boxagirl Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Bondi is sore in her front legs again. Took her to vets over xmas for this and she was given painkillers- and told its most likely arthritis- but we will xray after xmas. Last night she woke up crying, reluctant to move, limping on front legs (mostly left leg I think) and got up and went to sleep in the spare room on the sofa in there Now she is so sore she crys when she adjusts herself to get comfty, moves very slowly and carefully when she lays down- or when she goes to have a drink- takes treats, and then doesnt eat them because she realises its too painful to lay down and hold them when she eats them Worst of all is the look on her face- I can tell she's not happy I can't get her into the vet until monday- so any ideas what I can do to minimise pain in the meantime? -I'm trying to get her to lay down and stay still (easier said than done- she can't get comfty and is restless) - I'm restricting her from jumping - Given her lots of warm blankets to lay on (I think the cold of last night might have brought on the soreness- even though she was sleeping on my bed) - I've raised food bowl, and have all her waterbuckets full to the brim so she doesnt have to bend down far (I'm also going to buy her steps up onto my bed to stop her jumping) - She currently gets Sasha's blend on food- and if xrays confirm arthritis I'll be starting her on Cartophen injections.. Any other idea's that I can do in the meantime? I've run out of her painkillers, so don't know how else to help her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Keeping her warm and on sort bedding will help also very little exercise, maybe a large crate??? If she is very sore you can get dose rates of human over the counter medication but should only give on medical advice and with the correct dose. I would be a little worried about her neck, My Dobe had similar symptoms when she ruptured a disk in her neck and I have also had a Dobe with wobblers and one of the signs is pain in the front legs and a reluctance to lay down move and they carry their head quite low among other things. Fingers crossed she is okay. I probably wouldn't let her jump onto beds or lounges Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) Keeping her warm and on sort bedding will help also very little exercise, maybe a large crate??? If she is very sore you can get dose rates of human over the counter medication but should only give on medical advice and with the correct dose.I would be a little worried about her neck, My Dobe had similar symptoms when she ruptured a disk in her neck and I have also had a Dobe with wobblers and one of the signs is pain in the front legs and a reluctance to lay down move and they carry their head quite low among other things. Fingers crossed she is okay. I probably wouldn't let her jump onto beds or lounges Good luck Thanks Yes she does look sore and stiff in the neck aswell today- but my vet said that would probably be associated with shoulder pain.. I always thought human painkillers were toxic to dogs? I have a large crate used for the show dogs, but she isnt crate trained so I don't know how well she would relax in there. At the moment I have her locked in my room with me. Edited January 14, 2011 by boxagirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Do you really think not moving will help relieve discomfort from arthritis? I would have thought it would be better to be able to keep moving in one shape or form, just gently. I'm not sure, but that is my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Do you really think not moving will help relieve discomfort from arthritis? I would have thought it would be better to be able to keep moving in one shape or form, just gently. I'm not sure, but that is my thoughts. I just want to relieve the pain for the two days before she gets to the vets- once she has painkillers I plan to maintain gentle excercise to maintain muscle mass and keep pressure off her joints. At the moment though, everytime she lays down or gets up, she crys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Keeping her warm and on sort bedding will help also very little exercise, maybe a large crate??? If she is very sore you can get dose rates of human over the counter medication but should only give on medical advice and with the correct dose.I would be a little worried about her neck, My Dobe had similar symptoms when she ruptured a disk in her neck and I have also had a Dobe with wobblers and one of the signs is pain in the front legs and a reluctance to lay down move and they carry their head quite low among other things. Fingers crossed she is okay. I probably wouldn't let her jump onto beds or lounges Good luck Thanks Yes she does look sore and stiff in the neck aswell today- but my vet said that would probably be associated with shoulder pain.. I always thought human painkillers were toxic to dogs? I have a large crate used for the show dogs, but she isnt crate trained so I don't know how well she would relax in there. At the moment I have her locked in my room with me. I have found that front leg pain is quite often associated with neck pain. But I hope I am wrong. Some human painkillers can be toxic but some can be used with the correct dosage can be used. If you ring your vet you may be able to get a dosage that you can use to make her more comfortable. Are Boxers prone to wobblers at all????