Anyone Help With Chester

[Clicking Mad]

Hi all,

Chester is not looking good at all. I took him to the vet on Friday because he was a little lame and walking and moving uncomfortably. I have some anti-inflammatorys that they told me to give him, so he's had 2 nights of that, but I think he is worse than he was.

He won't sit, it's obviously too painful. He stands with his head low, below his shoulders. When his head goes above his shoulder line his right front paw lifts off the ground. His tail is also low. He is shaking a little on and off. He'll stand until it's clear that we aren't going anywhere else for a while, then he'll lie down, when he gets up he gives a little cry in pain, and limps hobbles to his feet before getting going.

I had to go looking for him this morning because he wasn't on any of the dog beds in or out of the house and found him lying in the grass behind the garage by the fence. He got up straight away when I turned up happy to see me, but this is Chester we're talking about, he sleeps with me!

He plays rough with Lotus so I'm assuming he's got a soft-tissue injury. The vet tested his range of movement and believed there was nothing obviously restricting it - therefore no broken bones. But I'm just wondering if it was just a bruise or muscle tear why wouldn't the anti-inflammatorys be doing their job, why would it appear to be getting worse? What else could it possibly be?

I'm going to get him back to the vet this morning, don't open until 10am, but just wondering if anyone can maybe shed some light, or experienced something like this? I hate to see him in such severe pain

Edited December 19, 2010 by Clicking Mad

[Janba]

Is he eating?

I have had a dally who has acted similarly when she had pulled stomach muscles.

ETA While chester probably doesn't have pulled stomach mucles it is the pain reaction that is similar

Edited December 18, 2010 by Janba

[Clicking Mad]

yeh, eating well, he is still enthusiastic about it but in a restricted way if that makes sense, same way he's enthusiastic about greeting me, he wants to put more effort into it, but is uncomfortable, unable to

[sllebasi]

i ended up taking my dog off the anti inflammatories, she appeared to get much worse on them, and she was on them for a week with no results. just lots of rest, no activity and fish oil did the trick after about four days.

edited to add: would an ice pack/cold pack or a heat pack help at all, maybe a blanket or even some gentle swimming

Edited December 18, 2010 by sllebasi

[tlc]

I don't have any words of wisdom just hope Chester gets better soon.

Just had a thought, could it be a disc in his back?

[persephone]

I'd be taking him somewhere to get seen . Poor boy. Seems as if there is a lot of pain.Not good. It sounds almost like a disc problem.....

[Clicking Mad]

thanks for your tips

as far as heat or cold pack, I wouldn't know where to put it ... I can't find the source of the pain. It seems shoulder, maybe neck or maybe somewhere else there, but I can't really tell.

thanks tlc, maybe something like that, how would I be able to know though exactly? I'm just not sure, when the vet was testing his movement, he was very resistant to turning his head to the right which I think is related to his right paw lifting off the ground when he moves his head up, and the little limp, he was resistant with her moving his head up too, which kinda hints at it being his shoulder or neck I guess?

and when I think about this, he has had a couple of similar incidences in the past, but no where near as severe, and he was over it in a day, I wonder if it could be an ongoing or past thing coming back?

I'm glad to get this out here before I go to the vet, so I remember everything, you know how you forget to mention everything when you get into the vet clinic?

the other thing too is that when I think back, I think this started earlier, and has been progressively getting worse, 'cause I remember Tues maybe Wednesday he flat out refused to sit, and he didn't want to stay on my bed at bed time, maybe a little reluctance to run at the park with Lotus, that's not that unusual, sometimes he likes to do his own thing, but there were no other signs then. Thursday he was definitely showing more signs, cried when Lotus went a little silly and made him move in a quick and unexpected way, but was otherwise moving okay. After the vet visit he seemed to really go bad, so Friday night, he started shaking, like shivering like he was cold, and that's been on and off since, I thought maybe because he wasn't moving normally he was actually cold - it hasn't exactly been summery weather here.

anxious to call the vet now

[woody2shoes]

Years ago, one of my labs tore a groin muscle badly while hooning around our yard chasing after one of the racing pigeons which was flying a bit low...I had no idea what she had done at the time and it took a little bit of investigating before we located the actual injury. It didn't help that none of us ever gave groin muscles in dogs a second thought! Thankfully, rest, AI's, painkillers and on lead toileting for a while and she came good. She did subsequently injure that muscle again doing exactly the same thing!

At the time of the injury, she was VERY sore - whimpering when she got up, hobbling, that sort of thing. She was most unhappy with life. It's surprising just how painful those kinds of injuries can be for a dog. I guess we're used to them being so stoic. In any case, there's a good chance that Chester's is a soft tissue injury but it would help if you could pinpoint the spot, just for peace of mind if nothing else.

