springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Jenny Harris — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:56:13 GMT

Lumbar taps are actually surprisingly straightforward, just follow the bsava procedures guide- so if you ever have a cadaver handy then have a go!

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Glenn Hodgson — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:54:56 GMT

Csf taps are a doddle. used to do them in concious calves in mucky sheds.a year qualified. Buy yourself some spinal needles amd get started. Read up 1st, really not too scary and can be a big help.

C reactive protein can be very usefull in such cases. if VERY high be extra suspicious roid responsive meningitis.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Emily Rainbow — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:26:24 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

We do CSF taps on a weekly basis , its often very helpful, on its own , but if your not doing it regularly and no one else is willing ,referral was a sensible decision.

[/quote]

Would love to learn how to do these but my lot have only just got used to O-tubes, chest drains and methadone! May take a few more years before csf taps are accepted!

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Lucy Fleming — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:33:55 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] the symptoms don't fit Addison's.[/quote]

One of my addisonian patients presented with urinary incontinence, as far as I'm concerned almost any symptoms can be Addison's

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

grumpyoldman — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:51:32 GMT

[quote user="Emily Rainbow"]I referred it the first time I ended up seeing it after a deterioration[/quote]

We do CSF taps on a weekly basis , its often very helpful, on its own , but if your not doing it regularly and no one else is willing ,referral was a sensible decision.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Emily Rainbow — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:23:22 GMT

I referred it the first time I ended up seeing it after a deterioration. Diagnosed on MRI and CSF findings.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:25:12 GMT

[quote user="Lucy Fleming"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Not too young for Addison's (I've diagnosed it in a 5 month old dog) but epidemiology doesn't fit[/quote]

That was another point against it, though I tend to take owner information about what has or hasn't occurred in littermates with a bucket of salt.

[/quote]Sorry I got my big words mixed up: I meant signalment not epidemiology, the symptoms don't fit Addison's.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Lucy Fleming — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:54:04 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Not too young for Addison's (I've diagnosed it in a 5 month old dog) but epidemiology doesn't fit[/quote]

That was another point against it, though I tend to take owner information about what has or hasn't occurred in littermates with a bucket of salt.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:21:39 GMT

[quote user="Emily Rainbow"]...ended up with an MUO (meningitis of unknown origin)[/quote]How was that diagnosis reached Emily other than by response to the steroids?

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Kay Varley — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:19:21 GMT

Thanks everyone for your help, I think maybe weaning off preds and seeing what happens might be a good idea. Interesting comments about meningitis. I think I am just frustrated that cost will probably limit investigation in a previously insured dog!

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Emily Rainbow — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 16:20:33 GMT

I've had an 18m Labrador with ataxia and pyrexia of unknown origin that partially responded to anti-inflammatory level of preds that ended up with an MUO (meningitis of unknown origin), so I now no longer think there has to be overt pain on presentation.

(immuno doses of preds with a long taper and now doing v well!)

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 15:50:18 GMT

I would say fucosidosis fits the phenotype so very high probability but why the pyrexia? Not too young for Addison's (I've diagnosed it in a 5 month old dog) but epidemiology doesn't fit. Another thing I thought about was some sort of congenital myelination deficiency but onset would probably have been sooner. SRMA/GME unlikely as no history of pain and meningitis unlikely as more than one dog affected and the time span.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

grumpyoldman — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 22:38:09 GMT

take it off meds ,wait till it gets poorly/pyrexic ,get a CSF tap . SRME.GME ?

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Lucy Fleming — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 21:47:14 GMT

Addisons? A bit young maybe, especially if the episodes have been going on for a while.

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Jenny Harris — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 20:49:42 GMT

I don't think significantly - ie if bile acids very high don't think this would be due to gccs but they could cause a moderate increase.

dont know anything about fucosidosis. Meningitis?

RE: springer spaniel - "the lights are on but no one's home"

Rob Loxley — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 19:44:00 GMT

Would steroids affect a bile acid stimulation?