My 10 1/2 yr Chesapeake Bay began losing coordination in his hind quarters several months ago. After numerous Dr visits and a round of Rimadyl he is continuing to get worse. His left side worse than right. I’ve been told dysplasia but he doesn’t act or cry out as if in pain & is able to put weight on his hind legs but unable to keep his balance…starting to drag his left side until he’s able to get up, then almost crosses his hind legs.
Is there anything I can do?
Thank you!
Mona
This sounds more like a neurologic problem than an arthritic problem, but that is not something that can be really diagnosed without an exam so I can’t say for sure, and a large older dog can easily have both conditions. Rimadyl is good for pain and inflammation so is good for arthritis but is unlikely to help a neurologic problem much if at all.
A simple test for losses in nerve function is to kneel behind the dog with someone holding his head steady, hook one arm around his hind legs under his belly to steady him, and use the other hand to gently curl the toes on his back foot under and set the foot down gently on the floor that way. Do this several times so gently that you do not draw his attention to your doing it and see how long it takes him each time to realize that the foot is upside down instead of flat on the floor and fix it. Also try the same thing on the other side. You may find that he doesn’t realize the foot is upside down and leaves it that way for several seconds or until you lean his weight on it. If he leaves it upside down for awhile, it is a sign that he doesn’t have a good sense of proprioception (the sense of knowing what position your body parts are in without moving or touching them). Proprioception is the first of the senses to be lost in neurologic deficits.
There are multiple things that cause such deficits in nerve function. They include traumatic injury, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), tumors in the spine, degenerative joint disease (arthritis), fibrocartilaginous emboli (FCE), and degenerative myelopathy (DM). DM starts gradually, is progressive and no treatment is known that can stop it. FCE starts with a sudden onset and is often worse on one side than the other. Several of these conditions may improve with corticosteriods, but it is not wise to use corticosteroids at the same time as drugs in the category of Rimadyl, for the combination greatly risks stomach ulcers which can be fatal. Some of these conditions may also be helped or cured by surgery, but in order to consider whether or not he might be helped by surgery, further testing would have to be done to evaluate exactly what problem he has. Such tests would include x-rays and probably a myelogram, a CT scan, and/or an MRI. A surgical specialist would need to evaluate him and would let you know whether or not surgery would be likely to help, depending on what the tests show.
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Lancaster, NY
Hi,
Have you tried acupuncture? It is very effective for any type of hip problems and dysplasia. Dogs respond very well to it and seem to love it.
Keep me posted,
Jeanie Marie
Jeanie Marie Kraft, L.Ac.
Four Paws Acupuncuture Boston
Boston, MA
Your boy may be having neurological problems. Get him to a neurologist ASAP.
Phillip McHugh, DVM
Park Veterinary Hospital
Durham, NC
I agree with Dr McHugh, don’t try to follow the advice of others and diagnose it yourself. Take your pet to a neurologist at a specialty facility. Ask your general veterinarian for a referral.
You are so close to the UT veterinary college. Why not seek help from the specialists there? I think that would be your surest bet.
Kristan K. Hodges, DVM
I strongly suggest that you have a veterinary neurologist examine your dog to rule out spinal cord disease (tumor or degenerative disease of some sort); The crossed hindlegs is not a common finding with arthritis. I hope this helps you and your pet.
Nola Gedeon, DVM
Marcum Road Animal Hospital
Lakeland, FL
Dear Pet Owner,
It sounds as if your dog has a spinal problem. This can be pressure caused by a bulging disc (most likely), or at this age, a tumor or infarct (loss of blood supply) to the spine. Also, some older dogs can develop a degenerative myelopathy, a slowly progressive loss of spinal function. To sort all this out, you may need an MRI or at least a special radiographic procedure known as a myelogram, where dye is injected around the spinal column, and radiographs taken. This may have to be done by a specialist, or University hospital. Unfortunately, the prognosis can be poor. Sometimes surgery can help if anti-inflammatory medications are not helping. Good luck to you.
Mack L. Barney, DVM
Barney & Russum Animal Clinic
Fairfield, CA