# Help....how can I make her more comfortable?



## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Copper had it last year, but not as bad as Dream sounds. He didn't have eye darting and could walk although off balance.

He was on 30mg of prednisone 2X a day and he weighed 65 lbs. I know he was also on an antibiotic, but forget which one. I don't know what meclizine is...

It mostly takes time, but he recovered very quckly - 75% in 2 or 3 days I believe. I hope and pray Dream does too.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Our old Apache had this. It was so terribly frightening, and, like you, when I took her to the vet I was bracing to say goodbye. He kept her for the day, called and said to come pick her up. She was on meds, and in much the same condition as you descibe Dream. It was several days and there was progress. After a few weeks she had completely recovered. I was warned that the head tilt may not resolve but even that gradually faded away. As scary a time as this was, Apache lived for several more quality years and we finally had to say goodbye just short of her 15th birthday.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Dreammom said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My old Lab Dream has vestibular syndrome...she is absolutely miserable. The day before yesterday she had what I thought was a seizure.. she recovered in a couple of hours, and was fine for the rest of the day. Yesterday morning the same thing happened, but this time no recovery. We sadly made the decision it was time to let her go... we thought stroke or something like that. We made preparations with the Vet... got there and he said she had vestibular syndrome. She is on meds... prednisone 20 mg 2x day, cipro 500 mg 2x day, and meclizine 25 mg. 3x a day.
> 
> ...


 
My dear old Lyric had an episode of VS. She was so bad that my vet said she would likely always have the head tilt. The nystagmus (eye darting) was causing nausea. She was already 13 yrs old. My vet (who has, very sadly, retired ) put her on massive doses of steroid, and supplemented her with very high doses of fish oil, to support the brain stem. This was something new that he was trying. Amazingly, she was fine in 2 DAYS! NO nystagmus, NO head tilt. It was incredible. Lyric lived to be just shy of her 16th birthday. We went through the same thing with Dave the Pointer when he was 11.5. Same treatment, same result. He lived to 14.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank you all so much...

Poor girl, it is sad to watch...she is completely tilted to the left, and her eyes are all over the place. When she tries to roll over she gets really disoriented and trembles.
We got her outside a second time this morning, she did not do anything but did stand with her feet under her for a couple of minutes (with our assistance of course). She is eating and drinking well... of course she is, she is a Lab LOL.

Pointgold, how much fish oil would you suggest? I am waiting for my herbalist to get back to me, have not heard from him yet...

Thank you


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

It also sounds like Dream might benefit from a higher dose of prednisone. Ask your vet.
copper at 65 lbs got 30 mgs 2X a day and Dream is only getting 20mgs 2X a day at almost 1.5X his weight.

I hope she gets better quickly. It sure is scary. Copper did have a head tilt for a few months, but it also gradually improred.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

When Dolly had vestibular disease, we found a padded harness with a handle on top. It worked well to support her going outside. We practiced walking with her along the fence to help retrain her balance. We fed her by hand since she had trouble eating from her bowl. She made a good recovery after couple of weeks. Sadly, she had a relapse two months later and she did not recover. Her back legs were paralyzed, our vet suspected a spinal tumor, and we let her go.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Dreammom said:


> Thank you all so much...
> 
> Poor girl, it is sad to watch...she is completely tilted to the left, and her eyes are all over the place. When she tries to roll over she gets really disoriented and trembles.
> We got her outside a second time this morning, she did not do anything but did stand with her feet under her for a couple of minutes (with our assistance of course). She is eating and drinking well... of course she is, she is a Lab LOL.
> ...


Let me check with Dr. Al - we are FB friends, and I am sure he'll provide the dosage.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks again all,

I searched all over for some type of sling to help her today...unfortunately I will have to order one, and by the time i get it... may not need it (one can hope, right) LOL. She has been trying to sit up today and being somewhat successful for a minute or so. She can stand still now with little support, but no walking and needs help getting upright.

Pointgold thank you so much, I would love to hear his opinion on dosing. I spoke to my Vet today he said 3-8 1000 mg. fish oil capsules per day. My herbalist said 3 tops...that if I do more than that she could get the runs, and well we are already having a heck of a time getting her outside. She has been a 3-4 x a day old girl for about a year now...with the pred she is needing to go more often (my back is not gonna make it).

Thank you,

Julie


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Julie - Al posted me and said 3 1000 mg capsules per day, so he is in line with your herbalist.


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## Karen2 (Jan 5, 2009)

in the mean time, you could use a towel under her as sling to help balance her.
Until you get a sling.
just a thought


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Julie - Al posted me and said 3 1000 mg capsules per day, so he is in line with your herbalist.


 
Thank you so much!

