Rudy Is Suddenly Lame (Update Post #98)

[forevergrey]

It is probably nothing more then a muscle strain. It can be so many small things that are non life threatening and your boy will be back to normal soon enough.

I do understand your anxiety. I lost my heart dog to osteo just last year and I am simply terrified of it. Plus I do not handle anything being physically wrong with my animals well at all. I am in constant state of alternating panic and low lever anxiety that does not go away until the issue is resolved. A few months ago my boys were running around this fenced in skate park (mostly grass) and Onyx ran into a low branch and cut his wrist area. Lots of blood, bandages and he was limping for a few days. It resolved fairly fast and he was back to normal. In the meantime I was a wreck. I knew it was illogical, that is was "just a cut" but the fact that my greyhound was limping was a major trigger and I kept thinking 'what if it's osteo". I know how irrational that was, given that it was clearly from a cut, but I just could't help it. Try not to worry about Rudy. He will be fine and back to his usual happy self in no time.

[Guest k9soul]

Forevergrey, that is exactly how I am. Yesterday he just seemed so unlike himself. I mean I did not expect him to be himself but it was still hard to see him not get up curious when I went into the kitchen or when he did get up he really hobbled. Usually he's whining to go for a walk at his usual time, has his toy play time, gets up and follows me around often, etc. None of that yesterday. Then he got really snarky with my lab mix just for standing too close to him, which is something he never does.

 

I admit, silly as it was, I just felt depressed when I went to bed last night. This morning he came up to the side of my bed before I got up and his eyes just showed me he was feeling better. They were more alert, more "him". He is still limping but not as heavily. He just seems to be a bit more himself and I'm really relieved. But I will feel best of all when that limp is gone and my boy can bounce and run around again like normal.

Edited November 13, 2013 by k9soul

[Beachbum1]

What a relief!!!!

[forevergrey]

I am SO relieved to hear that Rudy is doing better! I know you are still worried and will be somewhat anxious until the whole thing is resolved and your boy is back to normal which he will be. Soon. I really bet it's nothing more then a bump or sprain. These dogs can be so prone to injuries with their tiny feet, long skinny legs and the speed at which they run-all can lead to minor (and sometimes not so minor) injuries. The important thing is that Rudy is on his way to recovery.

[Guest k9soul]

I'm feeling discouraged again. I know, I know, it's really only been 2 full days, but Rudy got up tonight to get his cookie after he had been sleeping several hours and he was limping severely again. I hate seeing him hobble like that. How long should I give things before I would bring him for a recheck? I feel like the Rimadyl is not really having much effect but it's hard to say. He does seem to put more weight on it after he's walked around a bit, but he is very eager to lie back down again ASAP. Just worried..

[RaineysMom]

have you gotten it x-rayed?

[Guest k9soul]

Rudy's limp seemed more pronounced today, so that was that. I could not wait and took him back in. X-ray showed no sign of osteo. Two vets looked at it. So we are back to soft tissue injury and it may just take a while to heal. Sent home on Previcox.

[BauersMom]

Did they x-ray the shoulder and the wrist?

[MP_the4pack]

tendonitis can come and go. It took over a month for Opal to stop limping. She was on rimadyl and leash walk only.

[Guest k9soul]

X-rayed shoulder and elbow, that's the area he seems to have pain in based on how he walks and how he positions the leg when he is standing still. They did a thorough exam, flexion/extension of the wrist too but did feel anything untoward or evoke any pain response. I really do think it is something like tendonitis, as he limps worse when he first gets up and then less so after he has moved around a bit.

Edited November 15, 2013 by k9soul

[o_rooly]

Poor buddy.
Maybe try applying arnica gel to the area? I had achilles tendinitis some years ago, which made it nearly impossible to walk -- I was hopping around. I applied the gel to the skin covering the tendon, and in about a half hour, NO pain. Worked like a charm. Of course, then I had to remind myself to rest my leg, even though it felt fine

[duncan41]

Rest, rest, rest and more rest. Leash walking even in a fenced yard. I know it's a pain, but they don't understand that they need to rest to recover, so we have to impose the limitations. We're dealing with athletes who know no bounds.

 

Am doing the same now with a 9.5 year old with bone spurs in her feet. Have done it twice before with the same dog with sprained toes. Both sprains took 8 weeks to heal.

[Brandiandwe]

Query: how old is Rudy and did he race? I ask because Hermon, our oldest is 5 and did race. He pulls up lame after an idiot time at the dog park quite regularly. I used to panic, but he seems to walk it off. I'm a bad grey mummy, and I haven't taken him to the vet BUT I have checked him over and hound an old injury in the ankle he pulls up on. He's now on glucosamine every day and he hasn't limped since. So I think it might be associated with a bit of arthritis. Just an idea.

