Kale-a-rooni
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Saturday morning we noticed Kale was limping a bit, and not using his right front leg. We figured he sprained it, since he is always running and jumping around and playing with Brigid, so I thought if it doesnt get better by Monday we will take him to the vet for an xray. Then as the day went on we noticed he was kinda wobbly, and by afternoon it was clear he was ataxic and this was more than just a foot thing. He had no symptoms in the head or neck, so I wasnt super worried, although I knew he would need to be seen.
Saturday evening he stayed in his crate during the party so he wouldnt get stepped on or run into people, and when we let him out around 1am he seemed about the same
Sunday morning he was worse, stumbling more and really not able to use his front right leg at all, he was falling quite a lot and I was really worried. I checked him over and couldnt find any injuries, he gave me no pain response so I figured at that point its not a local injury, its something else. He was also quite lethargic, which is SO unlike him. a little while later when he went outside he had trouble getting up from the floor and walking was really hard for him - at this point his back right leg was also not working well, so we took him to the vet.
The vet examined him and checked his nerve responses and overall health and unfortunately we dont have a solid answer yet. He presents as if he had a stroke, but she thought this wasnt very likely, and the only way to be sure is with a full neuro exam and MRI, so we have to set up an appointment for a neuro exam and possibly an MRI.
In the meantime he is on steroids and if its inflammatory they should help. If they dont help, that will tell us something too, but for now it is wait and see
He seems a little more like himself today, but still lethargic and stumbly. Updates as we get them.
Update Jan 5th - Today has been a helluva day. Started at the Neurologist and during her exam she got a pain response around his neck, and based on everything else she thought it was either 1) a tumor pressing on the spinal cord in the neck area 2) a ruptured disk in the neck area. The only way to know for sure was an MRI, so off we went to Redwood City for an MRI.
Then it was back to the neurologist to examine the results and talk options.
Its a tumor, or rather, multiple tumors. and they are not pressing on the spinal cord, they are *in* the spinal cord, and also there are some in his lungs. Oh and the problem with his eye the last few days, yep, tumor.
FUCK FUCK FUCK
we talked treatment and options and it comes down to keeping him comfortable. Doc estimates a few weeks to a month for him. There is no surgical option to fix his stumbling since that one is in the spine. Chemo might relieve some of the symptoms and buy him a bit more time, but would involve multiple vet visits and be very costly, all for a maybe. And, he hasn't shown any improvement on the prednisone so chemo becomes less likely to succeed.
So, now we keep him comfortable and when he tells us it's time we will let him go, even though I don't want to but I have to try and not be selfish.
Anyone who wants to come visit him over the next couple weeks please do! he would love to have extra scritches and chicken :)
Saturday morning we noticed Kale was limping a bit, and not using his right front leg. We figured he sprained it, since he is always running and jumping around and playing with Brigid, so I thought if it doesnt get better by Monday we will take him to the vet for an xray. Then as the day went on we noticed he was kinda wobbly, and by afternoon it was clear he was ataxic and this was more than just a foot thing. He had no symptoms in the head or neck, so I wasnt super worried, although I knew he would need to be seen.
Saturday evening he stayed in his crate during the party so he wouldnt get stepped on or run into people, and when we let him out around 1am he seemed about the same
Sunday morning he was worse, stumbling more and really not able to use his front right leg at all, he was falling quite a lot and I was really worried. I checked him over and couldnt find any injuries, he gave me no pain response so I figured at that point its not a local injury, its something else. He was also quite lethargic, which is SO unlike him. a little while later when he went outside he had trouble getting up from the floor and walking was really hard for him - at this point his back right leg was also not working well, so we took him to the vet.
The vet examined him and checked his nerve responses and overall health and unfortunately we dont have a solid answer yet. He presents as if he had a stroke, but she thought this wasnt very likely, and the only way to be sure is with a full neuro exam and MRI, so we have to set up an appointment for a neuro exam and possibly an MRI.
In the meantime he is on steroids and if its inflammatory they should help. If they dont help, that will tell us something too, but for now it is wait and see
He seems a little more like himself today, but still lethargic and stumbly. Updates as we get them.
Update Jan 5th - Today has been a helluva day. Started at the Neurologist and during her exam she got a pain response around his neck, and based on everything else she thought it was either 1) a tumor pressing on the spinal cord in the neck area 2) a ruptured disk in the neck area. The only way to know for sure was an MRI, so off we went to Redwood City for an MRI.
Then it was back to the neurologist to examine the results and talk options.
Its a tumor, or rather, multiple tumors. and they are not pressing on the spinal cord, they are *in* the spinal cord, and also there are some in his lungs. Oh and the problem with his eye the last few days, yep, tumor.
FUCK FUCK FUCK
we talked treatment and options and it comes down to keeping him comfortable. Doc estimates a few weeks to a month for him. There is no surgical option to fix his stumbling since that one is in the spine. Chemo might relieve some of the symptoms and buy him a bit more time, but would involve multiple vet visits and be very costly, all for a maybe. And, he hasn't shown any improvement on the prednisone so chemo becomes less likely to succeed.
So, now we keep him comfortable and when he tells us it's time we will let him go, even though I don't want to but I have to try and not be selfish.
Anyone who wants to come visit him over the next couple weeks please do! he would love to have extra scritches and chicken :)