Havanese Forum banner

Tillie's Vet Appt...

6K views 69 replies 31 participants last post by  TilliesMom 
#1 ·
Well, the day finally came. Tillie's long awaited FULL check up and re-check.
It was quite the appt and a lot of things were done and addressed.
I'll start by saying that Tillie is OFFICIALLY 'breed standard'!!! Her weight today was 10.0 lbs! Can you believe it!??? My little girl is 'all grown up'! :D

Anywhooooo, the appt started out ROUGH. I had to run home from work to get Tillie and NOT let her pee, because she needed to pee at the vets so they could catch it, right? So, I go out with her and the vet tech and the vet tech MISSES her peeing!!! sigh.:frusty: So then we walked around for another 10 minutes hoping she would go again. nope. no luck. sigh.

I had brought a list of questions and things I wanted done. She was a trooper through all of it. I can imagine she will be sore for a few days.
She was heartworm tested, got her DHPP 3 yr vaccine, had her anal glands emptied, teeth checked (he said they look great! GO home cooking!!) AND then the vet ended up feeling her bladder and deciding that she had enough pee in there to go ahead and "collect it" so he shaved her belly while the vet tech and I held her down and then stuck a needle in her belly and drew the pee out. As painful as it sounds, she was SUCH a trooper, didn't cry, barely even struggled. :( The vet did a fantastic job, one shot, filled a whole syringe. That urine will be sent to a lab for full urinalysis AND he was able to get enough to send some for culture also, to make sure that what ever has been going on is resolved and if it ISN"T that we are able to figure out what's going on in her bladder!

So, ya, that was a big part of the appt. BUT there's more ... he did a physical exam of her body and discovered pretty quick that her BACK was really messed up!!! I brought up the trembling, the pee I find in her crate in the morning sometimes and he is VERY certain it is all connected, to her BACK. Her problem is in L3,4,5. So I was like, okay... now we need to see a doggie chiropractor?? and he raises his hand. lol "HERE" sooooo, he's ALSO a doggie chiropractor!! :peace:
So he used his tools to get her back lined up and then used a special heating tool so the muscles don't spasm and then adjusted her again... when we were leaving, Tillie was smiling... :jaw:

So, time will tell if this is our answer. I'm really curious to see how her trembling is tomorrow morning as typically the morning is her worst trembling time...

Thanks for always being here for me and Tillie throughout this journey...
 
See less See more
#38 ·
I doubt he actually hurt her. Try moving your fingers, using very gentle pressure, in small circles over her muscles. You may be able to release some of the tension and make her more comfortable that way. You'll be able if it's bothering her, because she'll try to move away. If she does, you are using too much pressure. So back off and do it just to the level that she is comfortable with it. You especially want to do it over the two lines of muscle that run on either side of the spine. You can feel them with your fingers.
 
#35 ·
Wow, a back problem? Who would've thought..but I can see how that can cause other problems and the shaking. I really hope they find the fix for real and forever fix. :grouphug:

10 lbs, that is Gucci's 'standard' she fluctuates between 9-11 depending on her activity level and weather, right now she's porked on a pound for the winter lazy months and when I say lazy..that is mostly directed at me and my husband for not walking her in the cold, even though..I'm certain she'd be a sport.

Sending Tillie some healing lovin'..

Kara
 
#36 ·
I am glad Tille had such a great workup and that the Vet could adjust her mis-aligned back. She may have hurt herself jumping.

You may want to call the Vet's office today to ask if you should apply heat (or ice) for 15-20 minutes to her back to help her be more comfortable.

Please keep us apprised.
 
#41 ·
I wonder if her back hurts worse in the morning after sleeping all night? I'm so glad your vet caught that! Lets hope the urine tests come back clean. Hmmmm...........maybe we need to start home cooked - it might be cheaper than having to have their teeth cleaned! Abby and McGee both are getting theirs done soon which is part of our Christmas present to each other!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App
 
#42 ·
ya, she seems to be much 'looser' now in the evening, she's belly up sleeping. :D
I did try to massage her lower back a little earlier today but she whimpered when I touched it... I'll try it again later tonight and see how far I can get.

