Old Injury?...

[Lw27]

Hi Everyone, 

Since adopting my dog over a year and a half ago, I have gone through a few health issues. Despite all this he is a proper character and is spritely for a Grey! My first Greyhound so it was quite a learning curve for both of us.

My Greyhound had a corn since I got him, its located on the left front leg, inside toe where he has had a nail removed (never grown back). He must of been injured fairly badly as his racing record shows over a year off the track - retiring at 4. This is also evident by a scar at the top of left leg/chest. Long story short, after numerous tries to remove  and manage the corn I went down the flexor tenotomy route. Dog had a massive reaction to anesthetic and I nearly lost him, a transfusion and 3 days in emergency care luckily seemed to save him. This flexor scar itself recovered well and corn looks to be reducing (6 weeks post op).

He has always intermittently seemed to "limp" or put more weight on the front right, hence my decision to go with surgery thinking the corn on front left was causing the issue. Post surgery he is still seems to bear a bit more weight on the right front leg, this may only be twice on a walk. The best way I could describe it is like a strange gait or slight  intermittent hobble? the dog has never lifted the leg itself and will put weight down the whole walk.

The dog shows no signs of pain when flexing the leg or moving the wrists/toes/pads etc, he will run and jump around in the house doing the mad 5 minutes, jump in the car.. This is just something I notice occasionally on walk every now and then. I have also recalled seeing it once after a playful running around session, I let him off regular and it wont happen every time. He seems otherwise happy, lively and healthy. He will come on long walks with me and doesn't slow up or ever refuse to walk. I would say I notice it more on the morning walk, although I am not 100%

He has been vet checked on multiple occasions and they can't seem to find any obvious signs of pain when doing a physical assessment, obviously all feet have been checked thoroughly for corns and nothing has flagged. The vet I use are well regarded and are the main vet for my local greyhound rescue group.

Due to the bad reaction and poor health from the anesthetic previous, I am reluctant to put him under again to investigate this further if not necessary. I have spent every penny I own to keep him alive post op and I am not in a financial situation to spend thousands more.

I feel frustrated and at a bit of a loss at what to do? 

My worry is that I question myself whether he is struggling and I am just being ignorant. Has anyone out there ever had a hound that was previously injured and has just accepted that the dog will always have a distinct hobble or quirk etc.?  I am naturally an overthinker anyway , in hindsight I maybe should of chose a more "hardy" breed. 

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated 

Many thanks!

 

[cleptogrey]

watch and ???? ask your vet for an anti-inflammatory?? how old is your dog- looks like around 6? arthritis can start anywhere around 8 +/- but if he had a major accident at the track it can start earlier. nothing wrong w/ daily dosages of meloxican if it does the trick.  if he doesn't respond to that then i will say an x-ray might be in order. maybe find a vet who can handle the anesthesia w/ a sensitive sight hound.

Edited March 13, 2022 by cleptogrey

[Lw27]

2 minutes ago, cleptogrey said:

watch and ???? ask your vet for an anti-inflammatory?? how old is your dog? arthritis can start anywhere around 8 +/-. nothing wrong w/ daily dosages of meloxican if it does the trick.

Dog is 5. May ask about the anti - inflammatory, anything like that before has thrown his stools and stomach.. Proper sensitive stomach, had bad gastroenteritis previously so I am always skeptical. Appreciate the response.

[greysmom]

A competent vet shouldn't need to sedate a calm dog for routine xrays.  It's completely for the ease of the staff taking the shots, not required for clear rads of an extremity.  If his entire leg hasn't been imaged and interpreted by a licensed radiologist then that is the first place to begin - rule out the obvious before thinking it's something else.

An nsaid would probably really help him if you can find one he can tolerate.  There is a fairly new product called Galliprant which is a different kind of nsaid with few side effects.  There have been some dogs on GT that have used it successfully.   There is also a liquid version of Meloxicam that allows for more precise dosing and is easier on the stomach.  Make sure you only give nsaids on a full stomach after a meal, and that the meal contains water to help cushion the stomach lining.  Sometimes giving the dog a Pepcid (dog-friendly acid reducer, check for fake sugars when using and OTC product) 20 minutes prior to meals also helps protect the stomach.  There is a drug called Sulcrafate - a pill which is mixed into a slurry - which protects the stomach too.

You can also explore some physical therapy modalities if you think the limp warrants - laser or swim therapy, canine massage, acupuncture, OTC supplements like Omega 3/6/12s from fish oil.  Your vet will probably have suggestions and recommendations.

Also, you *may* be overthinking this.  By your own words, he's not struggling.  YOU only notice the occasional hitch in his stride.  He may, in fact, not have anything really wrong with him - just that little hitch.  A five year old dog who raced as long as he did, and who might have had a previous injury, won't have a perfect gait 100% of the time.  It could be a habit he picked up while he was injured or from the corn.  It could be from something else entirely.

Eliminate the medical causes you can do something about, and then use "watchful waiting" to monitor any increase in symptoms and/or pain.  And enjoy your dog!!!

[HeyRunDog]

It might be another corn on one of the other pads. They don't always show up to start with. Try gently brushing his pads with a damp toothbrush and the corn will show up as a small dark dot.

[MerseyGrey]

Hi, no experience with persistent injuries, although mine is 11 and somewhat arthritic so we have started using NSAIDs more regularly. I am not a big fan of these drugs - for human or hound - but for an older dog who can tolerate it the cumulative effects are minimal, and since it seems to be working for Buddy, I can’t argue with it.

If your dog is particularly sensitive to NSAIDs, you can try paracetamol. Discuss with your vet first, but ours recommended (as an alternative to Loxicom) 1 x 500mg  tablet three times a day. This will only work as a painkiller, whereas the loxicom will reduce any swelling. 

Also, just an observation I have made when watching Buddy - he seems to drag and catch his feet a lot which makes him appear to stumble. He has done this since we have had him, and I put it down to him simply not looking at what is immediately in front of him (and certainly not what he has just passed that will snag his back legs). If it only happens a couple of times per walk, could this explain what you’re seeing?

[cleptogrey]

as per his loose stools- stool check first and foremost and discuss this w/ your vet. your dog may just need to have it's gut cleaned up w/ flagyl or tylan powder 

put him on overcooked white rice with 20% cooked chopped meat until he clears up and start s-l-o-w-l-y adding kibble. many people love adding a t. of canned pumpkin. i prefer clay- made by vitamin rx(found on amazon) and a good probiotic.  simple, easy but don't forget the stool sample.

[Sniffy]

The following helped me in the distant past, with a female grey who had plantar warts (not identical to corns, but maybe this could help, and it doesn't involve any anesthetic).

Our vet at the time diagnosed plantar warts and suggested we soak Twiggy's toepads in a propylene glycol solution (it now appears to be available to order on internet, but I got mine from a compounding pharmacy by prescription). We soaked her paw twice a day for a few minutes, reciting the dialog from an old tv commercial for dishwasing liquid each time (Madge?  it's Palmolive? you're SOAKING in it!).

Over time, the skin softened, and walks on pavement resumed without trouble.

Since this is a chemical, albeit a mild one, please do ask your vet's opinion before proceeding if you are considering trying this remedy. With your grey already showing sensitivity / allergy to other things I certainly wouldn't want you to try even this topical remedy without professional consultation!

Good luck!