Spasms in front leg

[giraffez]

My dog had some back pain and after this I noticed one of his front leg has spasms.  The spasms are uncontrollable and sometimes the twitching is severe and sometimes its very mild.  My vet started him on onsior, its still early days but i havent noticed much of a difference.  Has anyone had these spasms before?

[persephone]

sounds a bit of a worry  

what did the vet say was the cause ? Did they do an Xray ?  is he only on the tablets , or does he have physio or heat/cold /anything else ? 

[giraffez]

vet diagnosed him with IVDD for the back.  No xrays done yet, vet doesn't think anything will show up in the xrays.  If anything, will need a CT and/or MRI.

 

He is only on tablets at the moment.  When it get bad, i ice pack him but given the cold weather lately, the cold pack is not ideal.

[persephone]

Ok ... so he does have a diagnosis. 
I am not familiar with intervertebral disc disease in dogs, but in humans, often surgery is used to sort it out.
Would it be any use to look at acupuncture?

With humans they can need bed modification ... and avoid steps /sudden movements etc, so I guess the same applies to dogs as well ...

 

[jemappelle]

I would be using heat.  I find heat very soothing and it encourages the blood flow.  It certainly can't hurt!

[giraffez]

Thanks, when to use cold and when to use heat.  If he has an inflammation (which I think he has) heat will agggrevate it more wouldn’t it?  Usually when the pain is new, you apply cold and few days later heat.  But this pain comes and goes.

 

surgery I don’t think is an option, I was told it’s very invasive and recovery is long and he may not walk after that.  He is nine so I’m more leaning towards making him as comfortable as possible.

 

im also worried about the meds he is taking for long term, tramedol is a pain killer and seems to be effective when he is in pain but I worry it’s going to have adverse effects. 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2018 by giraffez

[persephone]

Stop. 
Breathe.

the spasms are possibly caused by a nerve being pinched due to some alteration in how things are situated in his back .....
When you see the vet again ..check if they are the best one for this condition. Have they worked with this before /what treatments etc?  Maybe ask for a referral ?  
IMO - application of warmth to the strap muscles along the spine may help relax them ..and help take away some of the pain. While cold does help with inflammation reduction, it can also make muscles contract - not relax  ;).

I guess that without a scan, an accurate diagnosis/picture won't be known, so pain relief, rest, relaxation & limited movement is all you can provide for now. 

Early days... don't concern yourself with any longterm effects of meds yet    That's a long way away.
 

Edited May 6, 2018 by persephone

[Dogsfevr]

I would be finding a new vet .

Spasms is generally muscles and I doubt the onus or will work .

You need to see a Bowen person who works on muscles 

[karly101]

3 hours ago, giraffez said:

Surgery I don’t think is an option, I was told it’s very invasive and recovery is long and he may not walk after that.  He is nine so I’m more leaning towards making him as comfortable as possible.

 

 

Have you spoken to a specialist about this? I have seen a number of dogs who have had surgery and all gone very well. It probably is very dependent on where exactly the injury occurred and how long. For example we had a corgi who injured his back whilst in kennels and was unable to move and now 4 years down the track is still doing very well and you would have never guessed he'd had all these issues. Perhaps you should ask for referral just to get a better idea of outcome and whats involved.  

 

Tramadol is one of the safer options for pain relief but the jury is out on how effective it is for animals- it appears they can be very variable in how they metabolise it. 

[giraffez]

Thanks all.

 

I’m not sure I can find a Bowen.  Is i t worthwhile to see a physio, how effective are the treatments?

 

@karly101 a specialist is probably the way to go.  what kind of specialist look into ivdd?  Do I need a CT or MRI first?

 

Edited May 6, 2018 by giraffez

[jemappelle]

All the vet specialists tend to be located at one of the specialist vet hospitals.  In what area do you live?

[persephone]

 @giraffez , Good decision to see a specialist!! 

For most injuries, illnesses -  to be safe, and ensure effectiveness, it's very wise to obtain a proper diagnosis, and have the extent/cause of damage confirmed by scans or alternatives,  before then getting appropriate treatment.

Edited May 6, 2018 by persephone

[giraffez]

31 minutes ago, jemappelle said:

All the vet specialists tend to be located at one of the specialist vet hospitals.  In what area do you live?

inner west

 

what kind of specialist am i looking for for IVDD?

