help....stiffness of joints after getting spayed - is this normal?

[Jannie]

my 2 year old Daschund was spayed last month about 2 weeks after the spaying she starting limping and then she got all these sores in her ears , on her nose and her back so i took her back to the vet he said she must have got into something and some kind of bugs or something got under her skin the assistant suggested staff infection...they put her on clindamycin 25 mg two times a day...she seems to be doing a lots better in her ears and on her nose but not on her back but now her back legs seems to be stiffening up on her again....b4 the surgery she was a happy go lucky nothing ever wrong with her kind of puppy could this all be related and what could be wrong and what should I do? :confused:

[Karen]

Hi, Jannie! This is likely not at all related to the spaying, as I have never heard of anything like this in connection to a spay surgery. But it does sound like she got some sort of infection somewhere, had some reaction to something, could be anything, and is dealing with that. Has she had any tick bites that you know of?

[Freedom]

I agree nothing to do with her spay at all.

Is she still getting the medicine or is that all finished? She may need a recheck at the vet.

[Jannie]

Hi, Jannie! This is likely not at all related to the spaying, as I have never heard of anything like this in connection to a spay surgery. But it does sound like she got some sort of infection somewhere, had some reaction to something, could be anything, and is dealing with that. Has she had any tick bites that you know of?

no tick bites only the lil bug bites or whatever she had that the vet gave her medicine for on her back....and yes she still has about 4 more days of medication left then I guess another trip to the vet if it doesn't clear up. Oh, i forgot to mention she like licks her feet like ALL the time now drives me and her both crazy lol

[Jannie]

I agree nothing to do with her spay at all.

Is she still getting the medicine or is that all finished? She may need a recheck at the vet.

no tick bites only the lil bug bites or whatever she had that the vet gave her medicine for on her back....and yes she still has about 4 more days of medication left then I guess another trip to the vet if it doesn't clear up. Oh, i forgot to mention she like licks her feet like ALL the time now drives me and her both crazy lol

[Jessika]

Licking feet is typically a sign of allergies.

Stiffness of joints if there has been tick exposure could mean she has Lyme's disease. You can have her tested for it.

As the others have stated, this has nothing to do with the spay.

[Karen]

Definitely if it does not clear up after you finish the medicine, ask about testing for Lyme disease, it is getting more and more prevalent these days, sadly, but can be treated.

And yes, the licking of paws is almost always allergy related, so mention that to your vet if you go, and you might want to change her food to something different, and see if that helps. What is she eating now?

[Freedom]

Agree, itchy feet is an allergy. Tell us what you are feeding now - brand AND FORMULA - and I can make some suggestions of what to change.

[Jannie]

Agree, itchy feet is an allergy. Tell us what you are feeding now - brand AND FORMULA - and I can make some suggestions of what to change. she has been eating purina puppy chow for 90% of her life with a lil bit of people food :/ not sure what u mean on formla?

[Jannie]

Licking feet is typically a sign of allergies.

Stiffness of joints if there has been tick exposure could mean she has Lyme's disease. You can have her tested for it.

As the others have stated, this has nothing to do with the spay.
I never seen ANY ticks on her at all but as for the symptoms of lymes disease i see some resemblence of it with the stiffness of the joints but I have NEVER took a tick off of Annie I have kept flea and tick medicine on her as for her licking her paws non-stop not sure about that one....all I know is NONE of this started till after she got spayed....wish I woulda never got her spayed :/

[Karen]

Jannie, don't worry, it has nothing to do with the spay, and she will live a longer, healthier life because of that. This is a minor hurdle, compared to the possibility of cancer or worse, pyometra, that could kill her if left unspayed.

Once she finishes her medication, if symptoms persist, do follow up with the vet. Lyme disease is becoming more prevalent in some parts of the US, and the tick needn't stay attached - just one bite is enough to spread the disease, if that is it.

Purina puppy chow has corn as its first ingredient*, and as she is now 2 year old, it is time to switch her to an adult food anyway. Try a lamb and rice based food, Iams makes one, as lots of dogs become allergic to corn, that's pretty common.


Whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soybean meal, egg and chicken flavor, brewers rice, barley, animal digest, calcium phosphate, fish oil, calcium carbonate, dried yeast, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, Yellow 6, DL-Methionine, Yellow 5, manganese sulfate, niacin, Red 40, Vitamin A supplement, Blue 2, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. X-4001

[Jessika]

I never seen ANY ticks on her at all but as for the symptoms of lymes disease i see some resemblence of it with the stiffness of the joints but I have NEVER took a tick off of Annie I have kept flea and tick medicine on her as for her licking her paws non-stop not sure about that one....all I know is NONE of this started till after she got spayed....wish I woulda never got her spayed :/
I am a registered veterinary technician, and I can whole-heartedly assure you that this has absolutely nothing to do with her being spayed, especially considering these symptoms came up weeks after her surgery. Spaying/neutering your pets is one of the best things you can do for them to keep them healthy!!!!

We have seen patients before with tick bourne disease that the owners claimed to have never seen a tick on them, either. I'm not saying this is what is is, just stating it could be a possibility. In fact, we had one come in today non ambulatory. Sounds like your little girl can walk, it just seems painful.

Forgive me if I've overlooked where you've said this, but have you brought her back in for an appointment specifically for her achiness??

Also, as Karen stated above, corn, wheat, and soy are the top 3 food allergens (beef is also a big one). Switching to a lamb and rice formula may be helpful for allergies. But I encourage you to not ignore the paw licking as it can cause sores and skin infections between her toes! Since she is 2 years old (and especially since she's spayed now) I do also encourage you to switch her to an adult formula as puppy food is high in fat and can cause weight gain.

Keep us updated, and no matter what never think you're a bad pet parent for getting her spayed!!!!

EDIT: I forgot to add - saw you mentioned you keep flea and tick meds on her. Depending on what brand/type of prevention you're using, most topicals do require the tick to bite the host before the product kills the tick. Then they typically die and fall off.

[Jannie]

I am a registered veterinary technician, and I can whole-heartedly assure you that this has absolutely nothing to do with her being spayed, especially considering these symptoms came up weeks after her surgery. Spaying/neutering your pets is one of the best things you can do for them to keep them healthy!!!!

We have seen patients before with tick bourne disease that the owners claimed to have never seen a tick on them, either. I'm not saying this is what is is, just stating it could be a possibility. In fact, we had one come in today non ambulatory. Sounds like your little girl can walk, it just seems painful.

Forgive me if I've overlooked where you've said this, but have you brought her back in for an appointment specifically for her achiness??

Also, as Karen stated above, corn, wheat, and soy are the top 3 food allergens (beef is also a big one). Switching to a lamb and rice formula may be helpful for allergies. But I encourage you to not ignore the paw licking as it can cause sores and skin infections between her toes! Since she is 2 years old (and especially since she's spayed now) I do also encourage you to switch her to an adult formula as puppy food is high in fat and can cause weight gain.

Keep us updated, and no matter what never think you're a bad pet parent for getting her spayed!!!!

EDIT: I forgot to add - saw you mentioned you keep flea and tick meds on her. Depending on what brand/type of prevention you're using, most topicals do require the tick to bite the host before the product kills the tick. Then they typically die and fall off.

advantix is the brand of flea med.....i am changing the dog food today and she is still taking the medicine. She just doesn't walk unless she needs to lol...kinda scared on changing her food as I don't want to mess her stomach up in addition to her other problems...

[Jessika]

To avoid tummy upset when switching foods, you need to slowly transition her from old to new over the course of a few weeks. We tell clients week 1: 3/4 old, 1/4 new. Week 2: 1/2 old, 1/2 new. Week 3: 1/4 old, 3/4 new. Week 4: all new!

Personally, I've switched my dogs over "cold turkey" before with little to no problems (sometimes you run out of food or emergencies happen!!!). It depends on the dog... it isn't HARMFUL to them if you don't transition them slowly, but you will avoid diarrhea (unless their system is VERY sensitive). Since you're giving her "people food" with no problems, I would assume she doesn't have such a sensitive tummy.

[Jannie]

To avoid tummy upset when switching foods, you need to slowly transition her from old to new over the course of a few weeks. We tell clients week 1: 3/4 old, 1/4 new. Week 2: 1/2 old, 1/2 new. Week 3: 1/4 old, 3/4 new. Week 4: all new!

Personally, I've switched my dogs over "cold turkey" before with little to no problems (sometimes you run out of food or emergencies happen!!!). It depends on the dog... it isn't HARMFUL to them if you don't transition them slowly, but you will avoid diarrhea (unless their system is VERY sensitive). Since you're giving her "people food" with no problems, I would assume she doesn't have such a sensitive tummy.

well i got some lamb and rice dog food tonight we shall see if that helps....if she will just stop the feet licking i will feel like we r making progress lol.....she actually tried playing tonight :) b4 she went back to her bed....also trying to keep her meds on a consistent every 12 hours apart she has about 3 days left of meds and if she isn't better by then i will be taking her back to the vet....

