Our 8-year-old's leg problems...

[kellspugs]

Hello, this is my first post here.

Our sweet Ralphie, who is 8 years old, has had arthritis since he was 3. He has been on medication and supplements for the past 5 years. Last year he had a toe amputated due to cancer. Otherwise, he is healthy and is at a healthy weight. About 1 month ago, however, he developed a limp in his left back leg. This has happened before, but he usually recovers quickly. We had x-rays taken which showed nothing new except some inflammation. Since then, though, his appetite has changed dramatically and now he puts absolutely no weight on the leg and the bottom part--toward the ankle--is swollen. Our vet told us that it is like a swollen ankle and may take time for the swelling to subside. He also said his loss of appetite is due to pain. Ralphie is currently taking his normal Previcox with Tramadol. We are keeping the lower half of his leg wrapped to help the swelling go down.

I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced a situation similar to this. Our vet says the swelling could be due to his lymph nodes not working properly. It just seems to me that we're going on 2 weeks of swelling and that seems like a long time.

Thanks!
Kelli

[caseygina]

we thought our dog riley's limping was due to arthritis. we had her on rimadyl and a month later they took more xrays and it was OS. her lower leg is swollen due to no pressure on it. if he's not eating, there may be something else wrong. can you get a 2nd opinion?

[brunie's mom]

Please get that leg x-rayed again! or take the dog to another vet for x-rays. Legs do not get swollen from arthritis.
Your dog is at the age where bone cancer strikes our breed...this may be the reason he is not eating and bone cancer is very painful.

Please get him seen by the vet, there is something very wrong.

Gina

[jlaack]

Was the toe amputated on the leg that is now swollen? Is the swollen area hard or soft if you press on it? Painful? Hot? I would also be thinking bone cancer, but possibly a bone infection if there was recent surgery to the leg. I agree with Gina, you need to repeat the xrays (from more than one angle). Your dog should also be seeing an ortho specialist not a regular vet.

Make sure the wrapping on his leg doesn't get too tight. If the wrapped area is increasing in size (swelling more) the leg will need to be rewrapped. We have dealt with swelling of a limb before due to unknown causes and I needed to change the bandage daily for it to be effective and not cause damage by being to tight. If you are not completely confident in your bandage wrapping abilities have your vet do this..

[kellspugs]

It isn't the leg where the toe was amputated. I am noticing an increase in swelling up the leg this morning (Sunday) and have an emergent call into the vet. We are in the country so we might need to drive him into Pittsburgh to see a specialist. Poor buddy. He is certainly stoic about it all. His leg is definitely hot to the touch and I have told our vet this. Would bone diseae show up on normal films or is there a special x-ray for that?

Thank you for your help.
Kelli

[jlaack]

It isn't the leg where the toe was amputated. I am noticing an increase in swelling up the leg this morning (Sunday) and have an emergent call into the vet. We are in the country so we might need to drive him into Pittsburgh to see a specialist. Poor buddy. He is certainly stoic about it all. His leg is definitely hot to the touch and I have told our vet this. Would bone diseae show up on normal films or is there a special x-ray for that?

What kind of cancer was found with the amputated toe? Even if it isn't the same leg it is quite possible that it could have spread to another bone. Bone cancer should show up on normal xrays so long as the person viewing the xrays knows what to look for. Usually it is very characteristic, however if the xrays are taken early it might be easy to miss. That is why it is best to have an oncologist look at the films. Hopefully you will hear back from the vet. If the swelling is increasing and the leg is wrapped it could damage the leg by causing the bandage to be too tight. Is his leg hard where the swelling is?

Because the leg is hot to the touch it could be a bone infection or it could be because the bandage is too tight. I would also recommend a full blood panel and cbc. The bloodwork might indicate an infection which could be the cause of the swelling and needs to be treated through appropriate antiobiotics not pain relievers. Are you noticing any discharge?

[kellspugs]

I will have to ask our vet what type of cancer was found. We are making sure the wrapping is done loosely. Today when I spoke with the vet, he suggested we do another set of films to see if, perhaps, he can see something with the bone that wasn't present earlier on. Ralph's CBC and basic panel were all within normal limits. Also, the leg is more squishy, like it is fluid, when I touch it, not hard. He is also referring us to another vet who has more experience with this sort of situation than he has.

Kelli

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