Worried Sick - 7 Year Old Has Been Limping

[Guest got2now]

My girl has been limping on her left front foot. A week ago, I took her in and there was a cut on her left paw, so the vet cleaned it up and bandaged it. 3 days of rimedol and the cut went away. Today, I took her back because she's limping again, this time hopping on 3 feet. Of course, we were worried about osteo. But the xrays looked good, and the vet said her left foot (up to her wrist) was at more of an angle, that maybe she had hyperextended it. We're doing more rimadol and a wait-see til next week. If it's not better, I'll take her to a specialist (osteopath?). I really like my vet, and she has even been to hear Dr. Couto speak.

 

Although the xray was great, I know that osteo doesn't always show up the first time on an xray. I guess there's nothing to do but wait and see if she gets better. Do you think there's anything else I can do for her? If her foot is hyperextended, can you put ice on it like you would a person? Her foot is not swollen.

 

Thanks. I'm going to a short meeting at my daughter's school but will check back in a couple of hours. Any advice is welcome!

[Guest Energy11]

I'd give her the anti-inflammatory drugs, and take a "wait and see" approach. It might just be due to the paw still being sensitive, or a strain/sprain. If this continues, then, I'd definitely opt for another set of x-rays!

 

Hoping for a good outcome for you ... sending love and prayers, too!

[greyhoundgang]

Some thoughts:

 

- Corns

- Broken Toe

- Have radiologist look at xrays

- Joint supplements would not hurt and might help

- Medizym helped my dog by reducing inflammation, naturally

 

Hopefully it's just a sprain, that rest and anti-inflammatories will help. Assume blood work was done before Rimadyl was given. I like to give Milk Thistle to support the liver when dogs are on steriods, or NSAIDs.

[grey14me]

Did they just xray the wrist or did they xray the shoulder, too?

[Devotion]

Hopefully, it's a strain or a corn or simply the cut still healing. I know it's not easy but try not to worry about something you have no control over or something your girl hopefully doesn't have, osteo. I know it's not easy but I just try to remind myself to cherish and enjoy the time we all have.

 

Keeping you and your girl in my thoughts.

 

Sometimes, the anti inflammatory does take a while to work and some do better on a pain med like tramadol.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Devotion

[Guest trevdog]

Could be the pad is still tender.

[ElizabethGPAPS]

I'd look for corns too. I knew a dog with bad corns on both his front feet and he held them a very odd, almost foot-like angle when standing or walking. It took the longest time for anyone to diagnose the corns. It was actually me that noticed them when I was dogsitting him one time. He'd been to three vets and they'd all focused on his ankles because he held them so weirdly.

 

Maybe squeeze each toe and see if there's a reaction? And does she 3-leg it more on hard surfaces and then walk a little better on grass and carpet?

[RobinM]

I'd recheck it in 6 weeks or so if she is still limping. I understand your fear. I really do. Polli's x-rays came up negative after some pretty extensive x-rays done- one year later, the osteo reared it's ugly head. You are on top of this, which is greyt.

 

I'd give her NSAIDs and keep her off the cement. It could be nothing- it could be something that is not showing up.

 

Of coiurse, we are all praying for the latter.

 

 

[Tracey]

Has she been given antibiotics in case the cut got infected? Same thing happened with Cosmo last year (long before she actually did get osteo). She got a cut that got infected. Her foot was swollen and she was limping and my first thought at the time was osteo, but her xray then was clean. Antibiotics fixed her up.

[cleptogrey]

worried sick seems to be the main hazards of owning a grey. i know exactly how you feel. my 8.5 year old hopefully is just sore of rough housing, every time she limps my hear goes into my throat. 2xs it was lyme, she responded so beautifully to antibiotics.corns, small thorn in the pad(soaking w/ epsom's salt helped clean it right up), knicked pad(a tad of licking did wonders), the begining of crepida in her wrist joint and so on...... this time it's in the shoulder. waiting and resting it and using an anti-inflamatory hopefully we won't have to go for the dreaded xray. we all know exactly how you feel. think positively...be proactive and keep on trucking!

[Guest got2now]

Thank you all so much for responding. Even though I'm still worried, all the support and encouragement is so comforting, esp. from people who can relate to greys. I was hoping this would be corns, but there wasn't any evidence of that. In fact, the vet had just seen a grey with that problem recently and had taken them off. As for a broken toe, it seems like that would have shown up on the xrays. The vet took one of the lower foot and one of the upper, which covered her shoulder, and her shoulder looked fine. I do give my guys the Platinum Performance formula that has 1000mg of glucosamine sulfate in it, which is maybe the same thing as joint supplements. Glad to hear about Medizym and Milk Thistle. I will get them tomorrow. She does the 3-legged thing more on hard surfaces than she does on grass and stuff. The cut she had last week was treated and bandaged up pretty well for a few days, seemed to heal, and her pad now looks like all the others. After researching osteo in ghounds last night, I ordered a supplement called ArteMin 50 and will start that soon. We will def. be doing more xrays at some point. Cancer scares me so bad - I've always tried to supplement their kibble with anti-cancer foods like fresh berries and vegetables. I just wish there was more we could do to protect against it.

[Guest MyBoys]

If she had a cut on her pad maybe there is something still in there, even the tinyest sliver can cause discomfort.