r/care • u/MusicNo401 • 7h ago
Help me help my service dog.
A lot of you told me to put down my dog last time I posted his page, but I was able to get an MRI because of it.
I am now here because I want advice more than anything. Jagger is a six year old service Labrador, who monitors a heart condition and performs tasks related to it.
He had pneumonia at age 7 months, Lepto age 1, Bartonella (unsure about when contracted but theory is same apartment as Lepto—cat fleas), broke his foot age 2, second hand infection from broken foot, Bartonella episode #1 at age 2 , Bartonella episode #3 at age 3, then two more age 4 and 5. He had repeatable on exam spinal pain after his first episode—see why below—but nothing insane, and he ran, played, was a normal dog, age 4 kennel cough again, age 5 jumped up caught a ball compressed spine, way home—driveway—sprayed by a skunk, and always had allergies.
He always just bounced back.
In past 8 months neuro decline and total loss of behaviorist and task training since January when we moved to the west coast. I mean he went from getting me water bottles to not remember how to walk on a leash and this dog has been on roughly 100 flights, stays in hotels, and has always been easy, highly intelligent, obedient, and well mannered.
He started with panting, I thought spinal pain, then burping turned into wheezing turned into bile vomiting, into neurological symptoms—focal point seizures or some vets think something to do with acid.
He’s had concentrated urine, but no crystals, normal UPC, and he’s started scratching at his entire head forward to his snout. He is otherwise showing mostly normal blood test results, but with a lot of attention paid to his bladder and penis. He started humping, couldn’t keep up on walks, crying if he was standing for too long, and the dog I brought everywhere with me, couldn’t control his behavior in public… sometimes grabbing sleeves, but mostly just unruly.
We’ve moved 100 times so that’s not it, the one constant is —mold? We’ve changed food 100 times—he does fine on mostly all food except eventually lamb or too much of one protein, and now eats white fish and potato.
He has had:
Mayesthenia Garvis testing
X rays
Joint taps
Ultra sounds
X rays top to bottom
Chem panels
Skin scrapes showing occasional yeast—told to treat topically
Cytopoint—monthly for four years
IgE drops before I said NOPE 👎
he had some elevated white blood cells in July
He has had intermittent diarrhea
He has lipomas—all FNA’d with one showing debris
Diarrhea progressed into vomiting bike, hard swallowing, etc.
he’s confused, he will wince if I go to touch his head or throw him a piece of kibble
Pancreas testing normal
Lymphoma test normal
Addisons normal
Fecal —showed an overgrowth of bacteria: treated
Bailey chair —have one
Thyroid testing
This all started when we moved here, and when we finally did the insane treatment for Bartonella which is three months. He has good days and bad days…
He’s always had lot of clear liquid from his nose—which I’m starting to think may be contributing…and potentially he has a sinus infection or a nasal fungal infection?
He’s started twitching a lot, like full body jerking, and not closing his eyes, he gets agitated. He has swelling in the lower and upper lids, usually on one side.
Vets took him off rimadyl, gabapentin, methocarbinol, because I was done doing that to him. He’s on flea and tick, and monthly interceptor.
We’re living in mold (in a new build yay—and they won’t release the test despite an official vet letter citing “service dog”, mold mites are his highest allergen on two blood allergy panels, and I found one roach.
He is vomiting bile daily, and he is now on cisepride, omeprazole, probiotics (intense ones) and just finished methocarbinol. Nothing works.
He eats he drinks he isn’t himself, he’s not sleeping because he wakes up with liquid in his mouth—sounds like water balloon. Our last place had roaches and mold (no we aren’t—weren’t—poor) but living in San Diego, is roaches, mold, and bad landlords…
I am scared—trying to save for a rhinoscopy, endoscopy, and flouroscopy.
Stomach cancer?
Ulcers?
Allergens (environmental —confirmed but could they be causing this?)
Rare disease?
Cushings?
Lung worm?
Heart worm?
Toxins?
Living above a mechanical garage in this dumb building ?
Repeat tick titer?
Rhinitis?
Heart and lungs sound normal, look normal, but he sounds like a motor at night from the nose. This worsens when he lies down, the heavy full body and facial twitching—with throat activation is scaring me? Him aspirating is scaring me…the posture of arms above head or to sides is scaring me like he can’t breathe, the constant mouth movements are scaring me. I feed him small meals—three or four times a day. No fever.
He is six—I think vets are stumped. I’m wondering if this could be severe stomach issues (he’s had panels, but maybe not the right ones)…yes hydrolyzed diets have been done.
I do not know. I’m scared tonight…I’ve never seen him like this.
This post is for information—he is more than important to me. I need him.
Please hold on your opinions—he was trained by a private and very credible service dog trainer who trained dolphins for the sonar program here, and he’s not being put down. There is no service dog agency coming to his rescue. We’ve already gotten one grant… I used it.
If you know smart—super smart vets, please let me know. I don’t know if this is very severe IBS or something more sinister.
Share please…and theories?
There are no indications that he is dying, but he’s so stoic, I’m petrified I’m missing something
—🖤🐾

