front leg lameness

[samcollett]

I've been searching and reading and searching and reading and I still don't feel any more at ease. About a month or so ago, my golden came up limping a little bit when coming back with marks. Sometimes it was so minute that nobody noticed it but me. Other times, especially after a harder workout, it was worse and pretty visible. After 2-3 weeks of this I decided to bring her to the vet and see what was up. First thing the vet says is that it looks like elbow dysplasia is a possibility. That was pretty crushing. So, I brought her back a couple days later and had some x-rays done. They sent them to LSU's vet school radiologist and she got right back with them and told my doc that the elbows were fine and all clear. She's only 45lbs too, so she's not overweight at all or anything like that. He sent me home with rymadil and told me to rest her well for a couple weeks and start easing her back into training, and that it was probably just a soft tissue injury. So she's been resting well for two weeks now, and yesterday I brought her on about a half-mile leashed walk (per his suggestion). The limp is still clearly visible to me. It's not apparent when she's just walking around the house, but after any sort of exercise it shows up. I also can't even really pinpoint which leg it is. I think it's the front right, but other times I think otherwise. This has got me thinking that it's just pano. Also, I feel like she's too young to have any other bone issues, and I think that if it were a ligament or tendon issue, then the limp would be apparent almost all the time. Am I wrong about that? I'm bringing her back in the AM to get her tested for lyme and I'm not taking her home until I figure out what's wrong with her.

My issue is that wouldn't the radiologist have noticed pano when I had her elbows checked out? Same goes for any ligament damage? I'm very obviously not a vet, nor do I have any scientific background, so I know nothing when it comes to stuff like this. Regardless of all that, I'm worried about my dog. Any help would be appreciated.

[JusticeDog]

You didn't say how old she was... so not sure pano is an option. You see pano in young and growing dogs. They should have seen something on x-ray. You can't see ligaments on x-rays, but can sometimes see inflammation around them. And ligament and tendon issues can wax and wane. Since there are other tick borne diseases other than lymes, a 10 day trial of doxycyline can help. It's a pretty safe antibiotic. If you see an immediate change, you can pretty much determine it was TBD. After that, I would take her back to LSU for a full ortho exam. See if someone there is big into shoulders. Sometimes ligament injuries need to be rested for more than 2 weeks. I had one that I rested for 6-8 weeks.

Good luck with your girl.

[samcollett]

Sorry about that. She's 8 months. Thanks for the advice. My vet right now is Highland Road Animal Hospital in Baton Rouge, if any of yall are from around here and know anything about them. They've seemed great to me thus far. They just refer the x-rays to LSU because the radiologist over there is supposedly the best in the state or something.

[KNorman]

I would tend to think pano also. You might want to consider a lower protein/fat food.

Lyme and other TBD's are pretty rare down here but certainly if it makes you feel better, run a panel, especially if you've been training north of town in the tickler areas. As Susan suggested, maybe a round of doxy wouldn't hurt.

I used to live around the corner from Highland Road AH. Capable vets, but expensive.

I use Azalea Lakes out on Jefferson Hwy. Susie Boucher is a great vet and is knowledgable about field dogs. What I really like about her is she does a lot of research when she isn't familiar with something or a new test comes out. For example, when we had a litter swabbed for CNM tests, she wanted to know where she could get more information. Same with EIC tests. Next time we talked, she was spot on. She also will make house calls if need be and will call you back after hours.

As far as LSU, yes, the vets there are great. But, be aware their prices are in-line with a regular clinic and they LOVE to run tests as a teaching hospital. So, your bill can add up. Still, they can give you answers when no one else can.

BTW, were you the guy training that Golden out at Burbank the other day?

[Jennifer Henion]

Not a vet. But... have had a few labs that come to my dog daycare facility twice a week or so the past few years who have presented with front leg lameness at 7 - 11 months old. Each time it was not from an injury, the lameness would come and go, each dog got multiple x-rays at their vet and each time the vet told owner it was just adolescent puppy lameness that could go on for 2 months give or take. Each time I was suspicious it was injury or other problem and watched with a lot of caution. Each time, the dog recovered after about 1.5 to 2 months. I have watched 4 labs go through this in the last 4 years. All of them between 7 and 11 months old.

Never have seen this in a Golden, but I don't get a lot of goldens at my daycare. Not saying this is what's happening with your dog, but just sharing my own experiences. Good luck!

Jennifer

[gmhr1]

Not a vet either but mine had off and on lameness for a year finally got worse did arthoscopic sugery found out he had a torn biceps.

[zoomngoldens]

I would think shoulder OCD would be one of the things to consider.

[JimmyD]

Sounds like pano.

[samcollett]

Thanks for all the input. I dropped her off at the vet this morning and am going to get her tested for TBD and see if they can refer me to an ortho specialist if need be. When they referred my x-rays over the LSU the first time, they got back with them in an hour and just said the elbows clear, so I don't know if they didn't look for anything else. I don't even know how obvious stuff like pano is in x-rays. I know nothing about animal medicine hah.

[Pals]

Pano shows up on xrays.