Screaming from pain

[Gabby's Mom]

Last week Gabby started screaming in pain when she'd get up from lying down and when she'd go in and out of the house for potty breaks. She's been to the vet 3 times in the last week and we have not been about to figure out exactly what is going on. The vet felt down the sides of her spine and down through her hips to try to find the source of the pain. Gabby did not have any reaction to the vets attempts to locate the pain. Gabby did have her hips x-rayed and sent in to OFA not quite a year ago and they came back GOOD. She also had her elbows done and did not pass, but only had grade I. Gabby is almost 3. She has not done anything that I know of recently that she could have injured herself. She went back to the vet yesterday for x-rays from head to toe and there was nothing abnormal show up on the views. They are sending them on for a canine radiologist to view.

She has also been to an animal chiropractor last week on Saturday and then again yesterday for adjustments. On Saturday the chiropractor said that L4 and L5 vertebra were twisted to the right. When she went to the chiropractor yesterday she also discovered C5 and C6 also required an adjustment along with L4 and L5 again.

When she first started in with the pain the vet put her on Rimadyl and this did nothing for her. Since we didn't notice any improvements we took her off of this because I understand that there can be some bad side effects. Yesterday the vet started her on predinsone. She gave her a shot and then pills to take over the course of the next week or so. Just today Gabby seems to be improving a bit.

Gabbys symptoms are that she has been lying around pretty much all the time and only getting up when I physically make her get up by lifting part or all of her body to make her go outside to go potty. As I mentioned before when she gets up she screams from the pain. This is a dog who is normally very active. She hardly ever lies down. She usually plays nonstop all day long. She is now refusing to play her favorite games (hide and seek) and before she would NEVER miss a meal and she just hurts too bad now to eat. She will only eat if you take her bowl to her and hold it on the floor while she eats.

At this point we are thinking that Gabby may have a pinched nerve somewhere in her spine, but we are not sure! I just thought that some of you may have had similar problems with dogs in the past and may have suggestions as to what I can do to help Gabby get back on her feet and feeling better. I am so frustrated with having to watch her be in so much pain and not knowing what to do! If you need more information from me please let me know. All suggestions and ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks
Andrea & Gabrielle Von Bauerhausen, CDX

[moondog]

Did the vet mention soft tissue injury as a possibility? I had a horse that tore a ligament at his hoof from simply landing off a bank that he had landed off of many times before (nothing unusual about how it happened) and it took 30 days for it to show up on an xray (when scar tissue began forming). No swelling, no tenderness, he just couldn't walk on it. As for soft tissue injury and pain, I can attest to that myself! I recently tore a muscle in my arm and I have never been in so much pain in my life. I basically had to stop using it completely for a couple weeks in order to prevent a constant reinjuring and to allow it to begin healing.

[Anne]

Did the vet do a drawer test for a ruptured ACL?

[Gabby's Mom]

"Did the vet do a drawer test for a ruptured ACL?"

I don't think so.....I'm not sure what that is. I've never seen a dog with a ruptured ACL, but the breeder of my other dog was visiting the day the pains began and she said that it definately wasn't an ACL tear.

The first 3 or 4 days the pain was intermittent. When I'd take Gabby to the vet she'd act like she was fine, no pain, no screaming. She acted like nothing was wrong. Then I'd get her back home and it's be the same story again. Sometimes it would seem like if she turned her body a certain way that would trigger the pain and almost everytime she'd get up from lying down. It is also painful for her to go in and out my doorways to go outside. From my kitchen to the foyer is a step down and then from the foyer to the outside is another step down and this seems to cause her the most problems. The steps are only about 4 to 6 inches each. Now this morning when Gabby went outside, she went out with no problems, but when she came back in and made that little hop up back inside she yiped from pain.

I don't know, I'm puzzled and frustrated! I just want to get my dog back!

Andrea

[Judi W]

How does she stand? Does she hunch herself up or does she stand with normal foot placement? Once she is up, what is her weight bearing standing and moving? Observe these things and it can help point you in a direction

[Gabby's Mom]

When she's up she hunches a bit, tail/nub has been tucked tight since this all started. At first she would occassionally limp a bit on the right hip. Usually once she's up and starts moving she walks and bears weight pretty normal.

What directions should this point me in? Please explain.

