Our Little Quincy Has Auto-immune Disease, Hurts So Much Options

[Aaron]

It was just a few years ago that I came here to lean on this community for support when we lost our car Reggie to hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). It's with great sorrow that I have to return for support for another sick pet. Our sweet dog Quincy, a Maltese, came down with auto immune disease recently and we are trying to suppress the inflammation, but it is proving to be a difficult task so far. We are by no means giving up, but I feel like every day that passes that he does not improve means we are closer to losing him. Back in late December he had his regular annual exam and got his vaccines. We suspect that one of the vaccines triggered his immune system to go into over-drive, for lack of a better phrase. The vaccine was not the cause, as all vets we have spoken with say this is genetic and it takes just one trigger to bring this disease to the surface.

We initially tried steroids which helped some, but it did not completely suppress the inflammation. He slowly got worse so we got an MRI done which revealed considerable fluid on the right side of his brain. So they tried a large does of steroids (prednisone) which had an impact but then he seemed to get worse. So we went to the next treatment which is chemo since we are trying to suppress over-active cell activity. He was having seizures so he is on meds that make him considerably drowsy, so it's hard to tell if the chemo is having an impact since they cannot measure his neurological signs accurately. But the doctor is concerned the chemo might not be having an impact, which means we have fewer treatment options. They have told us that if the chemo does not have an effect, then his prognosis is "poor".

If you are reading this, then you know how difficult this can be. We are stressed both physically and mentally and it would devastate us to lose another pet after just 2.5 years. I can't even imagine how destroyed my wife will be of we lose him, but I am starting to prepare myself for that. I am just typing this to get it off my mind and my chest. We are staying positive and won't go out without trying every viable option. But every day is incredibly difficult.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

[Aaron]

thank you both, your words mean a lot to me.

We brought Quincy home yesterday afternoon and he slept like a log for most of the time up until bed time (9 pm or so). He began whining, which means he wants food/water, needs to potty or wants to move around. It turns out he wanted to move around. The anti-seizure meds he is on are still making him wobbly, so we helped him walk around for nearly an hour before he was finally pooped. He wanted to do the same this morning, so we helped him walk around for 30 minutes until his meds kicked in and made him drowsy. He is eating, drinking and using the bathroom fine, so those are all good signs. We will consider the fact that he wants to move around (and for pretty long stretches), even though he needs a helping hand at the moment, as a positive. Our primary vet said his anti-seizure med dosages could very well be too high and need to be adjusted, but the next few days will tell us more about that. We will remain positive and take this one day at a time. It's been a roller coaster, physically, mentally and emotionally (as we have all been through, some of us many times).

It's definitely still stressful because you want your baby to be healthy, but we are glad he is home so we can care for and love him like only his parents can.

Thank you again for offering your kind words, they help greatly. Please keep little Quincy in your thoughts and prayers.