redlady Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) Radar has been limping significantly on his right front leg for about a week. I took him to our vet 2 days after it started (wanted to wait it out to see if it was just a minor pull). Dr did x-rays - no cancer (thank doG). Also did Lymes test since he's seen a number of dogs with lymes lately - also negative. He found a sore spot (when pressed) on his shoulder. Put him on AB (just in case it was early lymes) and an antiinflamatory. It hasn't worked. I'm going back today, but I'm a little at a loss on how to proceed. He's 11 years old. No other health issues. What else can I do to help with the sore spot? I can keep him more confined during the day (he has full "run" of the house). I'm just hoping this is something that will heal. Edited to add - he does have arthritis on that shoulder. Is there a good long term med that could help with the pain? Any suggestions? Edited October 29, 2009 by redlady Quote "Speak your mind - even if your voice shakes" - Maggie Kuhn "It's better to be hated for who you are, than loved for who you are not" - Unknown "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says "Oh Crap. She's up." - Unknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sja5032 Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Is arthritis a possibility? Your vet may be able to see this on the xray depending at the angles used and extent of the degeneration. Another possibility is just a pulled muscle, which is what it sounds like with the sore spot. Have your vet prescribe an anti inflammatory and a muscle relaxer for 5 days and see if that helps. A final possibility is a bruise, but I am assuming your vet checked for any discoloration. If I were you I would ask for the prescriptions and try them, if he is not showing improvement by the end of the pills I would go the arthritis route (i.e gloucosamine and chondrotin). As far as keeping him confined, I wouldn't, most of the probable injuries do better with some stretching and movement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boondog Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I strongly recommend acupuncture. Dillon has spinal arthritis, and it's been amazing for her. It has kept her off meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Might be a stupid question at this point, but has he been checked for corns? Staggerlee, 9, really favors his "corn foot," and it throws off his other back let as well. If it is arthritis, and all is well with his blood work, a NSAID like Deramaxx or Rimadyl work well, along with a good joint supplement. Good Luck, and hope he heals soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawthorn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 When Sunny had a problem with limping on his front right leg 9 months ago, it turned out to be a neck problem (just between the shoulder blades), which was eventually diagnosed by a greyhound vet rather than our regular vet. We tried rest, muscle-relaxants (valium) and painkillers but although the limping would stop on this regime, every time Sunny returned to normal exercise, the limp would recur. I eventually decided, with some trepidation, to take him to see a chiropractor and I'm pleased to say that this does seem to have cured the problem. At first we had to go every couple of weeks but the appointments have got further and further apart and when we saw the chiropractor again this week he said that Sunny's neck is very good and we don't have to go again for another 4 months now unless we have any problems. So it hasn't been a quick fix, but I am very pleased with the results and although I did initially have some reservations about chiropractic for dogs I am definitely now a convert. Hope Radar is better soon, whatever course of action you decide on, as I know what a worry it is when they're limping! Quote When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues. The work of grief is to reconcile and redeem life to a different love relationship. ~ W Scott Lineberry Always Greyhounds Home Boarding and Greyhounds With Love House Sitting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Another set of xrays in a couple weeks. OS may not have shown up yet. (sorry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlady Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) Thanks guys. This gives me some info to go on. MP - yeah...I know. My vet is grey savy, and when I brought him in, my vet just looked at me and I said "I know....X-rays..." When the X-rays came back clear, he told me that he had a case of a GH that showed fine on the X-rays, but a couple of weeks later they redid them because they couldn't find another reason, and the cancer was there. He doesn't like to scare me, but he's a full disclosure kind of a vet. I'm hoping that's not the case. Edited October 29, 2009 by redlady Quote "Speak your mind - even if your voice shakes" - Maggie Kuhn "It's better to be hated for who you are, than loved for who you are not" - Unknown "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says "Oh Crap. She's up." - Unknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 You know, I'm anal when it comes to my girls limping and I think my vets must think I'm nuts. Two weeks before I brought Diamond in for limping, I brought her sister Pearl for a limp on the exact same leg. It turned out to be arthritis in her wrist. Since Diamond has the same ugly wrist as her sister I just thought the same, but still brought her in. Thank God, my vet still understands the greyhound. He found her sore in the shoulder where Pearl was not. Xrays........showed suspicion. Of course as soon as he said her shoulder was sore, let's xray, I knew. I had been waiting. I knew one of my girls was going to get OS because I was bucking the odds having had 6 greys so far and up to that point none of them had OS. I so hope you're lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlady Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Well...I went to the Vet. I survived a mild heart attack. No cancer. My vet wasn't in today, so I saw someone else (I like they're whole practice...) She was poking around on his shoulder, and found "the spot". Then, she had him lay down, poked around some more, and found "the spot" again, then had him lay on his side - same thing. She finished, looked at me and said well...it's not the muscle. Its defiantly the bone. I panicked. (see my post in Off topic...thank doG for my iPhone...) Then, after looking at the new films and comparing and zooming in A LOT, she picked up on the tiniest crack I've ever seen. So tiny that neither one of us is convinced that it is the issue. But, it's in "the spot" that he's painful, and there is NOTHING else there. She actually remarked how beautiful his bones looked. So, I got an antinflamatory, and a pain killer. He's on house arrest for a couple of weeks while we try and get it to start healing. I'm frustrated that we don't definitively know the answer, but I'm happy that his bones look ok (at least for now...) Quote "Speak your mind - even if your voice shakes" - Maggie Kuhn "It's better to be hated for who you are, than loved for who you are not" - Unknown "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says "Oh Crap. She's up." - Unknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dfriedri Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 My Star was first diagnosed with arthritis in her front right leg after limping. Now a few months later it is actually cancer and I'm kicking myself for not getting a second opinion back then. Maybe just a second opinion can ease your mind. Praying for quick and easy fix for you and your pup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinM Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) Another set of xrays in a couple weeks. OS may not have shown up yet. (sorry) This is what I was thinking. We are not trying to scare you. Polli starting limping Sept. 07. We did extensive x-rays- all clear. She kept on limping. We limited her walks to the grass as it was easier on her. Then, it started to get better and it all but disappeared. She would limp very infrequently. 11 months later she started limping again- same leg. We did not panic because we had done the tests. After 2-3 weeks of limping (not too badly, just enough to see her gait was off) I was about to make the appointment for x-rays when she fractured her leg by tripping on the steps and the rest as they say is history. It could also be something like the beginning of a corn which I understand are very painful to arthritis. What I've learned is that if they are limping, they are in pain. Prayers for an easy diagnosis and fix. ETA- just read the following posts. I am very happy to hear good news in H&M! Edited October 30, 2009 by RobinM Quote ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties. Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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