Help! Im worried about my 10 year old Westie!

[dookers8890]

This is the second time in a few weeks my 10 year old westie has done this.  She wont look up past her eye level.  She also starts backing up and then sits or lays down and she is licking her face a lot.  She is having other system like drinking a lot and does not want us out of her site. She is eating ok though. She has always been leave me alone girl.  Here liver counts have been up the past few years but in Aug for her annual they were down.  We took her to the vet as she has been moping and just not herself.  Her liver count has jumped to 780.  We did the xrays and nothing. I just need a few more weeks to get the money for the ultrasound as it has been over $600 already.  This is really concerning me.  My other half says she looks like she can not see but I stand across the room and hold food and she looks right at me.  I think she is also depressed her chuwawa???(spell) friend of 12 yrs passed in his sleep Sat night.  Please let me know if I should be worried about the systems stated above.

[dookers8890]

I forgot to mentions we rushed her to the ER due to walking walls.  She has not been unstable in her walk or fallen over at any time but she just kept walking the wall in the kitchen.  She also looked very confused kept sitting down and then walking the wall again.  She did not shake at all nor loose balance.  It happened the night of the post and we immediately rushed her to the ER.  No results from that trip.

[dookers8890]

I am sorry I could not find this thread as i posted on my cell.  We did get the xrays, ultrasounds done along with a 3 day er/hospital visit.  This is my baby girl and no cost even laid off can stop me from helping her.  Nothing came up with any tests.  He put her on a temp med for the hepatic encephalopathy but did not diagnose her with her and prescribed IL dog food.  We have ran out of the meds and he did not refill but we have kept her on 75% IL and 25% regular food and they ok'd that since her brother and her eat together and this was a must for her to eat the food.

The specialist wanted to rerun all the tests again and I know I cant do that.  I have been laid off since last Feb. and Im keeping things going as best as I can so I was told by several others to contact a physic.  I did 2 months of interviews before I found one I could maybe not be to much of a skeptic with.  She started of telling me about my medical issues which I have not even told my kids so they wont worry then went into Trixie.  She told me about her liver problems and the doc wont look for other issues besides the liver and I need to get a new one.  I dont have the money and her current vet has been with her 10 years and will let me make payments.  They are highly reputable.  She then told me it is her kidneys and it is to late to help her.  She also stated something between her back and her butt was aggravating her.  Well she has 2 slip disks.  Only us and the doctors know this.  So this being said I made and appt back with the doc not specialist to persue....what could it hurt.  Before the appt. I was in a serious accident and could not afford it.  We waited until now.

For the past week more symptoms have occurred.  She will no longer leave my side or has to be in my site at all times.  I cought her again licking the air and staring off into space.  Her eyes have been very glazed sometimes and she has been squinting/blinking a lot more.  This morning her dad said she looked at him like she did not know where she was.  She keeps her ears pinned back a lot to.  Only at night she has had an accident.  She sleeps with me and wet the bed.  She just laid in it as if she did not know it happened.  It seems more when it is dark but she acts like she cant hear or see me.  She has also done this with food once or twice.  She is still drinking a lot and urinating a lot.  She has not had a bowel movement as far as I know since Fri.  

It is annual time again so we went on Friday.  I told the vet about the new symptoms she has been having the past few weeks.  I also brought up the physic and she was open not like the specialist.  We are running all the test under the package for older dogs which covers everything.  She did an eye exam, the reflex and checked ears and said they all appear fine.  She is suppose to call today with the results to the test and is going to put an extra eye on the kidneys.  None of the other systems seemed to concern her but this is my baby.  I am trying not to let her see me but for the past 2 weeks I cant stop crying.  I dont know what is wrong and when she looks at me like what is going on with me I cant help it.  No one seems to have answers and I financial am at a stand off with the accident.  My car got paid off but left me with peanuts which I spent on her for her annual to be done.  

Please please someone give me some insight if you know or heard of all this going on at one time.  Thank you

[Misfits4Me]

Welcome to the forum...I would think a "Bile Acids Test" would be next, before an ultrasound.....

I agree, was your dog given any medication or supplements to combat the disease until you can figure this out???

What food are you feeding this dog?? Including treats?? Thank you

[tonyb286]

Hi. The unstable gait is almost certainly due to the liver problem. Other symptoms typically include increased thirst, loss of appetite, yellowish eyes and weakness. This must not be left untreated, because it can lead to a more dangerous condition known as hepatic encephalopathy.

Did the vet advise any treatments? The ultrasound will certainly help diagnose the underlying problem, which will also need treatment, but the first priority here is to prevent liver failure. Are you adding milk thistle to the diet? If not, start it. Have you assessed your best friend's routine diet, including treats, and have you made any changes? Fatty foods should be avoided at all cost. Also, check your garden for toxic plants or chemicals that can cause liver problems or exacerbate them.

Hope this helps.

Tony