Intermittent Limping

[jetcitywoman]

So about a week or two ago Capri developed an odd symptom. Well, first she got a tiny cut in her pad on her front left foot. We cleaned it and it seemed sore but healed quickly. About two days after that she started limping on that foot. We thought maybe there was embedded glass or something we didn't find so took her to the vet. They didn't find anything in her foot, but she had several sensitive spots in her muscles: front right shoulder, both thighs just above the knees. Since the big O word is always a concern too, I asked the vet to check for that also. They xrayed her front leg, which looked fine, and both back legs. Her left back knee was a little bit less dense than the right back leg, but very subtle, not spotty and not enough to be a concern. They also found a tick on her that we'd missed, so we did a tick panel. They sent us home with some rimadyl to wait for the tick panel results.

 

She's been limping off and on all week. It's very weird, she starts a walk just fine, then starts limping suddenly, and then after a minute stops limping. No crying or signs of stress or pain. Her tick panel came back clear except for borderline reading on Rocky mountain spotted fever, so they gave us an rx for antibiotics and followup in two weeks.

 

She's still limping off and on but otherwise seems happy and healthy. DH says that if she keeps this up, he's going to take her back in one week, not wait for two.

 

So has anybody here seen this odd symptom of limping that comes and goes? What should we be looking at as possible causes?

[Batmom]

Start with the foot. Get a good strong light source and maybe a magnifying glass. Go over the foot with a fine-toothed comb -- check between the toes, all the way up; between the pads; check each pad for pinholes or discolored spots; press gently on each pad; wiggle each toe joint gently from side to side; squeeze each toe gently; part the hair and check the nailbed for each toenail, all the way around where the nail inserts; wiggle each toenail gently from side to side; make sure no toenails are badly split or cracked.

 

It's *probably* something small and stupid -- those things can be the hardest to find.

[jetcitywoman]

Okay, I'll do that tomorrow, take her out onto the deck in the sunlight.

 

At times DH and I have both noticed that she seems to move like an old person - like we do! We both have joint and/or connective tissue problems and have days where we hurt for no reason. We move like old people some days and not others. So we recognize that way of moving sort of stiffly. She's only 6, too young for arthritis, right? We didn't see any signs of joint disease in the xrays they took, at least.

[Guest Energy11]

Yes, it could be arthritis ... even at six.

 

That could also explain the symptoms. I'd definitely do what Batmon said.

 

Good Luck!