RedtailJ Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Jenna is my 5 year old red merle BC and over the last year or so we have been dealing with occasional bouts of limping and lameness. Currently she seems to have developed a sore right paw that she puts down gingerly and at times has a slight limp. She will also sit or stand with that paw externally rotated and resting lightly on the ground. This developed over the weekend and does not show any signs externally as I have looked at all parts of her paw... pads, nails, individual toes and all looks fine. She favors the paw at times and at other times runs and plays normally... it does not seem that it has caused a significant change in her behavior. In the past she had some limping bouts involving her hind legs, that seem to resolve over time and with limited activity. In the earlier circumstances I did have her checked out at the vet and she has been through several courses of anti-inflammatory treatment. This seems to help the limping subside and it is unclear what might bring it back on. If anyone has experienced a similar situation or has advice it would greatly be appreciated. I have a great relationship with my vet and have had Jenna tested for Lyme (negative) and assessed for ACL issues. This issue with the front paw has me completely befuddled??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Long ago one of my dogs was running through some brush. He yelped. All I saw was one drop of blood just above his pad. He was on and off lame for three weeks. Had it xrayed. They couldn't tell if there was something foreign in there or artifact. Then he started to get a lump but it was higher up and on the side! I started applying hot compresses three times a day. Two and a half days later a buckthorn popped out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 When you say that you have had her assessed for ACL issues - who did the assessment? Your general vet? Or did you bring her to a certified rehab vet or ortho vet? In my personal experience, and from many other stories I have heard, despite the best efforts of a general vet, they usually do not have the same diagnostic capability as an ortho or rehab vet. If you haven't, I would bring her to the specialist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Has Jenna been tested for other tick borne diseases? Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Bartonellosis can all cause lameness and/or limping. Best wishes figuring this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 I second the above. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Just curious - when a dog is tested for Lyme in a vet's office, doesn't the vet routinely use the 3-way or 4-way test? IIRC, that test (snap test) determines the status of heartworm, lyme, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis infections. Not sure if RMSF is included or if that is a separate test. I have not heard of Bartonellosis. Will have to look that one up. [Good doG, another tick-borne disease we have to worry about??] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 There are variations of the test. Many vets offer a test that checks for several tick borne diseases along with HW, but not all do. And I'm not sure that any of the SNAP tests test for all the tick borne diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 There are more than 15 TBDs that dogs can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess's Girl Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 I read an article the other day about hypothyroidism causing muscle aches and craps. Might be something to look into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 My dog's intermittent lameness turned out to be sesamoid disease. He had prolotherapy and it was resolved very nicely. It did take several vet visits to different clinics and many diagnoses (sprain, muscle strain, repetitive strain injury etc) before my current vet identified the problem just by looking at him walk(!) ETA: he also had the procedure repeatedly on the other front foot a couple years later when he developed the same problem on that foot. He's about 15 now, still going strong. RDM 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.