Hello again to all of you -long time no post -I posted under the name dragona but I lost all my details so had to create a new account.
Some of you may or may not remember my previous posts about Vito -his immune mediated vasculitis,nose bleeds, demodex, cruciate problems. Callie here gave me TONS of advice, all of which I followed, unfortunately all to no avail.
http://community.dog.com/forums/p/31425/409896.aspx#409896
General unwellness. After NUMEROUS financially crippling visits to my vet and TWO referrals to University Vet Hospital, we have a definitive diagnosis. Leishmaniasis.
To say I am devastated is the understatement of the millennium. We were at the UVHosp last July and we saw the specialist dermatologist who diagnosed immune mediated vasculitis - treatment plan was a long course of antibiotics and prednisolone. The pred has been on and off since.When we saw the dermatologist it was 4 months after a cruciate repair on both legs. They were not healing properly. The op had to be repeated, again on both legs. This was also unsuccessful,apparently due to the high dose of pred he was taking daily.
I am LIVID that the derm, knowing Vitos history and all the clinical signs, did not consider the possibility of Leishmaniasis and did not test for it. I understand that his symptoms are many, but after doing my own research, quite frankly there is nothing else it could possibly have been.
Fast forward to two months ago -Vitos knees creak very loudly, he is in pain, can hardly walk still on pred so I can't give him metacam, one leg is constantly held up, just a bloody nightmare. I had to wait for an appointment for the Uni and went last Monday where I saw the ortho vet -he took x-rays and Vito's knees are totally shot -bone on bone. Massive swelling around the joints. He aspirated some of the fluid and said he was testing for infection with a view to *flushing * the joints, said it would ease his pain a little. I was given Atopica and Tramadol for pain.
The following night he called me and gave me the diagnosis. Back up there the next day for more x-rays, skin biopsies, fluid from the rest of his joints need to be tested. He said that he had never come across a case of it before.It is the cause of each and every one of Vito's problems. Poly arthritis, skin lesions, muscle wasting at the temples, nosebleeds, everything.
I am honestly in total shock -I can hardly BELIEVE that this poor dog has been suffering for nearly TWO YEARS and it was all due to a bite from a sand fly. Even worse, that it was not picked up on by anyone until now.
I am trying to find out as much as I possibly can, I am in Ireland and the drugs used to treat it are actually not available here! I am waiting to hear back from UVHosp tomorrow for treatment plan.