Stress Hyperthermia

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:06:20 GMT

Greyhounds are a breed well known for their large muscle mass. Many also suffer from separation anxiety and can become stressed in a veterinary hospital setting. This combination is why, I believe, Greyhounds seem to suffer from non-MH hyperthermia more than other breeds. As animals awake from anesthesia, many shake or shiver as a natural response to a mild hypothermia (a low body temperature; this commonly occurs while under anesthesia), pain or disorientation. In some Greyhounds, this response seems to be exaggerated and the shivering results in warming beyond normal temperatures and in excess of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. These animals may respond well to supportive treatment (anti-inflammatories, intravenous fluids, external cooling and respiratory support) without the use of

Dantrolene if they are caught early enough.

The key to manage this disease is to have your veterinarian continually check your Greyhound’s temperature before, during and after the procedure, and using an appropriate anesthetic regimen including analgesics (pain medications) as needed. The earlier the treatment is started, the better chance that your Greyhound will recover if he/she will suffer from an episode of hyperthermia (regardless of the cause).

The above was taken from STRVN's link

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Freckle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:55:20 GMT

I know how you feel - in a way..

I lost my old girl 2 years ago (just typing 2 years - has it been that long?), and just tonight my nephew watered the 'forget-me-nots' over grave.... = me in floods of tears!

please forgive my ignorance if this has been covered previously, but are there any signs/symptoms we should be monitoring for?

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:35:01 GMT

I guess a job well done then!

I really was in tears lastnight when I was telling the story and poor STRVN had to listen to me in a pm!

However, if it makes at least one more person aware of the condition, then my tears and sadness were all worth it and Jake will not have died in vain.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Freckle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:29:54 GMT

thankyou saskiavn - here is one more member that will be aware of it...and will not hesitate to tell / remind my vets about it!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:18:26 GMT

Thats fine Freckle, thank you.

Yes he was indeed a special boy. I am very sad that I lost him in such a way.

I am happy though that with the help of myself, STRVN & Carolyn, we have managed to educate fellow members on the condition.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Freckle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:04:27 GMT

[quote user="Freckle"]

[quote user="SaskiaVN"]

lol!! Though she is sleeping sound, the minute I switch off the computer and the tv, she is up like a light and ready to come to bed!!

[/quote]

LOL my pooch knows the sound of the laptop 'clicking' shut, and is awake like a shot! Kinda worrying for me that that is the last sound she must have heard sooo many times before bed!

[/quote]

sorry - just saw that post and had to reply.... seems a bit insensitive now (hadn't read the whole thread)

I have never seen or heard about MH - So sorry about the loss of your pooch He sounds like he was a very special boy *hugs*

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Freckle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:55:27 GMT

[quote user="SaskiaVN"]

lol!! Though she is sleeping sound, the minute I switch off the computer and the tv, she is up like a light and ready to come to bed!!

[/quote]

LOL my pooch knows the sound of the laptop 'clicking' shut, and is awake like a shot! Kinda worrying for me that that is the last sound she must have heard sooo many times before bed!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:28:12 GMT

It is fairly common in pigs, from what I have read anyway

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:39:59 GMT

Thank you Ginny.

A GSD? & pigs? Well, you definitely learn something new every day!

Yes, thankfully it is rare

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

ginny — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:18:11 GMT

I'm very sorry to hear about Jake ( and about Alf)

I've seen one case of MH in a GSD and i'm told it occasionally happens in pigs.

It does seem to be a breed thing - apparently its also been noted in chesapeake bay retrievers. Thankfully it is very rare.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:41:36 GMT

Carolyn, that makes me think it is not a regular occurence? I never knew anything about it until my own dog died. I am pretty sure that was what it was.

Linda, from what I have read, it is difficult to get a diagnosis and not many laboratories test for it. I guess you just have to go on the clinical signs. Not sure about the muscle relaxant being given without a diagnosis, but I think if it was my dog, I would definitely want it to be given.

The only treatment for true episodes of MH is an intravenous injection of the muscle relaxant

Dantrolene in addition to fluid therapy and cooling the patient.

The difficulty in diagnosing MH is that there is no blood test available. A muscle

biopsy can be taken and a caffeine contracture test can be performed on the fresh

specimen. The way the muscle biopsy responds to various concentrations of caffeine is

considered diagnostic for malignant hyperthermia. Because this test requires fresh tissue, it is not routinely run by most commercial laboratories. Your vet may even find it difficult to locate a laboratory that will perform the caffeine contracture test. Because a patient must first be anesthetized in order to collect a muscle biopsy, many veterinarians will not biopsy suspected animals after an episode of hyperthermia because of the risk of inducing hyperthermia again.

The other difficulty for making a MH diagnosis is that some Greyhounds can havesignificant hyperthermia (>105 degrees Fahrenheit) without having the disease. The same life threatening clinical signs that occur secondary to the elevated temperatures associated with malignant hyperthermia can also occur secondary to non-malignant hyperthermia

(non-MH).

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Linda Moseley — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:29:47 GMT

have never seen this condition in practice luckily but just wondering. If you susoect it but are unable to get a diagnosis is it ok to give the muscle relaxants?

