Hitch In Her Caboose, Experience?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Ok, so I thought I noticed a few months ago my 7 year old girl limping, or otherwise having a subtle weird gate. This was back in the winter. Didnt think much of it really because I only really noticed it outside in the yard and since it was winter, I thought ice or snow was bothering her feet? Last week I was in the back yard with all my hounds, everyone was running and playing. Then my girl stopped running to pee and as she slowed down I was behind her and could see a very noticable hitch in her back end. I will try to get a video, but for now the best way to describe it is this:

 

She puts her right rear leg down very hard, and then slightly swings her left rear leg out and forward and doesnt put nearly as much weight on the left leg. When she stands, she will turn her left foot slightly outward and will only put about 50% weight on the leg. Of course her right leg is starting to get very large muscles from the extra effort, while her left leg muscles do seem a bit soft compaired to the other leg.

 

I took her to the vet last Friday and had some x-rays done of her rear half to be sure there was no osteo, or masses, or obvious spine issues. All negative.

 

The vet suspects something in the spine, pinched nerve? She wasnt very sure, and since they dont have an MRI machine, she really couldnt tell me much other than it wasnt the dreaded "C" word.

 

So my next course of action is to take her to an acupuncturist or a chiropractor, unless someone has a better idea of what could be the cause and effect?

 

Corns were also ruled out as well.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer had a similar sounding condition. She also stood with her left hind leg slightly out to the side. Look for that, too. She had had a fall at playgroup and had skidded along on her back. No damage was apparent at the time but a month or two later is when she got weird with her stance and gait. And when running, she would often tripod and hold that hind leg up. So off to the vet we went, just like you. Nothing. And with a clean vet report, I was comfortable taking her to a canine chiropractor. Within two visits during the first week of treatment, the tripod behavior stopped. Her hips were crooked (for lack of a better word on my part) and she had a tight spot near her withers. With the hip on her left side being lower than the hip on the right (although absolutely not visible to the eye), her left hind leg was thus "longer" and, to compensate, she was swinging it out to the side and, when running, she had to hold it up because it was the only way to compensate.

 

She now goes every 3 months for a tune-up and everything has been great. I think chiropractors are wonderful for these retired athletes. Just like human athletes, they have their aches and pains and this seems to really help them.

 

ETA: And the chiropractor also had me stretching both of her hind legs before any exercise. That went on for some months. I no longer have to do that.

Edited August 13, 2012 by OwnedBySummer

[tbhounds]

Before I jumped into an MRI I would try a course of NSAIDs (like rimadyl) and gabapentin.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I am trying to delay the MRI (very costly), my vet did give me a refill on Rim and said to give if I noticed increased pain. What is your thinking with the course of Rim?

[KF_in_Georgia]

I have a girl with a limp on her right rear leg. She walks semi-normally (since she has a corn on her front right foot, her gait is screwy anyway). But when she stands, she puts very little weight on her right rear leg; sometimes, she completely lifts it off the ground.

 

In her case, it's the Achilles tendon. The tendon extends down the outside of her foot rather than straight down the back.

 

(good on the left, bad on the right)

 

Does your vet specialize in greyhounds? Or in greyhound injuries? I'm just wondering because none of the animal control vets that Silver saw before she came to me had any comment about her back leg, even though her problem is visible to the naked eye. But a greyhound specialist vet (the vet that treats SEGA's adoptables) pinpointed the problem with Silver right away. Perhaps your girl just needs a visit with someone who specializes in leg injuries. And a chiropractor might be a good bet (take your x-rays with you for the chiropractor to see). Good luck.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I have a girl with a limp on her right rear leg. She walks semi-normally (since she has a corn on her front right foot, her gait is screwy anyway). But when she stands, she puts very little weight on her right rear leg; sometimes, she completely lifts it off the ground.

 

In her case, it's the Achilles tendon. The tendon extends down the outside of her foot rather than straight down the back.

 

 

(good on the left, bad on the right)

 

Does your vet specialize in greyhounds? Or in greyhound injuries? I'm just wondering because none of the animal control vets that Silver saw before she came to me had any comment about her back leg, even though her problem is visible to the naked eye. But a greyhound specialist vet (the vet that treats SEGA's adoptables) pinpointed the problem with Silver right away. Perhaps your girl just needs a visit with someone who specializes in leg injuries. And a chiropractor might be a good bet (take your x-rays with you for the chiropractor to see). Good luck.

 

Thanks for the info, I am going to a chiropractor tomorrow with my foster (weekly rehab for broken leg) and I will ask to make an appt with my own hound when I am there.

 

Chad

[GeorgeofNE]

The reason I took George in for a hind end check was "hitch in the gitalong."

 

Mostly going up stairs.

 

Does your girl knuckle under (or is over?) at all? Did they check for lumbar stenosis? There is a simple test involving the tail and lifting and such, which, when taken in conjunction with a list of signs and symptoms and x-rays can give you a "probably" diagnosis, which is what George has. I elected not to spend the $2,000+ on the MRI since the treatment, if you're not going to have surgery (and I cannot even imagine how much that would cost, and I would not subject a 10 year old dog to spinal surgery anyway), is the same whether the diagnosis is 100% or just "probably."

 

My regular vet wasn't comfortable with diagnosing George's issue after we ruled out osteo so she sent me to a specialist--who happens to have Greyhounds and did her surgical residency in Jacksonville, FL at one of the vets that a lot of racers go to when they have injuries. Anyway, I trust that she knows what she's talking about.

 

The treatment is pretty simple: minimize jumping up on things, keep the muscle mass up with leash walks, minimize mad butt tuck zoomie time, and George takes both Deramaxx and Gabapentin for pain (he was exhibiting signs of pain and nerve issues).

 

I don't know if any of this helps--but if the vet who checked the spinal x-rays wasn't really experience with the condition, you might get another opinion if any of this sounds like your hound!

[krissn333]

Carrie's hitchy giddyup is helped greatly by chiropractic (keeps the hips even) and acupuncture (promotes good blood flow to the lower back).