[Scoper50]

I posted about this last night in the lab health section, and I only got three replies. I want to re post it here because it seems a lot more traffic runs through this section of the forum. I'm looking for any advice at all. Advice preferably from experience. Please don't post just lecturing me to take him to the vet. He's going next week. But I'm just getting worried.

Odie is about 1 year and 4 months old now. Something strange has been happening lately. It's been going on for awhile, so I'll start at the beginning of the story.

It was early march and I was over at my parents house with Odie. The neighbor has a dog, and both dogs were outside running up and down the fence over and over again. This probably lasted close to half an hour.

When I let odie inside he was tired and went to lay down on the rug. It was when he got up that I noticed a limp. It appears he wasn't putting his full weight on his left front leg.

I figured that he just pulled something or fell down wrong. He's done that in the past, and been fine in a day or two. But this time it's different.

It's been a little over a month now, and he's still limping on the same leg. He doesn't limp all the time. Only when he first gets up after laying down. He'll limp for maybe 15-20 steps and then he's fine. After 15-20 steps you'd never know he has a problem. For the first 3 weeks or so I was really easy on him. I barely even played with him, and there was no walking or fetch. But after seeing no improvement after those three weeks, I thought some exercise might do him some good. So I started walking him 3 times a week and playing some light fetch. The symptoms haven't changed. He doesn't yelp, cry, groan, or anything. He just limps for a short time, and then he appears fine.

Does anybody know what could possibly be going on here? I would take him to the vet if he was limping constantly, or appeared to be in a lot of pain, but given the circumstances and the thinness of my wallet currently I just can't justify a several hundred dollar vet bill that I can't pay right now. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

My room mate thinks he has arthritus. But is this possible with a dog this young?

 

[mitziandjudysmom]

His symptoms sound very similar to those of my Judy when she was young... intermitent limping when getting up from a rest, but otherwise running with no apparent discomfort. I could manipulate her front leg from shoulder to toe without any sign of pain. When I finally took her to the vet, the vet could find nothing wrong, no sign of pain, elbow X ray was fine. The limping continued and I finally took her to an ortho vet who found a broken toe. He recommended total rest (outside on a leash for short potty breaks), It finally got better. Some labs with broken toes (Henery, if I remember right) get casts. It may have to do with how long the injury has gone untreated.
If you hold Odie's front paw and let his toes curl around your finger, does one toe stick up or look different? (It may not look so prominent as in the picture. It doesn't stick up when her foot is in normal position.)

As the others said in the health section, it could be anything. Elbow problems are common. I know how worried you are. I hope he gets better soon.

 

[Dakkerdog]

I think the xrays are worth the comfort of knowing if it is something obvious or not. If you read my post I've been dealing with Moose limping after an injury for 6 mths now. For me it was important to know I wasn't making things worse by what I did with him - I would definately go to the vet and let him manipulate the limbs and see what they say. He is young and I think that actually makes it easier to diagnose.

 

[blackandyellow]

Elbow displasya is very difficult to read in the x-rays. Three vets looked at Homer´s x-rays and couldn´t see it. Only the ortho specialist detected it immediately.

Hope it is not elbow displasya thoug.

My poor dog is going through surgery right now to correct both his elbows.