# Mystery Illness 8 Year Old Vizsla



## SaltyDog (Jul 11, 2012)

Hi Guys, I have a dog with a mystery illness. Ive posted the letter I've sent to several vets below, excuse the length of it! Lots of info. I realise the diagnosis of cancer is a big possibility...but Im not giving up on my mate just yet! If any body has any thoughts, or suggestions, please offer them! Or if there is actually a vet out there who cares enough to want to get to the bottom of this(willing to have a consult if possible), please help! The 6 vets Ive seen all just seem to want to charge me $$$ and then diagnose without really looking into it.

I would just like to point out, I am not after yet another "cancer diagnosis" or cancer stories...its just making me feel worse! Im trying for positive input, as I have heard cancer time and time again. My aim to post here is to try and find something else, or hear from a vet who has another theory. (I am more then willing to travel to see a vet(I live in Melb CBD) - given online diagnosis is useless). If you read below, you will hear why I dont believe cancer is a neat fit here...but I seem to be at a dead end, and cannot find a vet who will look deeper.

Thanks in advance.

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I have an 8 year old Hungarian vizsla, Jake, who has had ongoing symptoms for at least 2 years. He has experienced a bout of what was diagnosed as Myosistitis, fluid in his abdomen, tonsillitis, and a bad cough/gag. Details as follows…

Early 2010, Jake showed signs of being a bit off colour on two or three occasions. This was diagnosed as bouts of pancreatitis, due to fatty food intake and once treated went away.

First half of 2011. He was showing signs of lethargy, lost a lot of weight and was quite unwell. During tests, a vet found his urine was quite diluted and suggested cushings disease and further tests were suggested. While we considered options, he seemed to come good, and got over this untreated. He regained weight, and seemed back to himself. This has not reoccurred.

July/August 2011, he had extreme muscle and/or joint pain. Arthritis was the first diagnosis, but treatment failed to improve his symptoms. I googled and came up with a possible diagnosis of Myositis. He was placed on steroid treatment and the symptoms stopped in 3 or 4 days. This has not reoccurred.

September 2011 Jake developed severe ascites in his tummy, he was given several ultrasounds and X-Rays, first of which showed a vague mass in his tummy. The subsequent xrays and ultrasounds found nothing to repeat that finding. He was then sent to a specialist clinic, who found to symmetrical masses in his chest, and he was diagnosed with Chest cancer, and given 3-6 months. Upon returning to our local vet, he suggested the masses found were too symmetrical and were possible swollen hilar lymphs. Jake also had tonsillitis, causing him to gag and cough. A link to lymphatic tissue swelling was suggested. Our local vet suggested possible lymphantasia. At the time, nothing was found that was suspicious in his bladder. 10 litres of fluid was drained, and Jake was placed on Aldactone and Macrolone. 2 weeks later, he was as good as he ever was. They also noted during testing that his spleen seemed to be missing. He has never had a return of Ascites.

Early 2012 His latest symptom set began, which is that he is having an urge to constantly wee, and has been passing small amounts of blood at the very end of his wee. He also passed a finger sized lump of "congealed" puss recently, and upon squeezing his penis, I was able to get more puss to come out, and another blob. He hasnt had any signs of puss since that.

He has also been experiencing small bouts of leaking urine beginning around a week ago. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain, but does appear to be a little depressed, which I would think is from the urge to urinate all the time. His appetite is fine, and no marked weight loss is noticeable.

A recent ultrasound showed thickening of the bladder wall, which was possibly a tumour. So a sample of that was taken via needle, and the pathology result was as below...

The variability in the cells both in the prostate and urine are suspicious for a carcinoma. The cells in the urine are consistent with transitional cells - while highly reactive transitional cells can have features similar to those seen here, in the absence of a cause (i.e. UTI/uroliths) the cellular variability is concerning for a tumor. The origin of the tumor is unclear. The cell populations in the urine and prostate are not identical. A tumor originating in the prostate could be of either prostatic or transitional cell origin. Spread throughout the urinary tract is possible particularly for a TCC - also variability within these tumors is also not uncommon depending on the depth of sampling. Consider biopsy to confirm the diagnosis

No diagnosis has been accurate or consistent up to now and he has been to at least 5 different vets. We are at wits end!

