Oreo doesn't want to walk = update #7 5/15/10

[Scooter's Mom]

At the end of March, we noticed Oreo limping on his front left leg. He's done this before... we just gave him a few days of very short walks and he felt better. So we tried that again. He seemed better. Then he started limping on his back left leg. He hardly moves. He'll hobble from one room to the next, but he doesn't even greet us at the door anymore when we get home. We just have to be diligent about cleaning up after him... it's gross and it's killing my house.

The vet can't see anything wrong. We can touch his legs and toes and poke and prod and he doesn't even seem like he notices. I guess next we'll just test him for odd things like valley fever.

He just won't walk.

I haven't mentioned it here but have on FB. I just don't know what to do for him. He's never been fully healthy, but ... this... this is breaking my heart.

I wonder if it could be related to him not being neutered. He wasn't fixed when we got him and hubby refuses to allow him to be neutered.

I'm just at a loss.

[Freedom]

If the legs feet and toes are alright, what about his back?

Any signs of arthritis? I can give you lots of info re arthritis fixes, as my Marlin has it pretty badly; but does fine for one hour walks with just 2 meds.

Prayers for Oreo!

[MonicanHonda]

Don't mean to scare you, but... (And I'm sure it's not this because Honda could still walk just limped a lot...)

We thought she had arthritis in her back leg and so the vet put her under for a dental and took a xray at the same time of her back leg. She ended up having osteosarcoma, which I believe is because of injection site cancer. It's the same side my vet always put her injections on. Just something to look for if you end up exhausting all your other options.

[Freedom]

Yes Monica, I was thinking on this over night, and remembering my one week foster, Ben. And wondering if this could be cancer in the spine.

Crystal, I can't believe a vet would examine a dog who can't walk and then send him home saying "I can't find anything." Get Oreo in to another vet, please.

[Scooter's Mom]

Originally, we gave him Metacam. He got a shot the day we first took him to the vet... and we had another 10 days worth to give him at home.

It helped a tiny bit - but not very much.

We're going to take him back to our old vet on Saturday... *sigh* poor sweet boy.

[Scooter's Mom]

She ended up having osteosarcoma, which I believe is because of injection site cancer

He and Jadie both got all of their shots mid Mach... around 3/13/10 or so.

:(

[Scooter's Mom]

So... old vet was great with Oreo.
We're running blood tests. They're suspicious of it being Valley Fever.

Also, he may have torn the cruciate ligament (?) in BOTH of his back legs. She said it's not usually a small dog injury, you usually see it in bigger dogs.

I don't think his legs hurt like this when we went to the other vet - he didn't even act like he cared when they poked and prodded him... so maybe this is new, as a result of whatever else is wrong.

Either way - we will find out in a few days (3-5) if it IS valley fever. Should find out on Tuesday if anything else is going on - we did the entire blood workup.

Also, he got torbogesic (sp) that we can give him every 6 hrs if needed for being in pain.

He's such a good boy.

[Freedom]

Valley Fever? Hmm, not familiar, how would he have caught that?

As or the torn ACL, small dogs DO get that! Dogs who do Agility are prone to it. Any dog who jumps can land "wrong" and tear it. Just getting of the bed, a sofa or chair could do it. Going down steps and landing just plain wrong will do it too. THAT can be fixed, surgically if needed. The 6 weeks recovery is toughest; keeping the dog from running or jumping!

Pain meds are good while you wait for the test results!

[Scooter's Mom]

From the mayo clinic:
Valley fever is a fungal infection caused by coccidioides (kok-sid-ee-OI-deze) organisms. It can cause fever, chest pain and coughing, among other signs and symptoms.

The coccidioides species of fungi that cause valley fever are commonly found in the soil in certain areas. These fungi can be stirred into the air by anything that disrupts the soil, such as farming, construction and wind. The fungi can then be breathed into the lungs and cause valley fever, also known as acute coccidioidomycosis (kok-sid-e-oi-doh-mi-KOH-sis).

Mild cases of valley fever usually go away on their own. In more severe cases of valley fever, doctors prescribe antifungal medications that can treat the underlying infection.

