RedtailJ

Jenna is my 5 year old red merle BC and over the last year or so we have been dealing with occasional bouts of limping and lameness. Currently she seems to have developed a sore right paw that she puts down gingerly and at times has a slight limp. She will also sit or stand with that paw externally rotated and resting lightly on the ground. This developed over the weekend and does not show any signs externally as I have looked at all parts of her paw... pads, nails, individual toes and all looks fine. She favors the paw at times and at other times runs and plays normally... it does not seem that it has caused a significant change in her behavior. In the past she had some limping bouts involving her hind legs, that seem to resolve over time and with limited activity. In the earlier circumstances I did have her checked out at the vet and she has been through several courses of anti-inflammatory treatment. This seems to help the limping subside and it is unclear what might bring it back on. If anyone has experienced a similar situation or has advice it would greatly be appreciated. I have a great relationship with my vet and have had Jenna tested for Lyme (negative) and assessed for ACL issues. This issue with the front paw has me completely befuddled???

Hi, Thanks so much for the link to that great article Donna. I wanted to give an update on what's happening with my girl, Jenna. I have been doing my best to restrict her activity (so hard and confusing for her) and did take her to see the vet early this week. My experience as a human physiologist really had me leaning towards muscular injury and even iliopsoas or groin type soft tissue injury but I didn't want to take any chances with a cruciate problem and have it get worse. So, the good news is that my vet did not find any definitive signs of cruciate rupture (drawer test was negative) although she didn't feel that we can completely rule out a partial tear. She seemed to think that soft tissue injury was more likely and of course, more difficult to pinpoint. I mentioned that I was thinking psoas muscle or even IT band type issue and she was willing to agree that it seemed possible. We decided on (the dreaded) severely limited activity and NSAID- Metecam_ for 2 weeks and see how that goes. After 3 days of the meds and limiting her she does seem to be improving. The intermittent lameness is still around but seems less severe and some of the behaviors that I would have attributed to her being uncomfortable or painful have improved. So, it seems that this is a good strategy at this point.... I have wondered if the combination of hardwood floors and a best friend/playmate that is a mini dachshund have contributed to a lot of wear and tear on her hips and lumbar muscles. Jenna is also a frisbee and agility addict and I hope that this doesn't become an ongoing problem of muscle/joint inflammation. I am beginning to research different exercises/therapy that may be advantageous for her. Thanks again for the input, Angel

Jenna, my 4 year old female border collie has been showing intermittent signs of lameness on her right hind limb over the last few weeks . It seems to bother her when she gets up from rest/sleep. It seems to subside when she stretches and moves around after waking. She seems to work through it and then shows no signs of pain and only occasional hopping or holding up of the leg with walking/running/play. She does not really respond painfully to ROM or palpation of the limb but moves slowly and seems to gradually ease into using it normally. She most often pulls the leg up towards her belly and temporarily and hops on 3 legs before using it gingerly and then resuming a normal gait. There has been a substantial amount of ice in our area and although we are very careful its possible that she may have slipped. I do not recall an instance of acute trauma or injury but lots of time on very slippery surfaces. Any ideas where the problem may be coming from or similar experiences? Otherwise her attitude and energy seem to be very normal-- for a Border Collie trapped inside for weeks and weeks! Thanks all- Angel and Jenna