Cruciate symptoms but could it be something else?

[KJT]

Hi there

Does anyone have any experience with a dog that shows typical cruciate injury symptoms, yet it has turned out to be something different?

My 3yr old bc started occasionally bunny hoping about 3wks ago when getting up from a rest. He would walk out of it within a few strides and look fine, so I assumed maybe a muscle tweak from running at the beach. This only lasted 3days then he was fine. 2wks later he competed in an agility trial and after a few practice jumps I noticed he looked a little uneven, so i stopped And went home. He then had 2 days of looking a stiff and uneven behind and not putting his weight evenly on that leg but quickly came right. After a week of noticing some sloppy sitting (unusual for him) and still some uneven weight shifting when standing still, but no lameness at all, I took him to my vet. Two vets have seen him this week and both have said it may be cruciate but it’s not really obvious. He has been referred to an ortho specialist in 2wks and I suspect he will be sent for X-rays and maybe an MRI.

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms but it HASNT been a cruciate injury?? 

 

 

 

[GentleLake]

Has he been tested for tick borne diseases?

[Hooper2]

I have a dog that shows a mild version of  what you are describing - very subtle stiffness and uneven weight distribution that comes and goes, and most people wouldn't notice if they didn't know the dog well.  I've been taking him to an ortho vet for a couple months now doing cold laser treatments (not totally convinced how effective they are, but the only thing they are likely to hurt are my bank account), massage, and underwater treadmill exercise.  He has improved tremendously although maybe once or twice a week I'll still see some mild stiffness that he usually walks off on his own with a good stretch and a few strides.   So, yeah, your dog's symptoms could be due to a soft tissue injury of some sort (besides an ACL), some mild arthritis, or as GL suggested, may be a tick borne disease.

[Ranchhand]

Hello, @KJT- I know of a young pup/dog who has just been diagnosed with panosteitis. You might look it up to see if symptomatology might be a match?

[Heartful]

It is possible that there is another problem but impossible to know without the diagnostics that you will likely have recommended at the referral practice. The history of on again off again lameness and “lazy”sit go hand in hand with cruciate disease, but there has been more discussion of popliteal muscle injury in BC recently, as a possible imposter to cruciate disease. Hopefully they offer x-ray and soft tissue ultrasound!  There can also be lameness associated with ilipsoas muscle strain, but I usually find that these dogs have no issues with a correct sit. Bunny hopping is typically associated with hip disease such as dysplasia.  But again, with hip disease sitting is not generally a problem unless there is a problem in the pelvis/sacrum/low back as well.  

Panosteitis is generally limited to growing puppies, so not as likely for your kiddo. 

Good Luck!!! Make sure they take comparison X-ray views of the other leg!!! 

[KJT]

Thanks for the replies. We have been to an orthopaedic specialist who is 95% sure it is not the cruciate. Rather he thinks it is a nerve being pinched somewhere in his lower back. We are waiting for confirmation/pre-approval from our pet insurance as to whether they will pay for a costly MRI scan to determine this diagnosis.