Abnormal Walking Gait Episode

[3greytjoys]

I'm curious if anyone's hounds have experienced a similar episode to the following resulting from Hemangiosarcoma Cancer or Laryngeal Paralysis?

 

The other night, one of our 9 year old hounds was trying to walk from the family room over to me in the kitchen as I was finishing hounds' dinner prep. (She was late arriving, she's always eager to arrive first.) Her gait was very abnormal. Only her right side motor skills appeared affected. As she walked, she picked up her front right leg very high near her chest (goose stepping) as she very slowly tried to figure out how to place it back on the floor to complete the step(s) for a walking motion. (It looked as if she had a new snow bootie on that paw for the first time ever.) As she moved forward, she was very slightly lopsided from the obviously troubled right side, and her right rear leg did not follow normally. That right rear leg looked very weak and nearly uncontrollable (as if it were about to collapse out from under her). She looked at me with a panicked look in her eyes. (Her hind right leg gait movement looked a bit like she was drugged/drunk and her brain wasn't connecting with her right rear leg.) Her breathing was just a little shorter quick breaths, but she did not appear to be in breathing distress. To the touch, her shoulder and body were stiff and trembling slightly. A minute or two later, as I was trying to observe her gait movement, I walked into an open space in the next room. She eventually followed me and walked fairly straight towards me, but her right side extremity gait problem was still happening. She eventually laid down on the carpet. This problematic episode lasted about 7-10 minutes. She remained very alert the entire time. The next time she got up to walk to another room about 5 minutes later, her gait was more normal. She's appeared normal ever since.

 

A stroke is the first thing that came to my mind (and the vet's mind). I also thought of Cerebellar Ataxia, Polyneuropathy, or Cancer advancing to the brain.

 

Any similar experiences, or thoughts?

[tuff]

This sounds like a small stroke/transient ischemic attack. If only the right side was affected that would point to an abnormality in the left motor cortex. A tumor in that location is also possible, but since it was a short episode, that would favor a stroke type event. I think it is unrelated to LP.

I hope your girly is OK.

[Batmom]

Stroke / clot. Would be worth having her examined and consider low-dose aspirin therapy if appropriate.

 

Gentle scritchies to your girl.

[HopeForHounds]

Stroke / clot. Would be worth having her examined and consider low-dose aspirin therapy if appropriate.

 

Gentle scritchies to your girl.

 

That's what I was going to suggest.

[Guest alannamac]

Never ever saw anything unusual in Bandit's front legs even with advanced LP, just

the rear.

[Guest madredhare]

This happened to Tom about 6 weeks ago (not as a result of what you mentioned though). It was only on his right side and he would stumble a bit. When the vet checked him out, they said it could be neurological or perhaps a pinched nerve. With his age, kidney issues and his bout with malignant hyperthermia, we decided to treat for the pinched nerve. We gave him Rimadyl twice a day and limit his activity (no stairs and leash walking). After the first dose, he was much improved. I only gave him the meds for about 5 days and he has been okay since. We cannot be sure exactly what the problem was for sure without testing, but he is doing good now.

Edited October 23, 2011 by madredhare

[tbhounds]

Stroke / clot. Would be worth having her examined and consider low-dose aspirin therapy if appropriate.

 

Gentle scritchies to your girl.

That's what I was going to suggest.

Me too! Check for proteinuria.

Edited October 23, 2011 by tbhounds

[duncan41]

Hope she's back to normal! That had to be very scary and I admire your ability to keep cool and describe the incident in detail.

[3greytjoys]

Thank you all for your excellent responses! You've all given me more to research.

 

Tuff: Yes, it definitely looked more like a "Transient Ischemic Attack" than a full blown "Stroke". Thank you very much for that important clarification.

 

Batmom: Clotting is one thing that completely perplexes me, knowing that normally causes strokes or mini-strokes. In my girl's rare case, she's an excessive bleeder; thus, surgeons have advised me against any future surgeries for her (even with Aminocaproic Acid as an additional safety net). Her Hemangiosarcoma (being a blood cancer) could be the cause of her excessive bleeding (or it may be the typical Greyhound excessive bleeder disorder).

 

Alannamac: Thank you re: Bandit's LP. Thus far, I have only read of the hind-end problems in advanced LP patients, so my girl's front leg being held up to her chest for so long and repeating through the hesitant step rotations made me wonder.

 

Madredhare: Tom's experience is valuable information. I wondered about a pinched nerve when it first happened.

 

I thought about another Hemangiosarcoma cancer tumor possibly growing internally near my girl's spinal cord.

 

Tbhounds: Will do re: watching for proteinuria. Her last test was fine, but good to recheck at our next appt. in a few weeks.

 

Thanks foxysmom, and duncan 41 for your replies.

 

If this episode was a TIA, I suspect it is rooted from my girl's Hemangiosarcoma spreading to create a disturbance in the cerebral area, or advanced Laryngeal Paralysis (temporary lack of oxygen to the cerebral area). I was highly relieved my girl's breathing did not go into crisis mode. Geez, management of these two terminal diseases is a tough balancing act. Thankfully, she's still doing well enough on a daily basis to consider her quality of life well worth living.

 

If other readers see any mini-stroke or stroke-like episode happen, a rapid emergency visit to a vet is always recommended.

Edited October 24, 2011 by 3greytjoys