Diesel is feeling poorly

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

I noticed Monday night that he wasn't jumping up on our bed, we didn't think a whole lot of it because we've been moving things around a lot. Last night when I got home he was very lethargic and he just wanted to be held constantly. So off to the vet we went! We made it there 15 minutes before closing, usually they stop taking walk ins an hour before they close, but thankfully they saw us anyway.

His pulse was very good in both legs and his feet were warm so the doctor doesn't think it's HCM. They took x-rays which looked good, nothing out of place or broken/fractured. They took his temp and it was over 103 degrees so they ran a blood panel. While we waited for that he just curled up in my arms with his head on my shoulder, it broke my heart to see him like that. His blood results showed all of his organs functioning normally but his white cell count was more than double the high "normal" count. The doctor thinks he has a bacterial infection, they gave him a steroid shot, antibiotic shot and set him home with antibiotics.

Last night he was wrestling with one of his brothers and this morning he wanted to play with me and even managed to jump on the dog's bed (a mattress on the floor). I'm hoping that as he starts to feel better he will start jumping up on the couch and bed again, but the doctor said if he's not doing it by Saturday to bring him back in so they can make sure he doesn't have anything neurological going on.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Truly hope Diesel is feeling better soon - he sounds like he may be on the mend if he's wrestling with his brothers again, so I have everything crossed for you x

brianj12 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2014 7:57 pm

How scary, it sounds like good progress so far though. Let us know how he progresses.

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

Well he's playing more, but he's still not jumping up on the couch or the bed :confused:

Can neurological issues come on that suddenly? I would have thought that we would have noticed something sooner. He's always been an active boy with no fear of anything. He wouldn't hesitate to jump on the furniture or counters, or even from the top of the cat tree to the top of the door.

I'm hoping he improves as the antibiotics work their magic but I'm really worried that he's still not jumping.

bettel · **Joined:** Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:57 pm **Posts:** 78

Don't get upset too early. If he felt pain/uncomfort jumping when he was sick, it might take him some time to get comfortable with jumping again. The period might depend on how curious and how cautious he is.

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

How is Diesel doing now? Is he on the mend? x

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

He's definitely feeling better as he is back to wrestling with his brothers all of the time. He still isn't jumping up though.

Saturday night I set him on top of the toilet and managed to coax him to the counter top, he climbed up onto the toilet tank before taking the tiny jump to the counter. He didn't seem to hurt at all when he did it and I praised him and gave him a couple of treats.

He's showing more interest in the couch and bed again, standing on his hind legs and asking to be picked up. I'm hoping that he's coming around slowly but surely. We're going to give it until the end of this week and take him back in if he's still not jumping.

One of our Danes had to have emergency surgery Saturday and he came home last night. Diesel came and laid with him all night.

junglerose · **Posted:** Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:46 pm

If he is not jumping up by Saturday, you need to consider Bengal polyneuropathy (distal neuropathy) - treatment is steroids, often for months. Search the posts here about it.

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

Thank you Elaine, I'll read up on it.

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

We went back to the vet on Saturday as Diesel still isn't jumping. His white cell count is still elevated, although a lot better than it was, and he still has a fever.

The vet changed his antibiotic and gave us a 10 day prescription and while he's never heard of Bengal Polyneuropathy and didn't find it in any of the books they have on hand he is going to research it and consult a neurologist about treatment.

bettel · **Joined:** Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:57 pm **Posts:** 78

I wish you all possible luck and hope that he will feel himself better soon!

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

His second round of antibiotics will be done tomorrow. He's definitely feeling a lot better, he's back to being mischievous, and he's trying to jump up on things but he still doesn't have the strength in his back legs.

We'll be back to the doctor either Friday or Saturday to check his white blood cell count and see what the doc was able to find out about the polyneuropathy.

junglerose · **Posted:** Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:19 pm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21689154

Ask your vet to contact Prof Danielle Gunn Moore - http://www.roslin.ed.ac.uk/danielle-gunn-moore/

Diesel is feeling poorly

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