Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 So last night was Bree's second agility class in the outside location. I missed Chuck & Bree's first run, but was there for the next 3. I didn't see anything strange, no odd steps, nothing to raise an eyebrow. Last night when we got home she was fine - acting totally normal, etc. Chuck says she was normal when he and she came to bed. This morning when I got them up for breakfast she could hardly walk. She's walking kind of hunched up, and very careful. She's in obvious pain - and best I can tell appears to be the back end. I'm thinking back or hips. I gave her some of Ginger's Chinese Herbs (anti-inflammatory), and have put her back in the crate. Like a big dummy I fed her this morning so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to do any X-Rays. When I took her out right before I came to work she was moving some better, but still obviously in pain. I'm thinking I'll call my vet and see what they think, but my gut says rest her tonight, and if she's not improved much in the morning take her in. What do you guys think? Any suggestions? Thoughts? I just find it odd that I saw nothing out of the ordinary last night, and just BOOM she's lame this morning! I'm kind of thinking maybe she strained something and now it's sore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I would lay your hands on her. If you can get her to lay down, say next to you in bed, just start going over her. Run your hands down her spine, your finger/thumb along her spine, sufficiently so that you can feel the muscle. Go down the spine- look for any signs of skin twitching. Look at her face for signs of concern as you go along. Also, try and notice any heat. I would do the back first, and then the hips. Manipulating the legs are best for the vet, as I can't give you good direction on that. If you find her sore anywhere, which you will see by her twitching skin, and/or tightening posture/face, do what we do for people, ice, and then heat, and then ice. She may just have twisted herself. Keep her quiet too. Poor honey girl. Julie So last night was Bree's second agility class in the outside location. I missed Chuck & Bree's first run, but was there for the next 3. I didn't see anything strange, no odd steps, nothing to raise an eyebrow. Last night when we got home she was fine - acting totally normal, etc. Chuck says she was normal when he and she came to bed. This morning when I got them up for breakfast she could hardly walk. She's walking kind of hunched up, and very careful. She's in obvious pain - and best I can tell appears to be the back end. I'm thinking back or hips. I gave her some of Ginger's Chinese Herbs (anti-inflammatory), and have put her back in the crate. Like a big dummy I fed her this morning so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to do any X-Rays. When I took her out right before I came to work she was moving some better, but still obviously in pain. I'm thinking I'll call my vet and see what they think, but my gut says rest her tonight, and if she's not improved much in the morning take her in. What do you guys think? Any suggestions? Thoughts? I just find it odd that I saw nothing out of the ordinary last night, and just BOOM she's lame this morning! I'm kind of thinking maybe she strained something and now it's sore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Doe she feel okay otherwise? No fever or anything? Wait, you said she ate, right? So that's a good sign. Hunched up always makes me think of Belle's bout with ehrlichia. She was fine when i went to bed, but hunched up and really hurting the next morning. Turns out her spleen was enlarged. But she felt really terrible and it doesn't sound like Bree feels that bad? Bailey hurt a disc in her back one time and that made for an odd looking lameness too - prednisone and rest helped there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 She could have strained or pulled something slightly on the bad news side or it could be just muscle soreness on the good side. Remember to warm her up before each training run specially if she is crated between. Some good long stretches, alot of agility competitors put stretching on a command. With my old man I would always run my thumbs down either side of his spine massaging gently and also over his hips and thigh muscles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Thanks y'all for the quick responses. She seems to act like she (in general) feels OK. She ate voraciously (as usual), but if she had refused food I'd already be on my way to the vet. Robin, that was one of my thoughts too - with the sudden lameness maybe a TBD?? I'll check her temp, but she's never had a tick (that I've been able to find), but then again I wouldn't rule that out either. Uh, what kind of thermometer do I use? And what's the normal range for dogs again? About 101? Is this just my week for lame dogs? Geez. Julie, when I ran my hands over her earlier I didn't find any heat, but she did react a tad when I ran my hands along her lower back area. Pat I don't think the DH warmed her up - I'll make sure he starts doing so. I don't want my dog broken. Oh, his dog, right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I just got off the phone with the vet, and told them what was going on. They suggested rest and anti-inflammatories for a few days, and if I don't see any improvement (by say Monday) bring her in. I agree with that now that I'm over panicking. I think I will go get a thermometer and check her temp though just to make me feel better in that respect. Should be entertaining to watch... I've never taken a dog's temperature before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Check her paws. Pad abrasions can cause all sorts of weird lameness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Check her paws. Pad abrasions can cause all sorts of weird lameness. Good reminder - thank you. I felt her feet (no reaction) but didn't actually look at them. Will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Laura, if you decide to try icing her sore spot(s), only use ice for the 1st 48 hours. Then you switch to alternating ice/heat. Human advice is ice for 10 minutes at least once every 2 hrs, but check with your vet. Heat should be a very moderate heat, and check frequently that her skin is ok. Doggie skin is more sensitive to direct warmth than people skin, so be cautious with the heat. Hope it's a simple overuse thing and that she fixes up soon. Ruth n the BC33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Laura - do the gravel test with her too, like with Nick. I've had dogs with pads that looked fine but were still sore and i could tell by doing it. Had one one time that looked fine but then the pads started sloughing off a couple of days later. It doesn't really sound like that with Bree, but it's worth a check for it. Oh, as for taking a dog's temp, i use a digital rectal thermometer. And don't forget some vaseline or some such. I usually straddle the dog, facing backwards, with my arm under the belly and just hold them up so they don't sit on the darned thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 One of my Kelpies has some arthritis in her back- basically I think she has had issues most of her life- but she is very stoic, so you don't see any signs. When she is sore, she will walk differently- it is odd- but she will move her legs more stiffly- and if you feel her lower back, she has warmth there, and very tight muscles. Once I had a Reiki person work on her, and she went over her and saw that her rib cage was tight, and her lower back was just sore. She did some Reiki and massage, and I had a new dog. I have sympathy for ANY animal that has back pain.... Your girl may be fine in a couple of days Maybe she zigged when she should have zagged! Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Thanks for the great advice y'all. I'll walk her on the gravel tonight, and pick up some lube along with the thermom. before lunch. I'll probably ice her this evening, see if that helps her out some, too. That ought to be entertaining too. with my arm under the belly and just hold them up so they don't sit on the darned thing. For some reason this strikes me as absolutely hysterical. Like in a laugh like a loon way. I may be sleep deprived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I took her temp at lunch (with our new for dogs thermometer which will get a sticker on it that says "don't put this in your mouth" lol ) and it was normal. Yay for that. And yes, I sanitized it with alcohol, but still... I know where it's been. I did notice several things - she had trouble getting up, and starting to move, but once she started walking she seemed to loosen up (and lose the hunchy posture). She appears to struggle with picking her back left foot up (like when stepping into a crate), and appears to be that leg that's painful most. She did react when I was touching up and down that leg while she was lying down. I'm wondering if she's not twinged a nerve and it's radiating down that leg. Anyway, even though I'm not a big fan of this for long term, I'm going to give her a short term regimen of Rimadyl and total crate rest/leash potty walks for a few days and see where we are on Monday. I'll probably take her with me to do chores tonight too and see how the gravel thing works out. After I took her temperature I told her what a good girl she was and she put her paws up on my tummy (yeah, I know, my badly behaved dogs) and that apparently didn't bother her at ALL. She also would have really liked to have played with a ball she spotted that was perched up on the fence, so she seems to be feeling pretty decent. Well, all but the whole pain thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I"m glad you wrote, i was just getting ready to email and ask how she was doing. It does sound strange, you know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I totally agree - it's very odd. DH wondered, though, since she sleeps under our bed if she'd managed to tweak herself coming out this morning - but I thought she was on one of the dog beds when I got up. I dunno. I videoed her last couple of runs last night (someone else's camera), so I'm going to get them on a CD and look to see if I can see anything amiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Hmmm, sounds like it is starting to show itself. She may have done just what you said- sort of tweeked her back in a way that she ticked off one of her peripheral nerves. My cat has a lower back issue and it shows itself in her right hind leg- she will shake it occasionally- always when she has a bit of a limp. I think your plans are good. Julie I took her temp at lunch (with our new for dogs thermometer which will get a sticker on it that says "don't put this in your mouth" lol ) and it was normal. Yay for that. And yes, I sanitized it with alcohol, but still... I know where it's been. I did notice several things - she had trouble getting up, and starting to move, but once she started walking she seemed to loosen up (and lose the hunchy posture). She appears to struggle with picking her back left foot up (like when stepping into a crate), and appears to be that leg that's painful most. She did react when I was touching up and down that leg while she was lying down. I'm wondering if she's not twinged a nerve and it's radiating down that leg. Anyway, even though I'm not a big fan of this for long term, I'm going to give her a short term regimen of Rimadyl and total crate rest/leash potty walks for a few days and see where we are on Monday. I'll probably take her with me to do chores tonight too and see how the gravel thing works out. After I took her temperature I told her what a good girl she was and she put her paws up on my tummy (yeah, I know, my badly behaved dogs) and that apparently didn't bother her at ALL. She also would have really liked to have played with a ball she spotted that was perched up on the fence, so she seems to be feeling pretty decent. Well, all but the whole pain thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Just saw this. You already are on alert for TBD so I know I don't have to warn you. Remember you don't have to see a tick necessarily. Ben's on everything under the sun and STILL got RMSF - it's apparently really out there this year, my new vet said. They've been running out of doxy. And there's that wretched ehrlichia strain they can get from horse ponds and puddles. I do hope it's just a wee twist of something, pulled muscle or pinched nerve. Sounds like you got it all under control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 I don't have any real suggestions beyond what you've already gotten, but hope that Bree is feeling better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Sorry y'all, I didn't get a chance to even turn on the computer yesterday evening. I gave her a Rimadyl at lunch, and when I got home at 5pm she was laying square in her crate again (she'd been sorta on her side all wadded up kinda awkward). I took her out on a leash, and she made it quickly obvious that she felt *perfectly fine thankyouverymuch*. Had I let her she'd have been bouncing off the walls as usual. So, I'm going to keep her on the Rimadyl for another couple days, and crate rest with leash potty walks and see where we are then. I really suspect maybe she just tweaked something funny. She said she's already tired of this jail thing, and would really like to go sniff mices under the fence please. Little beast... she's not a very honest dog. She was sniffing like maybe she needed to potty, but she led me over to the fence so she could critter. She looked awful disappointed when I 'splained that there'd be no crittering until she was all healed up. We're both grateful for the well wishes and fantastic suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.