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Taylor Is Limping--a Lot


Guest taylorsmom

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Guest HeatherDemps

When Dempsey started limping, they were able to tell that the pain was in the upper part of his leg. They took x-rays of that area, the other leg for comparison, and also his chest to make sure that the lungs were clear. They had found a bone lesion in the leg and suspected osteo right away.

 

I gave Taylor an Ascriptin (buffered aspirin) yesterday and it seemed to help a little bit. I am going to hold off on any more until she sees the vet tomorrow afternoon.

I have a question about X-rays--I want to make sure I don't just focus the vet's attention on Taylor's foot in case that is not the true source of the limping. Are there certain X-ray views I should try to insist on to make sure we are looking at all possible places in case osteo needs to be ruled out? For instance, a whole leg X-ray as opposed to just a foot X-ray? Others have mentioned that they take X-rays of both front legs for comparison, should I ask for that?

Thanks everyone!

 

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Sending out lots of prayers!!! We are thinking Positive!!!!! :bighug:hope:hope:hope

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Guest taylorsmom

Okay, just got back from the vet with Miss Taylor, and I am not sure what to think. First off, she is doing better, less limping and not holding up the foot as much. The vet did a manual check of both front legs, range of motion, pressed and poked and said that she did not see any evidence of bone pain (which is good). She did a Lyme test which came back negative (which is also good). But she did not see a need to do any x-rays today, just gave me Deramaxx and said if it isn't better by the end of the week to call and they would do x-rays then.

I just feel a little unsatisfied--I guess I was hoping to get x-rays of her legs today to tell me definitively that it is not cancer. Now I just watch and wait. The vet did say that it is also a good sign that she seems to be improving too, but I still have some nagging worry (I am a worrywart, after all). I gave her a dose of the Deramaxx, but was only going to use that sparingly over the next few days so I can really see what is happening. I guess I also feel a bit dissatisfied that my vet couldn't pinpoint it better, like "It really seems to be a sore toe, or foot, or wrist" or something. I just pointed out that I thought she looked a little hyperextended through her wrist joint (I think she has always been that way) and the vet said "Yes, she is a little cow-hocked" but no further explanation--I guess that is a benign thing????

What do you guys think--I was thinking that if she is limping still at the end of the week that I may try to see an orthopedic specialist at U. of PA vet hospital instead of going back to my vet, does that sound like a good idea? I just wasn't tremendously impressed with my vet's diagnostic acumen, but maybe I am being too hard on her, I don't know. I don't tend to see this vet, I usually see her partner but she was not in today.

Anyway, I will watch and wait this week, and appreciate any prayers to be spared that Taylor makes a full and speedy recovery this week. Thanks so much, everyone, for all the prayers and well wishes thus far!!

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Sending my continued prayers. If it were me and my babe...I would have wanted x-rays done too. Please hug sweet Taylor for me and know that I am thinking of you both. :grouphug

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Guest SoulsMom

This is what my vet did also . . . .he did blood work to rule out TBD, then put Soul on Rimadyl and Tramadol for a few days. One is a pain med and the other an anti inflammatory. Soul had to be leashed in the backyard and very limited activity. If he was still limping after three days the vet wanted to do Xrays. But Soul was much better by then, so we did not Xray and just limited his activity for two weeks to let him heal. Not a hint of a limp since . . .

 

Hugs to you and Taylor, I worry so much also :grouphug

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This sounds pretty normal to me. All four of mine have at any given time, a limp. We are closing in on almost 3 weeks with Beau limping on the leg that had the major surgery last June.

 

Being that you do not have a history as Beau does, I understand why the vet wants to wait a bit. After ll, doing a full set of xrays will require Taylor to be put under. A soft tiissue injury could take 3 - 6 weeks weeks or longer to get better. It hasn't even been a week yet.

 

Rest that leg, give the deramaxx every day until Friday and see if it gets any better. Use a scale of 1-10 to judge. If she is better , even in the slightest degree, then you are probably on your way to her healing herself.

 

I have been there so many time already with my 4. Also keep in mind, with x-rays they do a lot of manipulation to get the pictures they need. It could make her worse (temporarily)so the fact that she is taking it one step at a time is good. I see no reason at this point to pull out the "big guns" at U of P.

 

Give it a bit more time.

 

 

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I think this is a very reasonable approach.

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Guest taylorsmom

That is so helpful to hear from everyone. I agree that I should give it time, and like you said Robin I really don't want to put her under anesthesia unless we have to go there. My poor Lab is still recovering from the mild anesthesia she got last week to get skin allergy testing done, and she's not even a sighthound!!!

So I will keep you all posted. Thanks so much!!

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Guest TBSFlame

Your vet is following a proper course of action. A few days is not going to make much difference. I know you are worried but vets are trained to be able to tell a lot with an exam. Most limps are not bone cancer.

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many times an xray done too soon will not catch osteo, so in the beginning it actually is better to wait a little.

Also, with greyhounds, Lymes isn't the only TBD to worry about, there are three other kinds that they can have.

 

But it can't hurt to go to U of Penn.

 

 

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Guest greytmonty

I agree to watch and wait. If you have any questions call Dr. P. at Penn and ask him, he is such a great vet he could probably tell you whether he would recommend an ortho consult, and if so, with whom. He caught Monty's pannus when our regular vet missed it for a year, and he is not an opthamologist!!!!!

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I would think your vet is being cost conscious. X-rays may not be needed yet, so why spend several hundred dollars to get what may not be needed? I would rest and give the medicine. Monitor him. If he is improving, great! If not, then move on to the x-rays.

 

Limps are so unsettling to us! But, they are not always cancer. Shanti is an example of that. I would not jump up the ladder just yet. Hang in there a couple days. Keep us posted.

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Our Softee right before the toe amputation and with no biopsy or x-ray the lead vet knew it was Squamous Cell Carcinoma but had to add I am not 100% sure. Sure enough when the biopsy came back he was correct. I still say if you feel better taking your baby to the University do so it will give you peace of mind. We had to take one to OSU when she went blind and later found out that she had a TIA. When we took her to OSU and saw all the vets tend to her we felt 100% better even though some were residents/interns especially when we saw her with a dozen or so during a fire drill.

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Guest taylorsmom

Thanks so much everyone, and Karen that is a great idea about asking Dr. P. about a consult. I gave Taylor the Deramaxx yesterday and she was racing around the house last night (it is hard to keep her still when she feels good). She seemed pretty good this morning, and then my DH took her out for a walk with the other two (I wasn't home or I would have stopped him), which is usually pretty long, and tonight she is back to limping again. Grrrr. He said he thought it would be okay since she wasn't limping this morning. I said no more walks for the rest of the week--but it is hard to keep her from getting crazy when the other two are going out for a walk!!

Should I just give the Deramaxx daily for the rest of the week? I thought I had heard that it can have some negative side effects sometimes?

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