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) Are Boxers prone to wobblers at all????? Not that I have ever heard of, but they are so similar to dobes in so many ways I could be wrong.. I've decided I'm going to pester my vet and see if I can take Bon in for some painkillers tomorrow to get her through until monday. (my poor vet, its going to be the 3rd time I've called them in 3 days!) I just looked it up and there are afew cases of Boxers with wobblers. It also mentions symptoms of ear infection- Bondi has been shaking her head like somethings in her ear the last couple of days- however it also says that it starts in the rear legs, and we havnt had any problems there. She doesnt seem uncoordinated, just sore and stiff. Edited January 14, 2011 by boxagirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I am sure you vet will be happy to help Bondi Poor thing, it sounds so hard for her. I can't give you any advice other then to give her lots of gentle reassurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Thanks Rally. This just seems to have all come out of nowhere and come on so fast in the past 6months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Wobblers does affect the back legs and that is where the name Wobblers comes from, but quite often the first thing people pick up on unless the back end is very obvious is the pain in the front legs. With my old girl when she did her neck, she would not bend her front legs would not lay down had her head down (she looked a little like an upside down banana!) and was yelping, couldn't or wouldn't walk due to the pain. She snapped at a marchfly and started screaming. After she recovered from the first occasion she had it on other occasions but no where near as bad and I used to give her, among other things, valium as I was told that the muscles can go into spasm and the lowish dose of valium helps to relieve that and therefore some of the pain as well. If it has come on suddenly and is affecting both of her front legs then I would be thinking more likely a neck injury(not necessarily wobblers) but maybe a bulging disk. I would get in contact with your vet in the morning, if she is in that much pain I am sure they would be happy to give you at least enough pain killers to get her through until monday. They have seen her for it before and recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thanks OsoSwift. I've gone and gotten painkillers for her this morning. She seems a tad better today than yesterday (she has been sunbaking this morning.. I think the cold sets it off). She blew me away when she got up this morning and did a cat stretch without crying! (although I did hear bones crack) Her face looks happier today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 My girl started to limp on her front legs but it was found that she had HD and because she was overcompensating, she ended up with trigger points in her front leg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thanks OsoSwift.I've gone and gotten painkillers for her this morning. She seems a tad better today than yesterday (she has been sunbaking this morning.. I think the cold sets it off). She blew me away when she got up this morning and did a cat stretch without crying! (although I did hear bones crack) Her face looks happier today. The fact she seems to go down hill quickly then improve nearly as quickly makes me think it isn't arthiritis???? I am glad she is more comfortable and you got some painkillers. Hope all goes well for Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 The fact she seems to go down hill quickly then improve nearly as quickly makes me think it isn't arthiritis????I am glad she is more comfortable and you got some painkillers. Hope all goes well for Monday. Yeah I thought that was strange aswell, guess we will find out monday. She also hasn't lost any muscle mass on a particular limb (which vet said is associated with arthritis) and the pain comes and goes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 The fact she seems to go down hill quickly then improve nearly as quickly makes me think it isn't arthiritis????I am glad she is more comfortable and you got some painkillers. Hope all goes well for Monday. Yeah I thought that was strange aswell, guess we will find out monday. She also hasn't lost any muscle mass on a particular limb (which vet said is associated with arthritis) and the pain comes and goes.. Good point about the muscle mass, if it was a slowly building thing like joint damage you would see a degree of muscle wastage. Other thing to do if Xrays don't show much would be to contact a good chiro. Might be soft tissue, nerve etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 The fact she seems to go down hill quickly then improve nearly as quickly makes me think it isn't arthiritis????I am glad she is more comfortable and you got some painkillers. Hope all goes well for Monday. Yeah I thought that was strange aswell, guess we will find out monday. She also hasn't lost any muscle mass on a particular limb (which vet said is associated with arthritis) and the pain comes and goes.. Good point about the muscle mass, if it was a slowly building thing like joint damage you would see a degree of muscle wastage. Other thing to do if Xrays don't show much would be to contact a good chiro. Might be soft tissue, nerve etc. Yes I was thinking the same, maybe a pinched nerve etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Results are in- Bon has a fused lumbar vertabrae, cant remember the word the vet used (which is probably congenital, which explains why she has always had that roach back). The "wings" on the thoracic (sp) vertabrae above the fused vertabrae are out of wack and touching- pinching on nerves (which is why she is sore in front legs and neck) . Vet said to continue painkillers (previcox) whenever she is sore, and also said seeing a chiropractor may help (although vet couldn't release the xrays, so I'm going to have to explain Bondi's condition to any chiropractors she sees). The xrays were amazing to see- I can't believe my girl has had this her whole life and still managed to run and jump and move like normal, when her spine is fused. She is amazing ♥ All in all the vet said good news- and we just need to keep up painkillers and take care of any pinched nerves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Boxagirl - why couldn't the vet release the x-rays???? Did you not pay for them?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I havn't paid bill yet but will have paid for them by wednesday. :D Vet said they need to keep xrays for 7 years for their records.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) I havn't paid bill yet but will have paid for them by wednesday. Vet said they need to keep xrays for 7 years for their records.. I so do not understand this. With people, the Doctors can't give the xrays to the patient fast enough so that they will keep them rather than them bulking up their record keeping space. Why so different for Vets? IMO you should have rights to the xrays particularly as they would serve well as reference for your dog's ongoing care. Edited January 17, 2011 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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