Old Limp, New Day

[Guest WYOwhy]

My 3 year old Avery is a limper. Some of you might remember my earlier worries about his "untraceable track injury" and odd rotating limp. The best we could determine he has no track injury and his limp is more disc related than anything. Switching to a harness and starting him on daily doses of joint vitamins made the limp go back into remission. I was warned it might flair up from time to time and told not to worry too much about an occasional limp.

 

So how much limp is too much limp? When do I get to start worrying? This week Avery has limped a little. Not much, and not consistently. But this time it is not rotating - definitely his right hind leg. Today he even picked it up and tripoded for a few steps. I've watched it, I've felt his leg all over, I've rubbed and patted and examined as much as I know how. Nothing appears out of the ordinary. We have an appointment (totally unrelated) scheduled for March 11. Do I need to take him in sooner? Is it time to worry? Are there any home remedies I should be doing?

 

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

To ease your mind I would call the vet and see what s/he thinks.

 

With limps, I know it's hard not to panic, but I find that if I wait 48 hours or so, things normally resolve themselves (of course neither of my pups has a disc problem).

 

Definitely call the vet and ask his opinion, and I'd probably limit activity to leash activities.

[Guest lotsagreys4me]

Limps can be caused by many things, some way more serious than others. If resting the leg for several days doesn't help, I would see my vet sooner than March 11th. Let us know what the vet has to say please.

[tbhounds]

Check for corns-nasty little things can cause so much pain. Corns seem to make dogs limp more when they walk on hard surfaces but, walking on the carpet, grass the limp is gone--is this what you are seeing?

[Guest WYOwhy]

Check for corns-nasty little things can cause so much pain. Corns seem to make dogs limp more when they walk on hard surfaces but, walking on the carpet, grass the limp is gone--is this what you are seeing?

 

Oh, thinking back the limp IS more prevalent outside on the cold cement or on ice. And I have seen him limp on the hardwood floor but not on the carpet. What does a corn look like? Where would I find them? On the pads of his paw?

[RobinM]

Yes, corns are normally on the pads.

 

My Polli has a limp that is not chronic. When she is limping, it's worse on the cement and tile floor but almost non existant on the grass and carpet.

Polli had a limp for 6 weeks!!! We had a full set of x-rays taken, they were sent to Cornell and OSU and nothing was there, (thank GOD), but she still limped. We rested her and when we did walk her, we kept her on the grass.

 

My Teddy has a chronic disk issue which we had diagnosed by x-ray when he was alternately holding up each of his paws. I make sure they all get glucosomine and for Teddy, he gets Joint Health tabs by Springtime and Vetri- Disc capsules. He is taking a lot of natural supplements which is great and he is feeling a lot better. He is also wearing a harness. We just finished 6 weeks of acupunture and will resume in 2 weeks.

 

My other 2 have periodic limps from previous injuries. With 4 dogs, I never had a dog not limping. Currently, it's Beau!

 

I would start with (or keep up) glucosomine and joint and disk supplements. How was Avery diagnosed?? What tests has he had?

Edited February 24, 2008 by RobinM

[tbhounds]

Corns are found on the bottom of the pads. They can range in size and shape. Some are quite pronounced and others may just look like a small shiney area with a tiny little black dot in the middle. Sometimes you need to wet the pads to see them. I'm sure if you do a corn search here you'll see plenty of posts/pics.

[Guest WYOwhy]

With 4 dogs, I never had a dog not limping. Currently, it's Beau!

 

I would start with (or keep up) glucosomine and joint and disk supplements. How was Avery diagnosed?? What tests has he had?

 

RobinM~ Wow, how do you deal with the stress and worry of limps in your home? My brain sees the slightest wobble in step and hops straight to Osteo. Maybe that is because my perfectly healthy bridge boy, Salvador, started limping on a Saturday and was diagnosed with Osteo the following Monday and left me eight days later. It has been nearly four years now, and I still get panicky about limping. It makes me so nervous.

 

Avery was diagnosed last fall after a thorough exam and x-rays that revealed no bone or joint issues. When he whimpered as the vet moved/manipulated his neck, it was determined to be a nerve/disc issue. Switching to a harness and starting a regular routine of "glyco-flex II" (glucosamine and some other lipids) totally resolved the limp until this week.

 

Everybody~ Thanks for the feedback. I think the limp is getting worse. And after a careful search, I don't find any corns on his feet. I'm making him an appointment in the morning. I'll keep you posted on what we find out.

Edited February 25, 2008 by WYOwhy

[Guest longdogs]

I can understand the panic but this isn't a sudden onset by the sound of it. Do you think he's in pain? You might want to talk to your vet about trialling some painkillers to see if it makes a difference.