Question For Those With Dogs That Have Metal Pins In Their Legs

[Guest chaoran22]

We have a 11.5 year old girl who retired from the track because she broke a leg and had to have two screws inserted to fix the leg (they're inserted in her leg like a horizontal +). She had them inserted about 9.5 years ago and never seemed to have any issues until recently.

 

Over the last year or so, when she gets up from bed, she'll favor the leg and when she walks outside (always in the winter but also sometimes in the summer), she'll favor the leg. When she is running around inside, she doesn't seem to favor it really. This only started in the last year or so. It also comes and goes, some weeks it seems worse, other weeks, we don't really notice it.

 

We assume it's because as she gets older that leg is stiff when she first gets up from bed and also, when she's outside and it's cold, perhaps the pins are cold (since they're metal) and so she feels them more. But these are all our random guesses.

 

The vet can't find any issues with it (they look great in x-rays) so there's not really anything we can do about it. I just wanted to see if any of you with dogs who have similar pins also experience this and if so, have you found anything to help alleviate this? Thanks!

Edited February 4, 2017 by chaoran22

[Anne]

Many years ago I had adopted a Pug who had an artificial hip that was made of steel. When she was outside in the winter, she often held that leg up and didn't use it and the vet that put her hip in said that the metal gets cold and she could feel it. Vet also said that was totally normal and to be expected. Her hip was put in at OSU, so great program that did it.

As she got older, some of her other joints got some arthritis in them, but her artificial hip never ever gave her problems.
I know it's not the same as pins and plates, but still internal stainless steel fixture.

[GeorgeofNE]

I have artificial hips--they are mostly ceramic, but there is some metal, and yes, when it's really cold, I am very aware of them.

 

At her age, some arthritis would be normal. Did your vet suggest an NSAID? It would probably make her more comfortable.

[Guest chaoran22]

Yeah, this is in line with what the vet said which is that they are probably just bothering her because of the temperature. I guess I was hoping maybe there was something we can do about it Thanks for weighing in though, it's good to know that others experienced the same thing.

 

We have some NSAIDs on hand for arthritis (left over from my older boy who we just recently let go) so we might try it - it's only the one leg that bothers her but maybe she has some arthritis in that leg that she doesn't in the other legs so we'll see if it seems to help. Thanks for the suggestion.

[GeorgeofNE]

Why would you do a sad face at the idea of medicating her? Consider that at her age, in human years, she'd be well into her golden years. Who DOESN'T have aches and pains after a certain age? If you can make her feel better, that's a good thing!

[Guest chaoran22]

Why would you do a sad face at the idea of medicating her? Consider that at her age, in human years, she'd be well into her golden years. Who DOESN'T have aches and pains after a certain age? If you can make her feel better, that's a good thing!

 

I think you misread - my sad face was actually about the fact that there was NOT anything we could do (medication or otherwise) about the temperature issue. We'd love it if there was a pill that could take care of that for her!

[Guest OPointyDog]

Maybe ask for the x-rays to be read by an orthopedic specialist? Our vet sent our girl's x-rays to a specialist to be read, and it turns out the pin was coming out and hitting her tendon. We had the pin taken out and that helped some. She still has arthritis, which is worse in the cold, and she also has seen a physical therapist.

 

One thing the physical therapist recommended was warming up her leg muscles before taking her outside on cold days. You can use one of those pillows filled with particles (corn, beads, or whatever) that you put in the microwave briefly, and then lay them on the dog's leg to help the muscles warm up. Our dog loves it!

[Jester]

Have you tried putting a sock over it? Cut the foot off and slide it up the leg over the area where the pins and such are.