Dear google answers,

 

My dog tiger is ill and I was searching on the internet for possible
causes / treatments to help him get better.  We are really worried
about him.  The description of what we?ve seen so far is below, and
I?d like to know if you think, based on our symptoms, what we should
look into as the possible cause of illness?  Do you think our
treatment is right so far?  Can you point us to some other web sites
where we can learn more about causes of cysts on lymphatic drainage
systems in dogs?  Any other treatment you could recommend?  Your
response would be much appreciated?please help me.

 

First my dog got an abscess on the underside of his neck. Then we
noticed after 2 days that he had 2 cysts near it. The vet took his
blood sample n wbc read 47000 and there was no fever. Doc put him on
monocef antibiotic intravenously. After 4 days blood showed wbc at
37000. After another 3 days of monocef it showed 32000.  By that time
and had became weak and was put on drip. We then went to see a new vet
n they found that he had cysts on his lymphatic drainage system n his
spleen was enlarged. Put him on tetracycline 500mg 1 morning n 1
evening. 20mg of cortisone and multivitamin. That made him weaker n he
got an enlarged liver. No vomiting only no appetite. Put him on liv 52
tablets-6 in a day. The vet has put him on procaine penicillin 400k
injection twice a day. Now his feeding is being done thru catheter.
There is no change in the size of the cysts but they  are all over his
lymphatic drainage system. Today is the 3rd day of his penicillin
injections. He has water retention in his back legs and the vet has
prescribed a lasix tablet to reduce it, but it has not.

 

Thank you

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 21 Aug 2004 14:31 PDT

Has your vet committed to an official diagnosis or is he saying he doesn't
know what is wrong?

tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by rsr-ga on 22 Aug 2004 04:37 PDT

The vet doesn't know what is wrong, he says it is some rare disease
and does not know what to do.

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Request for Question Clarification by tlspiegel-ga on 22 Aug 2004 11:27 PDT

Hi rsr,

I'm sorry about your dog's health.  The only thing I found about treatments for
multiple cysts throughout the lymphatic drainage system was a website called: 

The Horse.com and the site is in reference to *endometriosis*, which
is disease females get.  I realize Tiger is a he, not a she.  However,
it the information might be helpful.

http://gwranch.users.ixpres.com/uterine_cysts.htm

The treatment is called contact laser (the Nd:Yag laser).

Here is a portion of the text from the site...

Older mares with a history of multiple pregnancies and births, says
Bennett, often develop scar tissue within the uterus. The scar tissue
can cause a clogging of channels in the lymphatic drainage system.
This means there is literally a backup of fluid at these locations.

The fluid is secreted by glands within the uterus with the correct
levels being maintained via drainage through the uterine walls.
Problems can arise when uterine scar tissue clogs portions of this
drainage field. The result is a cyst or cysts filled with fluid.

[edit]

With the contact laser (the Nd:Yag laser), a hole is first opened in
the cyst to drain the lymphatic fluid.

"The laser will not only poke a hole in the cyst and drain it,"
Bennett says, "but as the cyst shrinks, the laser will continue to
deliver energy and it seals the cyst so it doesn't come back. Often,
in the other procedures where you literally cut out the cysts, they
have a tendency to come back."

Not only is the laser treatment effective, it is fast. 

"With the laser, we can clear five to six uterine cysts in eight to 10
minutes," says Bennett.

Some of the cysts encountered, he said, are huge. "We had one mare
referred to us that had twice been ultrasounded as 45 days pregnant.
Instead, she had a huge cyst."

The cyst was removed with the laser, he said, and the mare really became pregnant. 

"The important thing," he emphasizes, "is to have a proper endoscopic
examination and biopsy prior to treatment to diagnose that you have an
otherwise normal uterus. If you have an otherwise normal uterus, the
success rate (of removing uterine cysts) is near 90%."

While the most common cyst is the one that results from clogging a
portion of the lymphatic drainage system, there is the rare glandular
cyst. This, too, is treated with the laser, Bennett says, but is more
difficult to deal with. Often, says Bennett, these cysts are a result
of chronic endometritis.

============================================

It would be helpful if you could post what breed Tiger is, his age,
and any other health problems he's had in the past or currently.