Gretchen Is Limping

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Early last week I noticed that Gretchen was limping and favoring her right front leg. It was on and off, but sometimes she'd stand with her leg off the ground, too. I took her to the vet, who moved Gretchen's leg around to see if there was any pain there. She took x-rays and found no sign of cancer or arthritis. She also said Gretchen is at ideal weight and her muscle mass is good. But Gretchen did have a small abrasion on that leg. The vet said that might be what was causing the problem. She prescribed pain pills to give "as needed" and said to walk Gretchen minimally for a week.

 

It has been a week, and there has been no improvement, even though the abrasion has healed. Gretchen continues to limp on and off. She is noticeably worse after she's been lying down for a while or walking for too long. I took Gretchen for her follow-up, and again the vet found no problem. She prescribed a second pain pill and said to call her in a week with a report. She suggested that if Gretchen has not improved in a week, I might take her to a specialist.

 

So I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem, and if you have any ideas about what is going on. GTers were very helpful when Gretchen had an FCE a couple of years ago. You suggested an FCE when the vet (different vet) had no idea what was going on. I was thinking about acupuncture. Good idea? Gretchen is in perfect health other than this. In fact, she has been very antsy with the lack of exercise. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[duncan41]

We have been dealing with a mystery limp for 3 years on a 5 year old female. Multiple x-rays and examinations reveal nothing. Narrowed it down to the foot and have been using TheraPaws and a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for about a year. Limp comes and goes but is very much improved.

[Guest trevdog]

Check her foot carefully for any cuts to her pads or any corns. She may also have a soft tissue injury which doesn't show on xrays.

 

Good luck, I know how frustrating and worrisome limps can be.

[Guest MyBoys]

I agree, it could be a soft tissue injury, they seem to take forever to heal, check her shoulder real good also it might not be her leg but her shoulder.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Thanks, everyone. The vet also suggested starting Gretchen on glucosamine, and I know it's fine to get the human kind. For a 65-pound dog, how much would I give her?

[cleptogrey]

the mystery limp we have had in the past has been attributed to lyme! my vet treats the symptoms...he doesn't test. 2xs emily has cleared up w/ doxycycline. currently we are dealing w/ another bout of mystery limp.... this time it's her shoulder. she has responded well to a week's worth of metcam, but it's back in nearly 3 weeks. off for a consult this week..i guess we have free membership to the same club!!

 

oh, i have started my gal on msm. the glucosamine has given her really bad gas. she is 60lbs and the dosage of gluc/chro is 1500 mg, 1000mg of msm.

Edited November 26, 2009 by cleptogrey

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Painkillers have not really worked on Gretchen, and in any case they're really just palliative. Meanwhile we take extremely short walks, and Gretchen is bored. The vet told me the next step is to see an orthopedist. I called today, and I can't get an appointment until 12/21, and just for a consultation it's $191. Crazy. I already spent $250 on the x-rays, which showed no sign of anything. I just called the regular vet and left a message because it occurred to me that Gretchen could have lyme disease, although she's been vaccinated and has no other symptoms. Gretchen doesn't yelp in pain or anything, and the limp comes and goes. I'm just terrified that if I don't move forward and try to get to the bottom of this it will turn into something more serious. Just worrying out loud, I guess.

 

ETA: The vet just called back and said her age (6), the fact that she's vaccinated, and her FCE history means lyme is the least likely scenario, but I'm running her in right now for a test anyway.

[Guest eaglflyt]

I'd suggest a complete TBD panel be done. Just to make sure a tick borne disease isn't the culprit ... which, sadly, is all too common.

[Guest BiancasMom]

I am currently dealing with a shoulder injury in my 4 year old girl. The dvm could not palpate anything painful and her xrays were also clear. I took her to a surgeon for a consult and he narrowed it down to her left shoulder, possibly bicipital tenocynovitis or superspinatus tendonitits. He advised we get an ultrasound to view her tendons in her shoulder and we did that today. She defintely has a tendon tear in the shoulder, evident by a small pocket of fluid and some already present scar tissue. I have been resting her for almost 4 weeks now. I did not see any improvement until the 3rd week. She is also on Rimadyl twice daily per the surgeon. The recommendations he had were to continue rest for 6 weeks, if she does not improve then recheck the ultrasound to see if maybe a steroid injection into the joint or (hopefully not) surgery. I was also told the tendons can take up to 6 months to fully heal. I would continue anti-inflammatories and strict rest if you are unable to go to a surgeon/orthopedist. Since xrays showed there was no bony involvment, hopefully that will help.

[Guest scfilby]

Our Mickey had these same symptoms which presented after a run in the park. We couldn't narrow the pain down to any specific area, and the limp was pronounced after resting and got better after moving around. It took about a week to get better, and has not recurred.

