Tenosynovitis

[Gottalovealab]

Have just come from the vet because of a lameness in Kobis leg. This occured just over a month back (start of august) i got given anti-inflammitries and they helped, it got better. But over the last week, it has re-occured and has gotten much worse. His lameness really started to concern me. So off to the vets i went today. I have been told there is a possibility of tenosynovitis (damage to the tendons at the sholder). I am getting x-rays done next week to rule outanything to do with bone damge etc. If the x-ray shows nothing then its likely i will go off to the specialist and if initial treatment doesnt work, i have been told surgery may be the way to go.

At this point i am devastated, one because it kills me inside to see him limping everytime he gets up and comes to me, it makes me feel like crap . Also because if it is indeed to do with the bone, it may be hereditary (sp?) which would kill me. Also rest is needed for him, which again is going to be almost impossible (he is a lab after all).

I guess what im asking for is any info on tenosynovitis and experieces that you guys have had. Did treatment work well?? was surgery needed??

Thanks for that guys.

[Miranda]

I didn't even know that dogs could get this, but I have a girlfriend who developed it from typing on a keyboard all day, it is an RSI (repetitive strain injury) and she has to take anti-inflammatories. I think it affects her wrists and she has very little strength in her hands.

I'd be interested to know what caused it in your dog or maybe it takes a different form in dogs to humans.

How old is Kobi?

[BrunoBella]

Poor Kobi :p

Are you sure it's not Tendonitis?? Slightly different and occurs in dogs. I can't find any references for dogs having tenosynivitis

Tendonitis is an inflammation in the tendons and is easier to treat

ETA:

Have found references to tenosynivitis in dogs, but not a lot of information to go with them.

Edited September 15, 2006 by BellasPerson

[Gottalovealab]

Kobi is two years old Miranda.

BP the vet also said it could be Biccipital tendinitis but also said it could be tenosynovitis, he is a link on tenosynovitis:

LINK

edited for spelling

Edited September 15, 2006 by Gottalovealab

[cavNrott]

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Edited May 19, 2009 by cavNrott

[BrunoBella]

All those years of nursing come in handy reading all that gobbledygook.

The surgery sounds similar to that footballers have to fix their shoulder when they've dislocated them often enough. Have to ask Mel Gibson what it's like . I assume it would have more impact in dogs though as people don't generally walk on their arms. :p

Hope they get a diagnosis soon

[cavNrott]

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Edited May 19, 2009 by cavNrott

[Gottalovealab]

This sounds just like what my 5yo Rottweiler has been going through. I have been going to vets since January in an effort to discover why she is lame in the front leg after any exercise. Each time she would arise from resting after a walk she would whimper and limp for the first 12 steps or so.

We did xrays of elbows, Xrays of shoulder and many vet visits. The elbow xrays showed very mild arthritis so I was referred to an ortho surgeon who decided to perform a bilateral arthroscopy. I wish I hadn't agreed to it because she was exactly the same after the surgery.

In desperation I phoned our trainer who knows the breed better than anyone I've met. He came here and had a look at my dog and found the problem within 5 minutes. He manipulated the muscles in her shoulder and showed me that a muscle was going into spasm. He basically worked the shoulder muscle up to a big knot right up near her spine and massaged it until the knot disappeared. He showed me how to do the massage and my dog has not had a problem with her shoulder nor any lameness since then. My dog has now been pain free for 3 weeks after months of daily pain.

Don't opt for surgery until you are absolutely certain of the cause of the problem. We too discussed tenyosynovitis and even sesamoid injury and all it was is muscle spasm causing a hard knot. My poor girl, months of pain, major surgery and no answers from the vets.

I would go the way of a myotherapist with a good reputation, they know and understand about muscle problems, seemingly better than vets or ortho surgeons. I wish I had done that or called on our trainer much sooner.

Thanks for the info cavNrott, i am very much caught in two minds at the moment and am quite depressed because i am thinking of the worst probability, which is wrong i know. But your post and also sivaro's advice to me makes me think it could be something different.

Thanks for the good vibes BP

[Sivvy]

Ok Gotta, as I keep telling you, half the time ppl just waste their money on vets. He may have his leg or should or neck or back out. I use a chiropractor on my dogs. If they are lame, if they cross step all of a sudden or if they look awkward in their movement this is the first step I have always taken. Most dogs will run around like idiots and all it takes is a turn to pull themselves out. It really doesnt take much, humans arent the only one who need seeing chiros.

The dogs dont show any pain when they are lame, or moving awkward, but 9 out of 10 times you can guarantee they have done something to themselves. For the sake of 10 to 15 dollars, its well worth getting this checked out. They will go over your dogs whole body and most of the time because its been left this long you will only have to massage the dog where the chiro tells you too after they have fixed them as their muscles are weak and this gets its active again.

If this fails then you may have something major on your hands, but if his back or whatever is out you will know very quickly. Mostly instant results.

[Sivvy]

Oh and forgot to say, one of my bitchs looked like she had hip probs. She kept leaning this way after a lab :p jumped on her. (at play) , the chiro popped three disks back in to place. This she had to see him a couple of times and alot of massaging. But again nearly instant results except when you touched her back you could see she was tender.

Edited cause I always add words where they arent suppose to be.

Edited September 15, 2006 by Sivaro

[BrunoBella]

Gotta tell you though gobbledygook or not, that is exactly what my experience was with my dog and hopefully it might prevent someone in opting for unecessary surgery. Do you think the OP has a dog with a dislocated shoulder?? Surely that would be an easy diagnosis, would it not? It's pretty evident in people.

No, I'm not suggesting that the shoulder is dislocated. That is how upright dogs (aka humans) get a similar injury .

Gotta

No probs. I agree with Sivaro, tendon injuries respond to rest, physio, chiro and lots of other things. I would not do surgery except as a very last resort after a year or so. I injured the tendons in my foot and that took a year of rest to get better. Now its fine again.

[cavNrott]

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Edited May 19, 2009 by cavNrott

[Leenie]

Holistic approaches to this problem:

* chiropractic and/or acupuncture and/or reiki

* natural anti-inflammatories - bromelains, fish oils, etc.

* joint support supplements such as glucosamine, msn, vitamin c, green lipped mussel extract, etc.

[Sivvy]

the bowen technique is suppose to be fantastic too.

[Gottalovealab]

Thanks for all the info guys, it really means a lot to me

[BrunoBella]

Hey Gotta

I gotta laugh. I have been off dol since this post cause the tendon in my mousing arm got inflamed so now I have Tendonitis too :D :D

I am now DOLing with my left hand in short stints for a while

Now at least I know what Kobi is going through

Edited for too many words

Edited September 18, 2006 by BellasPerson

[CavsRcute]

Trigger point therapy and acupuncture has worked wonders for my Cavalier. After spending thousands of dollars and vets looking for anything from OCD to polyarthropy,she was found to have very tight knots in her muscles.

They use a TENS machine(like physios use for people) and you can actually see the muscles twitching. We do exercises every night. She also has HD and we use acupuncture for this which also helps with the trigger points.

She also has a homeopathic tablet called Traumeel, which is also a miracle worker. It is an natural anti-inflammatory

Good luck

[BrunoBella]

The same as human treatment :D

I have trigger therapy/accupressure as well. Best thing I've ever come across out of the natural therapies