The Limp Is Back
I started a discussion a while ago during the limping epidemic that seems to be going on about Finnigan limping ("Another one Bites the Dust"). His limp would come and go and for the last week at least he's been limp free. When I came home at lunch today to take him potty, he hobbled out of his crate and didn't want to walk. His limp is pretty bad and for no apparent reason. We don't have a yard so anytime he is outside we're with him and he hasn't done anything crazy. Besides that, he wasn't limping in the morning so what could have happened to him in his crate? Anyway, I am stumped and worried so tomorrow after work we're taking him to the vet. I was hoping to avoid this because not only is it expensive but how do you know that the diagnosis is correct? I hope it's nothing serious and I really hope he doesn't need surgery but most of all I want him to feel better. It's so sad seeing him limp around and despite his obvious pain, he still wants to play. He'll try to move at a jogging pace but ends up hopping to avoid putting weight on that back right leg. I'll let you all know what the vet says tomorrow. Wish him luck!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alice on
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Finn's vet said when he is limping to make him take it easy for a couple days, offer the anti-inflammatories if needed (not daily) and that's it. I asked if he should be allowed to run (not while limping, just in general) and he said let him run. My vet is very conservative in treatment which I think is better than over treating and he really does care about the animals. He wants Finn to have a good life and recognizes that a dog this young would not be happy if he had to keep all that energy pent up and he would most likely act up more. He said not to do anything rough such as jumping but if he runs on occasion, it's ok. He did stress that he needs to keep getting exercise and mentioned losing a couple pounds would benefit him too. I was just thinking if the limp comes and goes often, then two days rest resulting in no limp doesn't mean it won't be back in another day or two. I could be wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Alice, Yes I would not let him run for a while. With Sparty, he was on rimydal for I think about 6 months and we kept his activities limited. No running or jumping and short regular leash walks. When we took him off it we increased the length of walks but still stopped him from "frapping" and quick starts and stops. It has been over three years and he rarely has a problem. I have finally convinced the rest of the family that they can throw the ball to him so he can catch it instead of throwing it far. Sparty is somewhat obsessed with balls! We no longer let him play with soccer balls. He still occasionally takes predisonne for his allergies but that is only once or twice a year. I don't know if this will relate to bad hips but with my arthritis I just have to be careful when I have a flare up. I don't think we ever used Deramaxx. Don't be afraid to tell your vet that money is an issue. Often they can help.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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To answer a question further up the page (again, I can't reply to individual posts), I don't know which joint supplements are good. I asked Kandy (the breeder we got our dogs from) because she said she uses joint supplements routinely on all her dogs who are older than 4 or 5, and she didn't recommend a particular brand. She just orders from the pet catalogs. I know I've been referred to Cherrybrook as a good supplier, but I don't know what they carry.
Someone mentioned Consequin in another thread and they used to have a good reputation with the horse people, but it's been 20 years since I rode and was directly involved with that.
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Permalink Reply by Judi, Dawn, Soffie & Griffyn on
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Soffie's on Cosequin DS for dogs, as prescribed by the surgeon who examined her. Two a day for now while she is in rehab. Then it will decrease to 1 a day. We also started Griffyn on it .... one a day for good measure.
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I did look at Cosequin. It is still trusted by many horse people. The only reason I didn't opt for that one is because it didn't have all of the ingredients we were told to look for and since it is kind of pricy, to give that plus purchase other supplements that have the other ingredients would become costly. I know he should have Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Vitamin C and HA. What the most effective and least expensive way to get him all of that is, I don't know. The supplement we have been giving him is the only one I've seen with all of that in one tablet but his limping may be an indication of it not working which is why I’m trying to find a new one.
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Amazon has the Cosequin DS chewables 240 count for $66.99.
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Thats actually not as bad as what I;ve seen them for in stores. The 21st Century K-9 ones we've been buying are $25 for 60 chewables.
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Here's a great summary from OFA:
http://www.offa.org/hiptreat.html
"Once osteoarthritis is present on a radiograph, dysplastic changes are irreversible and usually continue to progress over time. If a dysplastic dog has secondary arthritis and pain, most owners elect to first treat their dog with medical management. The key to medical management of arthritis is weight control and exercise management. Studies have shown that up to 76% of severely dysplastic dogs with arthritis secondary to HD are able to function and live comfortable quality lives with conservative management.
With weight control, the goal is to prevent the dog from becoming overweight to reduce mechanical stresses applied to the hip joints. In general terms, the ribs should be easily palpated and there should be an indentation in front of the pelvic wings (waist line).
Controlled exercise is indicated to prevent or relieve the inflammatory process that leads to the pain associated with arthritis. The amount and difficulty of the activity is determined on a trial and error basis. Exercise should start with short leash walks and be gradually increased until the dog reaches the desired level of activity. If clinical signs start to reappear, the amount of exercise is scaled back to a level that will not cause clinical signs. Overall, exercise should fit to an individual dog's maximum intensity level with the goal to maintain muscle tone and cardiovascular function without causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation to the joint. The right amount of exercise helps to maintain muscle tone and strength and stabilizes the unstable dysplastic joint. Exercise also improves joint range of motion which in turn, keeps the dog more comfortable. Swimming, because it is a non-weight bearing exercise, can be a very useful means of maintaining muscle tone and range of motion without placing concussive forces on the joint."
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I had to leave work early to get Finn to his appointment yesterday, so just now my boss asked me what happened. I told him briefly about Finn and his hips and his response was "you have a tough decision to make but it'd be easier to put him down now than it will be later plus you don't know how much pain he may be in." That made me so mad and I think it was such an insensitive thing to say! Maybe a dog means more to me than it does to him. What I am worried about in the long run is that this is going to shorten Finnigan’s life and him making a statement like that makes it seem like that is just what will happen.
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That's ridiculous! Many dogs with rather severe dysplasia live active, full lives. He is not a 100 pound German Shepherd, first of all, and second of all we had an old lab with severe hind-end arthritis who could sometimes barely stand up any more and you could see in his expression that he was still loving life. Finally at 16 the pain started outweighing the joy and my parents made the decision to have him put down, but he was ancient by that point and was just not thriving. Plus with a large dog, on a bad day you just can't carry them outside to use the toilet like you can with a medium-sized dog.
If being in a little pain every now and then is reason to end a critter's life well then they should have shot me a decade ago. He's confusing dogs with horses, and they don't put the horses down because of pain. They put them down because if a horse can't stand and walk it's digestive system goes haywire, and then they founder in the good legs and are lame on all four.
Sheesh, you don't put a dog down because he's got a sore hip a couple days out of every month! Alice, just ignore the guy. Clearly he doesn't have a clue. And if you have an otherwise good relationship with him, you might gently joke with him the next time he complains of a headache that perhaps you should have him put to sleep because you can't really tell how much pain he's in.....
That makes me mad just hearing it second hand!
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This guy obviously doesn't have a dog..... or any feelings for that matter either! Beth has said it all best for me! I know you're feeling down and worried for Finn, but really he will be fine. And I think is was Jane who posted earlier, that this is normal for Finn. And he will adjust. You have to figure out how to deal with your feelings about this. Believe me the toughest thing I've had to deal with through Soffie's rehab is keeping my emotions about what I think she is feeling in check.
Keep your spirits up, you've got alot of support here and ...... IGNORE your boss!!!!
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