Sudden onset of limping rear left

[Paulos]

Hi all,
I know that there are lots of posts on limping pets. I noticed Delilah (my Rotty) has recently started limping.
I took her to the vet here in San Antonio. He shot two panels of x-rays. I was prepared for the worst, but when I saw the x-rays, I noticed very little malformation. From what I have researched in the internet, the hip sockets seem almost perfect. The doctor told me that it looked very mild , or mild flattening on the round bone that joins the socket. She is now on Glucosamine/Chondrotin/MSM (Chondro-Flex II). He wanted to prescribe Rimadyl, but I opted to wait on that.
Delilah is limping very noticeably. Because she has always been very athletic and active, I am wondering if there might be another cause of her discomfort, possibly some soft tissue damage from her roughhousing activities.
I am even concerned that she may even have contracted Lyme disease.
Should I ask the vet for a follow-up to check for Lyme? Should I consult an Orthopedic Vet to check for soft tissue damage?

Your comments and shared experiences are most welcome,
Paulos

[fbkeays]

There could be so many reasons. It could be a soft tissue injury that will heal with a couple of weeks of rest. It could be a torn CCL or more commonally called ACL tears of the knee. It is difficult to see the ligaments of the knee on an x-ray.
I would not take the word of a general vet on something as serious as hip dysplasia especially if the vet was saying mild.
I have had general vets tell me that two of my dogs had HD. Their hips are fine and have OFA numbers. I have had dogs with soft tissue injuries due to rough housing and I have had a dog blow her knee just trotting on a hard, level surface with good traction after a play session.

[BostonRott]

I would submit xrays to OFA for word on dysplasia.
An orthopedic specialist would definitely be in line if you're thinking of bony injury. An injury like a CCL tear will not show up on xray, but you'll want to see an orthopedist to diagnose it.

If you're worried about Lyme, have them pull a full tick panel (about $100) and run it (not just the in-house Snap test).

[chivas]

It takes 1 million cancer cells to be seen on an xray, I dont know why vets dont mention this, a dog who is limping noticalbly and worse NEEDS to be treated ASAP. I would ask for bloodwork to see if the alkaline phos. is high, which could be indicative of a tumor. Our breed is EXTREMELY prone to osteosarcoma and I dont know why some vets (actually alot from what Ive read on here) dont treat limping dogs MORE aggressively when they dont show improvement in a few days. I dont mean to scare anyone but unfortunalty alot of times a limping rott is the first sign of OS, Ive lost 2 unrelated rotts to OS and I dont mess around even for a MINUTE with a limping dog, OS is EXTREMELY agressive and very painful but not totally hopeless (alot of vets treat it as such though).
Kim

[Paulos]

Hi all,
Came back just now from 2nd opinion of x-rays. Dr. basically, confirms that she has very mild hip displasia. I mentioned to Dr. my concerns about osteosarcoma. He thinks that it should manifest itself in the x-rays (essentially what the first vet told me). Regardless, I asked him to take a blood sample for analysis. I will get the results later this week from the blood work.
Since the clicking noise is still there when she leaps, I got referrals from both Dr's for an orthopedic vet. Coincidentally, they both recommended the same Ortho Dr. I will talk to them and see what they recommend.
BTW...both Dr's said that Lyme is not endemic to my area. The more that I thikn about it (symptoms), the less likely I suspect Lyme.

Paulos

[BostonRott]

Ifit is HD, you should get the dog as skinny as is healthy, and keep up with the glycoflex for the rest of her life.

[Paulos]

Hi Boston,
Thanks for the info.
I did lots of research on hip dysplasia. In my opinion, She will do fine with her hips. By her x-rays, there is very little flattening (other than the Fovea capitus flattening) to her left femoral head. In fact, it is almost completely round, and there is almost no subluxation. Both femurs are firmly articulated to their sockets. I am almost sure that her limping was caused by a partially torn acl, or ccl. THe clicking that I hear now was never present before she started to limp. I am going to see the orthopedic surgeons to get a definite diagnosis on the knee joint.
She is already back to her normal roughhousing activities, although I substitute long walks more in lieu of playtime with her friends. I will keep her at her trim and athletic weight of 83 pounds...maybe a few less.
I will keep the forum appraised on the outcome of the ortho visit.
BTW the OFA, and other sites, have very good info online.
Paulos

[chivas]

He thinks that it should manifest itself in the x-rays (essentially what the first vet told me).

This is exactly what Im talking about. I brought Chivas in for xrays the day after she started limping, nothing was seen on xrays. Her limp didnt go away, I had her re xrayed 1 month later and the tumor was quite noticable.
6 months prior to the limp, I had bloodwork done on her and the alkaline phos., was high. Since losing her, Ive done a TON of research on OS and find that 90% of vets dont treat it aggressively enough, many times the owner has to push them to get more options. I think many vets feel either its hopeless or the owners wont want to foot the expense, just my opinion. Arm yourself with ALOT of knowledge even if it annoys your vet, you may save your dogs life.
My vet told my husband just today ( we have a 17 yr old dog with degenerative spinal arthritis, borderline kidney disease and low red blood count) that if he were in a coma and considered hopeless, he would want me by his bedside. I insist on arming myself with knowledge and make sure I get ALL options and prognosis. I dont want to EVER make the wrong decision, that is NOT something I could live with.

[Paulos]

Thanks Chivas,
I forgot to mention that I did ask for a bloodwork exam for anything that may be cancer related. The doctor confirmed that the test can be an indicator of early cancer. I will get results tomorrow.
Wish luck,
Paulos

[Paulos]

Hi Chivas,
I received a call from the vet today. He got the results from the lab today and informed me that there was nothing in it that, he feels, is indicative of cancer. I will probably go thate to get a copy this week. Perhaps I can discuss it with you in more detail then.


PS Her limping has been gone for a while, but the clicking noise is still there when she jumps. I still have to contact the orthopedic surgeons office for a consult.

Paulos