Lame puppy

Blue is nearly 7 months old. From a small pup he has had a limp on and off in his front right leg. He was checked out and it was just put down to him being a boisterous pup. 2 weeks ago he suddenly would not put weight on the leg at all and crawled around on his belly. A trip to the vets and X-rays etc taken. No breaks were found but his paw was swollen and sore. He has had a week on pain killers but he is still lame on that leg. He can have hours or days of walking almost normally but then he gets worse again. Went back to the vets today. She checked his shoulder and leg and could only find slight swelling around the joint in his second toe. He was born with a deformed stumpy last toe but it does not seem to bother him. He now has more pain killers and some antibiotics just incase there is an infection deep in there. If he is no better in a week then he will have to have a GA and more X-rays etc. as this limp has gone on for so long and the cause is a bit of a mystery I wonder if anyone here has had anything similar or any ideas of what it could be. So worried about my little boy and just want him to be pain free and enjoying life.

what a beautiful pup; Madge has an on/off limp on left front leg but nothing ever found to cause the problem, despite x-rays, tests and scans. No swelling though and her feet are ok. We give her joint supplements. So I would say follow vet advice or get referral if you're still not happy.

Vin had a limp on and off for several months, but found it was due to constant licking paws til they were red raw. Hence not putting any weight on it. I tried everythng a suggestion from someone to change his diet to grain free. And all back to normal now for months. I find ball playing and stick chasing doesnt help either as a sugestion

ahh poor boy,must be a worry for you Sharon,i've never had this but i hope you get him sorted,did the vet suggest you rest him up for a week or two?

Yes. He has only had a few short walks on lead this last week. He keeps picking his ball up to go and play in the fields. Sulking puppy who loves to run free everyday. Lots of new toys to break the boredom and the kongs are getting good use. Just want my happy little boy back. :-(

Poor thing. May be a form of puppy arthritis. Nala was tested for that a while back but turned out her issue was related to something else that was causing her limping. I've heard arthritis can be quite common in pups and (if it is this) treated with a 3/4 month course of antibiotics. Good luck with his tests and keep us posted

If it is arthritis and I would be surprised it is. It isn't something you treat as it is a bone disease and you just have to manage it.

Yumove is a good supplement and I use a aloe vera gel/drink for Moo. Follow your vets advice and I really hope it gets better xX

Oh no poor Blue. Sounds like a bit of a mystery and might well need further vet investigation. I hope he gets it sorted soon, do keep us updated.

sounds like a pulled or strained muscle.....could be wrong.

janey wrote:If it is arthritis and I would be surprised it is. It isn't something you treat as it is a bone disease and you just have to manage it.
I
Yumove is a good supplement and I use a aloe vera gel/drink for Moo. Follow your vets advice and I really hope it gets better xX

I was surprised too. But There is a form of inflammatory arthritis common in puppies which is treatable. I don't know what they call I but I know a couple of people whose dogs had this and the specialists suspected Nala had this form a while.

Hope he is okay and the vet can give good advice

Will keep you all informed of the out come. Trying to keep him occupied but I think boredom is now resulting in being destructive. teaching him new tricks to keep his brain working. Now pretends to 'sleep' on command. Looking for ideas of what to teach which does not involve a lot of movement. May work on crossing paws whilst lying down or practice his 'bow' he loves to learn so any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for all your input so far. Nice to know that I don't have to worry alone.

Awww that's so cute! Hopefully we hear some good news soon

Just an update for you. Unfortunately things have got worse not better. Blue is now having trouble with his back legs aswell. He walks and behaves almost normally when out and about or on the go, but when he wakes from a sleep ( which he is spending a lot of time doing) his legs don't want to work properly. It's almost like his back knees are sticking out sidewards and he just stands still and wobbles. He then manages to tentertivly hobble to where he wants to go with lameness in his front and back legs. After a good rub down from me and increased movement from him it seems to improve again to a slight limp. Once he gets going he is relatively ok until he sleeps again then the same thing happens. He is back in for more X-rays etc tomorrow and then it looks like it will be a job for a specialist and there fancy imaging equipment etc. the vets are as yet at a loss to the cause. :-(

Oh dear, so sorry to read about Blues troubles, maybe you could get your vet to refer you to this place, kind of his speciality really:

http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/

Oh no, was hoping for better news

so sorry to hear about Blue. Hopefully the specialists get you answers quick smart. Keep us posted. Poor little thing.

poor dog they may suggest some physiotherapy poor wee soul get well soon doggy

Sorry to hear about the pups issues hope all ends up ok.

Cheers

Blue had a load of tests today as he has not been right for weeks. We now no why he hated a collar so much. He has an enlarged and misshapen oesophagus and neuromuscular disease. They are trying to find the cause. It could be caused by 2 different bugs which can be treated or it could be something he was born with which is untreatable. Awaiting blood tests results to find out. May have to go in to specialist for tests to see what nerves are damaged and not firing and also a spinal tap. Won't know what we are dealing with or the prognosis until all this is done. One thing is for sure tho. He can never be walked or held by the collar again as it could kill him. He is in danger when eating and now will have to have bowl raised etc. he has a poor gag reflex so has to be watched all the time for chocking and to make sure that if he is sick he does not inhale it.
Hopefully it will mean a life time of drugs and treatment that I am willing to do. The other outcome does not bear thinking about. He is likely to go down hill fast. :-(

Oh dear Sharon, so sorry to read that. I hope the cause can be found soon

Oh Sharon sorry to hear this. At least you know about the collar now.

There was a thread on here some time back which was similar if I remember correctly. I'll have a look back and see if I can find it for you.

aww sorry of the outcome hopefully can be treated. all the best

So sorry hope all can be sorted soon xx

Ohh my I am so sorry I know the feeling of having a pup that needs lifelong management of a condition and it's scary, but as long a there is a treatment for it, he is so very lucky to have an owner in his life like you that cares enough to ensure he gets the help he needs. Did they say whether this has any correlation to the lameness?
All the best x

So sorry to hear this Sharon.
Hoping for a good outcome x

Blue has been back to the dog hospital today.
It looks like he will have to have his toe amputated as it is now causing the next toe to deform. This will hopefully help with his lameness. He has been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis which is going to take a lot of time to find the trigger for. Although it cannot be cured, if I can find the trigger it can be at least managed although it means a lifetime of medication.
This is more than likely an hereditary condition. I am concerned for his litter mates as they need to be made aware of this. I would want to know if one of those had this condition. At least they can get a 'heads up' and hopefully won't have to have the emotional  turmoil that I have had with Blue. The breeder seems to have gone to ground and is not answering any of my messages etc. he should be made aware incase he thinks of breeding from his bitch again. I would hate to think of more puppies being put through what Blue has had to endure. Does anyone know how to find details of owners of litter mates or suggest any way of trying to trace them on here for example???