[cleptogrey]

amy-bee,

sounds a lot like what i am currently going thru w/ emily. we did a tic panel, titers came back 0 for everything.but we have her on doxycycline anyway since the tests are false negaitives and false positives. the 2nd time i put her on metacam, very little imporvement, msm and asprins did bupkahs. checking in w/ my vet on wednesday to report her progress.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

The lyme test results will be in today. I'm hoping that it's just a weird injury that will eventually resolve itself but is taking a long time because, living an an apartment building, I have no choice but to walk Gretchen at least a little bit (down the hall, down 8 or so steps, across the street) instead of just letting her into a yard. I know from having had a broken toe last summer that injuries can take weeks. Ortho appointment is not until 12/21. Maybe she'll be better by then. (Hope so!)

[Guest Energy11]

Wishing you and Gretchen lots of good luck, and sending many hugs and prayers!

[2ndChance]

HI....just my 2 cents:

 

Was researching glucosamine/chondroiten/MSM/HCL on here and came across this post by Greyhoundgang....Chance has a random limp after a lot of exercising, and although he's only 3 1/2, I guess it's never too early. Check out this product...may help, who knows. (Check out the testimonials...)

 

Good luck!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

There are good joint supplements out there. There are also some not so good.

 

1. Read the labels. Know what is in the product. Know the company.

2. Know the dose. Greyhounds need 1500 mg a day of each product - Glucosamine HCL, MSM, Chondroitin. Vitamin C to bowel tolerance.

3. Read Testimonials -

 

Why Get Up & Go?

1. It works.

 

2. It's all natural, no fillers and powder. Just put in some wet food (cottage cheese, yogurt, canned, deli meat)

 

3. It's inexpensive. A 60-day supply of Glucosamine HCL is only $14.95.

 

4. Proceeds Help Hounds, not pharmaceutical companies. Almost Home for Hounds happened with proceeds from Get Up & Go.

 

Happy to answer any questions.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

I took Gretchen to the orthopedist today and got no answers. He first looked at her x-rays from the vet and said he didn't see anything either but wasn't happy with the quality of one of them. He then felt various parts of Gretchen's leg up to her shoulder, and at one point she yelped. The ortho took a couple of new x-rays and then admitted that he had suspected bone cancer, but once he looked at the new x-rays, he saw no sign of it. Still, he hasn't ruled it out. He said it could very well be a soft tissue injury that hasn't had a chance to heal. It's been a month, which really isn't that long. He told me to put Gretchen on "lockdown,"--no stairs, no toys, and VERY short walks. Still difficult, since there are steps up to my building. In the meantime, he's going to have a radiologist look at her x-rays, and they're going to call me in a couple of days.

 

So no answers yet. Can anyone recommend a good car ramp for a non-SUV? It's about time I got one.

[Guest Energy11]

I might have Dr. Couto at OSU take a look at the x-rays. They can be emailed if they are digital. couto.1@osu.edu.

 

I think they sell pretty reason ramps at Drs Foster and Smith. Good Luck with everything. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+14824+17842&pcatid=17842

[Guest Amy_Bee]

The ortho just called after having the radiologist look at Gretchen's x-rays. He said the radiologist didn't see anything wrong with the right side (where the limp is), but he did see a possible problem with a disc. So it could be a herniated disc, a soft tissue tumor, or something else. Or it could STILL just be a soft tissue injury. The next step would be an MRI, which would involve anathesia and cost $1,800. He recommended that I give her another couple of weeks and see if she improves. My question (that I forgot to ask) is, if they DO find something on the MRI, can they do anything about it? I don't know that I'd want to put her through surgery for a limp, but I don't want her to live with pain either.

 

I can't help but think/hope that it's just a tissue injury or something we've overlooked, like an injured paw, though I don't see anything and neither did the vet.

[Guest Energy11]

I would still send copies of the x-rays to Ohio State/Dr. Couto, and ask him, what you are asking us. He and his staff are wonderful to deal with. They can certainly start you in the right direction. Good Luck!

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Thanks for the recommendation, Energy. Maybe I'll do that if this doesn't resolve itself. At the moment the x-ray copies are all at the specialist's office in another part of the state and vet offices seem to have something against sending by mail. A friend of mine just recommended that I wait for a while, since limps often heal.

[Guest Energy11]

Waiting a few days IS good advice. MOST vets work readily with Dr. Couto and OSU, so, if, after a few days, the limp doesn't resolve, I would definitely look into it. Dr. Couto always gets back to you, and IS a HUGE help! Hugs for fast recovery! Dee

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Update on Gretchen--

It has been over a month, with no change. This morning I took Gretchen out for her usual short walk, and she was fine. She gobbled up her breakfast. Then around 12, I walked into the living room to find her standing there with her paw up. She tried walking toward me and clearly struggled. She was totally alert and took a treat from me eagerly, but her limp was much worse. I looked at her paw and leg again. Then, it being Sunday, I decided to call the emergency vet. It's the same office where the ortho she saw is, though he wasn't there today.

