Guest Alichou Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I'm wondering if any of you have had experience with this. Dante for the last three years now (currently 14) has had a bum hind leg. In 2012 I started him on adequan injections (one injection every three weeks) together with a daily does of glucosamine and two tablespoons of chia. Once he started the injections of adequan I noticed the leg got a lot better, however over the last six months its progressively gotten a lot worse to the point where he would be walking outside and all of the sudden start limping on it to the point he would almost fall down. After resting it the leg would return to normal. We had hip, back and leg xrays a month ago which ruled out cancer however did show the arthritis and some degenerative disease. He's currently on 200 mg daily of Gabapentin for this (has mild kidney disease so NSAIDS are not recommended for him) which has made him a lot more comfortable. The other night he got really excited and was running around and all of the sudden the bum hind leg gave out and his leg kept jerking up and down as he was trying to set his foot flat on the ground but the foot couldn't touch the ground (which was very painful for him). It was almost like it was locked and he couldn't put his foot on the ground. After a few minutes he was able to place his foot back down however he did knuckle on it for a bit. After resting for the remainder of the evening he got up like nothing happened and was fine. My vet is aware of the situation and seems to think his knee cap may be coming in and out of joint. When he walks the leg is always very wobbly and it's almost like the bottom half of his leg turns in a weird direction when he walks. Have any of you experienced this? Just wondering what else it could be. Other than that he's very healthy and has a great appetite, quality of life etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyTzu Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 http://www.greythealth.com/lumbosacral.html Quote Wendy and The Whole Wherd. American by birth, Southern by choice. "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!" ****OxyFresh Vendor ID is 180672239.**** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alichou Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Thanks for posting this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 You may want to give the gabapentin every 8 hours not just once a day. You can even increase the dosage. My boy takes 500mgs twice a day to help combat pruitis (itchy skin) secondary to his allergies. You can safely start Tramadol too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 He's 14? Sounds pretty normal for a dog that old to have some walking issues! I would count myself lucky if my dog was doing so well at 14! I personally would stop the neutraceuticals. Once you've progressed that far, you're just wasting your money. If he's already on pain meds, you're well past the point of them being useful (and there is a lot of debate whether they ever are). Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alichou Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 We tried tramadol in the beginning but it was making him breath and swallow pretty heavy (he has allergic bronchitis) so the vet said we could stick simply with the Gabapentin. I never really thought of stopping the adequan injections but that's a good point given the fact he's on meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante2zoe Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 If the Adequan helps, I wouldn't stop it. Also, ask your vet about adding Robaxin (a muscle relaxer) with the gabapentin. Brady will be 13 (!) next week and has a bad leg from an old injury. He gets the injections and gabapentin with Robaxin (generic is methocarbamol, or something like that). His muscles get tight from the imbalance and pain and the relaxer helps keep him comfortable. He gets his twice a day and I will bump him to 3 times per day if he needs it, but so far, so good. Scritches to your boy! Quote Cindy with Miss Fancypants, Paris Bueller, Zeke, and Angus Dante (Dg's Boyd), Zoe (In a While), Brady (Devilish Effect), Goose (BG Shotgun), Maverick (BG ShoMe), Maggie (All Trades Jax), Sherman (LNB Herman Bad) and Indy (BYB whippet) forever in my heart The flame that burns the brightest, burns the fastest and leaves the biggest shadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 How often are you giving the gabapentin? As tbhounds mentioned, it is more effective given 3x a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alichou Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Dante2zoe happy 13th bday to Brady! Thanks I will look into the Robaxin and talk to our vet. Yes, I don't think I will stop the Adequan as I do believe it still helps quite a bit. As for the Gabapentin he gets 200mg once a day and seems to be ok with it. I do notice off and on right before he gets the next dose of the gabapentin he gets vocal (almost like he is in discomfort due to the drug wearing off) however it lasts maybe an hour until the new dose takes effect and it doesn't appear to be unbearable or anything. I also have a hard time keeping him quiet as he has not been going for his regular walks due to the fact he can't walk very far at all without starting to loose control of that hind leg (I've got a make shift garden set up on my patio for him to sniff and do his business but he isn't very impressed with it). This results in him running around and playing in the house which is what produced the bad situation we were in the other evening when he hurt his hind leg so bad that he couldn't place his foot back down on the floor for a few minutes (he was trying to set his foot on the floor but it just wouldn't go down and kept bouncing up and down as he tried to control it). I'm looking into buying one of those large covered strollers that attach to bikes. At least by having one of those he could still go for a stroll each day and get in and out of the stroller leisurely to sniff around without walking too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Pain & great discomfort can exists long before we start getting vocal about it. Pain can also cause symptoms similar to what you describe with your boy's leg. Might not hurt to try a little something else to see if he feels better. I will tell you that when my gabapentin wears off, which is long before 24 hrs, I can't walk without intense pain. And that pain is greatest every time my left foot hits the ground. So, of course, I flinch & lift my leg back up again. So that's why I mentioned the dosing schedule. Naw, I'm not trying to say he has the same problem as me but the situation is close enough to try, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alichou Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Yes, it's worth a try I agree. I will talk to my vet and see if I can do that. Shouldn't be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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