Tbd Experts, I Have A Couple Of Questions

[Remolacha]

OK, trying to control my tendency for TMI, I'll just ask the questions without giving the whole back story

 

Can a dog have a TBD if the ONLY symptom is an intermittent limp (x-rays have been done)

 

Can a dog have a TBD become active (?) years after the last exposure to ticks?

 

Thanks!

[Guest KennelMom]

Can a dog have a TBD if the ONLY symptom is an intermittent limp (x-rays have been done)

 

I suppose just about anything is possible.

 

Can a dog have a TBD become active (?) years after the last exposure to ticks?

 

Yes. After initial exposure there can be a sickness...often very mild (acute phase). The disease then goes on to the sub-clinical phase where there may be no symptoms (sub-clinical phase). This can last months or years. The chronic phase is next and can be mild or severe in the symptoms you see.

Edited May 6, 2009 by KennelMom

[Guest boondog]

Ditto to Kennelmom. Lyme can present as arthritis. I wouldn't be surprised if the others could cause limping too. TBD's can be very weird. What testing have you had done?

[Guest mandm]

There are no TBD experts, even the experts will tell you that.

 

I've had two TBD greyhounds and am far from an expert. I do know this -- while TBDs sometimes follow a predictible pattern, they just as often do not. If you suspect TBD, follow through until you have come to a treat/don't treat decision that you are comfortable with. For tricky questions, go to the Tick List.

 

Sometimes there are symptoms present that you did not realize were symptoms, until after you treated the dog and those symptoms went away.

 

I might be an oddball, but I'd like to hear the background story.

 

 

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

Jan, I'm going to ask a stupid question... has the pup been tested for valley fever? Even if s/he has and it was negative, sometimes it's worth a second look to see if there is a titer...

[ShantisMom]

Jan, I'm going to ask a stupid question... has the pup been tested for valley fever? Even if s/he has and it was negative, sometimes it's worth a second look to see if there is a titer...

 

 

Agreed! Shanti has Babesia which we treated. She tested negative for VF on the first round, but had it. Immune suppression for the IMPA allowed it to take off and get caught. So it can be tricky to catch.

 

Erlichia often messes with the joints if I remember right too.

[Batmom]

Answers are yes and yes.

 

But, for an intermittent limp, first place I would look is the feet. With a flashlight and a magnifying glass, every nook and cranny, every nailbed, every pad.

[Remolacha]

Ok, here's some background.

 

A few months ago, Fletcher started occasionally coming in from playing holding his right front paw up and limping. The first few times, I checked him over for cuts, scrapes, sore spots, nothing. After a few minutes, he would put weight on it, and 20-30 minutes after it started, he wasn't even limping.

 

A couple of months ago, he started doing this more often, like a couple of times a week, so off to the vet we went. She checked him over, including shoulder, spine and neck. Looked for corns. Nothing. Did x-rays, the only thing that showed was some odd striations on the long bone (what would be the ulna in a person). I had her do a Valley Fever test anyway since I live in the VF capitol of the universe, negative. She suggested I put him on glucosamine, even though there was no sign of arthritis, and gave me some metacam to use as needed.

 

He has gotten much better, so obviously the glucosamine helped, he's back to just doing the paw thing occasionally, like this morning after he tear-assed around the yard with a stuffie.

 

I guess I'm just wanting to make sure I've covered everything. The odd marks on his bone worry me a little, but he is a bit pigeon toed and bow legged, and has become more so as he's gotten older (he's 7). He hasn't had a tick in the five years I've had him, but he could have been (probably was) exposed.

 

[Guest mandm]

Have you done a tick panel? It's relatively inexpensive at Protatek and you can probably drive the sample in and save the overnight delivery charge.

 

My young TBD greyhound had weird, unexplained, random lameness. Unlike Fletcher's, there was no pattern to it. But it all ceased after TBD treatment.

Edited May 6, 2009 by mandm

[ShantisMom]

Any chance there is an old injury? Have you looked up his records and find anything? I found one out of Mexico on Shanti that she fell. I am guessing that is part of her issue in the leg too.

[Batmom]

His lameness sounds more activity-related, but it sure wouldn't hurt to rerun the VF test and do a tick panel. I'd want to keep an eye on that bone, too.

[Burpdog]

Can a dog have a TBD if the ONLY symptom is an intermittent limp (x-rays have been done)

 

Yes, and like Batmom said, I'd do a TBD panel including VF.

Edited May 7, 2009 by Burpdog

[Remolacha]

It could be an old training injury(the bone marks), when we did the x-rays she found a healed broken toe that was before my time. He never raced, and I don't think I could get any information about his training days. I think I will have a panel done, just because.

Thanks, everyone!

[robinw]

babesia can also appear as arthritis; that's what happened to phoenix. his symptoms were intermittant limping and lack of energy (even less than normal).

 

ETA: the limping stopped after he was treated for babesia.

Edited May 7, 2009 by robinw