I'm Dun
Well-Known Member
My oldest boy is 8 this year, always been fit and well. He got attacked by a lab and was very sore and stiff over his shoulders and neck. Had physio and was back to his silly frolicking self the next day. I don't know if this is related or not, but about 3 or 4 weeks after that he started to look NQR behind, and lost muscle tone. It coincided with a period of very limited exercise as the younger whippet absolutely skinned his stopper pads and needed a few weeks recovery time. So I monitored it, but then he started showing more symptoms. If he gets up from rest he holds that leg up and hops about then it seems to recover. I'm not convinced hes totally sound though. I think he might also be avoiding jumping up on the bed etc, but difficult to be sure as we are temporarily living in a huge static caravan so we have loads of space compared to a small boat. I could equally be totally paranoid.
Anyway, vet visit was very inconclusive. He has a full range of movement in that leg, can bend it and have it manipulated at any angle and doesn't mind at all, no swelling or heat, no response to even quite hard manipulation. We trialled a small dose of paracetamol twice a day, limited exercise and he was fine. Upped the exercise and occasionally he looked off the next day if he was tired. Off the paracetamol the weird intermittent soreness is back. Next step is xrays and scans, and I’m loathe to put him through a GA as an 8yr old sight hound unless I’m sure it will be helpful.
We went to physio last night and shes stumped. Absolute mobile joints, no unusual muscle tone. The muscle at the top of his leg on the inside is maybe slightly bigger but it might have always been like that.So she agreed with the vet, rest for 2 weeks, monitor and back to the vet if no improvement.
Today he woke up and was clearly sore and tired, and got out of bed hopping lame, went out for a wee, came in sound and went to bed. He doesn’t show any signs of pain in his face, and he is the most dramatic dog. He faints when he has his nails clipped and screams sometimes in anticipation of things he doesn’t like. When his shoulders were hurt in the dog attack he kept coming up to me whimpering and wanting to be coddled. Hes not doing that this time. If I didn’t know any different I’d say it didn’t hurt. But dogs don’t hold their leg up for no reason.
Vet, physio and me have checked his pads over and over. I was convinced there was a grass seed, or a corn or something in his foot, but theres no sign of anything, then I assumed arthritis, hes the right age etc but the vet isnt convinced. I also took him and paid to have his nails clipped and examined, just in case there was something I wasn’t seeing there.
I’m now convinced hes got bone cancer and its intermittently causing problems. He has no signs of that, but sight hounds are prone to it and I’m prone to panic when it comes to the dogs.
I’ll rest him for the 2 weeks, monitor and then go back to the vet, but if anyone has any ideas or has seen anything similar I’m all ears. They did listen but were fairly dismissive and worked on the basis he’s just tweaked something, but its gone on a bit long for that now
Anyway, vet visit was very inconclusive. He has a full range of movement in that leg, can bend it and have it manipulated at any angle and doesn't mind at all, no swelling or heat, no response to even quite hard manipulation. We trialled a small dose of paracetamol twice a day, limited exercise and he was fine. Upped the exercise and occasionally he looked off the next day if he was tired. Off the paracetamol the weird intermittent soreness is back. Next step is xrays and scans, and I’m loathe to put him through a GA as an 8yr old sight hound unless I’m sure it will be helpful.
We went to physio last night and shes stumped. Absolute mobile joints, no unusual muscle tone. The muscle at the top of his leg on the inside is maybe slightly bigger but it might have always been like that.So she agreed with the vet, rest for 2 weeks, monitor and back to the vet if no improvement.
Today he woke up and was clearly sore and tired, and got out of bed hopping lame, went out for a wee, came in sound and went to bed. He doesn’t show any signs of pain in his face, and he is the most dramatic dog. He faints when he has his nails clipped and screams sometimes in anticipation of things he doesn’t like. When his shoulders were hurt in the dog attack he kept coming up to me whimpering and wanting to be coddled. Hes not doing that this time. If I didn’t know any different I’d say it didn’t hurt. But dogs don’t hold their leg up for no reason.
Vet, physio and me have checked his pads over and over. I was convinced there was a grass seed, or a corn or something in his foot, but theres no sign of anything, then I assumed arthritis, hes the right age etc but the vet isnt convinced. I also took him and paid to have his nails clipped and examined, just in case there was something I wasn’t seeing there.
I’m now convinced hes got bone cancer and its intermittently causing problems. He has no signs of that, but sight hounds are prone to it and I’m prone to panic when it comes to the dogs.
I’ll rest him for the 2 weeks, monitor and then go back to the vet, but if anyone has any ideas or has seen anything similar I’m all ears. They did listen but were fairly dismissive and worked on the basis he’s just tweaked something, but its gone on a bit long for that now
Which is why I'm so confused as if it hurt he'd be showing me and making a fuss and he's not. Hes a gorgeous natured dog and genuinely believes I can fix any hurt. I've just prodded and poked and manipulated him, thinking if he's a bit sore from physio then it might show something up. 
