My Boy Has Hurt His Leg

[huski]

Fingers crossed for Mandela Erny. I hope you get some more constructive advice on monday!

[Erny]

Thank you.

Piper - I agree. I don't get cramp often, but have had it where my calf has been sore for the next day. Haven't had it last for a week like you, though, so that must have been some cramp! . My boy's leg isn't quite right yet (whether it be cramp or not). I notice that his sits are a bit more 'careful'. I have only asked for one or two in the last few days and only ask for them now here and there to give me an idea of how he is feeling with it. Normally his sits are fast and full of vigour, but now he's being a bit 'careful' when it comes to the last part of the sit.

Jigsaw - I think my chiro meant that apart from $$$ being spent, it would cost me a lot of energy, time and frustrating heartache. Perhaps he intended well enough, but I still don't agree with how he said it. Nor without knowing what was wrong, how he could be so definite about what he suggested I do to Mandela.

Lab-Rat .... yeah. I am looking forward to what I hope will prove to give me some direction. If you refer also my other thread on Mandela which relates to eating/digestive disorders, you would well imagine that doing all this thinking and guessing is doing my head in. I pray for it to not be as bad and as finite as what the chiro seems to believe it to be.

Thanks for the wishes, Huski.

Edited May 7, 2009 by Erny

[piper]

Thank you.

Piper - I agree. I don't get cramp often, but have had it where my calf has been sore for the next day. Haven't had it last for a week like you, though, so that must have been some cramp! . My boy's leg isn't quite right yet (whether it be cramp or not). I notice that his sits are a bit more 'careful'. I have only asked for one or two in the last few days and only ask for them now here and there to give me an idea of how he is feeling with it. Normally his sits are fast and full of vigour, but now he's being a bit 'careful' when it comes to the last part of the sit.

I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying in pain with them, they felt like they lasted forever. Usually it was only sore a day or 2 but with a bad 1 it would be longer. Thank god haven't had them for ages, they spontaneously went away several years ago.

I have never known of a dog to get a cramp but am sure it can happen. It is so scarey when they suddenly hurt themselves, Piper was going for a toy 1 day and collapsed screaming. Couldn't stand up and I was sure she had broken her back twisting. When I got her up she didn't use her tail at all for hours. She had strained the sacroiliac ligament as well as another 1 in her groin. Within a week her behaviour was mostly normal (slow to sit and drop still but her demeanour and want to do things and returned) but it was a good 3 months, as the vet had told us it would be, before she was totally normal. Took her a while to get her confidence back at things that involved jumping or stretching, like getting on the furniture for a cuddle. Since then I have made sure she is facing the direction of travel when I throw something to minimise the twisting and wrenching she does. Her return to heel around my body is now brilliant as she circles me to line up for the toy to be thrown.

Hopefully Mandela's issue resolves itself with time and rest as well.

[benny123]

Erny, I had a vet say a similar thing to me about Casey, my 10 (almost 11) year old Cocker in 1993 (she had a heart condition). I got a second opionion from another vet... Casey passed away in late 1997 from old age at 15.

In 1995 a GP told me I'd be in a wheelchair within 4 years! Piffle, I went for a run with the dogs tonight.

Chin up, some Vets and GPs are just hideous and so, so wrong.

Good luck with you boy and I'm sure whatever it is it can be managed.

for you and Mandela.

eft

Edited May 7, 2009 by benny123

[Erny]

Thanks guys. Your comments are heartening. I think the biggest issue are his digestive issues and I think the chiro was indicating that the problem with Mandela's leg - assuming it was cramp - relates back to that. I am very suspect that Mandela's system is not processing food properly. I have had long standing issues with body development with him, from day one of picking him up from the breeder.

[kimmax]

Was the chiro a veterinary chiropractor? If not what qualifications does he have to base his opinion on???

[Kavik]

Sending you well wishes for Mandela and hope you can find the cause of the problem soon

It is stressful dealing with health issues when you don't know what they are or how to fix it I actually think that Diesel's health issues have damaged our bond and been part of the reason I have problems with training him, as I am always worried about his health.

[dogdayz]

Keep trying Erny.

I had problems with my boy from around 12weeks through to a year, watching him waste away while vet after vet went the same routine of tests to arrive at nothing.At one stage he was having 12 cups of science diet z/d a day and still losing weight, the vets at science diet said it must be something else than simply allergy, no dog should be eating that much, but still all i got told was feed him more. We went around many practices to ask for a second opinion (i learned from this never say it is for a 2nd opinion as they immediately ask what the other said and agree). We got told to give it up, for such a big dog his problems are too hard and feeding too expensive .....i told a freind and very experienced dog person this and she wrote down a name and number of another vet and sent us off to see him. We were diagnosed as we walked through the door, treatment started and never a hitch since then.

[Zombie Bait]

Erny, have you had any more news on Mandela?

[Mr R & NR]

Yes, wondering how you went today? Fingers & toes have been crossed.

[Erny]

I just got back from Castlemaine. No - that's not quite the truth. I got back, made a cup of coffee, fed my dog and now I'm sitting here to let you know how things went.

