Question:
Hello all,

You may remember that two weeks ago I took a GSD from the SPCA in Montreal that was scheduled to be euthanized. She came from the horrible puppy-mill that the SPCA busted in La Plaine three months ago. She is brain-damaged, has physical deformities consistent with bad breeding, and was physically abused. Despite all this, she is very sweet, even if she cannot learn. My vet refused to euthanize her because she was not suffering.

Sadly, she is not doing well at all. She is lethargic, weak and regurgitates constantly. She has lost 7 lbs. in the past two weeks and now weighs 38 lbs. She is boarding at the best place in the world, Blue Ribbon, because I am in the process of moving to my farm. After they called me to tell me how unwell she is, I took her to my vet today. He told me that there is nothing that he can do right now because she needs medical tests (blood work, scans, etc.) that he can only do on Monday. He also cannot treat any of her symptoms because they are all due to brain stem damage and you cannot treat a broken brain, in laymen's terms. He also once again refused to euthanize as he felt that she has a chance.

I just hope she makes it to Monday. We are trying to enhance her food with extra calories and trying to feed her on an elevated plane to allow gravity to push the food down because she has neurological problems with her esophagus, again consistent with brain stem damage.

I would bring her to St. Hyacinthe but they do not have the proper vets to treat her. There is only one veterinary neurologist in this whole area and she comes to Alta Vista in Ottawa once a month. She will be there on the 15th and so will we.

A lot of people have been very compassionate but I still need financial help. I have just lost my job and I need to feed and maintain my other rescues. Anyone have any ideas on how to get Grace the funds for her to have the best treatment possible? Also, anyone know of any miracle vet places? I would be willing to bring her just about anywhere.

People did this to her. She was not born this way. Now I need people to help her.

My heart is breaking.

Lisa

Answer:
This is terribly sad. I thought you had an offer from an ontario rescue to take her into one of their foster homes and they would cover the costs? Wouldn't that be a better option for her rather than boarding?

Answer:
There is no way to know if she is brain damaged without proper testing. It sounds like what we thought, that she could have megaesophagus, and it is genetic in GSDs, they are born with it. Some dogs do fine with it with proper care, others do not. You should contact the rescue.

Answer:
Yes, isn't there a rescue that offered to help in the very beginning? Did you ever get back to them?? What is there position?

IF you can't afford this turn the dog over immediately to the rescue so they can get this dog the help it needs PLEASE!!!!!!

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Its so sad about these german shepherds. I talk to a girl at the dog park who works there, she told me all the german shepherds from the raid are still there!

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[quote=poodletalk]Its so sad about these german shepherds. I talk to a girl at the dog park who works there, she told me all the german shepherds from the raid are still there waiting to be adopted.She said, when they first got the German Shepherds, four of them were very sick. I guess Grace was one of them.

Answer:
It's horrible horrible about these mill situations.

These poor dogs suffer and now this Grace will require extensive medical attention and need much more then what this lovey lady is offering her.

I know she'll do the right thing and contact the rescue

Answer:
I should have added this before. Please let us help her.

You posted this on June 24. Please do not take offense, your vet is not a neurology specialist. It sounds very much like what Sheba had. She also had no Nystagmus. Megaesophagus is different and common in the breed. This is in part from the report from the specialist:

Right side of her face has mild assymetry in its conformation/musculature as compared to the left. The pupils are uneven - inner ear disease and possibly middle ear disease due to the pupil being smaller.

Dr. Joane Parent
DMV, MVetSc, A.C.V.I.M., Neurology
Altavista Animal Hospital Ottawa
Originally Posted by canine14
It is definetly not Vestibular Sydrome like Sheba has. The fact that her C7 cranio-facial nerve is compromised indicates brain damage as this nerve originates in the brain stem and her symptoms (inability to blink, etc.) point to the fact that the nerve was damaged at the source. Also, one pupil is larger than the other (anisocoria). She does not have nystagmus. She does not vomit, but rather regurgitates when excited. Again, this has to do with the nerves to her esophagus. Regurgitation is what people what acid reflux have whereby the valve to the stomach doesn't work properly and lets the food/bile back up.

I will try to have an MRI done but right now, there are no real treatment options as she has been stable for three months. In other words, she does not appear to be deteriorating. There is nothing that any vet can give me that will improve her brain function where it has been damaged. So little is actually known about the brain. What the scan will give me is knowledge.




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