What medication treats dog hind leg problems caused by parasites?

There is no approved or curative treatment for canine neosporosis.  Arrestment of clinical disease is best achieved when treatment is initiated before the occurrence of contracture or paralysis.  Since she has no clinical signs then I think her prognosis is good if she take the entire 4 weeks of the recommended treatment. I see no reason not to adopt her but definitely DO NOT breed her. Good question! 


Sorry to hear about Clive. The mainstay treatments for orthopedic injuries are pain killers and anti inflammatories (NSAIDs). Since there may be a spinal / neural component to this, neuropathic medications and muscle relaxants may also come in very helpful especially during times of additional breakthrough discomfort. The type of medication to be dispensed will ultimately be a discussion with your primary vet, but NSAIDs that are common include carprofen (Rimadyl), deracoxib (Deramaxx), and meloxicam (Metacam). Other medications are things like opioids including tramadol and hydrocodone. In terms of the back, I would consider medications like gabapentin and methocarbamol to address this. There is another medication that I use in patients with refractory pain called amantadine, but I find it only effective when used in conjunction with NSAIDs. The periodic or daily use of many of these medications should be coupled with blood work at least twice yearly to be sure liver and kidney values are not elevating. Hope you get Clive all straightened out!

There are no treatments that have been clearly shown to stop or slow progression of degenerative myelopathy (DM). Although there are a number of approaches that have been tried or recommended on the internet, no scientific evidence exists that they work. The outlook for a dog with DM is still grave. The quality of life of an affected dog can be improved by measures such as good nursing care, physical rehabilitation, pressure sore prevention, monitoring for urinary infections, and ways to increase mobility through use of harnesses and carts. What specifically are you wanting answered? Please post again and be as specific as possible so we can better help you.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive neurologic condition that is more common in the German Shepherd Dog, but affects other breeds as well. I am assuming your vet suspects this condition because of hindlimb weakness/wobbliness. Because many things can cause similar symptoms, especially if pain is a component of the process, getting more of a definitive diagnosis can be helpful. There is a DNA genetic test for degenerative myelopathy that can help aide in diagnosis. You could talk to your vet about this if this would be helpful for you to know. Mainly because this can be a sad disease to help the pet through, especially in later stages. Most of the treatment is centered around supportive care, assistance walking, booties on feet, physical therapy. The person who would have the most up to date information on the treatments of this disease would be a veterinary neurologist. You could also talk to your regular vet about a referral if you feel that this would be helpful for you as well. The treatment you describe above likely comes from a specific veterinary neurologist that suggested some medications may be beneficial but this has not likely been backed up by reasearch yet unfortunately. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, sorry to hear about Maicah. It sounds like she may be dealing less likely with an infectious disease and more likely with an inflammatory disease. On her bloodwork her white blood cells, which are the first responders to an infection are in the normal range, hence why I would be less suspicious of something infectious. Her red blood cells are decreased, which could occur from a chronic inflammation, loss of red blood cells, and potentially destruction of red blood cells. On the other hand, if she has erlichia this could cause joint pain and anemia. However, you tend to see other changes in the bloodwork which are not shown in the pictures you posted. Doxycycline for 3 weeks should treat an erlichia that could be present. A snap test or a PCR for erlichia could confirm this diagnosis. The weakness in her hind end could be associated with a primary orthopedic disease or neurologic disease. Some neurologic diseases in poodles can arise from degenerative inflammatory diseases. An orthopedic and neurologic examination could test for these. X-rays could also outline a primary orthopedic issue or be suggestive of a neurologic issue as well. In summary, Maicah should be thoroughly evaluated for a primary orthopedic or neurologic issue. I am a little less concerned about the erlichia at this moment due to the lack of changes in her blood, however she should have a snap test or PCR performed to confirm this. Her albumin is elevated which could be an error from the machine or she could be dehydrated. If this is an inflammatory disease, the prednisone she was prescribed may help. I hope this helps and best of luck!

I'm so sorry that Marcela is not doing well. myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord. A steroid such as methylprednisolone is an appropriate treatment to try to reduce the inflammation. However, if there is compression of the cord that is causing the inflammation (such as compression for an intervertebral disc or from a tumor, etc) then the steroid alone may not be sufficient. An MRI would definitely diagnose whether or not there is compression of the cord; its very hard to see this on CT and impossible on plain film X-rays. If there is compression of the cord, surgery may be needed. If surgery is not an option (due to finances or other issues), additional therapies such as therapeutic laser and or acupuncture may be of benefit. As for the prognosis for recovery of function, I would say its "gaurded," meaning it could improve but its probably going to take weeks, and is uncertain at that. I hope that is helpful for you. Best of luck with him. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Lucy! It's very concerning that a three month old puppy is not able to stand on her back leg. She could have severely injured her leg such as breaking a bone or tearing a ligament making her unable to use it. Unfortunately it's illegal for the experts on Pet Coach to prescribe or recommend any medications. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your dog. There is also no way I could say what treatment would be best for her without seeing her in person and diagnosing the cause of her problem. As I said, it's very concerning when such a young puppy won't use her rear leg, and because of that, I recommend an immediate vet visit. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.