Species: Dog Breed: mini dachsund Age: 11-15 years
Our 12 yo 12 lb healthy mini dachsund fell off our bed in the middle of the night. She was rushed to a 24 hour vet clinic where the vet on duty, after checking her out and seeing that she still had movement in rear legs and feeling in front paws by a pinch test, the back muscles also rippled across the spine when tweaked except in neck area. The vet thought she had a pinched nerve in neck and gave her Robaxin-Methocarbamol injection of 2.5, Cerenia injection of .75 ml and morphine injection of .2 ml. We were told that she would start panting in +/- 15 minutes. We have a vet, but he was unavailable at 2:30 in the am. We left after planning to have more extensive test done when he opened. Our dog died 20 minutes later. I am not looking to blame anyone or sue. What's done is done. I just want to know should I have done something more (had the tests done there). Any help would be appreciated.
Dr. Marie replied:
I'm so sorry to hear that this happened. I also apologize that I did not answer your question sooner. I recently had a baby and my free question section has been neglected.
It is extremely uncommon for a dog to die after receiving treatment like this.
My gut instinct is that there was something else going on with Trixi either on top or, or instead of a disc problem. It may be that there was an embolism as a result of something similar to a stroke. If this were the case there could have been severe heart problems. It's also possible that the problem was not a back problem but was something like a ruptured spleen tumor. I have seen some dogs where the symptoms are similar. In a daschund, because back problems are so common, it's possible that it was assumed that there was a back problem when there was not.
Now, it is also possible that an overdose of medication was given. Unfortunately it's hard to say what dose was given when you say, "0.2ml" were given because there are different strengths of medications.
This situation is probably long dealt with but a case like this is one where a post mortem should be offered by your vet.
Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.
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Veterinarian, Dr. Marie created this site to be able to provide quick, accurate veterinary advice online. She would love to help with your pet's problem!
Dr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.
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