Andrea

[2rotties2luv]

I'm sorry to hear that your rottie is having such pain. While your vet is the only one that can make the diagnosis, I will say that your rottie's symptoms are very similar to my rottie's pain from a pinched nerve in his lower back (diagnosed as cauda equina). His x-ray did show an injury/abnormality in his lower spine, but it was very subtle. He was given a total of 3 courses of prednisone. Each time the pain would improve, but then it would return after he resumed his normal activity. My vet was actually trying to prepare me to think that he might have to be put down because of the pain. However, she first suggested to try alternative vet medicine, and referred me to a vet that practices chinese herbal medicine and accupuncture.
It worked wonders! Two years later, Jazz is his old self, 9 1/2 years old and still getting the zoomies every day and playing roughhouse with my other rottie. The vet started him on a herbal preparation and accupuncture once a week. The pain gradually got better over a couple of months, and eventually Jazz was taken off the herbs and the intervals between the accupuncture treatments was gradually lengthened. After 2 years he has only occaisional mild pain and has the accupuncture only every 8 weeks.
I would say that if it is determined that your rottie has a pinched nerve, the accupuncture might be of help. Let me know if you have any questions about accupuncture.

[Judi W]

Well, since you have evaluated her skeletal structure and not seen anything to account for this, I would look to something going on in the gut. A painful gut can cause all of what you describe

[LORHEL]

My female rescue has had a couple of occurrences that so far have been deemed, soft tissue injuries. There are many things I think that have come about from her being hit by something (I was told a car, but it could have been any type of vehicle) .... when I was told about her, she had been brought in and surrendered, with a fractured radius/ulna.

However, I am very suspect of the fact the owner himself may have accidentally backed over her leg, or her, and been to embarassed to take her in (THIS IS NO EXCUSE...BELIEVE ME!!! I AM ONLY TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER PIECES OF A PUZZLE I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SOLVE)...

I am picturing her shoulder blade and leg, being struck, as well as part of her neck, at the time, maybe not life threatening, and then two days later being brought to my city, from over an hour away where she originally lived.....

I am sure that the vet's main focus was on her fractured radius/ulna, and since the guy never paid his bill with them, they wouldn't have run further tests in areas that she might not have shown pain, such as the neck, shoulderblade...

I have noticed while walking, that she walks with her body in this form \

it is not extreme, but her gait is definitely off. I took her in when after one day of playing, she would not move. She also screamed in pain, and I ended up getting an anti inflammatory for her, as well as being told 4 weeks of quiet and rest.

They did not run xrays, and said she might possibly have to have back surgery (now keep in mind, the vet e/r doesn't know her like her regular vet, and is just guessing at what is being told) if it didn't get better.

When we turned her head, she yelped out in such a scream that they thought it was a neck sprain. Thankfully the medication worked, and she did get better, but she literally would not do anything but lay down straight up, she could not move her head from side to side, and roll over on her back...as she loves to do.

This is ongoing, and I know there will be future issues, possibly. This thread has been very helpful so far. Thank you for posting. I'm sorry I coudn't offer any solutions but wanted to share our story also.

[flyballmom]

Hi Andrea, I know Ann said she didn't think Gabby had an ACL tear, and it really doesn't sound like one, but if it were me I'd want that ruled out. The drawer sign is the most definitive test for a torn ACL. The knee is manipulated by the vet (usually under sedation, lots of guys, esp. ours, guard too muchto do it awake)...a positive drawer is abnormal movement of the upper and lower leg bones across each other because of the instability. I forget, has Gabby seen an ortho? Does sound more like a spinal problem, maybe the radiologist can pinpoint the cause...fingers crossed it's minor.

Bites from Blitz

[Gabby's Mom]

Originally Posted by flyballmom

I forget, has Gabby seen an ortho?

No she hasn't! We have seen a tiny bit of improvement with the chiropractic adjustments and prednisone, so my vet suggested giving it just a bit more time. If we haven't seen big improvements by the 1st of the week, we'll be moving on to a specialist. Once she gets up and moving she's not too bad, she just doesn't want to get up because she's afraid it's going to hurt. It doesn't seem like she's having any pain when going down steps, but she is still having some pain when coming up steps. I guess it's kinda good that she doesn't want to get up...it's easier to keep her inactive that way and we're thinking that even when she's back on her feet we'll have to keep her on crate rest for about 3 weeks and then continue to keep her pretty quiet for several weeks thereafter. First things first though....we've gotta get her back on her feet and get rid of this pain that she's having.

Thanks to the others that have posted for your concern and thoughts! We appreciate it!

Andrea & Gabby

[flyballmom]

This is good news!! Didn't know she was on Pred...good. Keep us posted please!

Originally Posted by Gabby's Mom

We have seen a tiny bit of improvement with the chiropractic adjustments and prednisone, so my vet suggested giving it just a bit more time.
Andrea & Gabby