with a feral colony, so this seems potentially relevant.
JanieM
Sending good thoughts for Bixby and others dealing with illness and grief.
@SiubhanDuinne: I got myself a PayPal account a while back, also reluctantly, and also for some special reason. (Could even have been a BJ reason, I don’t remember.) There must be settings that stop the nagging emails, because I don’t get anything like that, I only get account-related messages, and very rarely. Good luck!!
AliceBlue
Oh no! I’m wishing the best for you and Bixby.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@SiubhanDuinne: Wait until the card you put at that account gets used for purchases you didn’t make. Twice; only after paypal account use. I will only us it when there is no other option, so my fingers are crossed after using it for a transport donation.
seefleur
De-lurking long enough to add my best healing vibes to all the rest who are pulling for Bixby and his family. Having gone through both 2-legged and 4-legged medical “events”, I have to say that the ones impacting our fur-kids are worse because they can’t tell us what they are feeling. Hugs to all of your crew – everyone in the house is affected, 2-legged and 4-legged.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@Steve in the ATL: Hey, do you know anybody at Coke My friend who was an AGC/Chief Compliance officer there moved on so I have no connections to bitch to that they are not sending any kosher for Passover coke to Ohio this year. I’m the point person to grab it for friends who don’t live as close to the store that stocks the most and I’m gonna be delivering the bad news.
SiubhanDuinne
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:
Oh lord. Thx for the heads-up; I’ll monitor my bank account like a hawk hungry for a sparrow.
Steve in the ATL
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: hmmm…I know a lot of EX-Coke people. Let me think on that.
JeanneT
So scary when a dog can’t walk! Best hopes for rapid recovery for Bixby, and energy through the ether to you, Tamara so you can bear up until he gets better.
SiubhanDuinne
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:
I’m not Steve in the ATL, but I used to know a few people at Coke HQ. Not sure if they’re at all current, but I’ll riffle through my old contact files tomorrow and see if there’s anyone I can still reach out to.
debit
@SiubhanDuinne: If it reassures you at all, I’ve had a paypal account for years and never had an issue. And it’s tied to my actual bank account where my paycheck lands and I pay all my bills. Still, it’s never wrong to be vigilant.
Jay
@SiubhanDuinne:
Set up a pay as you go, preloaded credit card or new bank account.
Only use it for online transactions and only load it up beyond the fees when you are going to use it.
That way there is almost nothing to steal, and when someone does steal from it, you have an established pattern of use to help make the case you were robbed.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@SiubhanDuinne: @Steve in the ATL: Thank you both. While my ex Coke contact was far enough up the food chain to potentially raise some hell, she is EX. I appreciate any help.
@Mnemosyne: Thinking good thoughts for Annie also.
Suddenly my afternoon at the surgical center where Mr. Q had his hernia repair is quite tame. There was the updated guidance conference call to take while they were doing prep, but it was over in time for me to go back and vet the anesthesiologist. The surgeon I knew was good, but the gas folks are really more important. So I was happy that this guy was whip smart, tolerated my technical questions about recovery from short acting and what kind of post op pain management we’d be doing with gracious good cheer, and was quite handsome as a bonus.
Auntie Anne
Sending good thoughts for you and Bixby!
zhena gogolia
I’ll be a prayer warrior for Bixby.
zhena gogolia
@Mnemosyne:
Praying for your kitty too!
Jay
Sending ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out to everyone and their fur babies tonight.
This timeline sucks hard.
rikyrah
Oh Bixby…prayers ?for you???
SiubhanDuinne
@Steve in the ATL:
Oh, it’s no secret. Anyone will tell you.
Indeed, being (ALLEGEDLY!) woefully ignorant is one of my super-powers.
MoxieM
Oh Jeeze, oh my God, oh no. So many hugs and warm loving things sent to you and your wonderful sleek pal. Anything I can do from across the country, I will gladly do. My heart is yours.
rikyrah
@Mnemosyne:
Oh..hugs for your feline sweetie??
J R in WV
@SiubhanDuinne:
You don’t NEED a PayPal account to contribute to someone who is using PayPal account to raise funds. Just use your credit card, and DON’T create an account. I’m sure you can delete your new PayPal account, although I imagine they don’t make it easy, AND you can also block PayPal mail into your spam folder.
