10-Year-Old Limping

[seeh2o]

I'm doing the happy dance! X-rays didn't show any signs of bone cancer. I'm going to keep him on Rimadyl for a two-week course and evaluate after that. If he's still limping, they want me to see an orthopedist.

 

Just the news everyone wanted to hear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charlies_Dad]

That is great news!!!

[Remolacha]

wonderful update!

[kudzu]

Dance of joy! Hopefully it's a soft tissue injury that just needs time to heal. Good thoughts for swift recovery.

[greyhead]

Woo-hoo!

[45MPHK9]

[FiveRoooooers]

Fantastic!

[Guest cmsarno]

How's Smitty today? Were you about to get the X-ray? (so very sorry to hear about your foster!)

[Guest mrs]

Smitty had the x-ray yesterday. The vet said it looked perfectly normal. While he was at the vet's office, they had a hard time seeing him limp. They told me if it was bone cancer nothing would make him forget about the pain. He was out running a bit in the snow today. He's still limping somewhat and will see an orthopedist if it doesn't resolve in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to get him to rest it but he loves the snow so it was hard to keep him quiet. Guess I should probably take him out on a leash. Thanks again everyone.

[Bill419]

I'm doing the happy dance! X-rays didn't show any signs of bone cancer. I'm going to keep him on Rimadyl for a two-week course and evaluate after that. If he's still limping, they want me to see an orthopedist.

Greyt news

[Guest BlueCrab]

Good news on the x-rays! I know you said you looked extensively at his pads and toes, but corns can sneak up on you, particularly as they're first coming on. I'd look again for indications of a corn forming. One of the ways to find it is to pinch the pad; the one where they flinch is the one with the corn. Another way to find it is to moisten the pad, IIRC, but I can't recall what to look for. There's a lot of good info here in H&M on corns.

 

I love my vets - really I do - but they knew nothing about corns and when Trixie started limping, I got terrified, of course. We went thru a bunch of tests, x-rays, etc., and my vets got just about to the point of surgery on the pad when I finally got enough education thru GT to realize what it was and stave off surgery. That was a couple years ago. She now has a well-defined, easily recognizable corn that we fight with, defeat for a while, and then it comes back. But at least we know what it is, she only has one, and we can manage it with dremmeling, duct tape and Thera-Paws boots when needed.

 

Hope you find a solution to the limping. Glad it wasn't the dreaded "O".

[Guest mrs]

Update on Smitty: While he was on the Rimadyl, his pain seemed to have subsided a lot and the limping was barely noticeable. He went off the two-week course on Saturday and by Monday was limping very badly again. My vet recommended he see an orthopedist, whom we have an appointment with on Tuesday. For now, I put him back on the Rimadyl and within a couple of days I'm seeing slight improvement. I'm hoping to get some answers on Tuesday. He's a very "young" 10-year-old who LOVES to go for long walks with my husband.

[vjgrey]

Smitty had the x-ray yesterday. The vet said it looked perfectly normal. While he was at the vet's office, they had a hard time seeing him limp. They told me if it was bone cancer nothing would make him forget about the pain. He was out running a bit in the snow today. He's still limping somewhat and will see an orthopedist if it doesn't resolve in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to get him to rest it but he loves the snow so it was hard to keep him quiet. Guess I should probably take him out on a leash. Thanks again everyone.

 

I'm really happy that the x-rays were clear. That has to be a huge weight off your mind, even if you don't have answers yet.

 

However...I have to say that, in my experience with Osteo, the bolded statement just isn't true. It may be true that they feel the pain constantly, but they don't always show it. When my Gabe was diagnosed, his limp was intermittent. Not really even a full limp most of the time - just an occasional "off" gait. Eventually, he had a tumor the size of a golf ball on his leg and was still trying to run (until his nervous mama stopped him) on a regular basis.

 

I just wanted to clarify that, because I see a lot of people here say "It can't be Osteo," or "I'm not going to get X-rays just yet," because the limp isn't constant/consistent. Really glad you've gotten the x-rays to rule that out.

Edited January 16, 2014 by vjgrey

[Guest mrs]

That's an interesting observation vjgrey. And just today, even though he's still limping, Smitty was running around my yard. I'm completely baffled as to what is causing a limp but allows him to run. Hoping I get some answers on Tuesday, and although his x-ray didn't show bone cancer, it's still a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I keep thinking maybe it was just too early to show up on x-rays (I have no idea if that's even a possibility).

[Charlies_Dad]

That's an interesting observation vjgrey. And just today, even though he's still limping, Smitty was running around my yard. I'm completely baffled as to what is causing a limp but allows him to run. Hoping I get some answers on Tuesday, and although his x-ray didn't show bone cancer, it's still a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I keep thinking maybe it was just too early to show up on x-rays (I have no idea if that's even a possibility).

 

If you have doubts, send the films to Dr. Coutu he will provide a second opinion and he has seen enough of Osteo in all forms. I believe there is a small cost for doing a consult but it would confirm your vet's findings and allow you to focus on what could be causing the limp. Could be corn, soft tissue injury or back issues.

[Batmom]

Make sure to check the feet for corns.

[Guest MnMDogs]

Make sure to check the feet for corns.

Yes, squeeze each toe on the foot to see if there's a reaction, even if you don't see anything.

[tbhounds]

Is he lame on one of his front legs? If so the pain could be originating from his neck. Often the pain will radiate down the radial nerve causing the lameness. In one of your posts you mentioned he was running around the backyard--I would recommend adhering to a strict rest protocol-leash walk with a harness only. :-)

[Guest mrs]

I've checked for corns many times, including squeezing the pads. That doesn't elicit any reaction from him. I didn't think he'd run around but now I know better. At least that's a bit more info for the orthopedist. Hopefully I'll have some answers on Tuesday. Will keep everyone up to date.

[Guest mrs]

Smitty saw the orthopedist and they did x-rays and an ultrasound. He definitely has arthritis in his right shoulder. He also has bilateral supraspinatus tendonopathies (worse on the right which is the leg is lame on) and the biceps tendon is also affected on the right leg. Has anyone ever had experience with this. They suggested rehabilitation therapy or stem cell treatment ($$$$$) YIKES! I'm thinking of trying the rehabilitation but that is also very expensive, and after reading a little more on the topic it seems that without stem cell treatment the rehabilitation therapy might not do much good. I'm so confused. Need to do more reading, talk to my regular vet, and sleep on it. Just wondering if anyone has had to deal with this before. Thanks.

[galgrey]

I'm glad you got a diagnosis and it's not the dreaded O. I've no experience but I'm sure others will chime in and will be of help in you making your decision about treatment. A friend is doing rehab with her senior greyhound right now for a disc problem in his lower back and it is expensive.

[Guest mrs]

Thanks Galgrey. I also want to add that Smitty is still a happy boy. Except for cutting out the long walks he used to take with my husband, he's still full of energy, eating well, and seems happy. I may send his records to Dr. Couto to see what he has to say, but not sure there is anything different he can suggest.

[galgrey]

Since this thread is sort of buried, you might want to repost asking for experience with supraspinatus tendonopathy, rehab, cell therapy, etc. so more people will see it and someone may know more about it.