Jump to content
BC Boards

limping


deafbat
 Share

Recommended Posts

I know this was discussed in a previous post, but I can't seem to find it, so here goes...

 

Ben came in tonight after having a potty break outside. I noticed a little bit later that he was limping, so I checked his paws for anything that could have gotten stuck in them, but found nothing. I plan on taking him to a vet tomorrow (not mine, since they'll be closed) if this doesn't get better by then. Doesn anyone know how roughly how much an exam/x-rays will cost for a sprain? His exercise today was a little more strenuous than normal--more jumping, twisting, jumping while turning, etc, and I'm afraid something either got strained or sprained. Naturally, I feel totally guilty and I'm really worried about him too, esp. since I can't figure out what's wrong. I guess I should have waited until he was totally healthy. I'm sure his body is still pretty weak from the malnutrition that made up his first two years of life. I totally should have waited until I was sure he was 100% better. If anyone has any ideas as to what it could be, I'd appreciate the input. Thanks, guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best of luck deafbat. One of my first dog trainers (very experienced agilty person and kennel owner had dogs all his life in his late 50's) always insisted on giving our dogs arnica if they appeared to of bruised or pulled a muscle/ ligament when we were agility training.

 

Whether it worked or if they naturally healed fast I dont know..maybe AKdogdoc can advise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope all turns out well, deafbat!

 

When my dog was just 3 mths old, she did the same thing. I thought she was able to handle the vigorous 'play' she was indulging in but apparently not. Came in the house with back right leg limping. I palpated every aspect of her tiny body and could find nothing wrong, and never got anything more than licks. Ugh! Bad mom. What guilt. Off to the vet immediatly as I was sure I had killed her but didn't know how! My vet is fabulous...gave her a complete thorough body massage, focusing on the injured leg and said it was a pulled ligament, probably groin which ran down into the affected leg, and it would heal with time and rest. We didn't get xrays as I trusted his diagnosis. He was right...time and rest cured the gimp. And funny, my 8 wk old BC, did the very same thing last wk (3rd day with me!) chasing the 1 yr old. I did the massage myself, which she loved, and made her 'chill' for awhile. I believe she is cured as well.

 

Sure does scare you tho. Prayers are with you and your pup for a speedy recovery!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that had to be the most traumatizing visit to the vet in my entire life. We went to the emergency clinic, since my vet's office was closed. We watched a 17 year old poodle die of congestive heart failure in the waiting room...fluid and blood just poured out the poor girl's nose shortly after she came in. I don't think I stopped crying for an hour. If I felt that way, you can only imagine how her owner felt. So I talked with him and I hugged him, etc. Then I felt guilty about bringing Ben in with what seemed to be something so comparatively trivial. Anyway, it turns out that he has a fractured toe on the right foreleg (I think they called it the lateral toe...it's the outermost one). The x-ray made it look like a fairly clean break, and it wasn't all the way through the toe, which i think is good (?). Doc said to come back tomorrow if he can't rest easily so that they can bandage it(apparently it isn't necessary at this point). So lots of rest for the next two weeks, no strenuous exercise, and, apparently, 2 aspirin a day (one in the morning one at night). AK Dog Doc, any thoughts on the aspirin thing?

 

on the bright side, he has gained 10 pounds since I've had him.

 

oh yeah. and I realized today that it could always be worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, sorry you had such a sad visit to the ER. That happens sometimes, maybe a bit more often on emergency than on other duty, simply by the nature of emergency work.

 

As for as aspirin: it isn't the strongest painkiller available, but it might be enough if the toe isn't getting dinged all the time. It IS an anticoagulant, though, so I don't give it in the week prior to surgery, or if there's a lot of bruising, until the bruising settles down (like 24 to 48 hrs after the injury, usually.) Always use buffered aspirin, never use Tylenol, Ibuprofin, Advil or any other drug unless your vet advises it, and remember that aspirin is NOT to be given with certain other medications, so if Ben is on anything else, check in with the vet first. It also usually sits better on the tummy if given with food, and you should watch for any sort of gut disturbance - poor appetite, vomiting (especially if it looks like there's blood or "coffee grounds" - digested blood is black and sometimes grainy - in the vomit), and/or abnormal color (especially red or black) or consistency of stool. The up side of aspirin is that dogs heal faster if they're not painful, and of course the humane concerns of keeping him comfortable. The down side is that you can get an upset stomach with aspirin (or other pain drugs) and if the dog feels good, they sometimes want to run like maniacs because they don't hurt, so you still have to confine them. (Since he doesn't know he has a fractured toe - he just knows it hurts/it doesn't hurt.)

