7 yr old jack russell - sick for about 2 months and no answer

(Santa Barbara, CA, USA)

Help! We have spent $1100 on tests and everything comes back normal, but Archie is slowly slipping away... Archie can hardly make it down the back porch. He had a sudden onset of snoring a couple of months ago, then he seemed to have a sore throat.

He used to howl whenever he heard sirens, but now he tries and it is the most awful sound.

His other new characteristics include:
Lameness, Stiffness, Trembling, No appetite (lost 4 lbs) Depression, Hair loss resulting in lesions, Swollen puffy ear flaps, No energy - totally out of character for any Jack Russel Terrier, especially Archie.

He has NO signs of diarrhea, coughing or vomiting.

Has had a blood panel done that showed nothing out of whack except a slight indication of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and treated with antibiotics with no results. X-rays show nothing.

Arch was in Wyoming in August and has been in contact with ticks at home due to his lifestyle of hiking. Our current vet has contact with "tick specialists", but they have no answers.

Any ideas???

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7 yr old jack russell - sick for about 2 months and no answer

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My Online Vet Response for 7 yr old Jack Russell-Sick for 2 mos
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hello from Santa Barbara,

Your description of Archie's illness sounds pretty grim. You mentioned that he did have a blood test that showed slight positive to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Has he had a fever for the past 2 months?

Having a fever would certainly cause a decrease in his energy, his appetite and result in the weight loss. A chronic fever could also contribute to all of the other symptoms of hair loss, trembling, stiffness, puffy ears, etc.

If he is not eating due to fever, then giving Sub-cutaneous fluids would serve to 'cool' him down, and keep him hydrated.

Also giving Vitamin B-12 plus B-complex injections would help support his system while he is being treated, and may possibly perk up his appetite, or PetTinic liquid, from Pfizer, 1/2 tsp two times daily, is also a good vitamin/mineral supplement.

I would also suggest immune system support to help while he is sick. Such as Mega C powder from Orthomolecular Specialities, giving him about 1/4 tsp in some water or chicken broth two times daily, would be helpful.

Treating him homeopathically would be the best hope for him, since a specific 'diagnosis' is not really needed. Basically, he is treated by the symptoms that he is showing.

Therefore, I would urge you to find a holistc veterinarian in the Santa Barbara area, that practices Homeopathy. Check out the page below.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Additional My Online Vet Response for 7yr old Jack Russell-Sick for 2 mos
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Here are some more comments regarding Archie's condition:

The first symptoms that occurred, back when Archie first got sick, were snoring, sore throat and inability to howl. These would be very suggestive of an association with a rabies vaccinosis. Reverse sneezing is also associated with this.

In some cases, there can be a direct link to a rabies vaccination, but not always. (Since the symptoms that occur in a rabid dog is a paralysis of the throat.)

Not that Archie has rabies, just that in homeopathic treatment, there are several remedies that are used in treating vaccinosis, and more specifically, rabies vaccinosis.

If he had a vaccination for Bordatella (the 'kennel cough' or upper respiratory vaccine) before all these symptoms started I would be very suspicious of a vaccine induced disease.

There are also specific homeopathic remedies useful in treating diseases caused by the bite of a tick, or from a puncture wound. A homeopathic veterinarian would examine Archie, and consolidate all of his symptoms: chronic fever, vaccinosis, tick bite/puncture, etc, and also compare the resulting remedies to Archie's constitutional make-up.

For example, your holistic veterinarian will want to know: Before he got sick, was he normally outgoing or shy, did he or does he have any temperature preferences, any special food cravings, etc. and he/she will take all of these personality traits and match them to the remedy.

As I mentioned before, finding a holistic veterinarian in your area that practices homeopathy would be the best treatment option for Archie.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us by clicking the like button at the top of the left margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Vaccination Schedule,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Vaccination Section

Your Jack
by: Stephanie from Beaumont

Have your dog specifically treated from Strep (yes, as in strep throat) with penicillin. It causes all those symptoms and goes undiagnosed by even the best of vets sometimes.

Hope this helps.

My Online Vet Response for: 7 yr old Jack Russell-sick for about 2 months and no answer
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi Stephanie,
Apparently Archie's owner did give antibiotics, (not sure which type), but there was no response to this treatment, therefore she came to this site searching for an alternative, more holistic solution.

We have had no response, so far. We can only hope for the best, that perhaps there was a holistic treatment that was able to help Archie.

To find a holistic veterinarian in your area click on the link below
Click here to find a holistic veterinarian in your area. Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us
by clicking the like button at the top of the left
margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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