Limping

[JudyN]

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Jasper's developed a limp on his back right leg today. I'm guessing he's just tweaked something, but he really struggled to get upstairs earlier.

I have some Rimadyl (or possibly Metacam) - would you give him some this evening to give whatever it is the best chance of settling down quickly, or withhold it so he's less likely to do more damage hooning around? He seems comfortable enough now he's managed to get onto the spare bed.

 

[JoanneF]

I'd probably give metacalm as it's anti-inflammatory as well as a painkiller.

 

[JudyN]

Thanks @JoanneF I found an out-of-date but unopened bottle of Metacam and gave him some of that. Not the double dose you're meant to start treatment with as he's never had it before and I didn't want to be woken up in the night because of any messy side effects. He seems much less limpy this morning, and we can't find any tender points. Hopefully it was just a temporary tweak, but I'll avoid the ball chucker this afternoon.

 

[Biker John]

JudyN, obviously with Jasper's problems with treatment it might not be suitable for you. But in general I would recommend letting a sight hound phsio person check him. Over the years Folly has had two occasions that having her checked and treated solved the problem quickly.

 

[JudyN]

I'd love to get him assessed and treated by a physio/chiropractor, @Biker John but sadly he doesn't feel the same way... I once arranged for a physio session on one of our regular walks - he was in his normal environment, muzzled in a place he'd expect to be muzzled anyway, the physio could see him move, and we could pretend she was just another dog-walking friend. Towards the end of the walk she could put her hands on him and have a good enough feel to reassure herself that it was purely just muscular, but by then he was getting suspicious and when she tried getting a bit deeper he wasn't having any of it.

And of course, when he's already tense, it's not at all easy to identify sore tight muscles, and any form of manipulation when he's not relaxed could do more harm than good.

We stopped doing ball chucking with him years ago and he's not had any problems since then so he could well be paying the price for us reintroducing it in lieu of decent afternoon walks. He seemed fine on the short walk we did have this afternoon though

 

[merlina]

we have intermittent lameness with our spaniel- we know that it's luxating patella and came on after an injury (involving hurtling down a slope after a squirrel ). I think you're right about the type of exercise bringing it on: this happens when the crops in the fields get above about 18 inches and he then leaps in the air to see stuff. We try not to medicate- we use flat boring walks for a week.

 

[JudyN]

Aha! I spotted some livid bruising right up in his groin today, on the right-hand-side of his sheath. Chances are he managed to clout himself there when belting around through undergrowth and stiffened up later that day as a result. He's been moving fine since then

 

[merlina]

Ouch! poor lad...not hoping to be a father in the near future, I take it?

 

[JoanneF]

Always good to know the cause.

 

[JudyN]

Ouch! poor lad...not hoping to be a father in the near future, I take it?

He does occasionally tell me, in his own special way, that he loves me and wants me to have his puppies.....