Not Chester this time, stiff legged Phoebe!
Discussion
As well as my disobediant little fat Basset cross (Chester) I have the love of my life, Phoebe. She's a black Lab and has had a pretty crappy life - lots of operations due to swallowing things and getting peritonitus (very nearly died) and I rescued her at four months old. She is scared stiff of people she doesn't know and stresses VERY badly if she has to go to the vets...
A couple of years ago, I noticed that if she'd done lots of excercise (swimming, running on the beach) then the next day she'd be really stiff. Now, she is really stiff most of the time and walks a bit like the dog from 'Woodentops' if anyone is old enough to remember that! If she has done lots of excercise now, on that night she will be stiff and cry when she gets off the sofa and hobble to go outside. I hate to hear her cry!
She is only six so not old and the vet has prescribed her anti-inflammatories and she's been on them for ten days. I can't see any improvement at all. Just rung the vets again, and all they want to do is x-rays, which I'm not keen on as it would meen leaving her with strangers again and she really doesn't like/trust strangers and she completely freaks!
Anyone (Bex?) got any ideas?
A couple of years ago, I noticed that if she'd done lots of excercise (swimming, running on the beach) then the next day she'd be really stiff. Now, she is really stiff most of the time and walks a bit like the dog from 'Woodentops' if anyone is old enough to remember that! If she has done lots of excercise now, on that night she will be stiff and cry when she gets off the sofa and hobble to go outside. I hate to hear her cry!
She is only six so not old and the vet has prescribed her anti-inflammatories and she's been on them for ten days. I can't see any improvement at all. Just rung the vets again, and all they want to do is x-rays, which I'm not keen on as it would meen leaving her with strangers again and she really doesn't like/trust strangers and she completely freaks!
Anyone (Bex?) got any ideas?
It's really hard to tell! Some days I think it's front, then others... She's stiff in the morning and seems to free up during her walk, then she's stiff in the afternoon/evening after her big walk of the day.
She'll lay on the floor with her back legs out behind her frequently so her hips don't seem to be a problem. This all seemed to start after she had her big ops two years ago where she had drips in both front legs.
It seems funny to me that everyone says swimming is really good for her, yet she's worse AFTER swimming!
She'll lay on the floor with her back legs out behind her frequently so her hips don't seem to be a problem. This all seemed to start after she had her big ops two years ago where she had drips in both front legs.
It seems funny to me that everyone says swimming is really good for her, yet she's worse AFTER swimming!
Ok,
So with little/limited exercise she is ok but once a much longer walk is undertaken she is worse?
May I suggest you first of all reduce the duration of her walks, both of them down to 10 mins or so. See if she is stiffer.
Also try to work out if it is the front or back legs. Does she hold any of them out at all? If after a walk (say 10 mins) lift each leg up for 10 seconds or so, and see if she tries to sit or move etc. Try to ID which leg/area is the problem.
Do you have her parents hips and elbow scores? From what you say she could have HD or ED but it is very difficult to guess. It could be an injury causing ligament damage including cruciate. It could be arthritis..
What ops did she have?
What diet is she on?
So with little/limited exercise she is ok but once a much longer walk is undertaken she is worse?
May I suggest you first of all reduce the duration of her walks, both of them down to 10 mins or so. See if she is stiffer.
Also try to work out if it is the front or back legs. Does she hold any of them out at all? If after a walk (say 10 mins) lift each leg up for 10 seconds or so, and see if she tries to sit or move etc. Try to ID which leg/area is the problem.
Do you have her parents hips and elbow scores? From what you say she could have HD or ED but it is very difficult to guess. It could be an injury causing ligament damage including cruciate. It could be arthritis..
What ops did she have?
What diet is she on?
No info on her parents at all, she was a rescue (it involved a lot of verbal violence towards the previous owner !) and had a very bad first four months of life - locked in a dark damp shed alone and not treated kindly!
Ops were all for swallowing things, then further ops to sort out her peritonitus, lots of nasty abscesses inside her so various bits now missing - spleen, half her stomach/bowel etc.
I've watched her like a hawk for the past month or two, really can't decide which legs it is, more that she just seems to be genarally stiff everywhere. Even wondered if it was her back. She's been checked by the Vet twice now and he can't feel anything wrong with her joints/muscles or anything.
Ops were all for swallowing things, then further ops to sort out her peritonitus, lots of nasty abscesses inside her so various bits now missing - spleen, half her stomach/bowel etc.
I've watched her like a hawk for the past month or two, really can't decide which legs it is, more that she just seems to be genarally stiff everywhere. Even wondered if it was her back. She's been checked by the Vet twice now and he can't feel anything wrong with her joints/muscles or anything.
General stiffness sound more arthritic. If that is right then glucosamine, green lipped mussel etc. Reduce walks as above though and see if she is better for it. Seriously I'd be looking at a 10 min walk twice a day and see how she is. If fine, up it to 15 mins each and see...
But I think it is worth making sure you are certain she is generally stiff and not specific limbs - if limbs I'd say she would need an X-Ray to check for hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia.
She does seem quite young for that but I know a 7 year old retriever with it.
But I think it is worth making sure you are certain she is generally stiff and not specific limbs - if limbs I'd say she would need an X-Ray to check for hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia.
She does seem quite young for that but I know a 7 year old retriever with it.
there's a lot of dogs with joint pain earlier than that, if the supplements suggested don't work then it is time to get a diagnosis. Do not be put off using anti inflammatory medication to control pain, sometimes it takes a while to find the right medication, sometimes it's easy, but the result can be dramatic. Don't give up on using alternatives/additives as they can contribute to using less medication. Sadly it sounds as though your dog is going to be generally sore......but that's no real use without a definitive diagnosis. So go see my partners in crime.
Thanks for all your help. I've got to go to the vets tomorrow to pick up some different pills for her (prescribed by a different vet in the same practice as her usual one is away) and I'll see if they work. I'm also going to go to Pets at Home and pick up some joint supplements for her.
Bloody dogs, it we didn't love them sooooo much (and they us) life would be so much duller!
Bloody dogs, it we didn't love them sooooo much (and they us) life would be so much duller!
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