Good luck and I hope you can get him some relief soon.

w2s

[persephone]

Hopefully the vet will be thorough, and not just send him home on pain relief!

[sheree_e4]

Strict rest for at least a week, I mean in a crate and only out to toilet on the lead then straight back into the crate, If he is no better after a week I would get x-rays done.

[Clicking Mad]

a week? I guess I must be a little soft on my dogs, there is no way I can watch him be in as much pain as he is for a whole week!

regardless I'm booked in at 10:30 - hopefully at least give him some pain meds that will work - and x-ray tomorrow I'm guessing as it was suggested on Friday this would be the next step. I just can't see how this is going to resolve by itself with rest ... I'll happily stand corrected though

[moosmum]

Hasn't been getting any macadamia nuts? maybe a long shot but worth asking.

My old girl acted much the same after eating just a couple,but the effects only lasted about 12 hours.

good luck,hope the mystery is solved soon.

[sheree_e4]

a week? I guess I must be a little soft on my dogs, there is no way I can watch him be in as much pain as he is for a whole week!

regardless I'm booked in at 10:30 - hopefully at least give him some pain meds that will work - and x-ray tomorrow I'm guessing as it was suggested on Friday this would be the next step. I just can't see how this is going to resolve by itself with rest ... I'll happily stand corrected though

He is in that much pain because he is not resting ....Sorry I thought I read that you had seen a vet and they gave you anti-inflammatories ?? If he has it won't do much if the dog is still running around, he will just make it worse as he has had some pain killers to dull the pain. He needs to be on strict rest , I have just had a pup with a sore knee, 3 days strict rest and pain killers and she is now 100% had she not been she was to have xrays just after christmas .

You would be amazed at what strict rest can do and saves you lots of $$ too ;)

Edited December 18, 2010 by sheree_e4

[Clicking Mad]

I fully appreciate your input ... this is where I am coming from ...

yeh but he is resting, he's certainly not running around, sure following me from room to room when he can, but for the most part he's been in the one spot, he's been sleeping in the same spot for 8+ hours at a time on his own - I know it's not the same as a crate and he will be crated from now on

Yes he was given anti-inflams on the Friday and Saturday, and I would have expected at least some improvement, but he was just the opposite - again, yes, maybe because he hasn't been in a crate ... anyway, he's got stronger pain meds, and has x-rays tomorrow, the vet today suggested it may be a problem in his vertebrae in the neck, and I tend to agree, as with the little past experience with anti-imflammatories I have seen improvement within a day if it were a soft-tissue injury regardless of being crated or not

I understand that if a dog is on anti-inflammatories he/she may feel better and therefore not take to resting, rather run around because they feel better, but Chester has not had any benefit and therefore has not been engaged in any activities bar eating, and emptying, and I was even concerned he hadn't had much water compared to normal, he has been keeping well clear of any excitement, taking himself off to other rooms to rest.

truly thank you all for your concern ;)

I can't remember the last time I saw a macadamia nut, but an interesting tip

[Dogsfevr]

Doggy chiro or bowen would be my first port of call especially if he has shown signs prior to soreness,vet will either give more pain meds or want to x ray .

My old boy gets stiff necks due to his arthritis.

We do warm packs on the sore area & above & it does give relief but we do bowen for any muscle soreness

[tlc]

Just came back to see how you went at the vets?

[Clicking Mad]

tlc - vet agrees the anti-inflammatories should have made an improvement, she gave stronger pain meds, and I booked him in for x-rays tomorrow. She is concerned maybe a vertebrae in his neck is causing the pain.

I'm unsure of chiro and bowen, will have to look into it!

I don't think this is arthritis or a muscle injury, but again I will be happily corrected if this turns out to be the case ... actually not the arthritis, had enough of that with Texas!

thanks again ;)

[tlc]

Well I guess an xray will show something more conclusive if it is his neck. how hard do your lot play together? I always worry with mine they are such big players they go hard.

[CavsRcute]

When my girl gets trigger points, I find that anti inflammatories have no effect, as it is not a joint issue. I take her to a vet who does the trigger point therapy and acupuncture, or she sees a physio who is brilliant

[Trixibelle22]

My dog has had this happen twice now. She had rads done and it was neck pain. It was horrible to watch and hear her in pain. Anti inflammatories and pain relief (tramadol) were given, and strict rest. It took her a few days but luckily she did get over it. I thought she had hurt her leg to begin with as she wouldn't walk on it and screamed but u could see on the X-rays where she was sore. Hope your little one feels better soon.