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Occasional lameness/limp


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I have an 18 month old border collie. He's not a working dog and doesn't do agility.

A few weeks ago he started with occasional lameness in his back right leg. He walked fine on a lead, he limped occasionally on a slow trot but was fine on a fast trot and full speed run.

He never showed any signs of pain and I don't know how it occurred.

A trip to the vet resulted in rest and anti inflammatories.

He showed no signs of improvement so he went back and had X rays which ruled out hip dysplasia and knee issues.

More rest and anti inflammatories and he's still limping and has started limping on his other leg as well.

He's full of life and is dying to get back out and running about.

The vet said initially that

it was probably his ilopsaos muscle but I'm wondering why he's started limping on his other leg? 

Anyone got any ideas or had similar issues??

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You might ask your vet if it might just be pano, although I’ve only known that to occur in German Shepherds. It can supposedly occur in any breed.

That would not be bad news since it is self-limiting.

Here’s some info. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/panosteitis-in-dogs

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If there's an orthopedic vet available, I'd recommend taking him to that vet. I had to do that w/Gibbs. Vet found subtle signs of anterior cruciate ligament damage in both knees. 

Good luck and let us know what you find out. You can do some trick training to keep his mind occupied and off his problems. That's what I'm doing w/Gibbs, who is on restricted activity.

Ruth & Gibbs

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It could be that your dog has been affected by a tick borne disease (TBD), as several of the TBDs can cause intermittent migrating lameness.  If you live in an area where TBDs are common, and the veterinarians are not finding the source of the lameness, a course of antibiotics may be a good idea. 

nancy

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Lupus is something worth exploring with your vet, as it can also cause lameness.

I would follow Nancy’s excellent recommendation to look into TBDs as well. I’d at the very least start with a SNAP test for Heartworm/Lyme/Ehrlichia. I had a dog SNAP-test positive for Lyme who never had any symptoms. So, I went with a Quant C6 test to check levels, as Lyme can do damage to the kidneys [ETA: If left untreated].

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I agree with all the people suggesting a Lyme test.  By the time symptoms show it can be advanced.  I had a senior rescue that I noticed right away didn’t move right.  Her inital tests showed an exposure to lymes, so I had a C6 test done. They treat for lymes if the C6 is over 30, her C6 was 594.  Took two rounds of antibiotics to get it under control.. Good luck!  There's nothing worse than seeing your pets in pain.

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Yes, I did have a dog with systemic lupus once, and the first symptom was that one day we were out on our usual walk, and he suddenly stumbled and almost fell, and then limped a bit. Then he was fine at a faster trot and at a canter/gallop, so I figured he had just stepped in a hole and momentarily tweeked something.  A few hundred yards later, same thing.   Next day, same thing. Day three he seemed to not be feeling well in general, so I finally thought to take his temperature and it was above 104 F.  It took a few days of first antibiotics (did nothing) and then prednisone to get his temp below 104, and the response to prednisone was what clued my vet in to do an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test for lupus.   There is no one specific definitive test for lupus (at least there wasn't 20 years ago when I had this dog), but the positive ANA test along with other symptoms (recurring lameness, scabby areas on the face, hot spots, recurring fever) made lupus the likely culprit.   That dog lived a pretty good quality life for about 6 years on a low daily dose of pred, but it definitely affected his vigor and resilience. 

By all means have your vet check for TBD, because the symptoms can be similar.  But as I recall,  the ANA test was not outrageously expensive, so if you have to have blood drawn for the TBD test, you might as well test for ANA or whatever newer tests for lupus may be available now. 

Best wishes, and if it does turn out to be lupus, feel free to PM me if you want more information on my experience.

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Typically seen in small dogs but could a luxating patella be a possibility?  

I see this post was from about a week ago.  Any update from the vet or orthopedic vet?

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