Please pray for our 11 month Beagle Ben

[Myfave1]

I'm also sorry to hear about Ben....such a lovely pup. He'll be in my thoughts!

[baker'smom]

Such sad news about your beautiful boy Ben. Thoughts and prayers go out for his safety and recovery.

[RosCole]

Many prayers and positive vibes being sent your way.
Ben is a beautiful beagle.

[Rosie]

Prayers for Ben, he looks such a sweetie.

[williadj1]

Praying Ben gets well soon.

[deardaisy]

Hoping all the best for Ben. I'm sure he's a strong boy!

[BeagleBen]

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers. The good news is that all the prayers from our friends, family and all of you has helped and Ben has turned a corner. He is responding to treatment. He has confirmed canine meningitis which is known as Beagle Pain Syndrome in the US. He was the bravest boy on Thursday when he went under general anaesthetic and the vets performed an MRI scan followed by a spinal fluid extraction. This procedure carries a small risk of bacterial infection but it is vital it is done in order to determine the form of meningitis. Once the preliminary results were in they started the treatment regime. He was able to eat a little food Thursday evening when he came round and was able to potter outside to the vet garden to have a little wee on Friday.

We heard yesterday that he was playing and having a good sniff around the vets garden. This was very encouraging news since he wasn't even able to play before as he was so ill. The vet says he is well enough to come home today so of course we are very excited! It will be a bit of a long haul for rehabilitation since they have to be nursed back to full strength and kept on the medication for several months. But he is a strong, brave boy, and our love will keep him aloft.

I just wanted to thank you for all your kind words and lovely messages. I'm not sure how familiar you are with this disease but it is a terrible thing and we have learned so much about it, both at first hand and online. Beagles are genetically susceptible to this illness and it is so important to recognise the signs and symptoms as even vets can miss them. If your Beagle displays neck pain, is unable to bend down to eat or drink, is very lethargic and sleeps constantly, loses his vitality, has bloodshot or swollen eyes, and walks as though he is treading on eggshells, yelps out in pain whilst trying to walk - then he might have canine meningitis. It is a life threatening illness and time is of the essence. If the disease is not detected in time then the health deteriorates and they can become blind or paralysed. If left untreated for several weeks, then the dog will die.

I've made a video as a way of paying tribute to all the joy this special little boy has brought us since he came into our lives. He has only been on this earth for 11 months but in that time he has touched so many people and brought so much happiness. The video also shows a few pictures of him from the last two weeks when he was poorly, to show the how cruel and awful this disease is. If nothing else, I wanted people to see and understand what this disease does, as very few people seem to be aware of it, and little is known about this disease. Please feel free to comment on the video if you have a Youtube account and pass onto your friends to view too;

YouTube - Our Little Angel ~ Beagle Ben

YouTube - Our Little Angel ~ Beagle Ben

Here is a video of another poor Beagle with this condition;

YouTube - Beagle Pain Syndrome.AVI

YouTube - Beagle Pain Syndrome.AVI

[ljas]

I am so glad that he is doing better!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful video. He is a precious little boy!

Thank you for the warning and information.

[kutyuska]

I can't tell you how happy I am with the good news and thanks for information, very valuable. Wish a seedy recovery for Ben , such a beautiful boy.

[Erin]

Prayers from here! We almost lost one of ours a couple of months ago, but she pulled through. I'll be praying that your young pup will do the same!!