[Jessika]

You don't have to be perfect with giving the meds every 12 hours. :) We tell clients "if you feed them twice a day, give them meds with breakfast and dinner". Sometimes that is 12 hours apart, but some times it isn't. And that's ok.

What meds is she currently on? I wouldn't let the paw licking go TOO long because they can get problems secondary from licking or scratching so much, like skin (staph) infections, yeast infections between their toes, or hot spots... then they lick cause they're irritated... and they're irritated cause they lick... its a vicious cycle.

[Jannie]

well i got some lamb and rice dog food tonight we shall see if that helps....if she will just stop the feet licking i will feel like we r making progress lol.....she actually tried playing tonight :) b4 she went back to her bed....also trying to keep her meds on a consistent every 12 hours apart she has about 3 days left of meds and if she isn't better by then i will be taking her back to the vet....

Well...I did wind up having to take Annie back to the vet and they checked her again because she was looking worse they say fungal/ bacterial infection more than likely from dirty utensils used when she got spayed. I know the 1st visit they said it looked like steph infection....I just know this has been going on since about 1 to 2 weeks after her surgery back in September. She is doing MUCH better (still on medication 2 times daily and medicated bath 3 times a week) hopefully her hair grows back quickly cause she looks like a mutt lol but she is eating, playing back like her old self...

[Jannie]

You don't have to be perfect with giving the meds every 12 hours. :) We tell clients "if you feed them twice a day, give them meds with breakfast and dinner". Sometimes that is 12 hours apart, but some times it isn't. And that's ok.

What meds is she currently on? I wouldn't let the paw licking go TOO long because they can get problems secondary from licking or scratching so much, like skin (staph) infections, yeast infections between their toes, or hot spots... then they lick cause they're irritated... and they're irritated cause they lick... its a vicious cycle.

Annie is on Ketoconazole....but she has stopped the paw licking and biting herself since she got the last steriod shot and started this medication 2 times daily and medicated bath 3 times a week..... She is doing MUCH better hopefully her hair grows back quickly cause she looks like a mutt lol but she is eating, playing back like her old self...

[Jessika]

Annie is on Ketoconazole....but she has stopped the paw licking and biting herself since she got the last steriod shot and started this medication 2 times daily and medicated bath 3 times a week..... She is doing MUCH better hopefully her hair grows back quickly cause she looks like a mutt lol but she is eating, playing back like her old self...

Ketoconazole is typically only given once a day and is an antifungal for stuff like yeast infections... Glad to see she has stopped the paw licking (which can very commonly be from a yeast infection between her toes). Sorry to hear though that the clinic may have used unsterile equipment that is causing your problems!! That would greatly concern me :(

[Jannie]

Ketoconazole is typically only given once a day and is an antifungal for stuff like yeast infections... Glad to see she has stopped the paw licking (which can very commonly be from a yeast infection between her toes). Sorry to hear though that the clinic may have used unsterile equipment that is causing your problems!! That would greatly concern me :(

talked to the vet and HE says it wasn't his clinic that caused it...that Annie must have had a low immune system and it had to be my fault that maybe some germs she may have got in the wound when she came home...All I know is when I took Annie she never had ANY issues she was a perfectly healthy happy puppy and afterwards she started having all these problems....needless to say THEY will never get another dime of mine. And I won't be recommending their facility to any of the local people around here.

[Karen]

How is she doing now? Hope she's improving every day and back to her cheery self soon!

And I agree, I would never go back to that vet, as you learned from all our posts, this is NOT a normal reaction to a dog getting spayed!

[Jannie]

How is she doing now? Hope she's improving every day and back to her cheery self soon!

And I agree, I would never go back to that vet, as you learned from all our posts, this is NOT a normal reaction to a dog getting spayed!

I have had several other dogs spayed and NEVER experienced anything like this.....I still get mad when I look at her as she still has spots :) the hair is growing back in but slowly....but her ears are nice and soft again and she looks better gradually every day...she still has another week to go on her medication (http://how2beabetterwife.wordpress.com) slowely but surely she is recovering....at least she is back to herself :) with her begging for scraps and folling us around with her toys :) she wants to play again non-stop lol