First - Once again Bruce didn't let me down. After having spent almost 1.5 hours in the consult, the upshot is that he does NOT believe Mandela is "a dog for the green dream" . We discussed lots of things (as you could imagine given the length of the consult) and Bruce is sending off another fecal sample to the lab for testing. He's testing not for pancreatitis as that's been done, but he is testing for evidence of perhaps a pancreas that is not fully formed (ie that part of it might have atrophied). If it is this then it means that much of the food Mandela eats isn't processed and passes through. The bowel, being confronted with undigested fat, then throws a hissy fit and hence I end up with motions which go worse before they then again 'get over it' and improve, before they throw yet another hissy fit. These of course are all my words and reflect my interpretation. There was so much to digest (no pun intended) in the form of information and explanation.

As for Mandela's legs and back. Bruce did find some 'trigger' (ie sore) points (around the groin and top line near the hips). He feels that they are not skeletal issues but, rather, soft tissue problems. Whilst he's not ignoring this he is not as concerned about them as he is the digestive issue. There is something we can do that might help BUT there is a possibility that the soft tissue issue (say that 3 times fast ) is exacerbated by Mandela's not receiving the nutrition from his food as he should. So in this, we have decided to focus on the digestive issue and keep a mental note of whether he can develop more muscle tone when we have that right. IOW, if fixing the digestive issue resolves the back leg issue, then we'll know that in a way one was connected to the other. If not, then we'll talk more on what we'll do about the leg issue. Bruce hypothesised that the drama of the weekend before last (when he was yelping in pain) could well have been cramp as our chiro suggested, maybe even brought on by being crated and perhaps laying uncomfortably (bearing in mind him being a bit uncomfortable in the muscles in the first place). So this issue is 'on hold' for the moment.

I have digestive enzymes to add to Mandela's regular Eagle Pack diet for the time being. Once the test results from this latest fecal sample comes back, then we are going to discuss diet. But Bruce preferably wants to work out what's going on first. So in this, Bruce and I will be talking some more in a few working days' time.

All in all, Bruce was quite positive and I feel oh so much better for having made the trip up there and back.

The only thing I'm upset about is that Bruce didn't ask me out on a date . I mean ..... he is definitely easy on the eye :wink:.

ETA: I showed Bruce the results of the various tests that I had had done previously, one of which was the test for thryoid function. He agreed that it was important that this had been done to rule it out and as he read through it a quiet smile formed and he said "I see you had the proper one done". So thanks Dr. Dodds :rolleyes:. For the information, education, making it a possibility and for the assistance in arranging it .

Edited May 11, 2009 by Erny

[Allerzeit]

All in all, Bruce was quite positive and I feel oh so much better for having made the trip up there and back.

Oh, that's wonderful! That sounds much more promising!! :rolleyes:

[Jigsaw]

This sounds encouraging Erny! Fingers crossed new poo analysis will give you some feedback about his system.

[oonga]

I was thinking bout you guys today except for some reason I thought you were going to Newcastle not Castlemaine

That is a brilliant rundown and thank goodness filled with LOTS of hope :rolleyes:

[Erny]

Thank you. Yes - it is good news filled with lots of hope. Dr. Syme is actually hoping it is a matter of the pancreas producing partial function due to atrophy, because it means that Mandela's condition, whilst it will be life long, will be easily treated with the enzyme additive.

ETA: :rolleyes: at Oonga. Although if concluding with a positive result meant a drive to Newcastle, I'd do that too . Am glad though that Bruce is only a 2 hour drive each way .

ETA: As for Mandela's ear flap issue - the opinion is that this is a reaction to his system not functioning properly (as I've suspected). So if we're on the right track with the enzymes, this should sort out. There is one lesion at the tip of one ear that refuses to heal because he keeps flapping it which in turn keeps opening it up, so I might have to bind his ear flap to his head with a 'sock' for a short while to give it a chance to heal.

ETA: Seeing as Mandela's back leg issue could well be related to the problems I've expressed in the Allergy/Food Intolerance, I'm including a link to that thread here. For archive sake and simply 'cause I like things 'filed' neatly .

Edited May 11, 2009 by Erny

[oonga]

except it would take you more than a day to get to newcastle and back :rolleyes:

So Bruce suggested you stick with the EP? not go on a raw food diet??

With the enzymes what type of enzymes are they?? Like probiotics?

[Erny]

So Bruce suggested you stick with the EP? not go on a raw food diet??

Diet is going to be discussed once he has the results of the fecal test.

With the enzymes what type of enzymes are they?? Like probiotics?

The additive is a mixture of probiotics, trace elements and anti-oxidants.

[oonga]

ah ok cool I look forward to the results!!! I think it will be great to finally get to the bottom of it!

The enzymes sound like a good one :rolleyes:

[Erny]

For Mandela's ear, Dr Syme recommended that I 'bandage' it - for no other purpose than stopping him from flapping it and re-opening the wound. It is in a really crappy spot, on the inside right down near the tip of the ear, so it cops the full brunt of the flap, sending sprays of blood all over the place (and yes, on the walls), not to mention the fact that it means it just won't heal.

Here's a piccy of my handy work (the ear that's poking out in the 2nd photo is his 'ok' ear) ..... which lasted all of 2 seconds as it fell apart as soon as he shook his head again. Of course he stood perfectly still and didn't try to eat the bandage as I was trying to wrap it and hold the wad of gauze in place under his ear flap ..... not .

He is really unimpressed with me right now for doing that to him. I think he's skulked off to bed.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Erny

[Tru Borders]

This was an update I have been waiting for!! Great news Erny! All sounds very promising.

Now..... next update, i expect a coffee date update