Something's wrong with Cooper

[Lynne1]

Hope all goes well.  

[KellyT]

Poor Cooper, and poor you, big hugs xx

If he hadn't been potentially diagnosed with the IMPA I'd be thinking spinal, as Jennie's back problem started with bloating and looking like an abdominal issue, she was very depressed and sorrowful and ended with her having surgery for a slipped disc. Does he have any issue with you touching his back?

[coopersmum]

He's just had an enormous vomit and seemed a bit happier after that but still a very miserable boy  

KellyT, he doesn't seem sore if I touch his back, its his legs that are more of an issue. We've been down the spinal route when all this started last year and he had his L7S1 disc removed as it was prolapsed but his symptoms continued and actually worsened until he was treated with pred for an immune mediated prob. He's such a complicated dog with a lot of problems and I think its worse because at varsity every clinician is a specialist in their own field and they all have different opinions so they come up with different theories. I hope I can find the one I like tomorrow and who is interested in him. She will have to oversee him whether she's on duty or not. She's more inclined to listen to my gut feelings about him.

These little cocker monsters worry us so much!

[Deb H]

Hi Shannon really sorry Cooper not well. Polyarthritis can hit pretty quickly going from zero to completely lame in a couple of hours. How is his temp now? Will he let you examine his joints? Giving him pred wil help if it is his impa, what dose have you given him? Keeping everything crossed he's ok. Jasper sends cocker cuddles.

[coopersmum]

Hi Deb My gut says this is probably the IMPA rearing its ugly head again but I think he's got an upset tum or something else going on on top of it all. His temp is still just marginally raised. I can touch his joints but he's grumbling at me, I think I see a slight effusion in both hocks but I'm not sure if I'm imagining things. I gave him 1mg/kg, I'm just worried that if they finally decide to do joint taps I will have skewed the results now...

[Deb H]

I don't think you will have skewed the results and to be honest if the pred works chances are its his impa and he needed it. If you took him to varsity they would probably do the same as you have have done anyway. Has he been stressed lately? If he's vomiting are you going to put him on a gastroprotectant. My vet always says with Jasper treat the dog not the blood results as his blood results sometimes show he should be far sicker than he appears. You know Cooper and your gut has served you well in the past. Fingers crossed.

[coopersmum]

I think a gastroprotectant is a good plan and can never hurt. I've run out of sucralfate and ranitidine so I'll get him some more tomorrow.

I took him to get clipped last Friday. When I did it I wondered if it was wise but its been really hot and he was like a bear. I held him and they just clipped him so he wasn't left there or anything but he got very excited about the whole affair, so I wonder if it was the catalyst.

Your vet sounds wise and it is after all about how the dog copes, not what the results dictate. We have a radiographer who says the same thing- treat the dog not the x-ray

Hope Jasper is doing well still

[coopersmum]

That was a looooong night but Coop seems a little brighter this morning, although he's still an unhappy chappy. Will be off to varsity in an hour or so with him. Please keep fingers crossed that all will be well.

[8 Hairy Feet]

 :016:oh what a worry!
Poor Cooper(and you too)
Hope you can find your best
clinician and get him feeling
more comfortable
steffxxx

[Sheryl]

Thinking of you both xx

[Saffaroo]

we're thinking of you both as well xxx

[montydavies]

Hope it goes OK today with Cooper, Monty sends some very gentle cocker squishes to Cooper and more enthusiatic ones, with kisses!, to you.

[MaggieR]

Was reading this last night and hoping everything would be sorted this morning    Everything crossed for you and Cooper this morning. xxx

[bluegirl]

Hope you can get to bottom of whats causing him distress.

Re steroids I can only tell you a human tale for that. MIL has osteoporosis and is in constant pain. She has morphine long release patches and paracetamol to help control the pain. Every so often its worse than normal and her Dr told her that with some patients steroids (whilst contra indicated for her condition) can actually really help. So once in a while she is given a sliding scale of prednisolone starting on 6 x 5mg tablets per day and ending 6 wks later with 1 x 5mg tablet per day. When she is on the higher doses she feels so much better and is almost swinging from the chandelier because she is less stiff and in less pain (because they also have anti inflammatory properties too).

Good luck.

[coopersmum]

We're back now. Couldn't find the clinician I wanted Ended up with a chap who wasn't interested in the autoimmune aspect of anything and Coop has been sent home with 2 days worth of Anti inflamms and gastroprotectants. I'm going to give him the rest of today and see how he does, if he's not vastly improved by tomorrow I will take him to a different department. I am very frustrated! I think the issue is that they cannot find anything clinically wrong - his blood smear was fine, his pulse and resp were fine and they have a different idea of what classifies a temp. On a brighter note, he's back to eating like a piggy, he is just stiff and miserable. Coop says  Thank you for all your positive thoughts