Hi Milo had bilateral elbow displasia. He had them operated on in January.Its been a really long road. The elbows have healed well but the right leg (i think its called the ulna) is still a little swollen and he has a slight limp.The orthopedic vet eventually when all else failed prescribed him steroid tablets. Well these worked amazingly well. But a week ago he had dioreah all through the night. The following morning he couldn't walk on his back legs. I took him to my vet and he couldn't find anything wrong with his legs and gave me some gastro food. After a few days is stools were fine so i started to introduce his normal food but again he ended up with the runs and couldn't walk. Although this time it was only loose when he went to the toilet not constant. I have been told he has slight hip dislasia. I'm so worried. The orthopedic vet thinks he may have an ulcer and has told me to take him and have blood tests. But im not sure. Has any one else had similar problems. Sorry for the long drawn out message.
You poor thing, that must all be very stressful. I wonder if it is just something in that food that is causing him to have runny poops. Dogs can be allergic to specific protein sources (eg beef or chicken). I'd talk to your vet about trying to identify whether it's a component of the food itself that is causing this problem.
I agree with Rachael. Try putting him back on the gastro food. My old lab had colitis for most of his life. When he was about 11 it started getting much more frequent and stress related so the vet put him on royal canin sensitivity control food and probiotics. He never had an upset tummy again !!! You can buy royal canin on line cheaper than from the vet and it can be fed continuously although it isn't cheap. I can't help with the legs problem but maybe because his back legs have been doing more work because of his front legs being so bad that having to squat so much just took it out of them. Back legs aren't designed to carry weight they are for propulsion so hopefully as his front legs strengthen his back legs will get back to normal. Just a guess though. http://www.vetuk.co.uk/royal-canin-...nin-sensitivity-control-canine-dry-sc21-p-198
Cant add to the good advice already given , but just wanted to send my sincere sympathies , what an awful worry for you , so sorry
Oh that is such a worry for you. Do hope you manage to get his poor tummy sorted. I think I'd go back on the gastro food too.
Thank you everyone. I do really do appreciate your help. Ive spoken to my vets and Im taking him this afternoon for a good check uo with his legs and tummy.
Having diarrhoea and back leg issues at the same time, suddenly, is peculiar. Days long diarrhoea might leave him too weak to want to walk but it would not affect just his back legs. I see you are going to the Vet and to address the diarrhoea perhaps the Vet will do some blood work, just to make sure there isn't some underlying medical concern. I do wonder if it's the bag of food. Is it a new bag? The bag itself might be off or the company might have put in a new ingredient and not said so on the bag, unfortunately that does happen. Maybe you could check lot numbers on line to see if there is recall?
Hope all goes well with the vet visit this afternoon. Best to get things checked out fully so you have some peace of mind.
So sorry to hear. Hope you find the cause and that you find a happy solution. Snowie just had two days of gastro -- first day vomiting all day and night, second day "squirt bum" (the noises he made, it was very funny, poor boy!). Thankfully all seems fine today. My concern was dehydration, but he would not drink plain water. So I gave him a small piece of tinned fish (his all-time favourite food) in a lot of water (the fish fell apart), and he drank up all the water. Unrelated to the gastro, some months ago Snowie also couldn't walk. We think it was related to the epilepsy meds he is on (the dose was too high) but we have also since discovered he has a bulging disc. So I can feel only too well the anxiety you must be feeling. Best of luck and I hope all turns out well for you and your boy. Please keep us posted on his progress.
I have just come back from the vet and his legs seem fine . Thats a big relief. Im to keep him on the gastro food for awhile longer. And it is most likely the medication that had upset his tummy. So fingers crossed we are on the right road.
So pleased to hear that his legs seem fine... hope the gastro food will ease the poorly tummy. Thinking of you... so worrying when they're not well, especially not walking. Hope all settles happily soon.
That's a relief. The use of steroids had passed through my brain as not all dogs tolerate them well. Fingers crossed that Milo soon picks up on the gastro food.
You and Milo have been through tough times. Keeping everything crossed that he is now on the road to recovery.
@sharon6 poor Milo, the medication can really upset their little tummies. Fingers crossed he continues to improve (both his legs and tummy ), I know how draining it can all be after they have had surgery. The orthopaedic specialist Mabel visits also recommended Royal Canin. Although I use Arden Grange Light at least I have a plan B if needed. Owning a Labrador having back up plans always tends to be useful
Happy to hear legs are ok. I have had many of our dogs simply refuse to walk, because of a @growling , noisy stomach. We usually give pepsid ac 20 min before any med. Often the vets will prescribe flagel for diarhea. Gas x also works wonders. raf
Hello everyone, Thank you all for your kind words and help Up to yesterday Milo was doing fine. We are back on his normal food Arden Grange Large puppy, all was going really well. So I told myself to stop worrying and just enjoy Milo. But today we have just come back from the vets. She thinks he has Rudder Tail. Has anyone else heard of this? He is in quite a lot of pain. She has given him a metacam injection and he has to go back on Metacam for a while.
Rudder tail is also known as frozen tail. It is quite common in labs. My girl has had it twice before. It usually happens after swimming in cold water or over exercised on particular walk or similar. Ours happened the first time from a vast drop in temperature and running around a lot that particular day. Metacam, rest and keeping warm will help. It lasted about 5 days the first time Harley had it, 3 days the second time. When swimming and after a walk o keep her dressing gown in the car to dry her / warm her up as soon as we are back at the car. Hope Milo recovers soon.
