sea4th Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 I just now noticed the hock joints on Flick. What drew my attention to them was that that both hock joints looked bigger, like a ball had developed over each of them. I felt them and they are very soft, filled with fluid probably. Yesterday, Flick was holding one of her back legs up for a few minutes and then walked off on all fours, but sort of gingerly. She's all of maybe 34 lbs. She's never been overweight in her life. She's 10 yrs. old, OFA'd excellent. Any ideas? I'll be calling the vet tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Originally posted by sea4th:I just now noticed the hock joints on Flick. ... Any ideas? I'll be calling the vet tomorrow. In a horse,its called Bog Spavin. It's excess fluid in the joint capsule or bursa around the hock joint, and unless there's infection present, it's usually just a cosmetic problem (but can be a mechanical problem if the tightness in the hock restricts her normal movement. I've seen horses do this from having a back leg slip out from under them - or some other kind of stress to the hock joints.) Once the fluid gets in there, its hard to keep it out. (Kind of like blowing up a balloon, even after you let the air out, it's stays stretched out.) Do you think she could have hyper-extended her hocks somehow - slipping or falling? I also know of atleast one dog who got fluid in the joint capsules when she had lymes disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted February 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Do you think she could have hyper-extended her hocks somehow - slipping or falling? Anything is possible. I don't go out with the dogs when I come home from work and let them out. The last few days it's been really icy---but *both* hocks? I'm trying to picture an injury, or a movement that would cause what I'm seeing. I also know of atleast one dog who got fluid in the joint capsules when she had lymes disease.And this occurred to me too, but my vet says that Lyme disease is so rare in this area that she routinely doesn't check for it, unless the dog is known to have been in a more lyme prone area. It might be my imagination, but sometimes it appears as though she moving "carefully". There is no limp. Then there are other times when she launches herself from her rear in a burst of movement to catch up with the other dogs, to be first, like she always has done. I dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Vicki, Many vets say that Lyme disease is rare in "their area" when in fact it isn't as rare as they think. If it were me, I would ask for a tick panel along with any other tests the vet proposes. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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