I brought my puppy to the vet and was told that she has hydrocephalus. I am not sure that this is the right diagnosis for her being that she has made so much progress since she was born. She is a yorkie and was born Jan 3rd and weighed less than 3.5 oz. I have been bottle feeding her since and she has gained to about 12 oz now. I am feeding her a formula called renurse which is supposed to help in promoting healthy brain development. She still has the soft spot on her head(open fontanelle). But she is getting stronger everyday. She still can't walk but did stand last night for the first time. Can a dog with hydrocephalus eventually walk and if so what can I do to help her? If anyone has suggestions all are welcome and thanks in advance.
BTW: Her name is Angel.
2007-03-04 11:47:28 · 7 answers · asked by marielaveau1794 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
They are both fairly common for small breed puppies. I hate to say it, but she may have other problems on top of the ones that you know of now. I would ask your vet for their recommendation on what to do for your puppy. She may eventually be able to walk, but it will probably take a while if she is just starting to stand. Is the hydrocephalus going down? It is a good sign because it means that the pressure on the brain is going down, but there probably will still be some permanent damage to her brain. If is is doing much better, than she may recover. The fontanelle should close on its own, but it will probably take longer because of the hydrocephalus.
I would keep caring for her as you are (and it sounds like you are going a very good job of it). She may never be able to walk well, so you may need to get her some sort of cart to assist her. I would start gently massaging her legs to help strengthen her muscles so they will eventually be strong enough to support her. You may also want to flex them for her in a walking motion (just be careful not to hurt her).
I hope that Angel gets better and will be able to walk!!!
2007-03-04 13:18:19 · answer #1 · answered by iluvmyfrenchbulldogs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Open Fontanel In Puppies
2016-10-14 01:39:33 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This condition is common in Chis and Yorkies and tiny breed of dogs.
It depends on how bad the hydrocephalus is as to how much imparment she will have in the future. What does the vet think the prognosis for her is? He would be the best judge of how much progress she may make.
The more you are willing to do and work with her the better she is likely to get. She may never be able to run and play like others but may have a decent life with some help along the way.
2007-03-04 11:54:51 · answer #3 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well I must commend you on the excellent care you have been giving your puppy. However, if your pupy still doesn't walk after 8 weeks and has only gained 8.5 oz in that time her prognosis is not good. you say you are feeding her a formula. if she is going to survive she needs to be eating soft puppy food also by this time. puppies with this disorder are real fighters but in the end they rarely make it past 6 mo. the problem is that fluid builds in the brain over time and the cranial pressure is to much for the animal to survive. they generally start to have seizures. also with the open fontanelle if she were to get bumped or fall and hit her head it would cause irrepairable damage. I know this is not what you want to hear but the most humane thing would be to put her to sleep. she will never be a normal dog.
2007-03-04 13:24:09 · answer #4 · answered by Rome Gramma 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://biturl.im/aU7hQ
A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.
2016-06-01 07:47:17 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry about your little pup. I had a chihuahua that was bon with hydocephalus. She was able to walk around and everything but at first she would run into everything. She was on Prednisone and lasix and she lived almost 4 yr. The docs only gave her a month or 2 at the most. She was one very special little girl and we loved her so much. Still miss her every day. Good luck for Angel and you. Unlike what verminator said, our Goneybunch had a wonderful happy life. She suffered briefly in the end, but for the most part, her life with us was pain free and very happy.
2007-03-05 02:12:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
If it's hydrocephalic ....KILL IT!!!
It's ***NOT*** kind to run one on to have it linger & suffer! Hydrocephalic pups can be blind,retarded,SEIZE & then die ! NEVER will have any sort of normal life.
Do NOT allow this to happen! You're NOT "saving" it! Only DOOMING it to suffer! You're being selfish.
LET IT GO!!!
2007-03-05 00:21:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