Mojo is giving me more gray hairs

Mojo had this new thing he was doing this week. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other, like his feet hurt. Scott said he'd seen him licking at his right foot several times, so I looked over both feet and in between the pads and toes with a bright flashlight.

Nada.

Night before last, he woke us up with a wail. I thought he was itchy (one flea bite = a rash) so I went to get him his antihistamine. He spurned the pill pocket. A first. Then I realized that he was really shifting his weight on those front feet, even while sitting, so I also gave him a mild aspirin. Again, he spurned the pill pocket. I had to do the standard procedure for pills instead, which he wasn't thrilled with.

Yesterday morning, he wouldn't eat. I saw him alternating lifting up his feet, and he didn't seem to want to stretch his head down to the bowl, even though for a shiba that's not that far of a reach. Tried to get him to lie down and eat but he wasn't having any of that nonsense. So no food all day. Finally coaxed him to eat in the evening, by adding a little cheese. I also so him doing the feet lifting while trying to drink at the water dish. I figured his feet hurt, so leaning down hurt.

I called the vet this morning to make an appointment for the next morning to check his thryoid (feet pain, increased allergies, weight gain)

We mis-read the signal.

Later in the morning, he was walking slowly through the kitchen like he was afraid he would fall. More feet lifting. I saw him stop, then stretch his head way up, with an expression of pain, as if trying to stretch pain out of his neck/back. Then he wobbled into another room, stopped again and stretched his right hind leg way out. Wobbled back into the hall and stood there with his legs trembling. Before all this started, I found him resting on the bathroom floor in his usual lionlike pose, which he normally does when something has him spooked, like loud noises, but the house itself was quiet.

I freaked out. I took a quick shower, crying the whole time, and while I was getting dressed I had Bethany call the vet. office for an emergency appointment.  Mojo always cries in the car when he's not sure where we are going, but the wails this time clearly showed how much distress he was in and even before we got in the car, his breathing sounded labored.

Described to the doc all of the symptoms we'd observed over the last few days, including the scary episode. He may have had a petite mal seizure. I haven't seen one since Roxie passed away, but she used to have grand mal seizures a few times a year. She would also hide just before one hit.

He might have just been trying to get back or neck pain to stop, so we started treatment on that assumption, as we won't know if it's seizures until we see more happen. The vet gave him a cortisone shot, and prednisone pills that he has to start tomorrow. Within two hours, Mojo was already acting more himself, although he found out a few minutes ago that jumping up on the bed is still a good idea. We didn't see it, but we heard the yelp.

He's hiding under his hudad's desk atm, poor lil guy.  Cell pic isn't the greatest.

I'll check in with the vet tomorrow about the improvement. Next I guess we'll start looking at his spine to determine where the problem is.

I did have his thyroid checked - he's fine in that respect.

The vet also felt that the left hind leg had a luxating patella, but that will be a problem for another day, as we haven't seen him limping or favoring that leg yet.