What do you guys think? Lame dog.

J

JACQSZOO

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I have a collie x that I have had since a puppy. She is now 9. Over the past 12 months I have noticed that she is occassionaly a little stiff on her back leg. I bought a magnetic collar. Over the past 6 months she has had two "flare ups" the first after a very long energetic walk and was more or less back to normal the day after. The most recent one last week, I have no idea what may have caused it, although we had been to the Peak District the week before and had many long walks, but the flare up was a good 5 days after we came back.
I took her to the vets who externally examined her and the agreed with my initial diagnosis of a touch of arthritus in her hip. She has been put on a course of injections (cartophen) and I was given some rimadyl for pain relief should she need it. This was on Thursday. She is due to go back to the vet this Thursday for another injection.

On wednesday last week she was very bad, hardly putting any weight on the leg and yelping.
Thursday I took her to the vet, she had improved but after manipulation by the vet she deterioated but still not as bad as Wednesday.
Friday - no great improvement - was using the leg and did get better with activity but deterioated after lieing down.
Saturday - good - was very active, slight stifness in leg but nothing obvious.
Sunday - bad again - not weight bearing but improved after activity.
Today - better again but still stiff - little trouble getting up but soon gets going.

Through out this week we have taken her for little walks to try and get her going as the vet advised.

Last night I was in pieces, I lost my old mare in the summer to arthritus and the thought of losing my dog is breaking my heart.
Does this sound like arthritus to you? Last night I wasnt conviced. There didnt seem to be any reason why it should have flared up so badly again yesterday. I even had to carry her up the stairs.
She has always been a really active dog and this has knocked her for six.
Thought anyone?
 
I know you vet has diagnosed arthritus but did they check the cruciate ligament, quite often a damaged ligament can behave like this, leg off the ground but recovery after a few days. Might be off the mark completely but may be worth checking..

Edited to say....

Forgot to say, dogs with cruciate damage will sit with the affected leg outstretched, and will often carry the leg like that when limping, they don't like to bend the knee..
 
[ QUOTE ]
I know you vet has diagnosed arthritus but did they check the cruciate ligament, quite often a damaged ligament can behave like this, leg off the ground but recovery after a few days. Might be off the mark completely but may be worth checking..

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically the vet just manipulated the leg and said it could be arthritus and to try her on these injections to see if it helps. Is it likeley, because it has been on and off all these months that it could be that?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I know you vet has diagnosed arthritus but did they check the cruciate ligament, quite often a damaged ligament can behave like this, leg off the ground but recovery after a few days. Might be off the mark completely but may be worth checking..

Edited to say....

Forgot to say, dogs with cruciate damage will sit with the affected leg outstretched, and will often carry the leg like that when limping, they don't like to bend the knee..

[/ QUOTE ]
She doesnt appear to sit with it outstretched. When walking she just carries it off the ground.
 
Cruciate damage can be gradual or sudden, and they will yelp with it. With gradual it can flaw up and recover somewhat as the ligament is not ruptured completely but causes a lot of pain and they will try to 'save' that leg. Since you are going back to the vet there's no harm in asking could it be this, I certainly would not dismiss it! Good luck either way, they should be able to do something..
 
[ QUOTE ]
Cruciate damage can be gradual or sudden, and they will yelp with it. With gradual it can flaw up and recover somewhat as the ligament is not ruptured completely but causes a lot of pain and they will try to 'save' that leg. Since you are going back to the vet there's no harm in asking could it be this, I certainly would not dismiss it! Good luck either way, they should be able to do something..

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Wendy for your suggestions - I shall certainly mention it to the vet when I see her. It all just seems so odd, after that first flare up 6 months ago she has been fine, maybe just a tad stiff occassionaly but certainly nothing to worry me. But this week she seems to be up and down all over the place and with nothing obvious happening to have caused this I am really worried.

EDA
Should I carry on with little walks or should I keep her as quiet as possible until I have had chance to talk to the vet on Thursday?
 
I would rest her as much as possible and next time you go to the vets ask for some Metacam - this often works wonders with unexplained lameness.
 
I would agree with some rest, I'd go no further than the garden, however if the dog is one that will tear off into the garden running round and round then I would take her out on lead instead. Hope all goes well with her..
 
Well we have been back to the vets today after an up and down week with no apparant reasons for the downs. I take herback in the morning for xrays as I am not convinced that it is just arthritus. Her cruciate (sp) ligament is apparantly fine as the only pain she seems to be suffering is in the hip area. She also felt along the spine area while we were there and she was in some discomfort there too
frown.gif
. Seriously worried what the xrays are going to find tomorrow but at least then I will know.
Thank you everyone for your input.
 
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