"kate" wrote in message
oups.com...
Our dog has had a very sudden onset of arthritic like symptoms. He was
given anti imflammatory tabs and a 4 week series of cartrophen
injections. These didn't do anything. Then he was put on 2 different
types of anit biotics to no avail. He then had blood tests taken,
which prove all O.K.. Now the vet says he may have an auto immune
disease and yesterday did a joint tap. We are waitng on the results,
but the vet has indicated that cortisone tabs will probably be the only
treatment. This has all happened in a 6 week period. We cannot
believe the absolute demise in our ever health dog. Can anyone help in
our predicament??



I can offer no advice other than *pursue this aggressively*.
I lost a four year old dog to this exact same scenario, except he went from
fine to dead in less than four weeks.
If I had it to live over again I would ask for second opinions by *running*
to the closest veterinary teaching hospital/college.

I don't mean to scare you, but I had some of the best diagnostic
veterinarians in my part of the state and still lost the dog. A veterinary
college has much more to offer (IMO) in the way of diagnostic capabilities
and cutting edge technologies and treatments.

Good luck...

--
Toni Carroll
South Florida USA
http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com