I mentioned this on my training thread....I cancelled going to my gundog class on Sunday because Charlie was limping on his left front leg (I now know it's his left, at the time it was a bit hard to tell). There is a tiny cut on his right paw pad, really tiny - it could have been that...but off to the vet today..... Charlie's elbows are not quite normal. So he has elbow dysplasia, because 'not normal' is what dysplasia means. At a year old, his elbows would have been rated zero, which is slightly scary, in terms of health tests....but over time, there has been some changes. This may be because of the long term shift of weight, and a gait change, due to the cruciate injuries, or it may have developed anyway, we don't know. His elbows have been x-rayed (actually, several times because they have been done when he has had x-rays for his cruciate ops) and we have done a CT scan - we know there are some very minor changes, but no sign of arthritic changes. At that time, anyway. So, by the time I got to the vet today, Charlie had warmed up a bit with the walk, was a bit excited, and the vet couldn't really see anything more than Charlie was a bit 'uneven' on his front legs. ie a less than perfect gait. Which you'll see in loads of Labradors anyway. But on examination, his left elbow is sore, with a bit less muscle mass on his left than his right. Anyway, I'm to try to get a video of Charlie walking tomorrow, first thing, before he warms up, and the vet will take a look at it. He doesn't want to put Charlie on any pain killers, thought a trial of Cartrophen would be OTT, but said to cut back on his exercise for a week, and of course Greyfriars will take a look at his hydro, see what they can do. My vet said there is absolutely no way that surgery would be appropriate for Charlie - which I am immensely grateful for, I just couldn't face it. But we reviewed his routine, which is power walking on pavement with the dog walker for 1 hour, off lead but quite under control with me for one hour, and once a week free running/playing with other dogs in a dog walking pack. The vet wants the free running with other dogs removed, and is very firm about it. So that has to go....and no marked retrieves (which I already knew, but Charlie has had some recently as reinforcement for steadiness). So, goodish news, I suppose. Although disappointing that he is limping, the vet said he'll likely be fine in a week....I have some NSAIDs which the vet said not to give Charlie until I can produce a video of him actually limping.
Erk, how frustrating. I'd not caught up on your training log yet, so hadn't seen you've been having problems again. Fingers crossed it's all sorted in a week.
That sucks, but good news that it seems well within the manageable range Personally I don't think that cartrophen/Pentosan is OTT.... By the time bone changes appear on X-ray the cartilage is already damaged and the joint is trying unsuccessfully to repair itself. I know you know that. Just speaking as someone who has seen benefits for dog and horse.
Thought this was heading to a more surgery needed post. So pleased it's not, but so sorry you are having yet more worries with your boy. xx
Yes....your experience is why I keep asking about it. My vet is just a bit "meh" about it, though. Plus says it's not side effect free. He did say he'd speak about it again when I send the video in - he wasn't against it, exactly, but said until he actually sees Charlie limp, he isn't prepared to prescribe anything....
Oh no Julie, how gutting. Glad you won't have to go through the whole surgery thing again, but you must be bitterly disappointed for Charlie.
It's not new news, I've long known this was the case - its just he has never limped on his forelegs before although having had it pointed out, I can now see he is a bit uneven even in normal times. Cambridge vet school first detected the issue - the changes can only be seen on a CT scan, but no-one else - myself, my vet, my physio - had noticed anything amiss. To be honest, it well may be the case that Charlie's elbows aren't actually much worse than lots of Labradors, and it's just that because we have x-ray and CT scans of absolutely everything (including his toes ), we know exactly what is happening when he limps. Other owners might not, and put a limp down to 'just one of those things'.... Just have to wait and see how it goes - I just hope he reverts back to how he was after some rest...fingers crossed.
So sorry to read about Charlie's lameness, it could be something simple, like a pulled muscle. A Lab I walk with has suddenly gone lame on her left foreleg, she is now 5 so don't think it would be an elbow problem for her, so lets cross fingers for Charlie. I don't like walking dogs on hard pavements, I think it jars their joints, but then lots of show people do to get the dog in condition. He doesn't need a hooly with other dogs really! So a one hour + walk a day on soft ground and free running is what I do, though mine does get some training during this, mainly memory retrieves or directs and very occasionally the stop whistle.
I spoke to my vet about the 1 hour walking on pavements - he was pretty relaxed about it, and didn't see that it should cause any problems at all, and indeed soft ground (sand etc) is much worse for joints. That said, I will ask the dog walker to split the time and do half on grass if possible, just in case.... No, he doesn't need to go out with other dogs. He does this because he was a little lacking in confidence at one point, and walking in a group of dogs helped. But I really think he is over that now, so I have cancelled these walks.
So sorry to hear that Charlie's elbow is causing problems - I know how worrying it is when a limp occurs. It sounds as if he is a long way from needing surgery. I have to manage Juno's elbow through exercise, feeding etc as she has a malformed joint which only showed on MRI. My vet in France (fingers crossed we don't need to see the vet here for a long time) was rather anti the use of NSAIDs with Juno unless she was obviously in a lot of discomfort and then only for a day or two. As my orthopaedic surgeon said that basically Juno is in discomfort everyday with her elbow, he describes it as wearing a pair lf shoes a size too small all the time, I can understand the vets view. Fingers crossed that the limp passes with no lasting effect.
No, there is no prospect of surgery - not based on what we know at the moment, anyway. My vet said it's just not the same as dogs that show signs of ED early in life, and surgery is essential. In Charlie's case, the chances of surgery actually making any difference at all is about zero - surgical intervention is just not going to leave the elbow joint any better than it is now. I hope the limp just passes, and if I didn't know as much as I know about his joints, it will just be like he had a limp for a few days. I hope, anyway. Hope, hope....
Elbows are such a **** nuisance and so complex when there is a problem. Fingers, and paws, well and truly crossed that Charlie is fine in a day or so. Even now I go into neurotic mode about once a week if I think Juno is favouring her right foreleg and then 2 paces later all is back to normal. I swear these dogs will make us old before our time with the worry - thank heavens for colourant
Just spent the best part of an hour trying to video the limp to send to the vet...nope, we could not get it on video. My dog walker agrees though, she saw it a couple of times too. He is also a little lacking in his usual enthusiasm - he is a bit 'flat' and has his head held lower than normal. Oh well, I'll try again tomorrow. I suppose if he isn't doing it for long enough for us to get a dratted video....maybe it's not as bad as I thought....
None of us are symmetrical or perfectly balanced.... I put more weight on my right foot and swing my left hip further forward when I walk. Not noticeable to anyone else but I know I do it. Most people do something similar but aren't aware of it (but the wear pattern on their shoes might tell the story). Animals are the same. So it could just be the way he's developed his walk... My slight unevenness stems from a broken ankle 20 yrs ago and isn't because of any actual problem, it's just a learned gait. Which I'm trying to unlearn! Charlie might be in the same kind of boat.
Yes, I have been thinking similar today, to be honest. Although his elbow was sensitive for the vet to examine (nothing that he couldn't be distracted from with a slice of roast duck but still, he was turning his head to mouth the vet's arm). My vet is clearly refusing to treat a problem he can't see....(anyone would think I'm 'one of those owners' or something.... ). We'll keep him on lead and just a bit of controlled off lead, for at least a week - he hasn't nagged for his walks today, he has been unusually sleepy - and try to video the dratted intermittent limp tomorrow. If we can't, then there isn't much more to do right now.
I'm not sure, but moviemaker can slow it down, I think...I'll have a look at what I have in slow mo (if I can do it). Good thought, many thanks!
