[jthommo]

I'm sorry that my first post in this forum has to be such a sad topic. My problem is this:

We are currently in China and have just witnessed what seemed to be a street dog fall in an incredibly dirty canal. People told us that he was in there for twenty minutes and towards the end was being fished out with a net. When confronted with the net he would twist away which greatly disorientated him and made it difficult for him to swim as well as made him swim in circles. Eventually when he could hardly move he was taken out with the net and was just about alive. Upon coming out he was shivering wildly, though the water and evening were very hot, had huge pupils, was breathing heavily and most obviously could not sit up straight and kept falling to one side. We took him and blow dried him and he stopped shivering. We now have him in our room and have no idea if there is anything we can do. Getting to a vet is very difficult as there is not such a demand in China and we are not even sure how to say vet among paying issues etc. Is there anything that we can do to help him or just anything that does not involve leaving him on the side of the road?

Any help is so greatly appreciated, anyone who knows the general attitude towards animals in China will understand that we could not just leave the poor thing alone

James

 

[Elana55]

first of all, good he was rescued. Now.. after all of this is he still falling to one side? He may have a vestibular issue (inner ear problem affecting balance). Are his pupils dilated evenly and do they respond to light? (use a flash light to check this if he lets you). Can you get his temperature? Is he able to drink or eat (or showing any interest in either thing?

After being in the canal he may have gotten water in an ear that could affect his balance or he could have an ear infection or even been hit in the head (if he is still falling over). If he has a temperature he may have an infectious disease (including rabies). Be careful handling this strange dog in a strange place. In other parts of the world (not the US) rabies is much more common in dogs. Public health issues with a sick dog can be VERY serious in another country, especially one where veterinary care is sketchy.

 

[jthommo]

Thanks so much for the reply, don't worry we have been very careful with regards to rabies. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't have it as the locals all clearly recognised it and were handling it for so long before we got near. On top of that I'm pretty sure he does not have a temperature. The first thing i thought it could be was inner ear infection but it could be a multitude of things. He is able to stand a little but still prefers to lay on the same side. His pupils are still slightly dilated and he is blind in the opposite eye to which side he likes to fall on (if that makes sense or is helpful.) He has started to drink water but we have yet to feed him though that is the next plan. He coughed up a little and that stopped his coarse breathing for the moment, he seems pretty in shock aswell so we are trying to calm him down.

Is there anything that can even slightly help if it is a problem with his inner ear? I'm clutching at straws here.

Thanks so much for your help, Scrappy (as we have named him) is very grateful

James

P.s. The most recent development is that while being washed over a little with water he was throwing up blood. We also think that he may be trying to growl when we touch him but he doesn't seem too aggressive about it.

 

[spotted nikes]

Usually vestibular disease is treated with antibiotics, steroids, and an anti nausea med, as being off balance can make them feel nauseous so they vomit and don't want to eat.
Can you try to ask a local where is a vet? The treatment above is normally pretty cheap.

He may have also had a stroke, or have Distemper, which can cause balance issues. If he had distemper, then euth is probably best.

 

[Willowy]

I guess the question is, did the experience in the water cause the symptoms, or did the symptoms cause the fall into the water? If everything is caused by the traumatic experience (he might have overheated in the water--yes it can happen--or he might have gotten too much water in his ears), he might get better with time. Iif the symptoms existed before that, it's hard to say what his chances are.

Are there any livestock vets around? Or someone who treats people with traditional medicine (they'll often treat animals as well)?

 

[luvntzus]

He sounds like he's in bad shape and he really NEEDS to see a vet.