Need Thoughts About What I Might Do To Help Beau

[RobinM]

You could try a "DAP" collar to see if that helps with some of his depression. Any recent bloodwork to see if anything has changed? Also if he is still having ortho issues... Dr. Dyce at OSU is the best I've ever seen.

 

If you believe in them... you could always have him evaluated by an animal communicator if there is a good one in your area.

 

Wish I had some earth shattering idea but it sounds like a tough one.

 

Dr. Dyce looked at the last set of x-rays and said this "a possible increased soft tissue opacity of the right thigh, and right muscle atrophy"

 

That was from x-rays done in July because his right side was off. Acupuncture helped. Then he had the gastro issues, open abdominal surgery late january which put acupunture on hold for several weeks. Now, it's the left side. We have resumed acupuncture. he has had 2 weeks worth. I am hoping after another time or 2 it will resolve itself. I hate to have to re-xray on so many levels. This is a dog that stresses to have his nails cut. Vet calls him an enigma and will be the first to say, don't bring him in- it will stress him too much!

 

he has full bloods done every 4 weeks due to the imiran and pred. His last labs were on Saturday. They were perfect. Vet commented that for a greyhound on pred, he was doing greyt.

 

We have been making more of an issue for him to join his pack on walks. We keep it very short, 5 house or so and turn around. He seems to like that.

Edited March 20, 2009 by RobinM

[Batmom]

Unless he enjoys going to his accupuncture appointments and having the treatment, I'd cancel it. Could be adding insult to injury. Nervous/resistant dog = tight muscles = minor soreness/stiffness becomes major soreness/stiffness.

[Guest StriderDog]

He sounds like a person in a deep depression. (sleeping, no interest in the things they used to love...) Can the vet prescribe any doggie anti-depressants?

[RobinM]

Unless he enjoys going to his accupuncture appointments and having the treatment, I'd cancel it. Could be adding insult to injury. Nervous/resistant dog = tight muscles = minor soreness/stiffness becomes major soreness/stiffness.

 

No, he does not enjoy it. He, at best, tolerates it. This is Beau. He enjoys walkies, and cookies and being home. That's pretty much it.

 

But he did get relief the last time around and he does sit down when it gets done. DH takes him. He is much calmer with Beau than I am at the vet.

 

We've got to give it a couple moer weeks before we subject him to x-rays which will require major sedation, being left at the vet before, during and after until he is not wobbly on his feet. THAT would be extremely stressful for him and take literally 2 days for him to get over.

[cello]

Is Beau on any kind of pain medication?

[RobinM]

He is on tramadol as needed. I give him traumeel gel massages and use a warm compress most of the day.

Edited March 20, 2009 by RobinM

[cello]

He is on tramadol as needed. I give him traumeel gel massages and use a warm compress most of the day.

 

I asked because a friend of mine who is VERY Greyhound medically savy just had her girls' leg amputated for OS. They had her on Tramadol (and other stuff of course) at first and she had a very strange reaction to it. It is an opiate, and might be causing depression in Beau. Just a thought.

Carol Ann

[RobinM]

I agree and we use it as needed. He hasn't had it in several days as he is showing no signs of real pain. He is walking abeit gingerly on the foot that is casted and is walking with both back legs, slowly.

[Guest koolaidnconner]

http://www.alpineanimal.vetsuite.com/Templ...ent.aspx?Id=429

 

Not sure if you have read anything about grief in dogs but I found this article you might find interesting Robin!

 

Hope everything is going okay today!

[Guest zoolaine]

Poor Beau, sending hugs and prayers that he starts feeling better.

[NevadasMom]

How about a doggie antidepressant? At least on a temporary basis.....

[Guest PiagetsMom]

This is strictly my thoughts, Robin.......with all that Beau has going on physically, and with the loss of Polli, I know that a couple of off weeks probably seem like an eternity to you, as there's nothing harder than to see your pups not their happy selves. But really, if you think about it, taking all that into consideration, that's not all that long and especially considering his foot injury.

 

I tend to agree with Batmom......if his vet check is normal, maybe it's just a matter of indulging Beau and giving him a little more time. You say that Beau is very sensitive, and just as you are still sad about Polli, maybe it's taking Beau a little longer to get past the loss. I know they say that dogs live in the moment, but I think that there are some pups who have a harder time adjusting to change. I do think it's a good idea to include Beau, as long as he's physically able and even if you have to force the issue (which I realize is hard for you to do, but maybe necessary), with your pack activities and walks. I'm not sure what else you could do at this point that you're not doing, unless something else were to come up physically that your vet was to feel needed further treatment.

