Lameness, Treatment Options, and Chiropratic Care
My 5 y/o male corgi has been limping fairly consistently on his right front (although it gets better and worse with rest and use) for 5 months. He has seen the vet twice so far: first recommendation was for crate rest/rimadyl for 2 weeks (seemed a bit better, but still not sound); second recommendation was for x-rays. X-rays showed mild changes in the shoulder, but nothing acute that could be fixed. Again, rec'd for crate rest, rimadyl and tramadol for 2 weeks.
Two weeks is now almost up, and he is the same as he was before. At times he almost appears sound, then will come up lame and limping quite severely with just a minimal amount of activity. Vet told me the next step is to see ortho and for possible ultrasounds, MRI/CT scans, etc. I have been doing some research and am curious if chiropractic care might be an option as well. He has been lame in the past (typically front right or left), but always got better within a 2-3 wk crate rest window (no meds).
I am wondering if others have had similar experiences and what steps they have taken to remediate lameness issues. Have you gone ahead with ultrasounds or MRI/CTs and did they actually find anything? Has anyone had luck with the chiropractic route to resolve lameness?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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I don't have any real experience with lameness- just Seanna's ACL tears. But I can tell you that I believe in both Western and Eastern medicine. When my German Shepherd mix had horrible seizures that couldn't be controlled, not only did I pay for an MRI and numerous tests, but also did medication. I also had her on a ketogenic diet, and did acupuncture. When the acupuncture worked and decreased the seizure amounts and intensity, I paid to have gold beads surgically implanted on the pressure points. Before I started the acupuncture, I saw an Eastern medicine vet, who ran his hands over her and pinpointed that her lesion on her brain (the area her seizures were being initiated from) was on the left frontal lobe-- which is exactly where it was on her MRI. He knew nothing of her history--had no previous history reports or MRI/lab results. Coincidental? Maybe...but however you choose to believe in these things, I swear he was right, and the treatment allowed her to live to be 12 years of age, when they told me she wouldn't make it to 6.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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I would get the opinion of the orthopedic vet before I did anything. I love my regular vet, but the knowledge of the orthopedic vet we saw really impressed me. Honestly I wish I had just gone to them in the first place even though it costs a bit more up front. He was much more familiar with the strange corgi bone structure too.
As far as the chiropractor, I have no experience myself but I know it isn't recommended to do back adjustments in cardigans because of the potential of IVDD. I don't know if the same is true of pems, but I personally wouldn't mess with a dog's back unless absolutely necessary.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Ambrosius on
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I'm curious...what did ortho do/tell you that was different from the regular vet? I'm kinda thinking that they will just be like, "oh let's do surgery" and then run up a couple grand in testing and surgeries that do nothing. I'm a little skeptical. And interesting about the piece about cardis not supposed to be having adjustments. I'd think it'd be more or less the same with a pem.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I don't have a clue but our vet has a chiropractor come in for dogs ocassionally actually when Wynn hurt his back my vet showed me where to work on his back for massaging it and it helped...I know it's not like a chriro BUT it worked and Wynnwho couldn't walk that am felt much better after his rubs.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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You have definitely ruled-out any foot/pad trouble? No foreign objects like glass of foxtails hidden deep in the pockets? If only they could tell us where it hurts...
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yeah, wish it was that simple! I have checked all his feet and pads, poked and prodded every part of his shoulder and leg. Nothing telling thus far. Thinking it's probably soft tissue...just haven't been able to pinpoint it yet...
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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on
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I'll be facing this on Friday when I take my own little lady into the vet's office. :( She's been limping off and on for close to two weeks, now, and so far there haven't been any sore spots, tender areas or other signs of anything being wrong aside from that limping. Hers is her front left leg.
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Sounds like my Brian's, except the problem has gone on for several months at this time. How did the vet visit go btw?
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It's sort of funny because my vet recommended the same thing: 2 weeks of crate rest and Rimadyl. Ellie is still limping and will be heading into the vet's office either at the end of this week or the beginning of the next. I have a feeling we'll be sent to get MRI or ultrasound scans done next. She has been limping for about 1 month, now.
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yeah, that's exactly the route that we have gone so far. Just need to find a good ortho first...I am ready to kick this lameness in the butt! Would love to hear about what happens with Ellie's limp/scans....let me know what you find out!
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UPDATE:
Finally was able to speak with vet over the phone and discuss further tx options. She rec'd ortho consult at this point, as generalized medicine hadn't done anything. So I am now looking for an ortho in the area, hopefully someone with a lot of corgi experience. Anyone have recommendations for ortho in the metro Boston/MA area that knew a lot about the dwarfism structure of corgis or had good experiences with them? I am looking up vets on the internet at this point, but I've always liked a good recommendation, especially if anyone has seen them for similar corgi/limping related issues.
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Permalink Reply by Roger/Laurie on
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At 1 year our Tenby developed a limp, after weeks of the same treatments, the limp continued. We saw an ortho in Charlotte, NC. In my opionion the ortho was able to read the X-rays a little better than my vet did. I have a great vet but he is not a ortho specialist.
In our case there was shoulder damage due to poor nutrition and mobility as a puppy. Tenby was a rescue and had been kept inside a kennel his first 6 months, rarely taken out. The ortho didn't give us much hope and said the shoulders would probably only last 18 months. Tenby was taking pain meds 3 times a day for pain.
Tenby is now almost 7 years old. The vet can't explain the stabilization of his shoulders, there is no way they should be working. He runs and plays and only takes a pain pill if he over does it, like chasing birds on the beach for hours.
This really doesn't answer your question, but just wanted to say we had a good experience with an ortho.
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