[Guest k9soul]

Rudy turned 6 in July and he did race; but this was a definite injury situation I think. He actually seemed much better today. I'm not sure if is because the Previcox is helping his pain more or because he is healing up some. He was definitely friskier, more himself, whining for walkies (though I have to deny him for now). I feel better about it all now though, not quite so paranoid. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. Hopefully he will get healed up and he can get back to enjoying his normal activities.

[Guest k9soul]

Just wanted to give a small update and read replies again saying it will take time to reassure myself. Rudy is still limping. He does not hold the paw off the ground much anymore like in the videos, but he limps stiffly, especially when he has been lying down for a while. Doing my best to keep him as inactive as possible and no running. He gets really frisky sometimes and pounces on toys and plays, and I know he misses his walks (so do I ) It has been about a week and a half, so I should just accept it may take a few weeks, but it really still causes me anxiety.

Edited November 21, 2013 by k9soul

[Remolacha]

[XTRAWLD]

Please consider a chiropractor. I wouldn't have believed the difference it could make until I took Ryder myself to see the results.

[Hawthorn]

I'd consider a chiropractor too at this point if your vet can't find anything. I went through months of rest and drugs with Sunny trying to cure his intermittent lameness (vet couldn't find any cause) but it always returned. Eventually I took him to a greyhound vet for a second opinion, who diagnosed misaligned vertebrae between his shoulder blades, and then to a chiropractor and the lameness was pretty much gone within a few sessions although he did continue to need maintenance sessions every few months. At the very least, a chiropractor would most likely be able to give you more information about what's going on with Rudy.

[Guest k9soul]

I don't feel I can do a chiropractor right now. Looking around it seems like the closest one is Chicago which would be a 3-4 hour round trip and extremely expensive. It has been 10 days since the injury, shouldn't I see if it is a tendonitis that will heal with some more time first? After 2 vet visits with Rudy and 2 vet visits with my senior girl in the past couple months, I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel financially .

[Guest grey_dreams]

Sorry Rudy isn't back to normal yet. Hope he will be better soon. Do you give glucosamine + chondoitin + MSN + boswelia? Really helped my crew as they started to age.

[Guest k9soul]

I actually have been giving him a joint supplement lately, though he's only 6 (which seems young to me still, he's my youngest dog).

[BauersMom]

I would have the wrist x-rayed, just to be sure. Berkeley was mis-diagnosed as having pain in his shoulder with his physical exam, and the problem was his wrist.

[Hawthorn]

I don't feel I can do a chiropractor right now. Looking around it seems like the closest one is Chicago which would be a 3-4 hour round trip and extremely expensive. It has been 10 days since the injury, shouldn't I see if it is a tendonitis that will heal with some more time first? After 2 vet visits with Rudy and 2 vet visits with my senior girl in the past couple months, I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel financially .

 

I should think it's perfectly reasonable to give it more time and rest as it's only been 10 days, and if it is a tendon injury it could take months to heal. Actually, I thought it had been going on for longer, which is my fault for not checking the date before replying. I just remember how frustrated and worried I was when Sunny was lame and we didn't know why, but in our case it had been going on for probably a couple of months. I was so relieved when we finally took him for a second opinion and got a diagnosis and some chiropractic treatment that worked for him and wished I'd done it sooner. Pity you don't have a chiro nearer, but perhaps something to just bear in mind if it doesn't resolve in the next few weeks, which hopefully it will.

[Guest k9soul]

 

I should think it's perfectly reasonable to give it more time and rest as it's only been 10 days, and if it is a tendon injury it could take months to heal. Actually, I thought it had been going on for longer, which is my fault for not checking the date before replying. I just remember how frustrated and worried I was when Sunny was lame and we didn't know why, but in our case it had been going on for probably a couple of months. I was so relieved when we finally took him for a second opinion and got a diagnosis and some chiropractic treatment that worked for him and wished I'd done it sooner. Pity you don't have a chiro nearer, but perhaps something to just bear in mind if it doesn't resolve in the next few weeks, which hopefully it will.

 

Thank you, I've been mulling it around and I think I will give it some more time, and if it does not seem to be improving I will ask my group for vet/chiro recommendations. There might be something closer in Wisconsin, I did not think to look there and I'm closer to Wisconsin than to Chicago. I'm just not being patient enough I think. I will also have the wrist x-rayed too if things don't seem to improve.

 

The way he can suddenly go trotting down the hall and playing almost without any sign of limp at times and then other times, like when he first gets up after a sleeping awhile he limps more markedly, still makes me suspect tendonitis.

Edited November 21, 2013 by k9soul

[Guest larock]

Last year our Ella hurt her back and was truthfully not herself for several weeks. It was hard to watch as she loves life and is generally such a happy dog. She slowly got better, was on Prednisone, Gabapentine and Tramadol and we had to retstrict her movement and be dilligent about it - no couch or walks, and leash walk to potty. A week after she got the all clear (about 6-8 weeks later) she reinjured herself and had to go back on the drugs and restrictions for another 8 weeks. All I'm trying to say is it will just take time....

 

Hope you are both feel better soon.

Edited November 22, 2013 by larock