Steroid Responsive Meningitis Arteritis (SMRA)

[Delia Bryce]

All

 

Took me a few days to actually begin writing this blog as quite frankly my boy has had an awful week  my family and I have cried buckets but now we believe he has turned the corner and although he has some hurdles ahead the future is good! Murphy has SMRA and has been ill for almost a week and in hospital since Wednesday last week ..... I will let you google it but I feel its important to share this as he has made terrific progress, despite my initial horror at the mention of meningitis .......

A brief diary of the last week;

• Monday afternoon became very quiet as the night progressed I realised he was sick and was refusing food or water ...
• Tuesday morning seen the vet who thought some sort of allergic reaction to something he had picked up outside but told to watch closely ...
• Wednesday 430 am was crying .... rushed to our local vets again http://www.ayrton.org.uk/ where he was admitted and the vet first mentioned meningitis as a possibility .... I was so scared as my boy was very weak but was put on a drip and closely monitored and given pain relief ......
• Wednesday early afternoon, telephone call to say he wasnt too well he should go to Glasgow University Small Animal Hospital was given morphine for the pain and was comfortable if very ill .........
• Thursday we took him to  Glasgow http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/vet/smallanimalhospital/ where from the moment we arrived he received more excellent care from the minute we walked in the door ...... Although was more talk of how Murphy was very ill and I/we should be prepared (we had no diagnosis at this point) ...... His breathing was laboured he was stressed and had no energy and was displaying signs of being in pain ..... Immediately he began to have Methadone administered ...... I was in a bubble but again they spoke of meningitis.
• Friday was a very busy day...... Chest xray, tummy ultrasound, MRI of neck and head, spinal tap then CT scan then a diagnosis of SMRA and hope of a great recovery...... I felt like I had won the lottery.. we all did ...High dose steroid therapy began......
• Sat we visited to be greated by a full body wagging boy shouting with excitement and kissing us like we had been away for weeks ........He tired easily and was rather doped up - still on Methadone so you can imagine but never in a while have I experienced such joy ..........
• Sunday and today have visted and seen nothing but improvements he is tired but depending on blood work he will be back home tomorrow .......

Some way to go balancing the drugs but I cant stress how much he has came on and how from the scarey diagnosis my mind has turned as I seen it for my own eyes ........... He will see his own vet initally every couple of days but he wont be 17mths till end of this month so you can imagine .......I have some pics ......... which I will post too ....... But wanted to share as whilst this isnt common it isnt unheard of ..... Its not genetic nor can anyone or any dog catch it from him ...... he was unlucky but lets just say the luck of the Irish kicked in! now I cant help my self but today his Irish eyes were smiling!

Steroid therapy maybe will continue for some months but he will be just fine ...... actually no Murphy to me is perfect!

 And today looking at my car

[Jo parsons]

I am glad he seems to be responding to his treatment, you were so lucky your vets realised he needed specialist treatment - please keep us informed how he is, he is lovely!

[Michelle Walsh]

I'm so happy for you that your beloved Murphy is responding to treatment, it certainly must have been a horrible & scary time. It's not a condition I'm very familiar with but it sounds like he had fantastic poeple working on him & I wish him a safe and steady recovery...no doubt he'll be back to his bouncy self soon :)

[Cornelia]

Oh what a frightful time this must have been - wishing Murphy a speedy and full recovery!

[JOANNE]

Thankd goodness he is on the road to recovery. Hugs to the special boy and to the special owners who ensured he got only the best care possible. XXX

[Sheree Parrish]

I'm so pleased your boy is on the road to recovery, bless his little heart. This sounds very similar to what little Poppy had at the beginning of the year..I saw her yesterday and she is totally back to normal and off the steroids, it had been touch and go with her too.

I hope he continues to do well xx

[Barbara]

Poor Murphy - I wish him a speedy and full recovery

[Brian Walker]

Hope to see the big fella up the fields soon Delia. 

Rosie sends love and kisses but unfortunately Murphy's missed the window of opportunity, she's out of her season.LOL

[Delia Bryce]

Murph and I are astounded by all the good wishes ........ Thank you all so much!

Little update ...... Murphy came home on Tuesday afternoon and was very sleepy most of the time and a bit fed up looking..... So as I was so freaked by his illness last week, I called the vet and arranged a check up ..... He is fine! Still recovering but doing just great they said ..... They said he has been through a tough time and will be just so glad to be home and is probably catching up on sleep and just so relaxed he is home.....

I really should have worked out that my precious boy is a setter (my first setter) and I think he was just chilling and relaxing after his horrid ordeal ..... I say this, as this evening when I came home he did the full body wag and singing I love so much .......Oh boy how I have missed this!

He is back in Glasgow for a check up week tomorrow .... All going well we will begin to taper off the steroids (will take some months) ..... I wasnt sure about doing a blog but from that horrible moment when they first mentioned SRMA as a possibility and I felt all the devasting feelings.. we have moved on so much....

God forbid anybody has cause to use this blog as a reference in the future but if they do hopefully it will help them ......

Thanks again from us all......... xx

[Michelle Webster]

What wonderful news, delighted to hear about Murphy

[Catherine Carter]

Wonderful news!!! I am so happy and relieved for you!