 

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time

Edited March 21, 2009 by PiagetsMom

[Guest nerak254]

Does acupuncture help with depression?

[RobinM]

I agree with all of this. My main concern is the hip issues again. He looks like his is a 14 year old dog trying to get up and moving. He is not even 5.

 

That's what is scaring me the most. We are hoping once the cast comes off, he will not be so overcompensating on the back end and that the acupunture will help. The back end was going on BEFORE Polli passed and BEFORE the foot injury. it's just so much worse.

 

And he is depressed on top of this. Who wouldn't be?

 

I guess I wasn't clear.

[robinw]

has he worsened since the loss of Polli? i once had a cat who sat herself on a shelf after our other cat, her good friend, has passed away. she didn't move for several days. when i took her to the vet i found out that it was a stress induced condition that effected the liver and that it could have been fatal had it not been caught on time. do you think something like that could be going on?

[Batmom]

Might want to take some quick videos of him moving.

 

How big is this "soft cast"? That could be causing a lot of the issue. Assume he is getting frequent bandage changes so you can be sure no sores, etc. developing?

[RobinM]

I've tried several times to get the video so I could post but I have to spendso much time coaxing him to get up and moving when he does go out to pee, I can't seem to coordinate the 2.

 

That is the ONLY time this dog moves. When he is forced to go out to pee. Other wise he is catatonic.

 

This is crazy silly loving Beau we are talking about.

 

Re: cast. it's only abut 4 inches now and it was changed on Wed. It comes off tomorrow. We are hoping when it comes off, that will make a difference but we will still be seeing and speaking to vet tomorrow.

 

His labs last saturday were just fine. He gets them done every 3-4 weeks due to the pred and imuran. We are on top of that.

Edited March 21, 2009 by RobinM

[robinw]

robin, i so wish i had the answer for you

[RobinM]

Here is the vidoe- he was already kinda up and it does not show the back end trembling and struggling to get up. he actually looks a bit better today so far. We just did a walkie about 10 houses and back.

 

 

I had to stop him at the door to put a bag over his sock!

 

Edited March 21, 2009 by RobinM

[Guest taylorsmom]

He looks so stiff, Robin, and it really looks like he is not using that left rear leg properly at all, it appears almost turned inward and the joints don't seem to be flexing properly. I wonder if he is so stiff from disuse and (even though he is young) a touch of arthritis? I know it is difficult to get him anywhere and he is very sensitive and gets upset easily, but is there any way to get him to some kind of pool to do hydrotherapy? In my area there is a doggie day spa that has a pool for hydrotherapy and a physical therapist, and she does wonderful work with some pretty messed up pups--if you could get him to a place like that in your area, and somehow get him in the pool (once his cast is off), I wonder if the movement would help free up whatever is getting stiff on him?

[lovinggreysslp]

I too noticed the stiffness of his left rear leg. It looked almost like he has it turned inward. He actually held it up while going down the stairs at one point. He seemed to be weight bearing ok on the front legs despite the bandaged toe. That is puzzling. Have your vets seen him walk like this Robin?

[Chicocat]

Pretty much agree about the stiffness and turn of the left leg, but it's a little difficult to judge because of the steps.

 

Two random thoughts....

 

Has he been checked for LS?

 

Has he been checked for Tick Diseases?

 

 

 

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

That back left leg doesn't look like it's hip related at all. While yes there is not much movement in the hip area, it does seem like he is taking pretty decent stride with that leg. The issue is when he's touching it down and the position of the lower leg like others have said.

 

I'm thinking it's more in what you might call the knee area or even hock possible. The leg set from knee down to foot just seems all wrong.

So what does that say to me? Ligaments, tendons, maybe muscle, something along those lines.

But you say he has been off on his left side even before the toe injury?

There's just so much going on I'm finding it hard to stay on top of it all so I'm sorry for the questions

[RobinM]

Pretty much agree about the stiffness and turn of the left leg, but it's a little difficult to judge because of the steps.

 

Two random thoughts....

 

Has he been checked for LS?

 

Has he been checked for Tick Diseases?

 

He has been not checked for either.

 

[ahicks51]

When the time remaining on that first video is between :20 and :10, you can see how he's compensating for that left rear leg by the tail swinging to the left, but barely to the right, with each stride. It deviates from the midline much more to the left than to the right.

 

Does he prefer sleeping on one side over the other? Is there a chance he's just lying on one side for so long that one leg or the other is going to sleep?