[mackiemad]

Orthopaedic I would think - they deal with bones and the disks etc and that's where his muscle spasms seem to be stemming from? 

 

I don't have any recommendations just good luck wishes 

[persephone]

Sorry ..perhaps contact a large clinic & ask ?  Hope it all goes well  .
 

[Tassie]

I'd definitely be heading for a specialist clinic .. probably seeing an orthopaedic specialist or a neurologist.  (And I imagine they would cross consult within a big referral centre.)  Someon more familiar with Sydney than I am should be able to help, but I think the 2 that I've seen mentioned are SASH, and something like Animal Referral Centre.   Google might be able to help.  I would also be asking about complementary therapies .. I've had dogs respond well to acupuncture for instance.  The specialist centres will be able to refer to certified rehab practitioners if necessary.   Which reminds me, you could try a PM to Jumabaar  ... will check spelling in a minute.  She is a rehab specialist (but is a bit inconvenienced by injury at the moment.)

[Dogsfevr]

Your vet an give you a referral or options .

I have had experience with back issues and surgery and to be honest my experience was something I would think twice before heading Down that path again.

 

The questions you need to ask is if you get an MRI / CT are you prepared to look at surgery or would it be because you want to know .The cost to have one done just because I would have to justify .

Spasms  are muscle related and a vet can’t solve that issue ,painful in there own right .

If the dog is moving differently to compensate for its back or is finding it harder to get up n down other muscles work harder .

Pinched muscle is painful and needs releasing ,pain tablets won’t to do that .

Using rock tape to help support the area helps bigtime as do muscle relaxers.

Bowen people who work on animals are out there even asking a more reputable about people close to your area ,they will assist .

Numerous ones are also covered by some pet insurers .

 

I have a dog who gets spasms 

 

Has the vet rayed the back at all 

 

[giraffez]

15 hours ago, Dogsfevr said:

 

The questions you need to ask is if you get an MRI / CT are you prepared to look at surgery or would it be because you want to know .The cost to have one done just because I would have to justify .

Spasms  are muscle related and a vet can’t solve that issue ,painful in there own right .

If the dog is moving differently to compensate for its back or is finding it harder to get up n down other muscles work harder .

Pinched muscle is painful and needs releasing ,pain tablets won’t to do that .

Using rock tape to help support the area helps bigtime as do muscle relaxers.

 

Has the vet rayed the back at all 

 

Very fair point.  The MRI/CT I was told would most probably pinpoint the problem.  At the moment, my dog keeps relapsing into pain once the pain killers wear off.  So in effect, I'm just masking the problem.  Wouldn't the likes of bowen, accupunture, chiro and physio be all in the same boat ?  Gives the pet relief but doesn't fix the issue.  If left unattended, all the symptoms will surface again.  Since getting the pain he can't go a day without the pain killers and even when he does, he can still be in excruciating pain.

 

With surgery you have a very good point.  At the moment I'm not 100% clear whether surgery can fix the problem.  Can IVDD be fixed at all? @karly101 seems to imply there are success stories and I also read online from some of the websites @persephone kindly sent me that its not all doom and gloom.

 

Does pet insurance offer coverage for MRI and CT?  I know there is still a huge out of pocket but any coverage will help significantly.

 

@Dogsfevr how often do you see a bowen and while i understand they do help, do your babies still experience pain. Do you still need them on pain relief medication with these alternate therapy treatment?

 

I did a google on canine Bowen therapy NSW and I couldn’t find any practitioners.  Where do I start if I was to find one?

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by giraffez

[jemappelle]

If you ring say, SASH at Gladesville, and explain the problem they will book you in with the appropriate specialist.

 

With the pain relief I imagine it is the same as with humans, you need to keep giving the meds regularly to keep the pain under control.

[karly101]

Do you have pet insurance? If you don't already have a policy it will not be covered as it is a pre-existing condition. If you have insurance and it is for illness it should be covered. 

 

I'd be extremely reluctant to get anyone to do physio/bowen/accupuncture UNTIL you have had some form of imaging done - you don't know what is going on in that back! You are looking for an orthopedic surgeon probably SASH would be closest I'm not familiar with surgeons there but IVVD is common.

 

Also since you haven't mentioned it - you should be completely resting your pup - crate/play pen/ no running/jumping/stairs.