Intermittent Limp

[Guest travisj09]

My dog, Diego has had an intermittent right hind leg limp since we adopted him last September. The weekend we got him, he got a piece of gravel imbedded in his outter pad of his right hind foot. They removed it at the vet. He limped for a while, then it stopped, came back, got x rays which were clear. We've been to 2 vets, 1 is very greyhound saavy, neither think he has a corn, you can still see a black dot were the gravel was, they both said it's scar tissue. We give him joint supplements, Actiflex twice a day. He stops limping usually for a few weeks, then something sets it off. I've rested him for as long as 4-5 weeks, only leash walks, then slowly return to short runs in the off leash park (we don't have a yard). It's just very frustrating not to know A. what it is and B. how long to rest it and when to allow him to go back to what he loves best RUNNING. He alos had another set of neg. x rays under sedation to get best views last week. So I think we can rule out cancer/bone abnormalities which is good. So, the last vet thinks it's either a chronic racing injury, either tendon/ligament or muscle related. I really think it's his right rear outter toe, when he stands he doesn't put all his weight on that leg and the outter toe fans out. I just don't know where to go from here. Also each time we rest him we have him back on Deramaxx, which helps, I just don't want him on long term meds if we can help it. My thoughts are to take him to an orthopedist. I've also read threads where people mention taking them to a track vet. I thinks the closest one since we live in Baltimore, MD would be wheeling WV (3-4 hours ) away. We've spent at least 1500-2000$ on this so far. Any advice or input would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Jen and Diego

[macoduck]

Any chance that lingering black dot on the pad could be a corn?

[krissn333]

A broken toe or a torn ligament in the toe is a possibility. Ace tore a ligament in her toe and her toe "fans out" like you described (I call it her Dr. Evil toe ). She was restricted to leash walk only for potty, then back inside to rest, and we iced it several times a day, for about 2 weeks.

 

I would also investigate that spot on the paw pad...I've not known dogs to get scar tissue there...it could very possibly be a corn.

 

There are several ppl here that live in the Baltimore area...I'll direct them to this thread. Maybe they can tell you who their vet is...I know for sure at least one of the Baltimorians has a pup with corns.

[Guest Energy11]

I was also thinking corn. Staggerlee always has an intermittent limp, but he has corns on both back pads.

 

Hoping you get to the bottom of this soon!

[Guest cheltzey]

Can your vet check the x-rays and a do a physical exam looking for signs of cauda equina? My dog was just diagnosed with this after two months of intermittent limping. We've been able to manage it very easily (and cheaply) with Tramadol and Meloxicam. Good luck!

Edited June 26, 2010 by cheltzey

[Guest travisj09]

The vet said he really doesn't think it's a corn, when you squeeze the pad he doesn't react, for me he only reacts when I try to lift up that toe. The vet also said he looked at it under a magnifying glass and he said there is nothing in the paw pad. Now I don't see the black dot any more. Who knows, we are going back on Friday, we'll see what he says. Thanks for the responses.