Lameness

[AmyMay]

I’ll preface this by saying the dog is currently under the vet.

Jack presented a little lame in front on 5th September, all better within the day. Five days later presented lame again, then sound within a short period of time. This continued daily for a week, despite rest and Metacam. It’s very subtle at times, he’s absolutely crippled at other times.

After no improvement we took him to the vet. Of course on that day there was virtually no sign of an issue despite being pulled around and prodded. They prescribed a further month of Metacam and gentle on lead walks. That was a week ago. There’s absolutely no improvement (if anything he’s worse )

My feeling is that the issue is stemming from his chest area, or thereabouts. We’re not letting him jump up/down on furniture or stairs - and when we carefully pick him up, if our hands are ‘wrong’ under his front legs it hurts him.

Any ideas???

 

[Barton Bounty]

I have had this 3 months ago with my older girl, she kept jumping off the sofa and landing funny on her front legs, so I took her to the vet and had a weeks worth of metacam, if no improvement within 10 days it would have been xrays , she didnt start getting better till day 7 and then went lame again 10 days after that, but did recover within a few days. She has been fine ever since, we have stopped her jumping like a looney off the bed and the couch by putting a doggy ramp up, she soon learned it was easier to just wait to be lifted?

now if I see her limping, I give her 2.5 ml of calpol(per vet advice) i havent needed to so far.
Hope your wee poochie gets better soon

 

[Clodagh]

Can you video him for the vet? Tawny never presents lame at the surgery and they could cut her leg off and she wouldn’t yelp or react.

As a ‘it could be’ suggestion we had a border terrier with intermittent lameness and it was her shoulder. Vet told me the shoulder is a very badly designed joint.

 

[AmyMay]

Can you video him for the vet? Tawny never presents lame at the surgery and they could cut her leg off and she wouldn’t yelp or react.

As a ‘it could be’ suggestion we had a border terrier with intermittent lameness and it was her shoulder. Vet told me the shoulder is a very badly designed joint.

Yes, I’m going to video him today. It was stupid of me not to have done it last week.

Shoulder joint would make sense. Did they X-ray the border for a diagnosis?

 

[Clodagh]

I can’t remember. Sorry! I don’t think so. It got so you could see muscle wastage. She jumped out of an upstairs window at about a year old and damaged it then, although recovered. I think the diagnosis led on from that, albeit there were years in between.

 

[scats]

My brother has recently had a similar problem with his Mali. They scanned and x-rayed her and found quite extensive arthritis, which came as a huge shock. She’s seeing a specialist tomorrow.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Incidentally @Amymay I give her yumove , 4 per day to try and keep her as supple as possible

 

[AmyMay]

Incidentally @Amymay I give her yumove , 4 per day to try and keep her as supple as possible

Yes, I feed Yumove to both dogs.

Given that this has been going on since 5th September (although he only saw the vet last week), is it time to push for more investigations? Bearing in mind we haven’t done a month of Metacam.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Yes, I feed Yumove to both dogs.

Given that this has been going on since 5th September (although he only saw the vet last week), is it time to push for more investigations? Bearing in mind we haven’t done a month of Metacam.

I wouldnt say so! I would give it a couple of more weeks tbh! If you think about a ligament strain in us? It takes 6-8 weeks to start to repair. It is entirely up to you though, I would finish the metacam and lift up and down off the furnishings etc and see how you go. I asked my vet what she was thinking it could be and she said probably a torn muscle or muscle strain

 

[CorvusCorax]

X-ray.

 

[AmyMay]

I wouldnt say so! I would give it a couple of more weeks tbh! If you think about a ligament strain in us? It takes 6-8 weeks to start to repair. It is entirely up to you though, I would finish the metacam and lift up and down off the furnishings etc and see how you go. I asked my vet what she was thinking it could be and she said probably a torn muscle or muscle strain

Word for word what my vet said.

I’m so torn.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Word for word what my vet said.

I’m so torn.

Id trust the vet, wait till the end of September and if no improvement whatsoever, xray, I am glad my vet is open and honest and wont just force xrays on you. I trusted her judgement. These things dont heal quickly but continually with the metacam you should see a slight improvement then its very quick once it properly starts to heal. Its trying to keep the dog calm was the worst, she was used to literally leaping off everything to now waiting to be graciously lifted off , put one hand/arm between the back legs and one hand through the front holding the chest

 

[CorvusCorax]

I can't imagine potentially letting a dog go lame for 'another couple of weeks' when an x-ray could have discounted lots of issues.
If he's 'absolutely crippled' at times I personally would have asked for one already.
You are the client, you are perfectly within your rights to ask for one.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Well i LISTENED to my VET and my dog is fine ??