Kathie, the 'funny' thing is that most dog owners are led to believe their dogs NEED kibble in order to keep thier teeth clean... ha ha, I guess we are the PROOF that that is just something kibble companies came up with years ago to make people BUY the kibble! :D
 
#43 ·
Tammy, I'm thinking maybe Tillie would have better mornings if you placed a hot water bottle along her back while she sleeps at night. I have had 100 years of back problems (well, 40 years, but it feels like 100) -- and sometimes it helps. If she sleeps with you and she doesn't move around all night, it might help her to stay "loose" and not have that wretched stiffness in her back muscles in the morning. You don't want it too hot. As it cools off in the night, you could refill it or just let her body heat keep it warm. As an alternative, you could put a fleece jacket or a sweater on her to keep in her own body heat. I know you don't live in the frozen tundra, but nighttime coolness could be stiffening her up and making her feel the pain more in the mornings.

When you see the vet next, you could also ask him about a muscle relaxant medication you could give her at bedtime. Clearly, you don't want to dope her up, but maybe a low dose of something would be helpful.

PS: You aren't the only one who loses sleep over Tillie!
 
#45 ·
Wow, Tillie's story sure took an interesting twist, yes? Hope this turns out to be what Karen mentioned, that the day following manipulation there is often more tenderness......and that it gradually improves with time. Do you think, with pain from the original urinary infection, that she was holding herself oddly to relieve the pain and twisted it somehow? Augie trembled the morning after the subcutaneous injections of fluid. He wasn't trembling by noon, but it was scary for just that short time - he didn't go on for days of this like Tillie has.
 
#46 ·
Yes, Linda I was very surprised when he discovered her back was messed up!!
I was able to give her a light massage last night at bedtime, she seemed to enjoy it, didn't whine at all and when I would stop, she'd look back at me, like, "WHY are you STOPPING?" lol
The trembling has been off and on for nearly 2 months now. Not only is it scary, but frustrating and annoying too! Today her trembling has been much less pronounced! I am trying to keep her calm, but when the kids are home, all bets are off! sigh.
I haven't heard back from the vet yet, which means that her urinalysis came back clear!! He said he wouldn't call if it looked good, but WILL call when the urine culture comes back.
Quite the journey we've been on! crazy.

How's Augie doing?? Is he still on antibiotics?
 
#47 ·
Oh, I do hope that Tillie's urine is clear. No Augie is not on antibiotics, but some residual still may be in his system. It was a long-acting shot, and I am not sure how long it remains; I thought I read 60 days in one article, but that may not be at therapeutic (is that the word I want?) levels. His vet said three weeks. He is acting good now, but that last catheterization really set him back. He was acting well, peeing at regular/normal intervals when I took him for the recheck. After the cath to get a urine sample, he had bloody urine, peeing every hour, and wasn't back to normal for about a week. I have pulled out of our Rally classes for a period of time, as the barn has a cold damp sand floor and is not heated. He is on the urinary diet, and I just picked up his cranberry supplement yesterday. Since Augie is not going to class now, I will start Finn next week with CGC class! That ought to be a trip! Actually, he picks up things fairly rapidly and I am finding it easier to get his attention when he is outside sniffing the ground than it is with Augie. If Augie has a scent he is going after, it is extremely difficult, even with all the training we have done, to get his attention.

I truly hope Tillie is well on the road to recovery now!
 
#49 ·
Just got the call from the vet and she got a "ALL CLEAR" for her urinalysis AND the urine culture!!! Yippie!!!!
AND she hasn't trembled at all this morning!! first time in months! She has been so happy, wrestling with her blankie, bounding down the hall, barking at our cats (lol), wanting to play fetch... smiling all the while! :whoo:

Crossing my fingers and praying that this is mostly behind us now! yay!!!
 
#53 ·
Remember that back problems DO tend to recur. So I would be quick to get her back for another adjustment if she shows ANY symptoms. Great that the urinary tract thing is under control now, though!!!
 
#57 ·
Great news, hope you can find the remedy for the back problems. One day at a time lol.
 
#61 ·
Sooo happy for both of you. It must be such a relief to have your happy, little girl back. I hope things continue going forward for you. You, like my DH, know the back thing, though, so I know you'll keep on top of that. Experience is a great teacher.
 
#62 ·
Hi Tammy and Tillie,

I have not been on for a few days due to life being crazy and popped on tonight to see how Tillie was doing. I am so happy to hear that she is feeling better and you seemed to have figured out what is going on with her:whoo:

I hope things continue to go well. Did the Dr. say what the cause of the back issue might be? I always worry about Murphy since he runs and jumps like a crazy person sometimes.

That is so cool that your vet is also a chiropractor for pets. We go to the chiropractor for humans, but I had not heard of a doggie chiro before.

Have a great weekend!
Diane and Murphy
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top