 

As for Arnica (homeopathic dosage) - it does no harm, and while (having never used it) I have no idea if it does any good, there's no reason you can't use it, so long as you're not giving anything that can interact with it (check with your vet if in doubt.) Most homeopathic remedies are at extremely low concentrations, so they can't do any harm - so if you want to use them and your vet doesn't have an objection, have at it. If ever in doubt, consult your vet or a homeopathic specialist (many if not most/all states have vets doing homeopathic practice.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The vet asked about meds, so he knew ben is on interceptor before he made the recommendation for aspirin (excuse the heinous grammar). I'm pretty sure by buffered aspirin you don't mean the generic kind (of course, i could be wrong). Do you have any suggestions as to what to look into in the way of aspirin or where to get it (i'm obviously not the kind of person who has to constantly watch what I consume and look at ingredients--other than as a weight issue--as I have no allergies)?

 

also, in regards to Arnica, i know people have discussed homeopathic drugs on the board, but what, exactly, will this do? is it a pain reliever? a depressant?

 

thank you so much to everybody for the information and condolences, and AK dog doc, I'll be sure to monitor his stool and any signs of vomiting

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Deafbat

 

Sorry to hear what you witnessed yesterday, but I am sure the owner of the poodle was glad you were there offering support and hugs.

 

The main belief I have heard for arnica is that it reduces bruising:

 

"The most common remedy used for muscle trauma is Arnica montana. Arnica is an herb that can be used topically as a cream on specific areas of bruising and pain. As a homeopathic remedy, Arnica can be taken internally, in pellet form, to work more deeply on the trauma that is held in the muscles. Arnica works by improving circulation and reducing both emotional and physical trauma in the muscles."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, generic aspirin is just fine, so long as it says "buffered" on the label. If in doubt, Bufferin and Ascriptin are two brand names for buffered aspirin. The dose is about 5 mg per pound and an adult strength aspirin is usually about 325 mg to 375 mg (the label should say exactly - active ingredient is salisylic acid). So if Ben is little use children's aspirin and divide or double up as needed; if he's bigger, use adult and ditto. Excederin has caffiene and tylenol in it, so don't use that, and all the ones that have extra words at the end ususually have other stuff in them - like if it says "Cold" or "Migraine" or "P.M." and so on.

 

I think the thread on separation anxiety in the general discussion section of the boards has some stuff about homeopathic remedies on it, if you're interested (you'll have to sort through a little, there are a fair number of posts on that one.) I'm not sure I understand the theory well enough to explain it, myself. If it's a true homeopathic remedy, it will be diluted to very low concentrations, so it can do no harm - so if you want to try it, I personally don't see a reason why not, but we must bear in mind this is not my patient and I can't see him, so be guided by those who can.

 

As a BTW - don't feel bad about taking a dog in on emergency for something that might seem minor by comparison to what else is coming in that day. If it's bad enough for you to be concerned about, it's bad enough to see the vet (or at least talk to one). That's why the emergency clinic is there. They may triage you - take the most critical cases first - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Cholla1:

Just curious: what is "emotional trauma in the muscle"? :confused:

LOL I didnt write it but, Id assume it is to with the holistic view on illness/ injury. That at the time of injury there is physical suffering which would cause emotional suffering and the two become connected and can be stored in different locations.

 

This quote was about people, but as dogs are emotional creatures too..who knows. Not saying any of this is fact, just how I interpet it. Although if you read "tellington touch" (think that was what is was called, I read it many years ago..it does make some sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again everyone.

 

AK dog doc ( i hate to keep taking up time w/ questions, but i'm sure you understand), i got bufferin. my question is, since i'm supposed to give ben 1 pill 2x a day (but 1 pill, by the calcs that you provided would be for a 65lb dog), should i just cut it in half (thereby reducing the dosage to the equivalent of a 32lb dog--ben's 45lbs) and give each half to him with a meal?

 

 

also, i think he's in too much pain to be able to maintain a poop-squat position long enough to go, so i think i have to take him into the vet to bandage/put a splint on the foot. which brings me to another question. is it ok for him to have both aspirin and dramamine (25 mg given an hour before the first trip, obviously, because he gets carsick every time he gets in) in his system at the same time? or should i hold off on the dramamine?

 

thanks so much, again. I've never had a pet that broke *anything*, so i'm worried sick about ben.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...