- Location
- Vlaardingen, the Netherlands
Hattie's Tripping and Wobbliness
- Thread starter Charlie
- Start date
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
So very upsetting for you...
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
So sorry for the worry over your beloved girl and hoping for some answers when you see the Vet xxxx
- Location
- Essex, U.K.
Hugs for Hattie, poor girl and you too, hope you can sort it
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
I'm so sorry for both of you. It makes it that much harder when you can see she is upset too. I hope you can get some answers.
- Location
- Close to Devon/Somerset border
Oh that is awful, poor little Hattie and heart breaking for you trying to get answers
- Location
- The Hague, The Netherlands
Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
So sorry to hear this, Helen. I hope the vet is able to give you some answers.
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Location
- Isle of Man
- Location
- Vlaardingen, the Netherlands
Has anyone been in contact with Helen? She has not been around for a while....I hope everything is okay....!!
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
The Email system isn't working so she doesn't know we are thinking of her. If anyone knows of her email address tell her we are thinking of her please.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Nobody’s heard from her yet? I hope everything is ok. 
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
Apologies for this long post but really I just need to get this out of my head.
Since my last update Hattie went to the vet who remains stumped about her tripping up so she decided to contact a specialist Neurologist at Stirling’s Vet Hospital. I managed to get some very useful video footage of Hattie tripping up and her back wobbles which she sent to him (If anyone is interested I am happy to post). He said she needed to be seen for an MRI and consultation which was arranged for the week after, we went on Thursday 19th March.
We arrived after a three hour drive where we had to ring reception as not to go in as it’s one patient at a time due to coronavirus. We were informed the MRI had just broken down five minutes before we arrived. The Neurologist came to meet us at our car and took us directly to the consultation room. We had an hour long appointment answering lots of questions about Hattie’s history. He was interested in the log of tripping and wobbles I had been keeping as he could see how often and the severity on some days. I could kick myself for forgetting to mention her reluctance at having her feet groomed now, she pulls away lifting her feet up and down off the floor and avoids me when she sees the brush. She has always loved being groomed. He did a very thorough physical exam including gag reflux which was good, all joint manipulation including her neck, also she does have some muscle wastage in her back end that my vet had put down to arthritis. He pinched all of her toes and along her spine, he said she won’t like this. He tested her reflexes some of which were a little slow, he also performed ‘knuckling’ again, she was a little slow to recover. She did not exhibit any lip licking, moving away, looking round at him, drooling, yelping, crying absolutely nothing which indicates PN. I walked her up and down the corridor as he observed her wobbling. He swayed her from side to side and said she has ataxia. We talked about the risks of an MRI due to her kidney disease which are low but it takes 1 ½ hours to do and she would have to have a GA, also be put on a drip and this could in his words “push her kidney’s over the edge”. As we discussed this he was told the MRI had been fixed and did we want to go ahead. After much discussion with him we decided with his support not to go ahead. Do you remember me talking sometime ago about Hattie hacking as if she is trying to clear her throat and the change in her bark? This is all to do with the disease. I fail to see how two separate vets didn’t join up the dots and dismissed everything I kept telling them for almost two years as ‘old’ age. I’m furious and upset.
My main question was “is she in any pain” which I couldn’t cope with. He answered immediately “NO she’s not”.
Due to her symptoms he feels most likely she has Peripheral Neuropathy which is a degenerative disease of the nerves. He is contacting my vet to request T4 blood tests to see if her thyroid levels are low, it was a little in December. If so thyroxine could help with her symptoms. The tests will also include something else I can’t remember also how her kidney function is. I took her to the vet yesterday for her blood tests which were done in the boot of my car. Anxious for the results.
If it’s not PN then he said the other possibility could be a spinal compression in her neck disc or a brain lesion that only an MRI will reveal and surgery is the only option. We don’t feel this is what we want to put Hattie through at her age 12 ½ years old. He said that steroids often help with the compression, so this is at least a non surgical option.
She also has Nuclear Sclerosis in her right eye which is an age-related change in the density of the crystalline lens nucleus that occurs in all older animals. It is caused by compression of older lens fibers in the nucleus by new fiber formation. The denser construction of the nucleus causes it to scatter light.
He said her arthritis isn’t bad at all considering her age and again in his words “it’s the least of her problems and not to worry”.
Other than all this he said she is a good weight with no gain or loss, her coat is good and she is in overall good condition and fit. Keep up her exercise, continue doing what we are doing. He was surprised at her level of exercise, eager to go for walks, playing with Charlie, running, climbing, training, non avoidance of climbing the stairs, getting in and out of the car but we do help her to avoid any injury, and her general zest for life. Hattie is a tough cookie. I cannot tell you how amazing Hattie was and he wasn’t at all surprised to read she was a retired Pets as Therapy Dog and said “What an amazing dog she is”. Very proud of her.