...
The poster hanging at the vet's office says symptoms in pets are:
Asymptomatic coughing - check
"Flu" like symptoms - not so much
lameness - check
neurological signs - not so much
limping - check
weight loss - check - 15.6 lbs on 2/20 - 12.0 lbs today
decreased appetite - check

As far as Valley Fever in humans - a man I used to work with spent 3 months recovering from it - he nearly died. Both of his lungs collapsed, it was terrible.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear about Oreo.:( Hopefully you'll find out what is causing this soon and that it's nothing serious. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care.

[MonicanHonda]

Valley Fever does not sound fun, but at least it is curable! As for the torn cruciates... that sounds so painful. I was just at an agility show today and overheard a lady saying that her dog tore both the ACL and PCL... ouchies. I'm glad Oreo got some pain meds though... I hope Oreo feels better and they find out what is wrong soon. PT prayers.

[Karen]

Scooter will be in our prayers.

[dukedogsmom]

I'm so sorry :( It does hurt so much to see them distressed and in pain. I hope he'll be much better soon.

[Scooter's Mom]

Oreo has a new "game" he's playing.
If we walk out of a room and don't take him with us, he sits there and halfway barks until hubby goes, picks him up and carries him to the room we're in.

I saw him walking, he seems stronger, but I'm not sure... could just be the drugs! LOL

Will hear from the vet hopefully tomorrow to see the results of the valley fever test.

She did call me Monday with the normal results...
Low thyroid - expected
high white count - expected that too

He's laying there snoring right now. Spoiled little guy.

[MonicanHonda]

I watched my vet fix a lot of torn cruciates this week. They are rather easy to fix. They are fixed with a big stitch that will do the work of the cruciate. She said she's seen dogs get 90-95% normal function in their legs after the surgery. She also said agility and frisbee dogs get it a lot, but little dogs that are overweight can get it... and little dogs can get it by landing wrong. She said if they just tore one, they will have a very high chance of tearing the other one while they are healing from the original torn cruciate because they overcompensate.

[Scooter's Mom]

I watched my vet fix a lot of torn cruciates this week. They are rather easy to fix. They are fixed with a big stitch that will do the work of the cruciate. She said she's seen dogs get 90-95% normal function in their legs after the surgery. She also said agility and frisbee dogs get it a lot, but little dogs that are overweight can get it... and little dogs can get it by landing wrong. She said if they just tore one, they will have a very high chance of tearing the other one while they are healing from the original torn cruciate because they overcompensate.

I know it could be fixable - but how expensive is it? Have to take into consideration that in the last year and a half, I've earned about 1/3 my normal salary b/c of my own illness - and the fact that my husbands office could potentially close their doors at any given time.

Finances just may not allow it. :(

[Scooter's Mom]

Valley Fever test came back negative.
Starting him on a new medicine tomorrow after we run pick it up at the vets office. I can't remember the name right now, but will post it when we get it.

[MonicanHonda]

That I don't know. :( I hope you can find out what's wrong with your little guy. :(

[Catty1]

You know...I wonder if it COULD be related to not being neutered?...I mean, the genitals are at the same 'end'. But the vets would have checked that, right?

[pomtzu]

Valley Fever test came back negative.
Starting him on a new medicine tomorrow after we run pick it up at the vets office. I can't remember the name right now, but will post it when we get it.

I don't place a whole lot of faith in positive/negative testing anymore, after what I went thru with Sparky last year.

He started limping and didn't want to walk much - had difficulty with going up and down stairs, generally lethargic for the most part, etc. I took him to the vet, and she said it sounded like Lyme's Disease, so tested him and the results were negative, and I have the pups vaccinated every year for it too. So she put him on a pain reliever and told me to not let him do any running around and such - as if he was going to since he could barely walk at times anyway. After a couple of weeks he was no better, so it was back to the vet - she's shaking her head in disbelief, and still saying it was classic Lyme's symptoms with the way he was acting. She also said that the vaccine is not 100% effective, and false negative testing is uncommon, but not unheard of. So on a hunch, she put him on the 30 day antibiotic treatment for Lymes - and that straightened Sparky up in no time.

So even tho he got his vaccine, and the test reported negative, he still had it! Perhaps something like that could be happening with Oreo - poor little guy! Hope you get to the bottom of the problem soon, and he's back to his old self in no time!

[Scooter's Mom]

Weird, since sparky is a ShihTzu too!
off we go to pick up the medicine... i'll post what it is when we get home.