Sorry you got into PayPal farther than you wanted or needed to!!!
sgrAstar
Dear Tamara, I just love seeing your pix of the gorgeous Bixby. I am so sorry he’s ailing…like everyone here, I’m concentrating on his speedy recovery. ❤️❤️❤️
Juju
I’m sorry about Bixby. I hope you have the best results possible and he recovers back to regular Bixby. I’m sending all the good vibes I can.
Zelma
Sending good thoughts to Bixby
My 11 year old Llasa was having trouble jumping on furniture. (I know, that should be a good thing.) Made a vet’s appointment. Bandit, on arrival at the vet’s, immediately started jumping on and off the seat. It’s probably arthritis but it sure is scary when our pets have mobility issues.
I hope you can find a new vet. And frankly, if there is a way to complain about the treatment you received, I hope you do so. He was unprofessional and unkind.
J R in WV
TaMara:
So sorry Bixby is under the weather!
We visited friends who dairy goats, mostly for cheese. Lately, though, they are feeding nearly 3 gallons a day to their 9 new puppies, who are farm dog mutts, with various strains of border collie and great pyrenees in them. The puppies are about 5 weeks old, and we will adopting mom and one of the puppies in 3 or 4 weeks.
We also had a wonderful dog who lost the use of his hind legs suddenly. Local vets were helpless, and wife took off with Clyde (Step Aside Clyde was his full name, he was sometimes close underfoot, 45 pounds plus 15 pounds of fur, loved winter, needed a shave come spring) to a Vet Hospital in Columbus Ohio. They had access to an MRI, which showed adhesions of his spinal cord, which a wonderful neurosurgeon operated on the next day.
It only took a couple of days for the hospital to ask us to come and get him — he was really verbal, and was telling them he wanted to go home. We kept him in a crate, much to his dismay, for weeks, but for walks we took him on with a sling under his abdomen to support his hind legs. Then one day, a few weeks into this, his back legs moved!! So Clyde recovered to have a continuing career as head dog in charge of our forested hillsides in WV.
So there are happy endings with the furry people we love!! Best wishes for your big dog and you too. Take care of yourself, also too!!!!
TomatoQueen
Luca, Biter of Hands, and I send healing purrs and wishes to Bixby for full recovery soonest, and warm wishes to LilBit and Bohdi and Annie for love and comfort.
Mnemosyne
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:
I really liked the anesthesiologist for my ACL surgery last year. I mean, he was clearly about 12 years old (says the old woman) but he really knew his stuff and I felt surprisingly good until the nerve blockers wore off a day or two later.
I made a point of telling every doctor and nurse that I threw up in the recovery room ON a nurse the first time around, and that seemed to motivate them pretty well. ?
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@Mnemosyne: As it should. ?
Redshift
Best wishes to Bixby, and you!
My bunny Rory had her follow up very visit Tuesday after radiation treatments, and she is doing very well. We were really lucky her vet was sharp enough to catch it early. I’ll rub her extra-luck rabbit’s foot for you guys (which she won’t like at all, but I’ll be quick.)
hedgehog mobile
Love, hugs, prayers and energy sent for you and Bixby. Curses directed at the asshole vet.
Leslie
Oh, no. Beaming healing thoughts at Bixby and hugs at you. I’m so sorry you’ve been so badly served by not one but two vets, and I’m keeping everything crossed for the best possible outcome.
a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)
TaMara, I’m so sorry. Strength to you and Back by both!
Ruckus
TaMara, hope Bixby gets 100% better, and soon.
@SiubhanDuinne:
I’ve had a PayPal account for quite a few years and have never received one sales/advertising email in any way attached to it. Some of that I believe is tied to your activity level and as you are new they don’t know what that will be. I use the account for paying one vendor monthly and any selling I do on ebay. It may also be because I rarely keep a balance in it. And I’m only comfortable with that because of my bank, I got three calls and an email today because I moved and ordered new checks and they wanted to make sure that this was ligit. I don’t get the same type of service as the big national chains and there isn’t an office all that close, by they watch my account and money like it’s coming out of their pockets and when I do show up at the branch, I get greeted by name by all the staff.
@Mnemosyne:
Good luck with Annie.
Mnemosyne
@Ruckus:
True story: back when I was a student at USC, I had a doppelgänger who looked almost exactly like me who was a customer at the same bank (the late lamented Security Pacific).
I found this out the day I walked into my branch and the teller greeted me with a friendly, “Oh, are you back again?” when I hadn’t been there in weeks.
