I have a one year old Coton de Tulear (Bentley), and I have had him since he was 10 weeks old. Around the time he turned 6 months old, I began to notice shakiness in his hind legs. I took him to my general veterinarian who diagnosed him with bi-lateral luxating patella.
I then went to different orthopedic specialists for opinions. They both told me that Bentley had a sever luxating patella issue, and they both said that doing surgery now would help him not to develop arthritis later, so I went ahead and opted for surgery.
Last month would have been two months since the surgery, and I started to notice that Bentley was developing head tremors. When he had the clearance to run off leash, I then notice his front legs began to show weakness.
I took him back to the orthopedist and he referred me to a neurologist. She took one look at him, checked his menace reaction, and said she suspected it was cerebellar.
The neurologist ran and MRI and did a spinal tap. His CFS fluid came back normal, but the MRI showed that his cerebellum was smaller than it should be. She diagnosed him with cerebellar abiotrophy. She explained that there is no therapy or cure for the condition; it could progress in months or over years.
So…now I am grasping at straws to be able to do something. I feel helpless just sitting here waiting for him to become debilitated.
I have ordered books on holistic diets for dogs. He is already eating Acana dog food, which is grain free, and I mix in fresh chicken, turkey, or salmon.
I have read that there is promise with coenzyme Q10 and cerebellar degeneration. Should I give this a try?
Also, I contacted Washington State University because I read that they have done work with the MDR1 gene. Since heartworm medications can cause rare occurrences of ataxia and neurological problems in dogs, I was wondering if it was worth a shot to have him tested for this gene.
What if is was neurotoxicity from this heartworm medication that set all of this off? After all, his shakiness would have started right when he received an increased dosage of the medication.
Washington State University was kind enough to e-mail back and let me know that they have never had a pure bred Coton test positive for the MDR1 gene. But they did suggest that it would not hurt to try a different brand of heartworm medication. What do you all think about that?
Do you have any recommendations for all natural flea or heartworm preventatives? After all, is it a good idea to give a dog with neurological problems an insecticide?
Basically, I am e-mailing to ask if you have ANY recommendations for food or supplements for a dog with cerebellar abiotrophy. Any advice would be appreciated.
I would visit a holistic vet in person, but we have spent $7,000 on Bentley since April, and my husband is about to cut off the veterinary funds. Any advice you can provide would be great.
Thank you in advance.
Kimberly
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