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When I saw "Cassie" I immediately knew that her
condition was serious and had a hunch that it might just
be a very rare disease known as myasthenia gravis. Blood
samples were taken and sent to a laboratory in Texas, USA
to confirm my suspicions.
In the meantime, "Cassie" was started on medication
which in the early stages produced a miraculous transformation
(Click
here for a Video). Many vets can go a lifetime and never
see this problem so being in a situation where we were able
to diagnose and treat this disease, where the immune system
attacks the nerve endings in the muscles, was very exciting
initially.
Tragically however, over the following few days "Cassie's"
condition deteriorated despite what we did. Our initial
euphoria turned to torment and frustration. Finally, as
her situation became bleaker we decided in consultation
with her owners to "put her to sleep". Deciding
when to stop is never easy for us or the owners but is an
essential part of what we do. Patient case conferences amongst
our professional staff is a daily occurrence and helps us
to make the correct decisions................ even if that
means stopping treatment for those individuals where another
option exists.
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