 

[CorvusCorax]

GOOD FOR YOU ???

Amymay is he/was he walked in a harness?

 

[AmyMay]

Amymay is he/was he walked in a harness?

No, collar and lead. Which he walks beautifully on.

 

[CorvusCorax]

And is he breathing OK?

Like Clodagh I'd ask look at the shoulder, elbow and of course chest area.

 

[AmyMay]

And is he breathing OK?

Like Clodagh I'd ask look at the shoulder, elbow and of course chest area.

Yes breathing is absolutely fine.

 

[misst]

My old JRT developed sudden lameness on a front leg but didn't respond at all to painkillers. Eventually she was found to have a tiny tiny tumour/cyst pressing on her radial nerve deep in her brachial plexus which, by the time she was diagnosed, was more or less paralysed with muscle atrophy to the shoulder. She responded perfectly to high dose steroids. A bit weird and wonderful but I wish my vet had investigated earlier as it took a long time for her to recover, if she'd been investigated earlier there would have been less atrophy and not such a huge dose of steroids needed. Listen to your gut.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Was it him you posted a pic of on fb today on the beach ? I would keep him on absolute minimal lead exercise until the end of the month . It’s easy to think we can give them more freedom if they appear sound , but often it’s just the meta cam masking things .

 

[AmyMay]

Was it him you posted a pic of on fb today on the beach ? I would keep him on absolute minimal lead exercise until the end of the month . It’s easy to think we can give them more freedom if they appear sound , but often it’s just the meta cam masking things .

Yes, it was. It was, in my defence, a short walk at a gentle amble on firm sand at a slow walk.

But I take your point, thanks.

 

[AmyMay]

.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Hope he’s ok Amymay. How old is he? Sorry if I’ve missed that.

 

[AmyMay]

Hope he’s ok Amymay. How old is he? Sorry if I’ve missed that.

He’s nearly 8.

 

[wren123]

My lab has arthritis in her elbow, diagnosed by an x-rays after she went really Lame at home but only one tenth Lame when taken to the vet. He did xrays straightaway.
We found metacam ineffectual for her, but yumove advance 360 did and continues to make a massive difference.
She had recently started librela injections after doing her cruciate ligament and she continues to be sound and lively.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Sounds like Milo. I'm pretty sure he has a mechanical lameness, I've told my bil to ask for x rays. He didn't go off lead with us, which is a complete pain but essential, imo. I'd be tempted to leave off the metacam to get a true picture of his current lameness. How's his conformation generally?

Getting the weight off him will have helped, you did a bloody good job of that.

Re metacam, I prefer Rimadyl and asked my old vet to get some in, they don't normally use it.

 

[AmyMay]

Sounds like Milo. I'm pretty sure he has a mechanical lameness, I've told my bil to ask for x rays. He didn't go off lead with us, which is a complete pain but essential, imo. I'd be tempted to leave off the metacam to get a true picture of his current lameness. How's his conformation generally?

Getting the weight off him will have helped, you did a bloody good job of that.

Re metacam, I prefer Rimadyl and asked my old vet to get some in, they don't normally use it.

He has slight queen ann front legs, but not too hideous.

Having been mulling it over, I think I’m going to request X-rays sooner rather than later. If at all possible this week.

Thanks for everyo input. Much appreciated.

 

[wren123]

Good luck, I was devasteded when the xrays came back, as it was a few years ago, however with weight management, plenty of exercise, but no ball throwing to avoid sudden stops, starts and turns she has been fine.
She did have a few weeks on Galliprant when she was slightly lame last year, that did work, more expensive than metacam Though!

 

[skinnydipper]

Like Clodagh I'd ask look at the shoulder, elbow and of course chest area.

and cervical spine.

I'd be tempted to leave off the metacam to get a true picture of his current lameness.

Please don't do this AM. Owners have a duty of care to protect from pain.

 

[AmyMay]

Please don't do this AM. Owners have a duty of care to protect from pain.

Absolutely no intention of stopping the Metacam, and I also now have additional meds to use alongside. X-rays are also booked.