Anyone had a dog who had this problem?

Question

About 3 weeks ago my 4 yr. old male Siberian Husky collapsed. He wouldn't(couldn't) get up. It seemed to be his hind end. He also wouldn't eat. I called my vet who is a friend of mine and rushed him to her. She kept him for 2 days and did bloodwork. She originally thought it was Addisons disease, since his symptoms mimicked those of Addisons. She gave him a steroid shot and said to take him home, keep him inside and just watch his behavior and see what happens. She said that if it were Addisons that he would "crash" again. She had wanted to do bloodwork again after the steriods were out of his symptoms, and we were going to do it today, but about 4 days ago he made a complete turn around. He is eating good, hyper, getting into stuff, trying to climb on the furniture. I called her and she said that knowing this we can rule out Addisons, and she thinks that is was a mild heat stroke, due the the temp. being high this month. Anyone else had a dog do anything like this.?

Ok, before anyone says "How could you have a Husky outside in the heat?" I grew up in the country and it was unheard of for someone to let a big breed dog inside. I tend to agree with that. My house is way to small to have him inside all the time anyways. He has a fenced in yard to run in, plenty of shade and water, and a big dog house to sleep in.

Answer 1

It could have been heat stroke, but the vet should have seen that right off by taking his temperature when you brought him in. If he was exercising in the heat, that could do it. Or it could have been hypoglycemia - low blood sugar. Brain tumors and spinal problems are another possibility.

Huskies can live outside in hot weather as long as they have shade and plenty of water that can't be spilled. Don't shave him down, but make sure that all of his undercoat is brushed out.

If he doesn't dig his own hole to lie in, you can dig a pit for him - it's cooler. Damp concrete or stone patios will keep a dog cool all day. You can get a spray misting system with a fan that will keep him even cooler.

Answer 2

WOW a lot of questions! I'll tackle the first one. And it would help to know how old he is.:) 1 -You might need to get him checked by the vet. If he has a urinary tract infection then he won't be able to help it and all teh training and suggestions in the world won't change a thing. 2 -Lose the pee pads. This is a sure fire way to CONFUSE your dog because what they learn is that it is ok to pee inside. They do not udnerstand that there is something magical about the pee pads that makes it ok. 3 - Take him outdoors often so he has the chance to pee outside. When he does, praise him in a happy voice and maybe even give him a treat. If you can take the paper / throw rug / whatever that he peed on in the house and put it where you want him to go outside that will go a long way in teaching him to go outdoors. 4 - Do not leave him unsupervised in the house. Keep an eye on him at all times and if you see him sniffing like he is about to "go" get him outside. Play with him a little too, otherwise he will get the idea that he is being punished for peeing and / or peeing outside and that it the last thing you want. 5 - Never ever scold him for peeing indoors. If you do all that will happen is he will figure out it's a bad idea for you to see him peeing and then he won't pee outdoors when you go on walks. He'll also get good at being sneaky about peeing indoors so he can avoid the punishment. 6 - Be patient. Now that he has the bad habit, changing it won't happen overnight. Dogs don't suddenly "get it" and then act perfect. Instead what will happen is that there will be fewer and fewer accidents and he'll get it right more and more often until finally he'll be housebroken. It could take about two months. Be patient and consistent and good luck!

Answer 3

This could be a whole range of things. Depending on where you live it could be a tick borne disease. I work in a vet clinic where we had a case very much like yours (although we did not give steroids) that was as a result of Ehrlichia equi. We also saw a case involving a suddenly incapacitated Akita, who ultimately was put down due to suspected (but never comfirmed) Leptospirosis. Lyme, in its severe forms, can cause this. A dog could be totally out of it, owner panicking, but give it a day or two on doxycycline and it's all better. (I live in the number 2 county in the country for lyme - we see it in close to 50 percent of our dogs!) Severe vaccine reactions or other types of allergies can cause this. A stroke could cause it. It certainly is not diagnosable over the Internet!

Medicine is really a puzzle, and to an extent, a guessing game. Often, one finds a way to fix the problem without finding the cause. I'm glad to hear your baby is doing better.

Answer 4

I grew up in the country with that same ignorant mentality about dogs not being allowed indoors.
First of all,yes it probably was heat stroke.To prove it bring the dog in.Put on your heaviest clothes and your warmest winter coat and wrap his chain around your neck and sit in his shoes for an hour or 2.See how you feel under that nice shade tree.
Your dog was intended for cold climates not warm ones.
You could help him out by using an undercoat rake on him daily and providing him with a pool to lay in at least.but best thing would be to keep him in the airconditioning with you!
Vaccuum works wonders on dog hair.Just keep it cleaned out.Blankets protect furniture and add color to any room.And masking tape works real well on clothes and upholstry.And it does'nt take longer to clean if you're organized.
I know cos my house is approximately 809 sq.ft.
I have 2 cats and 2 german shepherds living inside with us and we all fit just fine.We're evan talking about getting another shepherd.
My dog froze to death after being forced to stay in a cold barn with no thing but a big heavy quilt to lay on when I was 10.I begged to bring him in and was repeatedly told NO.For 4 days wind chill was 126 below zero.On second day I was punished with a slap across the face and told to go to my room for demanding to be allowed to bring the dog in.
On the 3rd day I found him dead.
I told my mom and all she said was "There's one less mouth to feed."
On the 4th day I dug a hole with a pick and shovel.And no matter how much or loud she yelled I I kept at it until the job was done.It took me that whole evening to make that hole big and deep enough for him to fit in.And I swore that she would not run my life forever and I would never again have a dog outside.And I never have!My house is clean!I have no dog smell in here nor does the place stink like litter box.Hair on anything is minimal cos I stay up on my cleaning and all animals are brushed DAILY.And if I can do all that and still have a life then so can others so quit with the excuses.
Oh,And dear old mom refuses to come to my house.Says it's filthy cos animals are in it.HER LOSS not mine.No one coming here has done anything but look around in astonishment because house is always so clean smelling and are really amazed when they see a cat walk into the room!

Answer 5

my parents have a border collie who suffers from fits in the heat.
He will become really quiet for an hour or so beforehand, and then he fits, his eyes roll into the back of his head- it's horrible. the only thing we can do is comfort him- even though he doesn't seem aware of anything afterwards.
He returns to normal almost immediately.
The vets ruled out epilepsy, after treatment, they reckon its literally the heat.
Imagine having on a huge fur coat in the height of summer- i guess they react just like the rest of us!!

Answer 6

It also might of been a type a seizure. Alot of dogs have them. But for heat stroke- we give the dog gatorade on hot days or after he had surgery. They like the taste plus it has what they need if they are not eating alot.

Answer 7

Yes! My parents Jack Russell mix had the same symptoms and never recovered. She had to be put down. I've heard that heart worm preventatives like Heart Guard can cause neurological side effects. I took my Australian shep mix off them!

Answer 8

My dog Cloudy had the mild heat stroke from all the heat outside...dont worry about your doggie^_^ he will be fine...Love him and keep your eyes out for him...you'll never know when he will need your love and attention from you again...Its great that you love your dog=P you're so lucky it wasnt anything else^_^ Best wishes for the two of you!

Answer 9

I had a friend who had a husky and samoyed mix. She took him every summer to the groomers and had his guard hairs shaved off to help keep him cooler.

Answer 10

I haven't, but am glad to hear your dog is doing better and that he does not have Addison's. Hope he continues to do well.