Maui is ill!
Thursday November 30, 2017 - Our little mascot, Maui, the 1.5-year-old Shih Tzu belonging to Dr. Tremblay and her family, is very ill. She has a neurological condition that prevents her from walking, eating and drinking normally!
Even now lucky to be alive, she was already on her third family by 3.5 months of age when Dr. Tremblay refused to euthanize the puppy and adopted her instead. Now again, Maui will be in need of much luck!
Two weeks ago, on Tuesday morning, at home, except for a puddle of urine by the door, all seemed well. By lunch time, her back legs were not functioning properly! She was brought in to Duvernay Veterinary Hospital where radiographs and blood tests were done but revealed nothing conclusive- a herniated lumbar disk was suspected. But her symptoms were getting rapidly worse and by supper time she was vomiting, loosing her balance, trembling all over, her head was doing the bobble-head and her eyes were moving every-which way…Some thought she had been intoxicated…but our veterinarians knew: she was having an acute neurological episode. Her brain was not functioning properly! Everyone was upset! An immediate transfer to a veterinary neurologist in a veterinary center was necessary.
A magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) and spinal tap at the base of her skull for analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid, under general anaesthesia, were needed for a diagnosis in order to implement a proper treatment.
The final diagnosis: granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME).
GME is a potentially deadly disease of which we don’t know the cause, but essentially can be resumed in her immune system attacking her nervous system. Potent doses of immunosuppressive agents were started immediately in order to prevent irreversible damage (ataxia, paralysis, blindness, death…). If Maui is lucky, we may be able to stop medication within 6 months, but she may also need them for life.
Maui then returned to our hospital with Dr. Tremblay to be hospitalized for several days. She had trouble with the movement of her tongue, and had difficulty eating and drinking by herself! The whole staff took turns hydrating, feeding and generally caring for her…
Thankfully, Maui responded gradually, and relatively well to the medication. She is now 95% improved after two weeks of treatment. A neurological evaluation and second spinal tap is scheduled in two weeks in order to know if the disease is under remission, and if medication can be gradually decreased over several months.
Join us in wishing Maui, our little mascot, a rapid and full recovery!