Senior sheltie had a stroke :-( Any recovery advice?

Interesting that it's her right leg not working properly, but she wants to chew on the right side of her mouth vs. the left.

@Sharon7 , I had the same thought! It doesn't sense.

My working theory is that her vision isn't quite right, and as something gets closer to her face it appears to veer off to the left. Or maybe her right eye stops working entirely when the focus is close.

I'm basing this theory on the fact that I've been trying to work her brain using treats; I hold them in front of her to get her attention, then make her follow me (cartoon style) to the other side of the room before giving it to her. From a few feet away she's clearly looking straight at it, but then when she goes to take it she always veers to the left and misses it by a few inches.

I'm hoping that little brain teasers like that are helping her to focus, though, which could be helping her to walk straighter.
 
I learned something today that has me really down. It appears that the symptoms for a brain tumor are virtually the same as those of a stroke:

seizures
blindness
changes in personality
profound lethargy
circling
disorientation
headaches

https://vetspecialists.co.uk/fact-sheets-post/brain-tumours-fact-sheet/

I can't say that I've seen any changes in Katy's personality, but she's had apparent headaches for years that we attributed to allergies! And, as you all know, she had a seizure last Monday, after which she became blind, began pacing in circles, and seemed disoriented.

She's been sleeping a lot, too, of course, which we attributed to the Keppra.

The neurologist wants to do an MRI, of course, but that will just determine if there's a mass; if they find one, it could be a tumor, or inflammation, or blood. Meaning they would still need to do a biopsy.

From there, I'd have 3 treatment options:

1. Low dose of Prednisone for the rest of her life. This would buy her an average of 1-6 months.

2. Radiation therapy + Prednisone. This would buy her 8-14 months.

3. Surgery + radiation therapy. If she survives the surgery, this would buy her 12-20 months.

It appears that a low dose of Prednisone wouldn't hurt her if it's not a tumor, and I really can't afford to spend $10,000+. Before COVID I would have, but now the money just isn't there! So it looks like the only thing I can do is put her on Prednisone in addition to the Keppra, and really just hope for the best.

This is that emotional rollercoaster that I just can't stand: watching her improve daily, knowing that she could just collapse at any minute. Or worse, she suddenly is in major pain or struggling to breathe, with me being a 1 1/2 hour drive from the emergency vet. I'm terrified to even go to the grocery store, for fear that I'll come home and something has happened!

I truly don't know whether her recent improvements are a relief or a tragedy, really.
 
I hear what you're saying, and believe me we all understand your dilemma. In the end, the best we can do is all we can. Shelties are a stoic breed, and many times they don't even let us know there's something wrong. Remember, Katy doesn't know she's sick. I know the feeling of watching them every second for fear something will change and you'll miss it, but you're doing an amazing job with her and it's important to focus on the positive things you're seeing. It sure does seem like she's improving! Try to go with that and add the meds that are appropriate, as you're doing. They surprise us constantly with their resilience. I'm hoping you have many many good days to come with Katy.
 
This is tough for sure, but if you can, try to look at all the positives. She's made remarkable strides in a short amount of time. Tumors cause their problems because of their growth and impinging on tissue around it, affecting the nerves etc and their function. So, if it was a tumor, it would seem less likely she'd be getting better daily. I know about rollercoasters; when my Brooke was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma, we had to be aware if she was having bleeding, and give her the meds that would stop it. It would happen without warning although often she would vomit which was a clue. I also didn't want to take my eyes off her for this reason.

Don't beat yourself up about doing more intensive and extensive testing. We none of us have a crystal ball to guide us, so make the lovingest choices you can, and enjoy and support her (which you are).
 
I would tend to agree that if this was a tumour I don’t think you’d see the gradual improvement you’ve been seeing. As Ann said our dogs don’t know they’re sick and while it’s easier said than done you have to try to do what you can to make them happy in the moment. I’m certain when you experience joy at seeing Katy ringing that bell you make her the happiest dog around…focus on the little things as you’ve been doing.
We’ve all been there and I still remember getting the diagnosis for my last boy of either arthritis of the spine or cancer. I too wanted to cry all the time but I couldn’t do that because then he’d be sad for me and I wanted him to be happy.
You’re doing an amazing job with Katy at getting her active and working her brain and seeing that improvement every day! She’s been improving in leaps and bounds and that’s because of your hard work!
 
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