Dog with osteoarthritis
I have a question pertaining to our 7 y.o. Male Springer. Over the last two weeks Buster D has been crying in pain related to movement. Up until now he has had no illness/injury and in fine condition. The pain is most noticeable upon attempting to get up from sleep or after resting. The pain seems to be located at the scapular and hip joints causing decreased ROM and sedentary behavior. I'm suspecting Osteoarthritis as the onset came with sudden change in weather. Here in Central California the fall season never truly came about. One day it's 95 degrees and now 50 degrees. The dampness and rain has also hit the area. Buster was taken to a local Emergency Vet on Sunday with condition worsening. As with children, once in the office signs and symptoms resolved. Physical exam showed neg findings however Rx Rimadyl with follow up asap to primary Vet. I'm told that radiographic studies would confirm the existence of bone spurs within the joints. Do you think this is the problem or could there be a virus, bacteria, or parasitic infestation that attacks the joints? Buster loves to ingest cat feces whenever possible and he may have possibly picked up something through that. If it is indeed Osteoarthritis, is prednisone along with OTC ANSAIDS a good treatment plan? |
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Dog with problems walking
When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?
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