Intermittent Wrist Problem

[Guest longdoglady]

If Anna turns left sharply when running she stops and lifts her left paw, it sometimes happens when she runs over rough ground too. Lead walking, racing around the house or garden on her own and at her own pace - no problem but if she runs with another dog or after toys and she sharp turns left then game over. After a short rest she is walking with no sign of a limp. She is 4 years old and had the problem since I adopted her 2 years ago. I'm pretty sure it is her wrist joint but the rest of the time you can manipulate it, put pressure on the joint and there is no evidence of pain or lameness. There are no symptoms for a vet to find and pain killers are not needed as the pain is so short lived. Any ideas of what may be going on and what I can do other than not let her run hard?

 

[DaisyDoodle]

FWIW, I thought for over a year that Daisy had a foot/toe problem. I could even get her to wince when I squeezed a toe. It turned out it was her neck.

[Guest Stripeyfan]

Hi, Kelly has a stiff wrist since we got him (he's nearly 4). A limp comes on if he lands hard when he's play-bowing or if it's very cold outside, and quickly disappears again. We mentioned it to the vet when he went for his boosters, who said the joint felt 'crackly' but could find nothing really wrong, she thought it was slight arthritis from an old injury he may have got when he was racing. She recommended glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, we use Vetzyme High Strength flexible joint capsules (from our local pet shop) which we crush up into his food at night, they made a difference in about 3 days - no limp and the crackliness disappeared completely. They also contain Omega 3, MSM and Green Lipped Mussel. We've had to stop them for the time being because of his tummy problems but we're hoping we can get him back on them soon. I think it's also ok to give human supplements. Hope you can get it sorted out!

[Hawthorn]

FWIW, I thought for over a year that Daisy had a foot/toe problem. I could even get her to wince when I squeezed a toe. It turned out it was her neck.

 

I was going to suggest neck too. When Sunny had a problem with intermittent lameness after exercise it eventually turned out to be his neck. A chiropractor has helped Sunny a lot.

[Guest sja5032]

Hi, Kelly has a stiff wrist since we got him (he's nearly 4). A limp comes on if he lands hard when he's play-bowing or if it's very cold outside, and quickly disappears again. We mentioned it to the vet when he went for his boosters, who said the joint felt 'crackly' but could find nothing really wrong, she thought it was slight arthritis from an old injury he may have got when he was racing. She recommended glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, we use Vetzyme High Strength flexible joint capsules (from our local pet shop) which we crush up into his food at night, they made a difference in about 3 days - no limp and the crackliness disappeared completely. They also contain Omega 3, MSM and Green Lipped Mussel. We've had to stop them for the time being because of his tummy problems but we're hoping we can get him back on them soon. I think it's also ok to give human supplements. Hope you can get it sorted out!

 

I also think trying a joint supplement is a good idea. Most take about 2 weeks to a month to show improvement though. You can use human supplements and they are usually cheaper. A good joint supplement has glucosamine and chondroitin, MSM is an anti-inflammatory so it is up to you whether you think you need it, Omega 3's also help lubricate the joints among other benefits. Vitamin C is also know to help with arthritis.

[DaisyDoodle]

I also think trying a joint supplement is a good idea. Most take about 2 weeks to a month to show improvement though. You can use human supplements and they are usually cheaper. A good joint supplement has glucosamine and chondroitin, MSM is an anti-inflammatory so it is up to you whether you think you need it, Omega 3's also help lubricate the joints among other benefits. Vitamin C is also know to help with arthritis.

Can dogs benefit from vitamin C supplements? They produce it naturally by getting sunlight, the way humans produce vitamin D. What function does it naturally play for dogs?

[Guest Stripeyfan]

I also think trying a joint supplement is a good idea. Most take about 2 weeks to a month to show improvement though. You can use human supplements and they are usually cheaper. A good joint supplement has glucosamine and chondroitin, MSM is an anti-inflammatory so it is up to you whether you think you need it, Omega 3's also help lubricate the joints among other benefits. Vitamin C is also know to help with arthritis.

 

Sorry, I meant 3 weeks not days... teach me to post when I'm only halfway down my 1st cup of coffee!

[Guest sja5032]

I also think trying a joint supplement is a good idea. Most take about 2 weeks to a month to show improvement though. You can use human supplements and they are usually cheaper. A good joint supplement has glucosamine and chondroitin, MSM is an anti-inflammatory so it is up to you whether you think you need it, Omega 3's also help lubricate the joints among other benefits. Vitamin C is also know to help with arthritis.

Can dogs benefit from vitamin C supplements? They produce it naturally by getting sunlight, the way humans produce vitamin D. What function does it naturally play for dogs?

 

There have been studies in horses that prove a benefit of vitamin c for joint health. I have seen it advertised in joint supplements mostly for horses but the one my dog is on also has some. Its very hard to over do water soluble vitamins so a supplement with vit c can't hurt, I don't think most dogs need it though outside of joint supplements.

[Guest longdoglady]

Thank you for all the advice, I will try the supplements and maybe experiment with supporting the weak joint with vet wrap when she runs. She ran with her saluki lurcher friend Harley yesterday with no problems which was really good to see.