Sudden Limp

[Rotwildmom]

Hello and thanks for letting me join your group. I adopted a Rott from a local pound and I was told they estimated his age to be 1.5 to 2 years old. I've had him 9 months now (my first pet) and he's been a joy. However, last night he started limping for no apparent reason. He wasn't running around or anything like that. He goes between limping and not using his right hind leg at all. I am told by friends who also have rotts that it is probably hip dysplasia. I checked with our local vet and they said to give him some aspirin to help ease any pain he may have. Can anyone give me advice as to other things I can do to comfort him? Will he always limp now? I've also heard surgery is an option but it's not guaranteed to help any. Is there certain foods or vitamins I can get to help? Again, this is my first pet so I'm looking for any good advice I can get.

Thanks so much,
Rotwildmom

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by Rotwildmom

Hello and thanks for letting me join your group. I adopted a Rott from a local pound and I was told they estimated his age to be 1.5 to 2 years old. I've had him 9 months now (my first pet) and he's been a joy. However, last night he started limping for no apparent reason. He wasn't running around or anything like that. He goes between limping and not using his right hind leg at all. I am told by friends who also have rotts that it is probably hip dysplasia. I checked with our local vet and they said to give him some aspirin to help ease any pain he may have. Can anyone give me advice as to other things I can do to comfort him? Will he always limp now? I've also heard surgery is an option but it's not guaranteed to help any. Is there certain foods or vitamins I can get to help? Again, this is my first pet so I'm looking for any good advice I can get.

Thanks so much,
Rotwildmom

First of all, I'm sorry your boy isn't feeling well.

In order to find out what is wrong with your boy, you're going to need to take him to the veterinarian. He can palpate your boy, and do xrays if necessary.

Once you have a diagnosis, you can then discuss your options with the Dr.

Whether or not there's a problem with him that is permanent, or he just sprained or strained himself, you can do a search on the forums for information regarding, hip dysplasia, joint supplements, and so on. The search function is on the right side of the toolbar above.

Welcome to the forums.

Keep us posted!

[BostonRott]

Typically hip dysplasia does not present as one sided limping. That sounds more like a ligament or other soft tissue problem.

You do need to get him to the vet and have him xrayed. Before they absolutely rule in or out anything, you probably should also see a specialist if it appears to be something serious.

[2rotties2luv]

The best advice I can give you is to take your dog in to be examined by a vet. Unless you know exactly what is causing the limp, you cannot know what treatment(s) are available and what your options are. It could be a minor injury, it could be something serious, or it could be anything in between - but you won't know unless the dog is examined by a vet. It may be necessary to x-ray the dog's back, hips and leg as well to get a proper diagnosis. Please be aware that if you decide to wait and see what happens, you may be compounding an injury or condition that needs immediate treatment.

[Rotwildmom]

Thanks for the reply. I realize a 'friend's advice is not the answer. I can't get my baby into the vet until tomorrow so I was trying to find out as much as I could today.

Thanks again!

[BostonRott]

Well, until you can get her in, do not let her run or play. I'd suggest leash walking only, and keep her crated or otherwise confined, except to go out for potty-ing.

When you put her in the car tomorrow, don't let her jump, lift her.

[Bunting]

Our 8 year old rott was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when she was 2. She has not needed medication until a few weeks ago when she also started getting fluid around her elbows. Our vet recommended putting her on a daily dose of glucosamine/chondroitin but also put her on Rimadyl (anti-inflammatory drug). After being on the Rimadyl for about 5 days, she began to loose control of her back legs. Walking is hard for her now since her back legs slide out from underneath her. We did some research on Rimadyl last night and found out that she is experiencing a side effect of the drug. We discontinued using it immediately. If your vet recommends Rimadyl, please look into the side effects before you use it. Some pets have done very well with the drug but ours did not. I wish we had been given a list of the side effects before putting her on the medication.

[Necknot]

Prolonged use of aspirin can cause thinning of the blood , and that is a palative remedy , it does not address the root of the problem . If you are going to use a glucosamine supplement , there are several on the market that are over-processed to the point of causing the active ingredient to lose it's potency . I have used this with great result on mine .

http://www.glcdirect.com/glc1000page.html


good stuff

Let us know how it went at the vet . My dog developed a limp and ended up having ACL replacement , she has done very well since . She runs but does it with the bunny hop . I have avoided the use of arthritis med with the medicine GLC 1000 (link posted above)

good luck

[Sharon Marples]

What did you find out at the vets?

[dean]

hi
hope your rott is ok -- mine had a tear of his acl in his left rear leg this fall (he was limping slightly on that leg over the summer) -
the vet said that tears can occur gradually, then the ligament will suddenly rupture. they do a test , look for what is called the "drawer sign"

do a search on google and look up some info. i'm glad i did--- they had to do a pretty intensive surgery. now he's doing 6 months of rehab!

good luck

[jessicajcl]

If your dog is really as young as estimated when you rescued him then I would be reluctant to warn you of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) b/c it usually develops a little later in life. But get some x-rays and rule it out. Try to avoid the Rimadyl too. Metacam is a safer alternative. Let us know what the outcome is. My rotty's limp did turn out to be cancer unfortunately but it wasn't sudden. It kind of came and went for a bit causing both us and the vet to believe it was arthritis. When we finally did the x-ray it looked like a tumor and a biopsy confirmed it. Again, keep us posted and best of luck.