taralevnjak
06-22-2015, 01:05 PM
Just wondering if anyone has experienced behavioral changes/anxiety with their fur babies. I feel like I have been trapped in a nightmare since January and have not yet been able to get a diagnosis of anything, except an enlarged heart.
My 9 year old JRT has all of the clinical symptoms of Cushing's (which I know does not necessarily mean anything), but his behavioral changes have been the most upsetting. In all of my research on Cushing's and EVERYTHING else, I can't seem to find much about behaviors, so I thought I would pose the question here.
It literally seems to have happened overnight. He paces, shakes/trembles and keeps me up all night. Not every night, but very often. Nothing changed in our lives or our daily routines. Mostly he acts this way at night and nothing will calm him. It’s as if there is a thunderstorm. During the day time, he trembles quite a bit as well. Again, not ALWAYS, but often...even when he is sound asleep. Along with these changes, since January, I have also noticed that he drinks quite a bit more water, goes slower up stairs, has had an accident or three in the house, hair loss (specifically on his body, tail and elbows, progressively getting worse--his tail and elbows are almost completely bald), his appetite has grown quite significantly, he occasionally vomits for no apparent reason, and the little spots on his tummy have gotten darker, almost blackish. He has not been diagnosed with Cushing's and the vet has even told me that his routine blood work, back in February, does not suggest Cushing’s. I am desperately seeking answers and keep coming back to Cushing's. The vet told me to crate him at night when he starts acting up, so that I can sleep. He sleeps in a crate anyways, but I don't typically lock him in there and I didn't at first when he started having these fits because I felt bad, but after months of being awake all night and having to work the next day, I changed my mind. I crated him last Sunday night because he started acting up and was awakened by his screams at 2 AM. When I opened the crate, he was crying, in a daze and his left front leg was stiff, like a cramp. He has not been able to walk on it since. I took him to the Vet and he was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease, though I believe he pulled his back out or something when he was trying to escape his crate. Long story short, even on pain meds and sedatives, he had these "anxiety attack" type things where he shakes and pants and jumps, for two of the last three nights. And he is supposed to be completely still for 6-8 weeks! I wouldn't think the trembling would be due to pain, considering how drugged up he has been. I am just at my wits end with all of this. I am emotionally and physically exhausted. I just want answers. I want to help him, but I don't know how.
Thanks, in advance, for any feedback.
My 9 year old JRT has all of the clinical symptoms of Cushing's (which I know does not necessarily mean anything), but his behavioral changes have been the most upsetting. In all of my research on Cushing's and EVERYTHING else, I can't seem to find much about behaviors, so I thought I would pose the question here.
It literally seems to have happened overnight. He paces, shakes/trembles and keeps me up all night. Not every night, but very often. Nothing changed in our lives or our daily routines. Mostly he acts this way at night and nothing will calm him. It’s as if there is a thunderstorm. During the day time, he trembles quite a bit as well. Again, not ALWAYS, but often...even when he is sound asleep. Along with these changes, since January, I have also noticed that he drinks quite a bit more water, goes slower up stairs, has had an accident or three in the house, hair loss (specifically on his body, tail and elbows, progressively getting worse--his tail and elbows are almost completely bald), his appetite has grown quite significantly, he occasionally vomits for no apparent reason, and the little spots on his tummy have gotten darker, almost blackish. He has not been diagnosed with Cushing's and the vet has even told me that his routine blood work, back in February, does not suggest Cushing’s. I am desperately seeking answers and keep coming back to Cushing's. The vet told me to crate him at night when he starts acting up, so that I can sleep. He sleeps in a crate anyways, but I don't typically lock him in there and I didn't at first when he started having these fits because I felt bad, but after months of being awake all night and having to work the next day, I changed my mind. I crated him last Sunday night because he started acting up and was awakened by his screams at 2 AM. When I opened the crate, he was crying, in a daze and his left front leg was stiff, like a cramp. He has not been able to walk on it since. I took him to the Vet and he was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease, though I believe he pulled his back out or something when he was trying to escape his crate. Long story short, even on pain meds and sedatives, he had these "anxiety attack" type things where he shakes and pants and jumps, for two of the last three nights. And he is supposed to be completely still for 6-8 weeks! I wouldn't think the trembling would be due to pain, considering how drugged up he has been. I am just at my wits end with all of this. I am emotionally and physically exhausted. I just want answers. I want to help him, but I don't know how.
Thanks, in advance, for any feedback.