How deal with a lame dog that just won't stop running.

How deal with a lame dog that just won't stop running.

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Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Friday 23rd May 2014
quotequote all
Logan's became lame a few weeks ago. Took to vet who could find nothing wrong said he was 100 %

But said a month with just walking no running definitely no tennis ball.


Problem is he's so fit he's just going mental. He's just finished 20 laps of the house upstairs down stairs leaping over the settee.at speeds you need to see to believe. He's banging I to walls banging his feet on thins just generally hurting himself more.

He's so frustrated but every time he does it his limp comes back. Short of keeping him in his crates for a month I don't know what to do.

Advice please.

I can see know how working type dogs become problems with owners who don't give them excercise they need. He's like something possessed.
Perhaps we were overdoing it on the excercise before and he just expects it. It's really frustrating for all of us. He's never going to get better at this rate.

digger the goat

2,811 posts

144 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Have you tried anything added to his food ?
We use 'Newmarket joint supplement'.
As long as we use it daily, Montys limp disappears.

Worth a go for a tenner !


p.s.. Bumped into an Australian cattle dog at a dog show last month. The owner was gobsmacked that I knew what it was hehe

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
digger the goat said:
Have you tried anything added to his food ?
We use 'Newmarket joint supplement'.
As long as we use it daily, Montys limp disappears.

Worth a go for a tenner !


p.s.. Bumped into an Australian cattle dog at a dog show last month. The owner was gobsmacked that I knew what it was hehe
I bet he's only been recognised by two people and they both worked in Australia. smile

Yeah every meal he gets salmon oil and I've started lintbels youmove tablets. Orijen puppy food we give him also have added supplements too I believe.

He's like a whirlwind. And getting very frustrated he just want to run.

We are going to have to sedate him and get x rays if it carries on but I really don't want to do that. I'm a big wuss.


Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Sorry to say but cage him.... A week or two of this will be hard work but perhaps worth it...

Also, the usual additions of green lipped mussles etc..


Edited by Jasandjules on Saturday 24th May 10:56

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Green lipped muscles?

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-infor...

Works on animals too. Not saying this is what is wrong with him but when the vet can't find a problem it can just a strain etc which this can help with.

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Thanks. We can share it smile

Just ordered a couple of these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musselflex-500mg-Organic-L...

I'm wondering if it's ligament damage. If he'd just stop charging around like a bull in a china shop it would be better.
Although it's part of his character and I love it I'd rather he was uninsured frown



Edited by Pesty on Saturday 24th May 13:43

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Yes my guess would be cruciate. Don't suppose he struggles to get up? It's just after a major exercise/run around session?

I am supposing also note overweight.

thenorth

57 posts

159 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
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Swimming? Low impact and tiring not sure if suitable but that was my first thought

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
thenorth said:
Swimming? Low impact and tiring not sure if suitable but that was my first thought
Hydrotherapy perhaps NOT swimming in a lake etc.. This can do more damage as I understand it as the water is cold which then adversely affects ligaments that are not 100% etc.

BUT warm water hydro could be worth a punt.

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
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Front or back leg lame. He's a bit young for cruciate unless a significant traumatic injury.

Cage rest is good idea. If lame after 2 weeks rest then xrays will be next step.

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Front legs although I can't tell which one.

Not overweight at all never sits still enough. He's solid muscle.

Has no problem running full speed leaping the settee or any other manner of boisterousness.

Only noticeable when walkng slowly. And then not there all time but comes back when he has his mad half hours.

11 months old. No fear will jump off objects no matter how high or run full speed into piles of rocks. ( which I think is probably how he picked it up)

He's seen two different vets who have prodded an pocked him all over. They found nothing.

They advised swimming but he can't do that either because his ears are sore. Giving him drops nearly better but no water for a week or so,

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
With his age they should consider OCD (esp of shoulder or elbow) he'd need xrays to ck for this with pictures being sent to orthopaedic vet for assessment.

