Approximately 6 weeks ago my Black Lab started limping. For the first 1 ½ weeks I gave Tillie Rimadyal. The last (3) weeks she has been Predizone 20 mg.
Neither of these drugs have resolved her limp. . If anything it has gotten worse.
My VET ran x-rays. The x-rays did not show anything. My Vet Doc then gave me the Predizone and said it could be early arthritis.
Since none of these (2) meds have worked. . and I now know that this can cause liver damage. .
What should I do?
Thanks for your concern with this.
See if anyone in your area offers K laser therapy. It’s done wonders for some of our clients.
Donna
New River Animal Hospital
If I were you I would perhaps get another opinion. There are a number of NSAIDS that are approved for use in dogs, and you may wish to try one of those? Sometimes “soft tissue injuries” take rest and “tincture of time” to heal. I am reluctant to ever use corticosteroids for undiagnosed orthopedic problems in dogs. There are too many potential side effects, and long term, if it is arthritis, they hasten its’ progression.
Mike Keem, DVM
Front leg or back leg?
Kevin L. Chapman, DVM
Hoschton Animal Hospital
Hoschton, GA
The age of the dog makes a difference in making a long-distance guess as to the cause of lameness, and it is especially important to know which leg is the problem. If your veterinarian did x-rays, it suggests he/she at least has narrowed things down as to which part of the leg hurts so he/she knew what part(s) to x-ray.
If this is a hind leg, the most common problems would be hip dysplasia or ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). If it is a young dog, panosteitis and hock OCD (osteochondritis dessicans) would also be highly suspected. In an older dog, chronic degenerative joint disease (DJD) might be likely, as well as osteosarcoma (OSA) (bone cancer).
If this is a front leg, OCD can also occur in the shoulder joint, and elbow dysplasia is also common. One problem that is often elusive in middle age and older dogs, especially Labs, is bicipetal tenosynovitis in the shoulder, which may not be visible on x-rays or may be very subtle. Again, young dogs can have panosteitis and old dogs can have OSA in front legs as well. Panosteitis can also be difficult to diagnose and can shift from one leg to another.
Diagnosis and treatment of any of these problems depends on which problem is present. It sounds like your dog is not responding to treatment and really needs a diagnosis in order to address the problem specifically. I recommend going over all of these possibilities with your veterinarian and ask if he/she has considered them all and how he/she knows the problem is not each of them. Ask if the x-rays can be reviewed by a Board-Certified Veterinary Radiologist, who can pick out subtleties better than us regular DVMs. Also consider getting a second opinion, especially from a Board-Certified Surgical specialist, as they generally do a lot of orthopedic work and are therefore usually extra familiar with orthopedic problems.
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Lancaster, NY
If it is a hind leg, I would examine the stilfe with the dog sedated to look for a torn or partial tear of the cruciate ligament. A lot of times the radiographs look normal.
Alan Holter DVM
Dodgeville Veterinary Service
Dodgeville, WI
Yes, you can try to find a vet who will definitively diagnose the problem.
How old is she?
Which limb is painful?
What is the result of the physical exam (not the radiographs)?
Has she been tested for Tick-borne diseases?
Has a CBC been run?
What is your “Vet Doc”?
FYI: Prednisone is not a good choice for either infectious diseases or arthritis
Phillip McHugh, DVM
Park Veterinary Hospital
Durham, NC
Depending on where you live you might suggest that she be tested for Lyme disease. We are now seeing several cases a month and we include Lyme disease in our differential for any lame dog. If you have Lyme disease in your area it is something I would rule out.
N. Lee Kolos, VMD
Kolbrooks Veterinary Clinic
Bellefonte, PA
All possible causes of lameness should be ruled out i.e. Lymes disease etc.. Then a thorough orthopedic exam should be performed. Then start treating the medical or disease once diagnosed or if orthopedic exam is abnormal then seek a referal to a veterinary surgeon for their opinion. It always best to know what is going on before treating the symptoms. Best of luck..hope this helps.
I would advise you to ask your vet about further imaging studies through a university veterinary school. University clinics often have equipment and capabilities that few private clinics can afford. You would be better off going the extra mile and expense to try to find a diagnosis then trying a “hit or miss” treatment approach.
Dr. Michelle Williams
The Whole Point House Call Vet
Knoxville, TN
I just got back from the Vet today …with our rescued boy…. whose back leg has been lame for a week.
He loves to go in the truck and will put weight on it only to get in the truck.
Xrays showed nothing.
Our vet suggested having him swim to try and get him to build up his back leg again and get the blood to flow as he is losing his muscle in the leg
We are on Criagslist trying to buy a backyard pool so we can try to help him by swimming withhim around the pool
I am in New Mexico and dont know if there is a university vetrenary school here.Thank you for all the suggestions here andour vet also told us to massage his leg when we can. I am worried for him, he is a pittie mix and very muscular and the vet was suprised at how much mucles mass he lost…thank you all for these helpful posts.
I have a dog who jogs regularly. One week we went out and she (6 years old) limped. I thought something may have cut her pad. Tried again a week later same thing. Tried a walk a week later same thing. Long and short she is fine around the house you wouldn’t know there was an issue unless she runs hard then you will see a limp. When we take her out she limps after a few yards. She has been looked at by an orthepedic and xray was done. No issues or TPLO needed. Next she was looked at by a neurologist more xrays and blood work. Nothing came back odd other than a small kidney and slight pain in lower spine/back. They suggested an expensive MRI to rule out cancer even though blood work was fine. MRI to rule out disc or nerve issues. She has been resting for 3 months now so I’m thinking this is not a soft tissue problem. Could it be as easy arthritis? I’m going back to my normal vet before I pay for an MRI. Does anyone else have suggestions?
Hi…it could be just that. Glucosamine Chondroitin for dogs is readily available everywhere and that really helped one of my dogs when he was affected with arthritis, and it also helped a rescue horse we had who had arthritis too. Personally I’d give that a try and watch closely. Then schedule with your regular vet as well.
Good luck!!
Hello, I have a 19 month old Lab/ German Shep Mix, who loves playing Frisbee. But about 2 months back she started limping a little here and there mostly outside right at the start of playtime, though now it is every time she walks. My normal Vet did an a couple of X rays and normal, we went to a specialist who did more x-rays and an MRI, said everything came back normal. She started this a few days after playing the game at the park where they chase the mechanical small animal around to see if they can catch it. I’m told nothing is wrong and had all the right test, but she is limping and in the afternoons you can see where she is tired and sore, but from what? We’ve been using a new supplement powder with her along with her normal vitamin and the Glyco Flex 2, every once in a while I will give her a couple N saids, any ideas what it could be or what test to run at this point?