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Expert: - 10/12/2010


Question
My 12 year old sheppard cross suddenly went limp as a noodle and won't get up.  The day before she was running the beach and swimming for sticks as usual.  However she was bitten in the paw, one puncture above her pad, by a neighboring dog.  That seemed the onset.  I had her to the vet for all bloodwork and tests for ticks, lime, heartworm, etc -- and the profile came back 100% healthy.  Now it is a dilemma you pick her up and she falls flat on her face like a wet noodle.  She still wants to eat, drink and bark at visitors.  Mostly she lays on her side, only occasionally she will lie upright.  What should I do?

Thanks you so much for answering!  Lana

Answer
This is a very serious issue Lana and just because her bloodwork came back normal does not mean all is well. She needs to be seen as soon as possible by a specialist or your vet needs to do a better work up.
This kind of paralysis is sometimes progressive and if so, is often fatal.

I cannot express enough that these symptoms are serious and that while it's probably unrelated, the bite wound could have introduced some bad bacteria into her system causing this.

Please call your vet and do not wait much longer. A dog of this age doesn't have a lot of reserve to work with. I hope that she will recover completely but the longer you wait the less chance she has of that.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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