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:42:52 GMT

Well l worked with racing greyhounds for 7 years, we had an average of 70 dogs in but it sometimes went up to 100+. I would attend trials morning when we had the mass trials and race nights at least 2 or 3 times a week so it was not like l have not seen a LOT of greyhound racing.

The only time l saw hyperthermia was on a very occasional basis post race or trials on very very hot days. We never had any fancy names for it though and it was just good old hyperthermia or more basically overheating, all that energy expanded on a hot day.

We would actively cool them and the vet if needed would give a shot of something but that was very rare.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:45:34 GMT

Mine are the same, the JRT bubble is the worst she is off the seat like a shot

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:42:51 GMT

lol!! Though she is sleeping sound, the minute I switch off the computer and the tv, she is up like a light and ready to come to bed!!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:34:17 GMT

lol mine are all asleep too, no space on the couches thats for sure

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:25:38 GMT

It is lovely indeed!

She has got fed up with me sitting at the computer and the floor didnt seem so comfortable after a while so she is now snoring loudly on the armchair!!!!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:18:14 GMT

Thats lovely having that adoration from a pet isn't it?

And they are not daft either, they know when there are goodies on the go, mine are the same they dont take long to learn the good things in life

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:15:05 GMT

hey, no need to apologise, its absolutely fine.

I am very lucky to have her also As yoy know, I was away for a few hours this evening and when I came home, I got the usual chatty bark from Rosie. I had a tesco bag with me and she knew there was something in it for her! Of course, she got a jumbone! I will swear though she cant hear a thing, she can read my mind!

John said to me earler, Rosie absolutely adores you, look at the way she is watching you!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:10:54 GMT

I agree It made it all the more poignant that he purred, and i am glad he knew i was there for him, the vet said when he saw him paddling OMG I cant believe he is doing that he was totally non responsive, but he knows you are here. The first thing I said when i saw him was Alf, where is mums boy, he purred immediately and started paddling, so I knew he knew I was there he was aware, even if it was in some far off dream like state, I made his passing easier by being there for him .

I swore I would never get that attched again, and although i love each and every one of my pets past and present and yes I am upset when they go, I have never ached as much as I ached for Alf, I actually mourned him for years after, I could not speak about him without crying, even writing this tonight I have shed a tear and he has been dead for 6 years. It really hurt me his passing.

Sorry Paula for taking over this thread, I should have pm'd this.

I am glad Rosie is doing reasonably well and hopefully we have a great summer and she thoroughly enjoys it, she is a lucky girl having you.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:55:46 GMT

Poor wee Alf, such a beautiful cat, and poor you too Sandra

Isnt it so awful how attached we get and its terrible to have to let go I absolutely adored Jake, the fact that he was so gorgeous and elegant and if he had been a human - a real gentleman. He had a beautiful personality and everyone loved him.

That is such a beautiful thought that he purred to the last minute. That is a memory you will keep with you forever.

I know Rosie doesnt have long left though at the moment, is doing reasonably well, I think it is due to the good weather!

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:51:07 GMT

I actually know how you feel, I lost my first ever pet as an adult, he was my first cat when i got my own flat, he was poisoned,(antifreeze) I had had him since he was 6mnths and he was 14 years when he died, but I lay with him on the sofa all day after he was PTS, and my heart actually ached, whe Gary buried him I was distraught, I did not want to let him go. He died in my arms, he had been in the vets all night on a drip, and i got a call the following morning saying he was non responsive....... I went up and said his name and what I used to call call him "mums boy" and he started trying to paddle even though he could not lift his head, when i held him he was actually purring although he was barely conscious but I knew he knew I was there. He took 1 fit in my arms and I said ok thats enough, he was PTS while I held him and he purred to the last minute, it was so so heartbreaking and I will never ever forget it,and I know i will not attach myself to another animal like I was attached to him.

This was Alf, my ultimate best friend

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:40:15 GMT

Oh yes, it was absolutely terrible. I couldnt go to bed that night and leave him and I wouldnt let John bury him either. I spent the night sitting on the sofa crying and him beside me I even carried him down to bed that night and lay him on the side of the bed on the floor. It was so heartbreaking. I was so distraught that the boys had to stay with mum as I didnt want them seeing it. The next morning, the tears started all over again and I still wouldnt let John bury him. That evening though, I had no choice, he had to be buried. So sad

I know some people will be shocked to read this, but in hindsight, it really did help me to cope. Till this day, his beautiful red collar hangs on my bed.

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:31:02 GMT

I know from experience that Greyhounds are a nightmare to anaesthetise at the best of times, they are so stressed even before it and take a bucketload to get them asleep, but I had never actually heard of this condition before.

That must have been a total shock for you Paula

Re: Stress Hyperthermia

Saskia Quinn — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:24:52 GMT

If your pet has ever had a previous uneventful anesthetic procedure, it is most likely not MH.

Animals affected by MH are always affected by MH and cannot have an anesthetic

procedure with gas anesthesia without triggering the hyperthermia.

Thank you for that link Sandra. I have quoted the above from it. Jake was neutered and had a terrible recovery, in fact the worst I have ever seen in my whole life in veterinary practice. He wrecked about so much, that he gave himself a very bad graze on his bum as he tried to get into a tiny corner. In the end, we had to give him morphine to settle him.

With reference to that link, I would condfidently say it was Malignant Hyperthermia for sure.

Thanks also Steph B