She is trying harder to sit up...and seems to be a little more steady on the front legs today...still no rear though. She had an accident on the rug - no one is here to help me get her out today so we tried it by ourselves, she is mortified. I keep reassuring her it's ok.

I so hope she pulls through this, she is the one I was sure would just go quietly in her sleep for me...I made her promise me a long time ago. 

Julie


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Yay... my sweet girl is improving!

The front legs are working again, so we have power steering back LOL. Son and I got her outside, she made a big poop and was attempting to walk on her own. Her eyes are able to follow us across a room again, much less darting around. Her strength amazes me at times...I guess that is what the Vet saw the other day, she was fighting to get off the table, not a dog ready to go thats for sure.

blessings,

Julie


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

And now.. the head tilt is gone, she is actually sleeping on her right side! I am so proud of my strong girl....

Maybe the hind end will start working again too.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Just make sure that the steroids are tapered off slowly. YEA for your sweet girl!!!


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## twinny41 (Feb 13, 2008)

My Meg had this twice and made a full recovery both times. The second time she was very much as you describe. My vet wanted to call it a day but I had to give her that chance as I knew recovery was possible. She did not get up for 5 days. so during that time my sister and I carried her outside in a blanket for toilet purposes and like you I worried about her bowels but it was unfounded. She went when she had to! Lol. 
Trouble is with PVD they do not know which way is up and hate to be turned upside down but it was the only way we could carry her. The symptoms you describe are so familiar to me but let me tell you, Meg was absolute text book classic. She sat up on day 5, stood up unaided day 6 and walked a few steps day 7 with me holding on, then day 8 managed to walk unaided for a few steps. They do say that no treatment is neccessary as the disease is self limiting. Some vets give steroids but no real evidence to say they aid recovery. Meg also had some tablets to improve oxygen supply to the brain (?name) but not convinced they were neccessary.
All we can do to ease their symptoms is keep them warm, comfortable, stress free and hand fed them if eating is problematic. I eventually lost her at the age of 15 yrs some 9 months later.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

And we have lift off LOL. Dream is able to get up and walk about 8-10 steps, yes she is wobbly, but at least she is trying. Hubby came home from work, she got up and greeted him at the door... now he is fixing a sandwich, she had to come into the kitchen to help. 

Her brother and sister (Hurley and Layla) have been taking really good care of her... they bring her their bones and toys, lay alongside her and snuggle.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I am so glad Dream is doing so much better.
The symptoms are so very scary, but thank goodness the recovery is dramatic.
Hooray for Dream.:


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

How is Dream doing? I hope she is over most of this.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank you for asking....

It looked like maybe we were getting somewhere, Saturday afternoon she had made great improvement. By evening she was tilting again, eyes darting, and then had another full blown attack -I could not calm her down. Yesterday the same thing happened, much improvement in the afternoon, she gets up and walks around a bit, her head tilt goes away, but it was back by evening again. Maybe she just tries to do too much...Dream doesn't like to be down for long.

I enlisted the help of the young man who used to live with us...it seems my oldest son and I are the only ones who can get her outside. Hubby and younger son really struggle with it. So he is staying with us for a few days to help out, and give my back some rest. I am hoping the mobility harness I ordered gets here soon and one person will be able to handle it.

The weather is not cooperating, blizzard, high winds and severe wind chill - she needs to go because of the pred., but really doesn't like going out in that kind of weather LOL. This all reminds me of her first ACL repair, it was Christmas 05, we brought her home in bad weather, and leash walked her in the yard with a towel sling in deep snow for quite some time (she never wanted to go where we shoveled the path), at least she had her front end then, and was younger.

I am holding onto hope that she will heal...I can tell my family is getting frustrated (they don't like being bothered to help her out ). I want to at least give her the 10 days of meds to see if it goes away. If her hind end does not come back, I can deal with that....I just want her to feel better.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I was so hoping for good news.
I will keep you and her in my thoughts and prayers.
Did you check with the vet about increasing her prednisone? I don't know if it will help, but Copper got more and he was fine in a few days.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

*Update on Dream*

She finally was able to walk some on Monday, she joined me for lunch in the kitchen. She tried to take off outside without help at one point LOL. She seems to worsen in the evenings....her head tilt is gone all day long but comes back when she gets tired. Yesterday she started walking more, and just requires our supervision outside, she is able to do it on her own. My back says thank you! 

Through it all she has remained the Dreamie puppy... happy, tail wagging and eating well. She just could not walk....poor old girl. I am hoping this is it, and we have no relapses. Our herbalist had me up her colostrum dose so nothing else can get in there while her resistance is down.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

So glad to hear that Dream is making progress and starting to walk again.


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