[Dailydrool] We've got our vet perplexed....

[Leigh Ann Herrin]

I haven't written in quite awhile--I'm quite the lurker, but I am in 
desperate need of some basset owner's opinions! I adopted Mark last July 
from an elderly lady who was moving into assisted living and couldn't 
take him with her. He is 7. On Wednesday 2/29, I noticed that he was not 
himself and was having some labored breathing. I called my vet and off 
we went. Mark had a temp. of 104. Chest X-rays showed possible 
pneumonia, labs were normal. Mark had a shot for his fever,  Doc gave us 
some Cipro and Lasix and home we went. By Friday 3/2, Mark wasn't 
eating. Still drinking but had no interest in food. Back to the vet we 
went. A steroid shot and shot of lasix did him well for a few days. On 
Tuesday 3/6, Mark's jowls started swelling. 102.1 fever and you could 
tell that he didn't feel well. Doc's fill in started him on Bactrim and 
gave another steroid shot. Swelling went down, he was eating again, 
playing with toys, acting like himself, UNTIL.....Friday 3/9. Swelling 
was back and not eating again. Took him in, no obvious abscess. Teeth 
and mouth look great. This was near closing time so doc asked me to 
bring him in Saturday for a biopsy ....Saturday I took him in, no 
abscess, doc doesn't see anything suspicious in the fluid. He's fine 
Saturday night and Sunday and now this morning he has 104.4 fever again. 
He's still on the Bactrim and has had 3 steroid shots in the last week 
and a half. His lungs sounds are good. No coughing or anything. (He's up 
to date on all shots and HW negative). We are all perplexed.....Help!!! 
(Sorry so long...) Thanks in advance, Leigh Ann (momslave to Beauregard, 
Rockefeller, and Mark---Pensacola, FL)