limping

[kcordell]

I have a 8 year old rottie,she has really been limping the past week, we have to help her get up and make her get up to go to the bathroom. I have been very troubled by is it time to put her down for her sake. She weighs about 160 lbs. For the past 3 years all she has done is lay in the house. This is very hard for me but just don't know what to do.Kimla

[excellrott]

I'm sure when everyone is back from the holidays and back on the forum, you will get lots of requests to take your dog and have it xrayed. You may be able to do something about the problem before putting your dog down is the only choice. Don't give up so easily. Your are in my prayers

[RottiMomCT]

How tall is she in comparison to her weight? If overweight, that could be one of the factors contributing to her limp. Have her seen by a vet and let the vet know of her inactivity for the past few years, as well as anything that might have contributed to her limp, and ask about supplements such as Glucosamine/Chondroitin which is great for joints.

[Skip]

I'm not sure why your first response is to put her down. She needs to be thoroughly examined by a vet (soon) before any assumptions can be made. Also, unless she is humongously tall, she is way overweight and that will also drastically affect her health. Take her to the vet tomorrow (monday).

[Judi W]

8 is not old. If she has orthopedic problems there are quite a few meds and nutriciticals that you can be giving her that will help. If she weighs 160 pounds regardless of height, she is probably too fat to walk.

I don't believe a dog's visit to the vet when it has physical problems should be for euthansia, but for a diagnosis first. I'd have had her at a vets 3 years ago when she first started having problems. Must not have been as hard on you as on her.

[mmgy]

Age five (3 yrs ago) is a prime age for developing thyroid problems, which can lead to weight gain and lethargy. The treatment is simple and inexpensive (about $5 a month). Take her to the vet for a blood test.

[kcordell]

I am taking her to the vet today for x ray , and thanks for the thought of the over active thyroid. Will check into that to. I figured the weight gain was from not being active because i have been feeding her the same for years. And yes i do take responsibility for her weight. She is my sweetheart.I will let you know what the vet tells me today. Kimla Pray for my Roxi.:)

[mmgy]

Actually, it's an "under" active thyroid, but if you bring it up with the vet, I'm sure he'll check it both ways!!!

May I suggest.......if your vet encourages her to diet, please search the forums for natural weight loss tips before you buy a bag of prescription food.

Good luck, and let us know what they say.

[kcordell]

I spoke with my vet at 7:00 this morning told him what was going on and he said he really needs to put her out to take a good xray of her hips since she is so large because it is painful to get the hips just right for a good xray. He didn't want her to eat or drink past 8:00 tonight and i will have her there in the morning at 8:00 and see what goes. Also I could use some diet advice, have tried all the prescription food she just won"t eat them. Thanks for caring and listening. I will keep you posted. Kimla;)

[Judi W]

Originally posted by kcordell
Also I could use some diet advice, have tried all the prescription food she just won"t eat them.

Feed less of her normal diet.

[chivas]

I truely hope her limping is because of her weight.
But, here I go (and those who know my story know why).
Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) can come on very quick and 8 yrs old is about the median age for dogs to develop it. Xrays ARE a must. Be aware though that the tumors may not been seen on the xray at first. If meds dont help within 1 week - ask for a blood test (actually i would do blood on first visit) to see how her alkaline is (high alkaline can signal tumors).
I am PRAYING she just sprained it or her weight is making her a bit weak.
As one who lost the best dog in the world to osteo, it really hurts me to no end to see others go through it.

[Brooke&Ryan]

What did the vet say? Have you heard anything yet??
We're all thinking about your girl.


:)
Brooke

[JD102175]

Originally posted by Judi W
Feed less of her normal diet.

Also, if she is getting any "human" food cut that completely out of her diet. And depending on how many treats you give her each day, you may want to cut back on that also. Once the origin of the limping is found and treated a little more exercise outside should help a little too.


Jaime

[kcordell]

Just wanted to say thanks for the kind words from brooke and ryan. Tommorrow i will let you know what we find out at the vet. And as for human food , maybe a handful once every two weeks and her normal diet is two cups of come and get it once a day. No treats. Going to bed early with roxanne we have a very hectic day tommorrow. Please pray for my girl.

[mmgy]

Hi,

How's Roxi doing today?

Might I offer some food advice? Try feeding her two cups a day of a higher quality diet. I'm working with a lab right now in a similar situation. Her owners cut her back to a cup a day of poor quality food, and she still couldn't lose weight. Then they put her on a better food, and started feeding her two cups a day, which is pretty standard for a lab, and she has finally lost weight, and gained a ton of energy. They noticed a difference in about a month.

The difference is the inferior grains and fillers used in foods like that. A dog's body isn't built to process those ingredients efficiently, and it's almost as if the body stalls out. It's not getting the proper fuel to *run* smoothly. Dogs' bodies are designed to run on meat, and there's very little meat in this type of food.

Also, feed one cup in the a.m., and one cup at night. It's better than hitting the digestive system all at once.

You can get Iams at most grocery stores, or Nutro Natural Choice at Petsmart. Not sure where you are in Texas...if you're rural, ask a feed store that carries Diamond products to order something called "Chicken Soup." Others foods discussed often here in the nutrition forum include Canidae and Wellness. They are usually found in smaller pet stores.

You will be spending a few dollars more a month for dog food, but it will benefit your vet bill in the long run, and your girl will be happier and feel better.

Hope this helps. Let us know what the vet says.

Mary Mac