Rickiesmom

So much love in your tribute. I am so sorry for your loss of a very, very special girl.

What a beautiful tribute to a truly extraordinary hound. Though your connection will endure I am so sorry Minny is no longer with you for hugs and kisses.

We saw the alt med vet yesterday. He spent almost an hour examining Rickie. He agreed with the neurologist that there didn't seem to be any issue with his neck based on its posture and Rickie's willingness to move it in all directions, including quite tightly backwards (amazing what he'll do for a treat). He said he couldn't rule out a nerve sheath tumour for the same reasons the neurologist couldn't, but he said in cases he'd seen with nerve sheath tumours, after this amount of time he would expect more pain and more muscle wasting. He agreed with everyone that the problem didn't seem to be in the toes. No reaction to having them squeezed, and he also felt the type of limp didn't suggest it - he wasn't swinging the leg out or otherwise doing anything that suggested the pain was in the foot. He agreed with the orthopedic specialist that the source of the pain was in the shoulder. He felt some tenderness in the triceps area, but no specific spots that he could focus on with acupunture. He said he could do standard acupuncture for the shoulder area, but in his experience it was less successful than if he had a specific problem area to treat. I have a call into the neurologist to bring her up to speed and to see about upping the Gabapentin (she didn't want to do that til after yesterday's appointment). I am then going to discuss the arthroscopy in more detail with the surgeon, and depending on how that goes, and whether the increased Gabapendin has any effect, that may be our next step. I'm still going to see if they'll do the nerve block in the toes first, just to definitively rule out corns as the cause, as unlikely as it now seems. I'm not crazy about the anaesthetic risk, but if Rickie is going to have surgery, this is the place to do it - they have a board-certified anaesthesiologist who is sighthound-experienced, state of the art monitoring equipment, and as I've said before, I totally trust this surgeon. If this can resolve Rickie's pain and give him a better quality of life for the time he has left, I think it's worth it. It's so hard to see him in pain so much of the time right now. All that said, my question of the day is - has anyone had arthroscopic surgery done on a joint in their hound? If yes, please share your experience (which joint, symptoms beforehand, recovery period duration and difficulty for the dog, any complications, any physio required, and anything else you want to share. Thank you!

Godspeed Heart. I will light a candle this evening for your journey. My heart hurts for all who loved you.

Oh no! Judy I am in shock but more than anything I am so, so sorry. My heart breaks for you and yours.

So, so glad to hear she's doing better. Poor little muffin.

Based on my recent experience with Jaynie (ligament injury in toe) it took a good 2 months of leash walks only (gradually increasing in length after the first month or so) before I let her off leash again. I knew the second I did she'd be off like a bullet, just for the joy of running. After it happened she was on Tramadol for a week or so for pain, and then nothing. Now I watch for it bothering her, and if it does we scale things back again for a couple of days, and so far she has been fine.

I happen to know on good authority that there will be a couple of these in the upcoming GPA-Central Florida auction that starts July 17

Thinking of you both and hoping for good news this morning.

Judy It sounds like Heart is in good hands - may that give you comfort in the midst of the worry. We are sending prayers for you, Mike and for your beautiful Heart.

Linda thank you for the good thoughts for my boy. The alt med vet is coming to see him on Wed afternoon and will do a thorough exam. He's a mobile vet and I now live outside his normal practice area, so it is very kind of him to come up. Rickie is much less stressed at home than at a clinic. The result of his exam will determine our next steps. If Rickie needs acupuncture or anything else, I can always take him to the clinic this vet practices at certain days of the week. It's a bit of a trek but will be worth it since Rickie knows him, and since he has the gentlest manner of any vet I've ever dealt with.

After many discussions, I am going to defer the MRI and other procedures for now. Instead, the neurologist is going to prescribe gabapentin to add to the metacam and tramadol Rickie is currently on. (He's been off the amantadine for awhile as it made no difference. I worry this means the gabapentin won't either, but it's worth a shot.) I am also going to contact the alternative med vet for an exam and whatever treatment he recommends. Batmom's idea is currently being discussed - the orthopedic specialist doesn't believe it's the corns, and has offered to see me to discuss why and also the pros and cons of the nerve block in the toes, so that is still an open item. Meanwhile Rickie, who gets very stressed at the vet, came home, had a late breakfast (I had to fast him) and is now very soundly asleep. My baby.