 

I took her in, and a vet looked her over. I told her I'd noticed that Gretchen had less trouble on carpet and grass than on floor and pavement and asked--out of desperation--if it could be a simple paw problem. Although other vets have looked at Gretchen's paw, I thought maybe they had missed something. This vet looked at each toe carefully. Gretchen had a slight reaction when the vet pressed her fourth toe. They took x-rays of the paw and noticed inflammation of the tissue around that toe. Tomorrow the ortho will look at the x-rays again. In the meantime, we really are no closer to having an answer. The vet said this could be a separate injury altogether.

 

All the vet could do was give Gretchen a shot of Buprenorphine for the pain. Gretchen was stressed out the whole time. This month has been tough for her, and she had no place to lie down and rest today. We hit HORRIBLE traffic on the way home, and I tried handing Gretchen a treat from the driver's seat. She wouldn't take it. Then when we got back, she was shaking and wouldn't get out of the car. I lifted her out, and up the steps. She limped the rest of the way, but when I gave her dinner she wouldn't eat. She went right to her bed and stood next to it for several minutes. She finally lay down and has been totally in a daze (eyes open) ever since. Her dinner is next to her in case she wants it, but shes ignoring it. I HOPE it's just the stress and the effects of the shot and that tomorrow she'll be alert and hungry again, as she was earlier today.

 

What a day. Poor Gretchen. I wish we could get some answers.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

New update-

Last night about 4 hours after I brought her home from the vet, Gretchen seemed to come out of her daze. She popped her head up and looked at me. I went over to her bed and offered her dinner, which she slowly began to eat until all the food was gone. Later I asked if she wanted a walk and she didn't. She spent the night on that bed in the living room.

 

This morning at 6 am I woke up to hear Gretchen (who was still in the living room) whining. It wasn't a loud whine. In fact, my bedroom is right next to the living room, and I had to sit up to really hear whether the sounds I was hearing were real or something in my dreams. I went in and she didn't look distressed, but I figured she had to go out. I just hoped she was walking better. I threw on some clothes and got her leash, and she walked over to me. Her limp seemed better than yesterday. We went out and she did her business, and she did the steps of my building well. By the time we finished the short walk her limp was considerably worse, though still not nearly as bad as yesterday, when she could barely walk. We came in and she whined a bit. I looked at her paw, which seemed to bother her, but when I asked if she wanted breakfast, her ears perked up as usual. She ate it in the kitchen, as usual.

 

Shortly after breakfast I went back into the bedroom, intending to get a bit more sleep. She came into the bedroom, limping fairly badly, and lay down on her bed. She's been there ever since. She seems to feel a lot better than yesterday. I think it was good that the sedative kept her quiet and allowed her to rest for a few hours yesterday. I'm going to call the ortho today, after he has time to look at the x-rays of her paw.

[lflaherty45]

Keeping fingers crossed that the vet can find what is wrong with your girl, please keep us posted.

[Guest Energy11]

Hope it is just something with her paw. Good luck, and sending lots of love to you and Gretchen. p.s. You could also send/email the x-rays to Dr. Couto for his opinion as well. couto.1@osu.edu

[Guest Amy_Bee]

More news on Gretchen...

I ordered padded boots and slippers from Therapaws, thinking anything might help reduce her pain. I noticed that although I had ordered size medium in the slippers, they sent me size small, so I e-mailed the company. They wrote back to say they had decided to send me a size small because they have a large greyhound in the office that wears a size small. This seems like a very caring company. In my e-mail, I had also mentioned the problems Gretchen was having. They said that greyhounds often get corns in their paw pads. I knew that this was true, and that it's a problem that's almost exclusive to the breed, but Gretchen has nothing obvious, and no vet has suggested that this might be the problem. But the Therapaws rep said that some corns are inside the paw pad, and not visible. I did more research, which said that a lot of vets will miss this because they're not familiar enough with the problem.

 

I decided to try the slippers on Gretchen to see if she could walk in them, and if they helped reduce her limping. It took a lot of coaxing, but pretty soon she was walking back and forth from the kitchen to the living room several times for a treat. I watched closely and noticed that her limping was greatly reduced. Provided she gets used to them, she can wear the boots outside, so maybe we can resume longer walks. I'm not sure if this means that she has a corn, but at least she's in less pain. Hopefully the problem is not more serious than that. If it is just a corn, it would be a GREAT relief. Not that corns aren't painful and incurable, but they can be dealt with.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Amy_Bee