[coa9492]

About 2 months ago my dog woke up and tried to bark. An odd noise came out and since then he has not been able to bark. A week ago he was diagnosed with Lyme disease and had a number of symptoms. Can this losing his bark have anything to do with the Lyme?

[Aurora_Bell]

Um I think I mentioned it in the other post, but maybe I forgot, I read that Lyme disease can cause Vocal cord paralysis in both humans and animals.

[coa9492]

I must have missed that one. Actually that is good to hear. I wasn't sure if there was something else going on.

[Aurora_Bell]

So what has the vet been saying? How is the dog since he has been taking the antibiotics?
Has the vet said anything about him being dehydrated?
What are the next steps that the vet is taking?
What is the vet doing to make your dog comfortable?

[coa9492]

My dog could not get out of bed for 4 days because his 3 of his legs had become lame. It's a shame it had to come to this before anyone thought of lyme disease. His symptoms started 3 months ago when he lost his ability to bark. . It is amazing to me that the vets I saw and the offices I talked to all had the same answer, they never heard of a dog losing his ability to bark and had no idea why that would happen. After you mentioned the vocal cord paralysis I read up on it, sure enough it is one of the first symptoms an animal or person may experience from the Lyme disease. He could not eat partly because he had pharynx paralysis and pharyngeal dysphagia due to enlargement of the pharygeal lymphnode. It was traumatizing for him because when he would eat his throat would spasm and he would have uncontrolable gagging and throwing up as soon as the food hit his throat, I think he was afraid to eat. He has been on antibiotics for 5 days and he is eating again I force fed him scrambled eggs and cheese and mashed cheese burgers. .
He went for a check up yesterday because his ability to stand and walk are not getting much better. The doctor believes he will remain lame and not recover, It was too far gone. He has a large nodule the size of a golf ball on his ancle joint and it is not getting smaller. The vet put him on steroids but everywhere I look on the internet says that is a no no for lyme disease.
The vet let me know that his inability to bark had nothing to do with the Lyme as he told me 2 months ago and has no answers to why he can't bark.
I got home from vet and a knock on the door caused my dog to bark to his surprise not only mine. The antibiotics are doing there job and I believe the vet is wrong about the bark. Thank you for all of your help. I'm just sad for other animals that are not getting diagnosed and afraid it may be too late for them. I had no idea how terrible this could be.

[Aurora_Bell]

My heart goes out to you and your boy. I could not imagine being in your shoes right now.
I hope all the best for your dog.
I have also heard that there is no cure for lyme disease. But I have heard of people living full healthy lives with proper medication and treatment.
Have you thought about seeing a different vet?
One of the most consistent things that I have heard/read while reading up on Lyme disease, was that the symptoms were totally unpredicatable.
So for patient A, he could have fever and show signs of deliria and lack of muscle control, much like ALS.
But then patient B, may have tumors and growths growing on him, that are un explainable. Or just plain normal flu like symptoms.
The worst thing with Lyme Disease is the number of systems affected (brain, central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, musco-skeletal, etc.) and sometimes the hourly/daily/weekly/monthly changing of symptoms.

It's so scary to think that this disease has the ability to morph it's self to fight off the antibodies that are being delivered to kill it.
Has your vet given you any reading material on the disease?

[coa9492]

Has anyone heard anything about steroids being used for inflammation with lyme disease. I read it blocks the ammune system. Would you continue to use the steroids? Does anyone have info on this?

[Aurora_Bell]

Misdiagnoses can contribute to chronic Lyme disease when doctors subscribe medications for diseases or conditions they believe their patients have, but in fact they do not. This can have disastrous results. For example, the use of cortico-steroids will replicate the spirochetal bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Therefore, steroids are to be avoided where Lyme disease is suspected, and they are contraindicated. Some Lyme-literate doctors believe that steroid use while Lyme bacteria are present will cause chronic Lyme disease. But, ignorant of the possibility of the presence of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, medical doctors have mistakenly prescribed steroids to control inflammation, with calamitous results for their patients.

Copy and pasted from

Chronic Lyme Disease

[KISS]

I can't be certain about it helping, but I would try massaging his legs a little. Not too much and not too hard.