We had a very long and detailed appointment. Rickie has seen this neurologist before and I really like her - experienced, methodical, detail oriented, and clear in her explanations. She said when a dog presents with front limb lameness, it's almost always orthopedic. She tends to see dogs like this when an orthopedic cause cannot be determined (Rickie's case) or when the dog also shows symptoms of a neurological deficit, such as neck pain, which Rickie does not show evidence of. She sees maybe 3 cases like this per year. Trust my beloved little lemon to be one of them. Based on the neck x-rays he has one calcified disc in his neck, but there is no indication, on the x-ray, that it is intruding on the spinal cord. However, pending an MRI, this is still one possibility. The other possibility from a neuro standpoint is a nerve sheath tumour. She couldn't feel anything on physical exam, but this would also show up on the MRI. If it should turn out to be the first problem, surgery would be possible. I didn't ask any questions about this - didn't seem much point til we know. Nevertheless, it would be better than if he had a tumour, as the usual treatment in this case would be amputation, and age aside, Rickie isn't strong enough for that - his other front leg has a partially fused carpus and some arthritis, and his back right leg isn't strong due to the amount of muscle removed 3 years ago when he had the cancer surgery. Should there be no evidence of either of these issues, then we return to the orthopedic surgeon who would scope the shoulder and at the same time they would do an EMG to assess nerve function. I asked about acupuncture, and she thought we should wait to find out if the problem is a tumour. She didn't seem to be leaning toward any particular possibility, so I really don't know what to expect. The sad thing is, limp aside, Rickie is a happy boy - loves his food and treats, his frisbee and ball. I should have mentioned above - she doesn't think it's the corns.

Yes they did. I'm just back from the neurologist - will gather some notes and post.

Not this time, yet. Our neuro consult is tomorrow and I will discuss this with her. She knows and respects the practitioner I use, who also does gentle chiropractic (which may not be advisable if she believes the issue is in the neck). Depending on what she thinks, I do want to try some simpler things before taking him for the MRI which will involve anaesthetic, as good a diagnostic tool as it is. SInce I don't know how quickly I'll get an MRI appointment, it may make sense to book it and then have the other vet over to examine Rickie and see what he thinks he can do for him. This neurologist is very good and saw Rickie several years ago when he had a sharp pain anytime he took a step up, so she knows him a bit. She is sighthound knowledgeable.

Jan I can't find the wretched thing. I put it away in about March or so since it wasn't really working for us, and I have no idea where - all the likely places have been turned inside out several times. It must be around somewhere and hopefully I'll be inspired to look in the right spot soon. The vet did check his toes very thoroughly and didn't seem to think they were the problem, but I agree, worth a try with the boot again, as soon as I find it. Meanwhile, I have changed him from a collar to a harness, so if it is his neck, hopefully this will help him.

We saw the orthopedic specialist and he examined Rickie and also had a neurologist look at him. They felt he was painful in his shoulder and possibly his neck. A sample of the fluid in the shoulder joint was sent for pathology to determine if there was excessive inflamation. The results came back pretty normal, though the specialist did feel that there was excessive fluid there. The recommended next step is to see the neurologist again, and probably go for an MRI to cover the neck and shoulder area to try and narrow down the specific issue. I should be able to get him in either late this week or next week. I can't imagine doing spinal surgery on a 13 year old dog - I am going to see how strong a hunch the neurologist has about what's wrong, and if she has one, then maybe we can treat for that and see if he improves. In the meantime, as always, I would be interested in your thoughts.

Godspeed Hope. I'm so sorry you lost your precious girl.

It sure is good to see Jilly back home! Poor Heart. I hope the pain meds give her the relief she needs to heal comfortably. We know she will have TLC in abundance. Hope you and Mike can get some rest now too!

All fingers and paws crossed here too!

That sounds pretty promising! And what a treat she has in store when she gets home!

Diane I am so sorry. I remember what a sweetheart Mizzy was at Sandy Paws when I was there in 2009, even though she had a very sore toe. Godspeed beautiful girl.

A vet once said to me about my old lab cross "he's a tough old dog". Hopefully the same can be said of your little girl (not that I'd care call you old Jilly) and she'll pull through this just fine. Meanwhile, sending prayers and watching for more news.

Just seeing this now, and hoping your Bean is feeling better this morning. Will be watching for an update.

What a beautiful hound, inside and out. I am so sorry for your loss.