Limping When Getting Up

[Guest JenZ]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have a bit of a conundrum here. We've seen 5 vets and 2 orthopedic specialists... nobody can help! I'm hoping some GTers can shed some light on a limping situation in my young boy Jack.

 

Jack is 4 y.o. and this spring, began hitching his back legs, limping when getting up from bed, waking up in the middle of the night yelling when he tried to shift himself. Because he had cracked his hock while racing, my vets assumed arthritis in the hock and we began Adequan injections, which is like a "super glucosamine." They didn't help. 3 vets and 2 orthopedic specialists later (all with different diagnoses, of course, lol)--he was found to have an injured Iliopsois Muscle in his right leg/groin area. In the meantime, he had Xrays of his legs, hips and lower back- all looking normal.

 

Although Jack has been responding to his Iliopsois therapy, he is still limping when he gets up from sleeping/laying down. Sometimes it's a few steps before he walks the limp off, and sometimes it's 100 yards or so before it stops. His Physical Therapist says it's unrelated to the Iliopsois injury, however these symptoms started about the time the Iliopsois symptoms started. She doesn't think it's "learned" behavior either (my groin has hurt so long, I've learned to compensate my gait...). He's never been stiff getting up from bed before, so I hesitate to think it could be sciatica or anything. I've experienced corns with my other Greyhounds, and Jack's pads are absolutely corn-free.

 

Before this, Jack was a super-active, ball-crazy youngster! No limping at ALL. This Iliopsois injury has just been absolutely devastating. It happens most often with agility dogs I guess, but Jack's so active-we camp, hike, etc. If he was an older dog I'd understand... but 4 years old?

 

Does anyone have experience with Iliopsois Muscle injuries? Or young Greyhounds that suddenly start limping when getting up, but eventually walk it off? I know we have many months of rehab ahead of us because of the muscle injury, but I'm alarmed that the Physical Therapist says the Get-Up-And-Limp-A-Bit routine is NOT common with Iliopsois strains. Will he ever get better?

 

 

Anyone have words of wisdom?

 

Jen

[Sambuca]

I had s clients dog do this when he your hours acl. Out progressively got worst though until he wasn't walking out off

[tbhounds]

I do know of a hound that had an iliopsois injury. She recovered beautifully with the help of 30 days of rimadyl, gabapentin and 6 weeks of rest, rest and more rest-- I mean no stairs and outside to do business (leashed) only. The strain was most likely brought on due to too much walking (new, eager owners--walked her too much for too long). How was your hound diagnosed?? A rectal palpation is usually necessary.

[Guest JenZ]

Thanks guys. Sambuca- one of the orthopedic specialists cleared Jack of an ACL problem--he's fairly confident that that isn't the problem. In fact, he told me that out of hundreds of Greys that he's seen, he's never diagnosed an ACL in the breed? Hmmm.

 

TBhound- Yeah, Jack had a palpitation test, too--that's how they found his Iliopsoas injury (Jack's is his right groin- the left groin is fine). His Physical Therapist doesn't think his injury is bad enough for surgery, so right now we're doing the Cold Laser Therapy route with TONS of at-home exercises. She says short walks are okay for us. It's discouraging though... he's definitely having better range-of-motion with the leg--MUCH less spasming in those back groin muscles--and he's not yelling when the Ilopsoas is palpitated anymore. We just can't figure out why he's limping/3-legged walking when he gets up. I figure, 60% of the time he's up, he's on 3 legs or limping --arg! It's so frustrating.

 

 

Jen

[duncan41]

I have no experience with those conditions, but I did have one with a mystery limp that lasted two years! At two years of age, she was x-rayed by two different Vets, palpated numeroour times by two different Vets - no definite diagnosis. After two years of wearing TheraPaws on both back feet, she is now limp free. Still have no idea what was causing the limp.

 

Her sister has sprained both outside toes on both front feet on two separate occasions. The first time was pretty dramatic/traumatic. We ended up leash walking her at all times (even in our small yard) for 6 months before she was able to sprint around our little yard for more than two seconds without ending up with a limp.

 

Good luck! I hope Jack heals quickly.

[Guest BrianRke]

I had s clients dog do this when he your hours acl. Out progressively got worst though until he wasn't walking out off

?

[Guest JenZ]

Well, went to another orthopedic specialist and it IS Iliopsoas-related... probably nerves from the torn muscle. At least I know, now. Thanks everyone-

 

Jen

[tbhounds]

I thought it would be-rest, rest and rest.

Forgot to add--ask your vet about starting your pup on Gabapentin.

Edited September 30, 2011 by tbhounds