[coa9492]

The reason he is giving him Dexamethasone is because he says he has Panosteitis in three of his legs, he found this in the x-ray. The vet also said this condition is normally in German Shepards under the age of 18 months and never in three legs. He had not seen this in his 23 years of veterinarian experience in any other dog his age, breed or in the three legs.
I'm sceptacle of this diagnosis for those reasons.
My dog walked perfectly less than two weeks ago.
I think he is trying to explain something that can't be explained because Lyme Disease is not predictable from what I have read. I'm discontinuing the Dexamethasone.
I'll stick with the antibiotic and hope the legs heal.
I'm not sure what to do about the antibiotics, he switched the Doxycycline to a new one he says is more effective if he has bone lesions.
The new antibiotic is called Clindamyacin. All of the articles I've read say this is the best choice. Do you think I should go back to the Doxycycline?
Thank you again!

[coa9492]

I'm sorry the Doxycycline seems to be the popular choice for Lyme disease. Should I go back to the Doxycycline?

[Aurora_Bell]

Yes from what I have been reading and hearing is that mis-diagnosis is extremely common, and is almost enevatable unless the doctor/vet is familiar with the disease. What I can conclude is that the disease is in fact unpredictable, and since it really effects the nervous system, then the symptoms are constantly changing, just like the virus itself.
That is why I keep asking you if you have considered changing vets?

[KISS]

I didn't recognize the generic Clin,. mycin however, I've been on both. In fact I always have Doxycycline on hand for severe acne.

Flip flopping doesn't make a lot of sense for antibiotics unless for some reason it isn't working.

This reference does have a list of antibiotics appropriate for Lyme disease: Antibiotics for Lyme disease

This reference http://www.pfizer.com/files/products...leocin_hcl.pdf makes me wonder for long-term treatment which Lyme likely requires.

Make sure, that lots of water is given in either case especially Clindomycin.

[coa9492]

I took my dog off the steroids and went to an internal medicine specialist. She put him back on the steroids.
My little boy Buck is now dead. The lyme disease should not have been treated with steroids as I thought. Steroids block the ammune system and allowed the Lyme to have free reign of my little boy Buck. I went to a third veterinarian and he took him off the steroids immediately, it was too late . The paralysis in his throat caused aspiration and his lungs were filling with fluid. He was choking and gagging all of the time. He did not eat on his own since Jan 28, 2010. He stopped drinking water and could no longer walk. My beautiful dog was misdiagnosed and when finally diagnosed correctly he was given the wrong medication. He had every test, ultrasound and exray possible and the Vets came up with nothing.
The final vet lt me know if it was his doggie he would put him to sleep. Part of me wishes I would hve admitted him that day and tried to bring him back since he was off the steroids but the vet thought it was not in the best interest of my dog. I took the vets advise and let him go so he could be at peace and out of the pain he was in. I feel guilty that I didn't keep trying for him but he was so far gone and time ran out for him. I miss my little love and can't believe he's gone. I'm trying to figure out how to be without my little boy. I'm ngry and devastated to say the least.

[Aurora_Bell]

You did the right thing Coa. I am so sorry for your loss.
YOu did everything you could. Lyme disease, is a strange disease.
Just know, you did the right thing.

Aurora

[coa9492]

By the way Clyndomycin is not a treatment for Lyme Disease and the specialist let me know that my Vet was not treating my dog for lyme with that drug
Everybody screwed up and I just didn't know who to believe.

[KISS]

Sorry for your loss. Had had misdiagnosis on me too. You live with that forever. It would have been simple if the right drugs was used the first time.

[Aurora_Bell]

Wow that's crazy. Lyme disease is one of the top diseases that are misdiagnosed. And the meds that are used for the misdiagnotion (usually streiods) are usually the leading cause for complications leading to death.

It's seems to be something doctors never want to investigate early on.

Sorry again for your loss.

[coa9492]

Thank you for yor input.
Buck passed away on February 26 2010.

[coa9492]

You were so right.
The steroids did prevent my dogs recovery. OMG! I miss him so much.