Bad News: Limping puppy diagnosis

After 3 months and several vets we finally have an answer for Baron's limping, and the news is not good. Even though I'm a nurse I'm still confused. Apparently the growth plate closed too early at Baron's right shoulder. He has a gap where part of it is supposed to close over the joint. The humerus is longer than the ulna and has started to bow outward. According to the vet there is nothing we can do except watch for the early arthritis to set in and give him rimadyl when he is having a bad day. There will be no running or jumping for Baron and only moderate exercise allowed. As I'm writing this Baron is running around chasing the cats. blissfully unaware of the diagnosis.

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Comment by Jane Christensen on August 26, 2010 at 8:11am: Sorry to hear this, it's always hard to hear especially with such a young one! Bev gave you some good advice and hopefully it will be many years before you see signs of arthritis. I guess dogs are just like people and some have problems earlier in life than others and finding out the problem at least gives you a chance to plan ahead.

Comment by Bev Levy on August 26, 2010 at 8:00am: So sorry to hear that. You can help him by keeping him in good shape by ignoring the corgi "I am starving" vibe and giving him nice regular long walks. Sparty has been living with arthritis for many years and rarely needs medication. He does not always understand why we no longer allow him to herd the soccer ball and fetch does not involve him racing for the ball but he has a good quality of life.

Comment by Betts on August 26, 2010 at 7:38am: So sorry about the news. So, is Baron limping because one leg is shorter than the other or because he has pain, do you think? If he's limping because of a disparity in length, that should only be a problem in the long run. In that case, I would expect him to take awhile to develop arthritis and you should expect him to be reasonably comfortable. By the time arthritis would set in, he'll be less active anyway. Since you say he's running around and seems to be unaware of the diagnosis, I would hope that's the case.