I posted about this about a month ago, but nobody answered.  I'm hoping this time someone reads this.

Kelso is just about 1 1/2 now and he's been favoring his back leg for close to a month.  The vet has put it down to his being on large doses of ivermectin daily for 6 weeks.  This can cause joint inflammation.  As such, he isn't concerned about doing xrays or anything. 

The leg and hip doesn't hurt him when we squeeze or move it.  I've checked his pads and in between and squeezed his toes.  He's fine.   He even jumps up and down for his dinner if I don't stop him in time.  And the problem does seem to be getting better, but when he's been lying down for a bit, he limps on it, or just doesn't even use it.

Has anyone had a similar experience?  Is it time to look for a new vet?  We're already unhappy with his unconcern about our oldest cat's hyperthyroid problem and the misinformation he gave us then.  But I don't want to put Kelso through a bunch of annoying tests if it just takes 2 months for things to go back to normal. 

BTW:  He's been getting ginger in his food for the inflammation and I'm going to start him on chondroitin and glucosamine, as well as pro-biotics. 

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Dino said change the vet if your not happy. How is it in the morning after he gets up? Does he feel swollen?

Dino is a wise dog, I think.

He seems fine in the morning--although he usually sleeps on my pillows, so is ensconced in perfect comfort.  And there's never any swelling.  My OH thinks he kind of plays it up for my benefit.  I was gone for three days the other week, and he barely limped at all, the little monkey!  He'll run around in the yard with his brother and no limp at all.  And then he can get up from a nap and hop around 3-legged for a bit. 

You would like Dino. His sister Coco used to fake broken or hurt limbs. One Sunday she make me call the vet and open just for her and  X-ray the leg. Not broken but they wrapped it and sent her home. See picture. When we got home she took the wrap off and asked to play again.

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Cute.  Aber has made a career of being a drama queen.  He refused to walk once because he had a little burr in his thigh.  I'm sure it hurt, but he collapsed on the floor like he'd been paralyzed.  In the course of checking him over, prior to a very expensive trip to an emergency vet on a weekend, I found the burr, picked it out, and he miraculously recovered!

Aren't they just so loveable?

That is soo funny. We can relate to that. Coco would sometimes get things caught in her pad and could not get it out so she would sit until I came to get her and pick her up and check her paw/pad. That happened more than once. They are sooo loveable.

Sweet.   Aber used to do that in the snow.  In the last couple of years before his back surgery, we lived in a town where everyone loved to use salt everywhere in large amounts whenever it snowed at all.  He always loved to run through the snow banks, but in this town, he really couldn't go more than two houses away before the snow would burn his feet.  So, he'd plop his butt right down in the snow, and hand me a paw so I could pick out the snow and salt and then give it a good chaffing so it would warm back up.  Then we'd do the other paw.  It was really cute, although I felt bad for him having to put up with the salt at all.

I think you should go to another vet.  If not to switch, then to get a second opinion.  Go with your gut.  I've had tons of animals, and tons of vets.  (Lived in three different areas).  The ones I've liked the most are the ones that say hi to your animals when they come in the door before saying hi to me.  They should do it for the love of the animal, not the money.  My vet is conservative, but if he's not getting anywhere, won't hesitate to ask other vets opinions or do further testing.  I kind of look for vets with the philosophy that if my pet is suffering, and its 2 am in the dead of winter, I have no doubt that they would come to my house to help my pet.  Go with your gut--I think it's telling you what you need to do.

I agree completely.   This vet seemed great at first, but I guess it takes a bit for true colors to emerge with some.

"Don't get me started..." you say? I think that answers your own question. If it's not a good fit, it's not a good fit. What bothers me about any vet practice that has that "money grubbing" aspect to it is that I suspect it's a practice that would declaw cats, even older, scardey-cats. It would be interesting to ask if your vet would do that for (to) your cat ;)

Ivermectin is the usual treatment for demodectic mange, except for certain breeds who can't tolerate that much of the drug. Aside from those breeds, collies and their cousins, I don't recall many side effects from the drug, except from an overdose. If this were my corgi, I would search further for any other possible causes for the limp. Timing alone isn't enough to show causality.

Oh, and, OH? I've heard of DH, and I had an OD (Old Dog), but OH? Other Husband?

OH = Other Half.    Sounds nicer than BF since we're not in high school and we live together :)

Perhaps I'll try the "will you declaw?" question---oh wait, they might have asked that for the kittens neuter.  I can't really say, I was such a basket case when we dropped them off, I don't quite remember.  I know they check for baby teeth, which impressed me, but they also will give all vaccines at the same time as the surgery, which I thought seemed a little much--kind of hard on the system.  But all seemed good until we took Henry in because he was losing weight.  The entire hypothyroid diagnosis and treatment suggestions were mishandled and incorrect and, rather than telling us all of our options, including one that would cure him, the vet just pushed us to have him on medication the rest of his life that they could sell us for $70month.  My cat is only 11, so that's a potentially long time.

So, all signs point to new vet time!

Agreed, you need to find a vet you trust! Can you research if there are any corgi breeders in your area and ask them to recommend a vet that knows corgis?

 

Sidney has his own limpin issues, but that was hip dysplasia and that doesn't seem to be Kelso's problem. My very senior dog (he's 17!) limps on his back leg after sleeping, but that's arthritis. some days are better than others.

 

Good luck, please let us know how it goes!

I don't know how far you are from Buffalo or Rochester, but both of those cities have veterinary schools.  The first vet we took Baron to for his limping moved his leg and paw back and forth, said it's not broken and to come back in 6 wks if it was not better.  He was the only vet Baron ever growled at or showed his teeth to.

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