Legs Falling Asleep?

[Guest Jupiter]

Hey everyone, I have a somewhat odd question. My dog Honey (who just turned 6) has woken up from her naps lame more than a handful of times now, all in the last 2 months. I think its probably been 10 or 15 times, but in the last few days its been almost every time she gets up. She'll wake up from a nap and stumble on one of her back feet (always a back foot, but not always the right or left). After a good stretch and a minute or two she's perfectly fine again. She's limping one minute and totally fine the next, and it only happens when she first wakes up. It seems like her feet are falling asleep! I hope its nothing serious. Should I not let her sleep in her winter coat?

 

She's also changed her eating habits in the same timeframe. About a month ago she had a very extensive dental where they removed 4 top molars. She stopped eating her breakfast right away 2 months ago and I thought it was just due to tooth pain, but now that she's all healed up nothing's changed. We tried switching kibbles (from taste of the wild fish to taste of the wild poultry) but she still seems unimpressed. She will taste it and spit it back out! Even if I put chicken broth on it, she'll just drink the broth and spit out the kibbles. Eventually she eats it (usually in the afternoon after our walk) and dinner is just as exciting as ever, even though its the same food! She's eating it all, its just such a dramatic difference from when we first got her. She would wake us up at 6am and demand to be fed. Should I try switching to a different brand of food, not just flavor? She is usually extremely food motivated, so this is a big change from her usual behavior.

[Sambuca]

How long have you had her?

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

I would take the coat off of her and let her sleep on or next to it if you think she is cold - to see if maybe the coat may be constricting some blood to the extremities. Get a cuple of those cheap fleece 6x6 blankets for her to nest/snuggle in if you think she may be cold. Portland is pretty temperate so I wouldn't think that she would need a coat. Good Luck

[PrairieProf]

Arthritis seems a possibility that needs to be explored re the limping. Sounds like time for a vist and chat with your vet.

[GeorgeofNE]

Why is she wearing her "winter coat" inside? Maybe a nice pair of jammies would be more comfy? But no, I don't think that's what is causing the stiffness.

 

You need to take her to the vet if she stopped eating after a dental. She could have an infection. Also ask about arthritis. What you're describing sounds like arthritis.

[Guest Jupiter]

Why is she wearing her "winter coat" inside? Maybe a nice pair of jammies would be more comfy? But no, I don't think that's what is causing the stiffness.

 

You need to take her to the vet if she stopped eating after a dental. She could have an infection. Also ask about arthritis. What you're describing sounds like arthritis.

It's been cold in Portland lately, down to the 40's at night and never getting much past 55 during the day. We keep a few rooms of the house warm but haven't turned the central air heater on yet. I also have a shop in the garage that I spend most of my time in (I run a home business), and its usually about 60 degrees out there. She has a bed out there and hangs out with me most of that time. I've been leaving Honey's coat on since its been so cold. Also since she likes to play tug of war when I put it on - it takes us a good 5 minutes just to settle down enough that I can get it on her! I wonder if there are jammies that would be warm enough for her to spend 10 minutes outside in 40 degree weather in?

 

Her mouth looks beautiful. All the stitches have dissolved and her new gums look great. Maybe kibble will no longer work for her since she can't chew it easily anymore? She does end up eating all her food by the end of the day. The main thing is that she doesn't seem to be in pain at all. She's a talker - she has given us the GSOD quite a few times, once over a wrinkle in her bed. When she gets up I can tickle her toes without any flinching, and it takes her awhile to correct her position if I stand her foot on her knuckles. It doesn't seem painful to her at all. Would arthritis be painless like this, and only present itself after getting up from sleeping? I don't have much experience with doggy arthritis.

 

How long have you had her?

 

We got her September of 2011, right before she turned 5. So we've had her for a little over a year now.

 

Thanks everyone for all of your advice. I asked my vet a few weeks ago about it and she said it was nothing to worry about since it goes away in a minute or two. Do you think I should take her back in for a re-check?

[Guest zombrie]

Sounds to me like she is getting stiff when she is laying down sleeping and works out of it once she gets up and moving. That's exactly what happens to my german shepherd who has arthritis.

Edited November 14, 2012 by zombrie

[KF_in_Georgia]

Make sure your vet knows about the knuckling (when you put her foot onto her knuckles and she doesn't correct right away). If she's usually fine when the vet sees her, take a video showing how long it takes her to correct the knuckling. Try getting a video of all the odd-ball stuff that your vet never gets a chance to see.

 

And you can try adding water to her kibble in the morning. My girl will eat her morning kibble--mainly to keep her brother from eating it--but she loves it if I add a bit of warm water. Since your girl is a bit dentally challenged , water in the kibble might be especially attractive. I'd try the water before I changed to a different food, especially since she's eating it in the evening. (My girl is the same. By dinner, she's starving. First thing in the morning, she's pickier.)