It was a very tough long day, so much information to process, so many decisions, are we doing the right thing not going ahead with the MRI, the what if’s. I couldn’t ask the obvious question, I just couldn’t make the words come out of my mouth. I am heartbroken and haven’t stopped crying. I feel very overwhelmed about my sweet girl's future.
Thank you for asking after us and for listening when there’s so much going on in everyone’s lives xxx
Since my last update Hattie went to the vet who remains stumped about her tripping up so she decided to contact a specialist Neurologist at Stirling’s Vet Hospital. I managed to get some very useful video footage of Hattie tripping up and her back wobbles which she sent to him (If anyone is interested I am happy to post). He said she needed to be seen for an MRI and consultation which was arranged for the week after, we went on Thursday 19th March.
We arrived after a three hour drive where we had to ring reception as not to go in as it’s one patient at a time due to coronavirus. We were informed the MRI had just broken down five minutes before we arrived. The Neurologist came to meet us at our car and took us directly to the consultation room. We had an hour long appointment answering lots of questions about Hattie’s history. He was interested in the log of tripping and wobbles I had been keeping as he could see how often and the severity on some days. I could kick myself for forgetting to mention her reluctance at having her feet groomed now, she pulls away lifting her feet up and down off the floor and avoids me when she sees the brush. She has always loved being groomed. He did a very thorough physical exam including gag reflux which was good, all joint manipulation including her neck, also she does have some muscle wastage in her back end that my vet had put down to arthritis. He pinched all of her toes and along her spine, he said she won’t like this. He tested her reflexes some of which were a little slow, he also performed ‘knuckling’ again, she was a little slow to recover. She did not exhibit any lip licking, moving away, looking round at him, drooling, yelping, crying absolutely nothing which indicates PN. I walked her up and down the corridor as he observed her wobbling. He swayed her from side to side and said she has ataxia. We talked about the risks of an MRI due to her kidney disease which are low but it takes 1 ½ hours to do and she would have to have a GA, also be put on a drip and this could in his words “push her kidney’s over the edge”. As we discussed this he was told the MRI had been fixed and did we want to go ahead. After much discussion with him we decided with his support not to go ahead. Do you remember me talking sometime ago about Hattie hacking as if she is trying to clear her throat and the change in her bark? This is all to do with the disease. I fail to see how two separate vets didn’t join up the dots and dismissed everything I kept telling them for almost two years as ‘old’ age. I’m furious and upset.
My main question was “is she in any pain” which I couldn’t cope with. He answered immediately “NO she’s not”.
Due to her symptoms he feels most likely she has Peripheral Neuropathy which is a degenerative disease of the nerves. He is contacting my vet to request T4 blood tests to see if her thyroid levels are low, it was a little in December. If so thyroxine could help with her symptoms. The tests will also include something else I can’t remember also how her kidney function is. I took her to the vet yesterday for her blood tests which were done in the boot of my car. Anxious for the results.
If it’s not PN then he said the other possibility could be a spinal compression in her neck disc or a brain lesion that only an MRI will reveal and surgery is the only option. We don’t feel this is what we want to put Hattie through at her age 12 ½ years old. He said that steroids often help with the compression, so this is at least a non surgical option.
She also has Nuclear Sclerosis in her right eye which is an age-related change in the density of the crystalline lens nucleus that occurs in all older animals. It is caused by compression of older lens fibers in the nucleus by new fiber formation. The denser construction of the nucleus causes it to scatter light.
He said her arthritis isn’t bad at all considering her age and again in his words “it’s the least of her problems and not to worry”.
Other than all this he said she is a good weight with no gain or loss, her coat is good and she is in overall good condition and fit. Keep up her exercise, continue doing what we are doing. He was surprised at her level of exercise, eager to go for walks, playing with Charlie, running, climbing, training, non avoidance of climbing the stairs, getting in and out of the car but we do help her to avoid any injury, and her general zest for life. Hattie is a tough cookie. I cannot tell you how amazing Hattie was and he wasn’t at all surprised to read she was a retired Pets as Therapy Dog and said “What an amazing dog she is”. Very proud of her.
It was a very tough long day, so much information to process, so many decisions, are we doing the right thing not going ahead with the MRI, the what if’s. I couldn’t ask the obvious question, I just couldn’t make the words come out of my mouth. I am heartbroken and haven’t stopped crying. I feel very overwhelmed about my sweet girl's future.
Thank you for asking after us and for listening when there’s so much going on in everyone’s lives xxx
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
I have so much I want to say but my words don't want to work. So, for now