Hock Deformities Causing Leg/Knee Pain?

[Indygreyhound]

Has anyone had a hound with hock deformities? Our girl has crooked rear legs - I believe they’re cow-hocked? Her toes/paws point forward, but her legs curve at the hock, so that she looks knock-kneed. She also stands straight on her rear legs - almost no bend at the knee or the hock. She is four, came to us when she was two. She was a Grade A racer and vet scratched from her final race, but not for a fracture. (No idea why, but our adoption group didn’t treat her for a fracture, and she went to them about a week after her final race.)

She walks/runs just fine, but last year she had a handful of episodes where she’d wake up seemingly having rear leg pain. This week, she had her first episode in about six months. During these episodes, she’ll wake up, start yelping/crying, and scurry over to the nearest corner of the room. She’ll sit on her butt/hip, holding her self up with her front paws, with her rear legs sticking out to the side. The whole time, she’ll just look petrified. It can take 5-45 minutes for these episodes to end. When they’re over, she acts totally fine. When they’re happening, she’ll walk over to us if we offer her a treat — but then will cry/scurry her way back to the nearest corner and sit awkwardly again. This time, I noticed she couldn’t put her paw flat on the floor - she was standing on her toes only on her right rear leg, almost like she couldn’t or didn’t want to stretch the leg any further. 

We had X-rays done when she had these episodes a few months ago, and our vet said her hips look fine aside from previously diagnosed arthritis/reduced range of motion likely caused by adjustments she’s made to walk on her weird hocks. However, he said both of her cruciate ligaments are ruptured. He assumes this is a chronic issue caused, again, by the hock deformity, and did not recommend putting her through surgery since she wasn’t in pain and would just rupture them again within a couple of years since her hocks will not change. At the time, we weren’t entirely sure if the episodes were related or not (and we still aren’t). 

Has anyone had a hound with similar issues, either with the hocks or the episodes? She’s a very stubborn, stoic dog, and now I’m worried she *is* in pain and is just not showing any signs of it. I can’t find anyone whose had a dog have similar episodes, and our vet and our greyhound friends/adoption groups are stumped.

Thank you in advance for any ideas!

[BatterseaBrindl]

I'd consult the Vet. 

Can you video an episode and send it to them? 

[Indygreyhound]

We’ve never been able to catch the start of the episode — it’s either while we’re asleep, or while she’s in the other room, so we’ve not been able to get it on video for the vet, even though he’s asked.

The ER vet thought it was a type of absence seizure, but she’s so responsive to us during, and doesn’t seem fatigued after. (And then the ER vet called and said she was having another absence seizure: she had laid down on her side in the middle of the exam room with her legs sticking straight out and was just ignoring the vet’s exam of her. AKA, being her usual lazy greyhound self.)

Our vet thought it could be seizures, but it could also be cramping or arthritis or muscle strain or any number of other more serious things. We took her off Credelio, and she immediately had no further episodes for six months... so we were thinking seizures were the accurate diagnosis. But that was also the start of Covid, so a lot of lifestyle changes as well. I’m thinking we may need to take her to an orthopedic specialist - but can’t tell if that’s an overreaction.

[greysmom]

In my completely non-medical opinion, it's likely it's cramping.  Many greyhounds have similar episodes of waking up in unidentifiable pain, for varying lengths of time, with no discernable cause.  It can be very startling to be woken up by the GSOD in the middle of the night by one of these episodes.

I do not think an orthopedic consult or 2nd opinion is over-reach at this point given her leg deformities.  If you can afford it and you have access to a good multi-discipline hospital/clinic I would probably go ahead and do it.  If nothing else it will give you a good baseline for her care and treatment going forward.

I also don't think it would be inappropriate for her to be on medication, even at age 4.  An nsaid at the very least, as long as she can tolerate them.  Gabapentin to handle any nerve pain resulting from her hock issues.  Perhaps even a muscle relaxer like Robaxin, and or an actual pain medication like codiene sulfate (avoid tramadol) as needed.

We had a dog come to us post-hock break that was poorly treated.  Her one back leg was always wonky and she was on medication her whole life with us.  She still played, ran, dug in the yard, and did everything all the other dogs did.  We just had to monitor her for overdoing it and give her adequate rest in between really active days.

[cleptogrey]

have you considered going to an otho dr. for a second opinion(as mentioned above). gh do not have hip dysplasia. arthritic joints, lumbar problems, disk problems yes. your location is unknown since you are new to the forum. but do some research and see if you can find a specialist. if her ACL are ruptured then that's another story. your adoption group might be able to help you find the right specialist. do bring a copy of the x-rays with you. the specialist might repeat the x-rays but they can see if there is a change. good luck- 

[Indygreyhound]

Thank you all for the advice! We are going to try taking her to the ortho specialist and see what he says, and will take his advice... after checking here and with our adoption group, I’m hopefully the vet will suggest medication or therapy rather than any type of surgery or more serious procedure. Thanks again!