We are a little but concerned that we aren’t getting anywhere with his diagnosis, and once again the above doesn’t confirm or deny cancer.

My concern is that he has had symptoms on and off for months and months...if it is cancer, surely it would be degenerative, and symptoms wouldn’t be coming and going. For example, if cancer was causing his cough, surely that would be still present? Or if it was causing his ascites, surely that would have reoccurred? It seems he gets a symptom set, then it disappears and another appears. I cant help but think he has some obscure infection or auto immune disorder, that vets locally are missing...

What is really frustrating, is none of them seem to want to get to the bottom of it, and are happy to latch on to whatever the most obvious diagnosis “could” be. Nothing has been conclusive, and if cancer is present in his chest, bladder and stomach…surely he would have other signs, or at least re-occurrence of his previous symptoms.

I realise cancer is still very real possibility…but something just doesn’t sit right…and I am not willing to give up just yet…hence trying online for a solution!


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## BlueandMac (Apr 21, 2011)

SaltyDog - welcome to the forum. Sounds like Jake and you have been through alot! I don't have any advice/ideas on what it could be, but do you have a vet school near you? They may be interested in a case like this. I am sorry that you have to deal with all this - seeing our pups "out of sorts" is so very painful and worrisome. Hope you can find some answers soon. Take care.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi, SaltyDog, and welcome to the forums. I'm sorry you are joining us under such troubling circumstances. I'm not a vet, but have had to deal with serious illness in dogs during my lifetime, and so I understand how you must feel. Jake surely means a lot to you.

I gather you are far away from Michigan, USA, but I am putting a link here: http://www.michvet.com/

Michigan Veterinary Specialists is a practice consisting of a group of really spectacular DVM's, each with his or her own area of specialization. Perhaps they might be willing to do an online consultation. I don't know. If that doesn't appeal to you, all I can suggest is that you try to find specialists in your area. I don't mean to take anything away from the general practitioner, but there are times when taking the next step might be necessary, and by that I mean finding a specialist. 

The nice thing about this practice in Michigan is that they all work in the same buildings and can consult with each other easily. Best wishes to you. I do feel your emotional pain. 

- Mary Ann


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi Saltydog and welcome to the forum.

I am sorry you have joined us under such sad conditions. Like the others I do not have experience of alot of the issues you are having with Jake. However, my Gt. Dane had cancer back in 2010 and is still with us 2 years later.

I think the only help I can be is to say to you is that most vets do not have a lot of knowledge or experience of cancer. As others have suggested go to a teaching hospital. 

Choose a University veterinary hospital that specializes in cancer. Contact all the other vets and ask them to send any x-rays and lab results to the university hospital and take him a long to see a senior vet at the hospital. My big questions is why have none of the other vets NOT done an MRI scan? Probably because they don't have an MRI scanner. In the UK we were referred to the Animal Health Trust ( I did have to ask for this referral), which is a veterinary research center. They were brilliant. The information and treatment they provided Fergus with was second to none. 

With so many different diagnosis, surely an MRI would tell you where the tumours were, if there were any. Please do not delay - IF Jake has cancer, the earlier you treat it the better.

The other good thing about these University veterinary hospitals is the fact that you have a pool of really great specialists. If it turns out to be something else (which I hope it is) there will be someone there to help you.

I wish you all the best of luck and hope you get some answers soon. Please keep us posted.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

SaltyDog - are you in Melbourne, Australia?

If you are it might be worth contacting Ozkar (you will find loads of post from him throughout this forum). I believe he also lives in Melbourne. He is a very highly respected member of this forum with 3 dogs. He just might be able to point you in the right direction re vet/hospital.


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Saltydog - I am sorry to hear about Jake's illness, hopefully you will be able to find a good vet.


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Hi Saltydog, 

I don't have any experience with something like this. Just wanted to say that I'm very sorry for what you're going through. It must be incredibly tough on you, and Jake - and not getting any answers just adds to that. With that said, Jake sounds like a fighter and he is very lucky to have you. Wishing you all the best.


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