Hydro can be in a treadmill so no issue on ears and should be considered only once a diagnosis is made.

Sorry just seen your vets suggested the swimming, didn't mean to go against them (would still advise referral to hydrotherapy over just general swimming as a good hydrotherapist usually has physio qualifications so can assess how he copes with the exercise)

Edited by bexVN on Saturday 24th May 15:19

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

255 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
Will mention OCD when we take him back. Looking at symptoms pain when handled and swelling they are not present.

Interesting though. Too much energy and calcium in food. We did give him the odd saucer of goats milk and he does like cheese. But we were recomended to give him calcium for his growing bones

They messed with all his joints. Noy sure how he'd be ona tread mill. He'd probably try to attack it.

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Saturday 24th May 2014
quotequote all
You'll be surprised, most dogs get used to it quickly. My Jimmy never in his life went more than his feet in water yet he took to it really well!

Added calcium if on a complete balanced diet is fairly outdated now. Can upset bone growth if knocks the Ca:P ratio off kilter in a growing pup. It could have caused a problem, would be unlucky all the same especially as it was an occasional treating not an everyday added supplement.

Edited by bexVN on Saturday 24th May 15:34

Autopilot

1,298 posts

183 months

Sunday 25th May 2014
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Our Dobermann pup had a suspected cruciate issue. He was taken around the block on lead a couple of times a day and hydrotherapy at the weekends. He hated it at first but soon got used to it and started to enjoy it. He was a hyper-pup, still is at 20 months , but even visits to the garden were on lead and he had a small lead on in the house in case he started to dash about so we could stop him. We did this for 6 - 8 weeks and he's been right as rain since. He is a seriously high energy dog, we do Shutzund training with him so to go to nothing turned him in in to a right sod!!!

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Sunday 25th May 2014
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We got two dogs used a treadmill within about 10 mins. They are clever dogs, but still.

And I know I sound like a broken record, but raw food will calm your dog down too believe it or not.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 25th May 2014
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Jasandjules said:
We got two dogs used a treadmill within about 10 mins. They are clever dogs, but still.

And I know I sound like a broken record, but raw food will calm your dog down too believe it or not.
Totally Off topic but JandJ is there a website you would recommend where I can read up on raw food diet?

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Monday 26th May 2014
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desolate said:
Totally Off topic but JandJ is there a website you would recommend where I can read up on raw food diet?
Are you on facebook? If so, search for Raw and several UK sites will come up. They tend to have "sticky" type things too to read up.

Also a website called the Dog's Dinner http://dogsdinner2.webs.com/

Spiffing

1,855 posts

209 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
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My dog went lame after a walk as a pup and it took a while to diagnose, he would struggle to get going and be on 3 legs for 30 secs every time he got up. Eventually my vet agreed to him seeing a canine chiropractor who was recommended by a vet nurse friend. She diagnosed him as having torn the length of his hamstring and abductor muscle with a back injury after compensating for it. It took a long time and a lot of money and effort but he is now sound, I was taught how to massage the area and used a heat machine on it which warmed the muscle. He started with 30sec of lead walk for a few weeks and upped it by 10secs or so every week. Luckily he is super chilled for a collie and was happy doing obedience training at home and snoozing. After a year he was allowed to run again and hasn't been lame on that leg since, although his agility career never got going.

Basically if he is lame, keep nagging the vets and seek different opinions, he won't be lame for no reason. Follow the advice given and fingers crossed he will recover. Whatever you do don't over exercise him and make it worse. He will get used to the new regime and his fitness will drop. Try adding some goats milk to his diet, this won't do any harm but I was advised it is proven to help bones (my dogs love their branflakes and milk after their main breakfast). Also he may not be able to run, but he can get mentally tired. Try hiding his meals in a room or stuffing into a Kong to make him work a bit harder, teach him tricks or obedience which aren't strenuous.