Limping/wobbly Walking?

[Laurenbiz]

Hi all,

 

Bernie is my first Greyhound, and this is the first time I've seen him behave strangely - both physically and mentally. I am home alone at the moment, so no one else can see exactly what he is doing.

 

Here is the story: I was walking toward my bedroom. He was on his slumber ball in the living room. To head to the bedroom, I had my back to him. I suddenly heard a loud yelp/scream and turned around immediately. He was then standing up, just standing still. In the process of him getting up from his bed, he made that noise. I tried making him walk to me, then walk this way, then walk over there. He was limpy with his walk. He sort of seemed to be putting more weight on his front left leg than his front right, so I thought that maybe it's the front right.

 

I made him go outside. He walked to the back of the yard where he usually potties. He did poop, but his walk to and from the house was very slow and wobbly/limpy. I decided that maybe his back left leg was acting funny. He seemed to be taking short, small steps with that leg.

 

We came back into the house. I tried feeling around on his bones in all his legs. I looked at all of his toes and feet. I pressed hard on his bones in his legs and feet to see if any of that pressure would make him yelp. Nothing. He found another bed and laid down. He acted like laying down was physically difficult. When he finally went down and put pressure on his left front arm, he yelped again.

 

He is laying down but has his eyes wide open. He doesn't seem relaxed. I'm worried he is in pain.

 

What does everyone think? Is this something ASAP to talk to an E-vet? Or should I wait and see how he is in the morning?

 

(PS - Bernie is 5 years old, no known history of injuries, up-do-date on all shots.)

Edited April 5, 2012 by Laurenbiz

[TheFullHouse]

He could have a muscle cramp in that leg. I'd watch him for a bit and see if he improves.

[msjpk]

Monitor him, could be a neck problem, I have put a heating pad on mine of course use caution and don't leave him alone with pad.

If he still cries out in pain off to the vet

Keep us posted.

[Trihounds]

My guesses would be:

- Muscular

- Neck

- Back

 

Monitor, but if you are brave (put a muzzle on him if you need to), palpate the muscles of his front leg, shoulder, up to his neck. See if you can find a reaction. Also, try a range of motion exercise with that leg. Could help narrow things down a bit. I wouldn't run to the vet right away but if he's still in pain in an hour or two, I'd re-assess and perhaps provide a pain med. If it is still there by morning, I'd probably book a vet appt. Everyone is different, though, so make sure you do what you are comfortable with. Good luck - hope he improves quickly.

[tbhounds]

I wonder if he has a cervical injury?? They can and will often limp with a neck injury. I would bring him to your veterinarian in the am.

[PrairieProf]

Oh no, not Bernie, I'm so sorry Lauren! My guess would be back or neck "gone out" in some way. I would take him to the vet first thing in the a.m. at least. Does your regular vet have an emergency phone contact/coverage so you could at least speak to someone? Do you have any painkiller like Deramaxx on hand?

[Laurenbiz]

All of these comments about the back and neck problems are eye-opening! I kept thinking something was wrong with a foot or leg.

 

Well, here is an update. This happened and all started at some point during the 7 o'clock hour CST. For the first 45 minutes or an hour, he yelled 5 times, every time with movement or pressure (like laying on his bed.) During the 9 o'clock hour, though, he has moved around the house more. I haven't noticed as much limp and wobble, but he is still walking slowly. He had just two small and quiet yelps.

 

So, I think we are going to try to get some sleep and head to bed!

 

I am hesitant to give him any pain meds, though, since I'm not familiar with drug interactions with his Clomipramine. He takes that for SA, but we've weaned him down - almost off. He takes 1 pill every other day, and it is a 50mg pill. I didn't really want to put other meds in his system since I'm not sure about th interactions.

 

Anne, our vet doesn't have a phone person after hours. I will have to call them in the morning. My nearest E-vet is about 30 minutes away.

 

Thanks all! I'll let you know more later.

[Laurenbiz]

PS - Justin is not here tonight. He is traveling for work. But when I told him about all this on the phone tonight, his first response was, "Do you think he has arthritis?"

 

Hmmm ... Is that a possibility?

[BatterseaBrindl]

How is he this morning?

 

If he's still uncomfortable, I'd take him to the vet.

[Charlies_Dad]

My first guess is neck or back if you found nothing wrong with is leg. I hope he is better this morning but I would watch him as much as you are able to. He could easily have pulled something when he got up and it took some time to get better.

[GeorgeofNE]

Arthritis would not present itself like that, typically--sudden pain bad enough to make the dog shriek.

 

 

Muscle spasm, pinched nerve, something along that line could. I would not go to the eVet, but I would take him in during normal vet hours.

[racindog]

I wonder if he has a cervical injury?? They can and will often limp with a neck injury. I would bring him to your veterinarian in the am.

