On Again, Off Again (Mostly Off) Limping

[jshell]

Betty Joan is about to turn 11 years old and tonight she started limping after our evening walk. I think she may have tweaked something running down the hall, as she ran 3/4 of the way down and then slowed quickly (one door before ours). It's a concrete hallway. I've been bad lately letting her run down it at her age as it's a good gauge of general health and mood and she has fun in the evenings.

 

This limp is in a leg that she's limped on before - her front right. Years ago it seemed to show up when she had been boarded for a few days. It always wore off. It showed up at the beginning of winter (suddenly she really looked like an old dog. Back then, she would run down the hall but then hold this front right leg up right outside our door. I finally started a daily regimen of glucosamine pills and she got better. It showed up again in early March, along with some runny stool (that seems to be an annual, seasonal thing).

 

She's been fine lately. Even this week, she's been stomping her front paws and barking at me every night. Until tonight when this showed back up. Only difference is that a couple of times tonight when she's gotten up, she's cried a little bit right on first standing on that leg. The first time was a bit of a test by me, seeing if she wanted treats. She stood up hurriedly but had quiet cries on her first three steps. The second time, she had been laying in much of the same position for quite a while and just cried a little bit when standing up. As we went out back for nighttime potty, she was moving OK.

 

Anyways, this seems kind of the normal pattern for this thing but it just seems a little sharper tonight. It seems to go away in a few days, but as she's nearing 11, I'm wondering what it's OK. I talked about it with my vet at her annual checkup a few months ago but the symptoms weren't showing then and he didn't seem too concerned. Should I be?

 

(This is also on her leg that has served, and still serves, as her "mean right hook". It's the leg she's most likely to swat at you with, and I'm thinking that living in a loft with a concrete main floor for most of her life and in an industrial area may just be a bit tough on that leg if she hits the right nerve?)

 

Edit: she's gotten back up and down a few more times: stiffly but no more cries.

Edited June 11, 2014 by jshell

[jshell]

Also, I had planned on staying on our main floor but she seemed eager to go upstairs to our bedroom and hop in the bed. So normal for when this flares up.

[jshell]

And now I'm starting to worry. She can't seem to get comfortable. Kindof reminding me of UTI, but she's also dragging that right side... Middle of the night, no car, our vet isn't open tomorrow... We've been outside twice with normal stool (abnormal time)..

[jshell]

Found a neighbor willing to take us to the e-vet in the middle of the night. Betty just won't / can't lay down

[macoduck]

[Batmom]

Sending prayers.

[4My2Greys]

Sending healing thoughts for Betty Joan.

I hope she's going to be alright.

[45MPHK9]

Thinking about you and Betty Joan.

[Charlies_Dad]

Good thoughts for your girl.

[jshell]

Seems to be soft tissue damage in her shoulders, particularly her front left. "mild small osteophytes of left shoulder". She was given some Buprenex and Acepromazine IVs at the vet, and we were sent home with Rimadyl and a choice of Gabapentin or Tramadol.

 

Betty seemed quite stoned when we left the vet and got home, and still refused to lay down; just wandered around in a daze with her feet sometimes partially falling from beneath her. Again: could not get her to lay down. I dragged her upstairs and got her to hop on the big bed and kept here there by holding the leash. Eventually she laid down and stopped panting for a short while. 30-45 minutes? An hour tops? But suddenly she yelped and sprang up again and has been back in the same mode. Still seems a little high from the IVs... I should have asked when those might wear off. I've given her a dose of Rimadyl and finally got the Gabapentin in her but.. I just don't know. I'd love for both of us to get some sleep today.

[BatterseaBrindl]

No advice, just

[greytpups]

No advice, other than taking her in to your regular vet.

[sweetdogs]

The ace could cause some of her anxiety issues & you'll just have to wait until it wears off. Also you can use rimadyl, gabapentin & tramadol at the same time if she isn't feeling comfortable. I hope she feels better soon.

[jshell]

I just brushed her shoulder trying to push her towards a bed and she shrieked. I was told this could take a while to transition. The poor girl. I can't give her another tramadol until around 11 or 12 MDT... Hoping that it might help in this cocktail.

[sweetdogs]

Could she have hurt her neck? Sometime a neck injury appears to be a leg problem. That is very painful & can definitely cause gsod's. If it is her neck, no jumping, no collar & rest,rest,rest. I would add gabapentin for sure. What's her dose of tramadol? They can take quite a bit. Is she any less anxious?

[Batmom]

What sweetdogs said. If neck or top of shoulder, she may not feel much better for a bit .... But if still screeching in 24 hours or gets worse before then, I'd call the vet again. Hugs and hopes the meds start to help!

[jshell]

I don't think she hurt her neck, unless her neck getting hurt was a side effect of getting x-rays. I watched the vet check her neck explicitly. It seems to be shoulder, seems to be soft tissue, and sadly she's still anxious. I can force her to lay down for 5-10 minutes, but then she's back up to wandering and crying.

 

On the plus side, she just took her first drink of water on her own since going to the vet 6-ish hours ago.

 

Her Tramadol dosage is 75mg, I believe.

 

This is just so frustrating to watch

[alison]

I feel for you both on this one. We had Levi in for x-rays and he was similar afterwards. Just wouldn't lie down - stood there until he was falling. I managed to scoop him up and put him down for a time but it lasted all afternoon, evening and apart from a couple of hours early and late , half the night too. Thankfully back to normal next day, so hold in there.

[jshell]

alison: thank you! that's actually a relief to hear.

 

 

I'm wondering how many of her pills Betty's actually taken. Since she's not touching food, she's not touching pill pockets (which she usually devours). It took a fair bit of cunning to get the tramadol in her just now.

[robinw]

I'm glad she's home. Hope she is feeling better very soon.

 

You might need to just shove the pills down her throat. Not a great thing to do, but at least you won't need to worry about her not eating.

[jshell]

The poor girl's gone about 10-11 hours with very little lying down. It definitely got worse after the Ace/Buprenex or maybe just the exam itself, which was about 9 hours ago. She's mostly still just shuffling around our loft. She's taken in a little bit of water on her own. She tried laying down on her patio bed briefly on her own. I've been getting her to lay down on an old futon mattress she sleeps on downstairs, but never for more than a few minutes. She looks so damn tired! The last time I tried, she laid down on command, but about a minute later jumped up with a deep yelp. I see her little head trying to rest when she does lay down... Maybe there is a new neck problem?

 

Diagnosis was "RF lameness - shoulder pain". This is arduous. She seems a bit calmer than earlier but it's hard to tell if anything is really working. This was so sudden too.

[Batmom]

Any improvement yet?

 

Sometimes pain meds (including tramadol) can do that -- dog kind of stoned, restless, unable to settle. Usually that effect wears off in a few hours.

 

I know you don't need any help worrying about your lovely girl, but I'm doing it anyways.

[jshell]

Went back to the vet, as Betty was clearly in more pain than earlier diagnosis warranted. New thought: still the front right shoulder, but a torn muscle... or something that has to be fixed with plasma injections. Anyways, we've got more pain meds but Betty is still just shuffling around the place. I hope the new meds kick in soon and this poor girl can start to relax.

[Batmom]

 

Keeping up the good thoughts for your baby.

[jshell]

Thank you