When she saw how confused I looked, she looked at the name on my account, gasped, and said, “Oh my god, there’s another customer here who looks EXACTLY like you!”
Later, a woman came up to me on campus and said, “Did you used to be my law clerk?” So apparently my doppelgänger went to law school.
I even think I saw her drive past me in Westwood when I was working there. It was a very weird feeling.
Barb 2
Bixby you love bug – we send our love and strength (called mana in Hawaii).
Blogger at shakesville has lost her three cats within a few months of each other. She has shared photos of her fur kids so they are like family. Now I’m just hoping for the best and hoping you find a competent vet. . . .
Gotta hug my furkids.
Mel
Sending much love to Bixby. Fingers (and paws) are all crossed here for a quick recovery for that very best of doggies.
Dog Mom
Tamara I am so late to the post. I hope that you and Bixby got some rest and are feeling great improvement this morning. It is so stressful when a dog is not well and not managing to get themselves around. I am having that with my 16yo Weimaraner right now. . . (sigh). So sorry that you had a bad vet experience on top of it all. If you have any doubts on the diagnosis, let me throw out two things. First, I would second the possibility of tick borne diseases that someone mentioned above. Second – it’s rare (I’m told) – Addison’s disease – it is known as the ‘great pretender’ as symptoms come and go and mimic other diseases. (JFK had it.) In my support group for it, I see a fair number of Great Danes get diagnosed. It is the endocrine disease where the body no longer produces cortisol – the stress hormone. Symptoms include hind end weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy and more. Dogs will often get to the point of collapse and have an Addison’s crisis due to an imbalance of the electrolytes. Specifically, low sodium and high potassium. Emergency treatment with iv fluids and steroids puts the dog right temporarily. Testing for confirmation (an ACTH stimulation – blood test) needs to be done before steroids are given though – skewed results (not useful) if already given. A lot of vets have never seen a case of it and do not think of it. If recognized and confirmed with proper testing it can be successfully managed with meds and the cost contained to an affordable level – less experienced vets may give a very bad prognosis. If poor Bixby is still not feeling himself, do ask about it. Best Wishes to getting back to health!
sherparick
Tamara, best wishes to you and the wonderful Bixby. Hopefully, he will be feeling himself soon.
Betty
Wishing the best for Bixby. So sorry you both are going through this.
O. Felix Culpa
Just catching up on yesterday’s threads and sending love and healing thoughts to all ailing four-footers and their people. Plus hugs. Lots of hugs.
Lee
Just showed my wife this post. She is a veterinarian of 25 years and emergency med for 20.
It wasn’t a reaction to the anti-nausea meds. It should have IV fluids not subcutaneous. It should probably see an internal medicine specialist. Also does Bixby not want to use his back legs (weakness) or can’t use his back legs (paralysis). Pinch between toes to see if you get a reaction.
Ann Marie
TaMara, sending you and Bixby good thoughts and love. I hope you can find a better vet.
RedDirtGirl
Sending hugs to you and scritches to Bixby.
Mohagan
Sending lots of healing light towards you and Bixby. So sorry to hear about your continuing scary time. And condolences on having to deal with 2 asshat vets at the same time.
crshark
I really, really hope my suspicions are unfounded, But Bixby’s current state sound a lot like my dog’s symptoms.
It started when she jumped off a futon to the floor, a distance of less than two feet just like she had done hundreds of times before. But within 10 minutes, she was unable to walk. Within 30 minutes she was unable to sit. Within a couple hours, she could barely lift her head and her normally vigorous barks and grows sounded like strangled squeaks.
After several visits with three different vets and $3000 of treatments and diagnoses, my friend referred me to a vet neurologist. He diagnosed my dog with Fibrocartilaginous embolism which is caused by a blockage in the spinal blood vessels. He theorized that when my dog jumped off the futon, it caused a bone chip from his spine to dislodge into the spinal cord. That was enough. He said the condition is frequently misdiagnosed as a stroke (which one vet had done) because the symptoms are very similar. There’s no treatment, but many dogs significantly improve or even recover fully.
After about a week my dog started slowly improving. She was soon able to lift her head, then to sit, then to stand, and eventually walk, However there was significant paralysis on her left side. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be in any pain. I started taking her for physical therapy and she lived several more years, happily shuffling along on our daily walks.
I really, really hope this isn’t what happened with Bixby, but maybe mention FCE at his next vet visit. I wish you and Bixby peace and love.