This has been my experience as well. After what I have been therough with greyts and their neck/spinal issues I would be very concerned about possible disc issues as it sounds like there may be some neurological involvment. If he was mine I would completely limit all activity until assessed by the vet and would definitely NOT give him anything as it could mask things and make it harder for the vet to evaluate. I know many houndies heal uneventfully from disc injuries if it is caught early and treated properly (no activity being a biggie). But I also know that a disc injury can be a slippery slope and can progress to a dead dog in only a few weeks even if treated properly- and especially if not treated properly.

Edited April 5, 2012 by racindog

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Poor guy, sounds like he tweaked something for sure. Keep us posted.

[Laurenbiz]

Hi all! Here is a morning update.

 

He has not yelped this morning. He's been quiet.

 

He was in our office room when I woke up, (in retrospect, I should have made him sleep in the same room as me - oh well,) and I made him get up and go outside. He was slow getting up from laying down on his bed. He was slow and still wobbly/limpy walking to the door to go outside. He was really hesitant with going outside. We have two steps down to the patio, and from the patio, he has the whole yard at the same level. He stood and looked at the two steps for a few minutes, and finally, very slowly, walked out on the patio. I'm not sure if he went potty! I was getting breakfast ready for our cat at the time. I looked out there later, and he was just standing in the yard. Again a few minutes later, he was just standing around. I finally told him to come in, which he did, and he had more enthusiasm walking up the two steps than he did walking down.

 

He then immediately went to our guest bedroom. I watched him lay down in there. Still slow with the whole process of laying down.

 

I then went to get his breakfast ready probably 15 or 20 minutes after that. He ALWAYS trots to the kitchen when I say, "Bernie, it's breakfast!" I did that and he never came. He was still in the guest bedroom, and I made him stand up. I kept trying to get him to walk out to the kitchen, but he never moved. I went back about 5-10 minutes later, and he was still just standing in there. I finally took his food bowl to the guest bedroom. He was laying down at that time, licked the food, and that was it.

 

So, I'm not sure if he used the bathroom, and I do know for sure that he doesn't want food.

 

Our vet opens at 8am, and I will be dialing his number exactly at 8am!

 

UPDATE 9am:

I'm at work. I can't stay home all day and watch him and worry! I did call the vet at 8am. Our vet is in surgeries in the morning, and the earliest appointment today is at 3pm, so I took it. Justin had a work dinner thing last night in Milwaukee, and he stayed there overnight. He said he canceled the appointments he had today, and he is driving back home this morning. He might actually be home now. He will do office work from home today so he can watch Bernie. Then he'll take him to the vet at 3! Justin's schedule is a little more flexible than mine.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Laurenbiz

[PrairieProf]

I'm so sorry Bernie isn't all better. Beth and I are both very worried about her half-brudder -- he is a very important houndie to us! I'm glad you could get an appointment ... will eagerly look for updates.

[TheFullHouse]

Good thing he's going in. Hope it's a simple fix.

[carronstar]

Sending lots of prayers and good thoughts for Bernie. It definitely sounds like he has tweaked something.

[Remolacha]

I am glad he is going to see the vet. It does sound a lot like last year when Molly hurt her neck. I hope that's all it is, the cure is time and rest!

[Laurenbiz]

I'm home!

 

Here is the update:

Justin took him to the vet for the 3pm appointment. Justin called me at 4:15 while I was at work to give me a quick update.

 

Justin said that the vet told him that Bernie likely had a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle in his back. He said that the vet checked all of his legs, feet, toes, pressed on and felt everything, and nothing was out of the ordinary. He said the vet noted that Bernie had no swelling in any areas. All this led him to believe that it's a muscle or nerve issue in his back.

 

Justin called me around noontime when he was at home with Bernie, and he told me pretty much the same signs that I'd seen. So, Bernie was still very stiff, slow, wobbly and uninterested midday. Justin said that by the time they got to the vet, though, Bernie was acting like normal! Maybe the vet thought we were crazy.

 

If he still shows signs of the pain or if he yelps, the vet said we can give him a baby aspirin.

 

Now that I'm home, I've seen Bernie walk around the house. He still seems like he is not walking in a fluid motion, but he is moving faster and he acts happy.

 

So, this is good news ... and hopefully this thing just resolves itself!

Edited April 5, 2012 by Laurenbiz

[TwiggysMom]

I'm glad to hear the good news. That would have had me scared too!

 

I hope Bernie is completely back to himself and feeling fine asap!

[PrairieProf]

Glad he is feeling better. I would still consider leash-walking for a few days, and the aspirin. Did the vet do range-of-motion checks in his neck or anything to check his back? If you know a vet who does acupuncture, that might be useful too (my vet does it, and when Beth pulled a muscle in her neck early on we did several sessions).

[JJNg]

If the dog pulls at all on leash, I recommend switching to a body harness if there's been any history of neck or back pain. Pulling on a neck collar places a lot of stress on the neck and back and can make things worse.