[CorkyMax]

pamdmail@aol.com
My dog is having trouble swallowing his food and it seems like his tongue and front of his mouth is not working very well. He is drooling and drinking much more than usual. Boomer usually eats his meals VERY fast, but tonight it took him 6 times longer than usual. We took him to the emergency Vet tonight and he said his lymph nodes were swollen under his neck. Boomer also had a 104 fever. He did blood tests and they turned up positive for lymes disease. He said the blood looked good as far as white blood cell count, etc. He gave him Rimadyl (1/2 tablet twice a day for 4 days) which is an anti inflammatory. Then he gave us Doxycycline (100mg tablet 2 a day for 21 days). He says we should see improvement over night possibly and hopefully by 48 hours he should be better. Have any of you ever heard of this type of problem and have any suggestions or ideas? I read something about a dog could get paralysis from a tick bite. Is that true?Please help! Pam and Boomer

First I am giving you a link to a thread in here about Rimadyl---Note all the links within that thread that you can get info on Rimadyl:

Please Do not Give Rimadyl (carprofen)--CAN KILL

Have you searched the 'net' for the question you ask about? I will try to find some info on it so be looking for additions to my post a little later.
In meantime I hope you research the Rimadyl and also the Doxycycline. You need to know the side effects. Did your dog exhibit the things you are saying--the drooling and drinking a lot of water, eating very slowly before or after he was given the 1st and any other Rimadyl!!?? I know it will be hard to know if the symptoms your dog is having are from the Lyme's Disease or the meds. Just be very aware of the Rimadyl--It can be a killer. Please note all the symptoms of Rimadyl really well! My dog paced and was hyper (heartbeat prob. fast too) on only 1 pill! Threw the rest away. There are other meds that can replace Rimadyl! I don't know if a collie would be a breed that was susceptible to problems with this drug but I do know that breed is sensitive to some heartworm preventatives.
I am glad your vet did the blood work. If you can, call the vet and ask about how healthy the liver and kidney functions are--This should of been checked out before ever giving any Rimadyl!!! Rimadyl should never be given if liver and kidneys are not healthy---very dangerous!!! Can kill!! I always ask for a copy of the blood work results---Then I can check things myself--like the Bun and other kidney and liver functions. Have them copy the readings before you even leave the vet's!! I hope you have a good vet---There are so many that aren't!! Hope you got some paperwork on the meds he gave you--They are suppose to give you this!! Even so, the paperwork you get will not tell you as much as you should know about Rimadyl!!

I found this on the net---I hope you check it out really well--A lot there I think you should be aware of--esp. about the liver/kidneys!!--->
All About Lyme Disease In Your Dog

Be back as I gather any new info. Hope others here will have some answers for you.

[pamdmail@aol.com]

I wanted to thank you for the info on Rimadyl. I had no idea it would kill and my ER vet never warned me of any side effects. I'm NOT going to give my sheltie any more of it. I only gave him 2 1/2 pills and I am hoping he will be OK. Yesterday I took him to my regular Vet and he diagnosed him with:

Trigeminal Neuritis
Trigeminal Neuritis (TN) is a rare neurological condition affecting the trigeminal nerve, which wraps around the face, controlling functions such as the eyes’ blinking reflex and the jaw’s ability to open and close normally. This condition is temporary in most cases and supportive care is key to helping a dog with TN.

Dogs affected with TN will typically present with blinking deficits and a “dropped jaw,” where the lower mandible constantly hangs open. The dog often exhibits abnormal mandibular coordination and sensation, but in the early stages, the animal does maintain some control of the jaw.


He told me that Boomer did not have a fever or swollen lymph nodes. He said that lyme disease would not cause TN. So now, after 2 days, Boomer does not seem any better. He cannot close his lower jaw, so has trouble eating, although he is able to get most of his food down in a very long time period. The biggest problem is drinking. The water does not stay in his mouth, rather goes all over the floor and his chest. It is very sad. My vet said it was very rare and he has only seen one other case. He told me that it should get better in 2 weeks and the most important thing that I should do is make sure he eats and drinks and gets nourishment.
I would like to know if anyone else ever had a dog with TN and what if any, meds did you use for your pet.
Thank you Max and Corky. I'm so glad I decided to check back in to this forum. I still don't quite know how this works!
Pam and Boomer

[CorkyMax]

Glad you got the right diagnosis. I only hope this is not going to be permanent. Right now, it sounds like your biggest problem is not letting your dog get dehydrated. I found this good article on this problem---tells you all about this problem and how to make sure your dog is getting enough water: Trigeminal Neuritis in Dogs ? Care for a TN Dog Who Can't Drink

Don't like to alarm you but --it says in this article also that it can be caused by a tumor!! Need to check that out and maybe talk to your vet about the possibilities.

There is a lot of info/sites on this if you want to check out more (I didn't read only this one)--I put dogs/Trigeminal Neuritis in my browser.

Good luck--I hope it is the temporary kind and goes away soon--That poor baby. Please keep us posted as we worry, especially if we never hear back.

[pamdmail@aol.com]

Thanks again for sending the link for TN. It was very helpful. I made the jello tonight and also have a water bottle hooked to a chair and I will try to teach him to drink from it. I'll keep you posted. If anyone has any experience with TN, please let me know. Right now he's sleeping peacefully.
I'm throwing out the Rimadyl. Thanks for everything. It's nice to know there is a support group for dog lovers.
Pam and Boomer