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Limping Butt and X rays ?'s
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Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« on: May 28, 2007, 03:10:12 AM »
Butt has been limping about a month.It is his front shoulders that seem to be bothering him,mostly the right,but on occasion the left too.I took him to the Vets about 2 weeks ago because of the limping and some bumps I was concerned with.The bumps on his legs the Vet said are the start of calloues(sp)and the one on his back is a zit.For his limping he gave me Rimadyl to give him twice a day for 3 weeks,to see if that helped.Well it didn't so now the next step is to take him back for xrays.The Vet said they would sedate him for the xrays 
Is this common practice or is it because at the Vets he is not a sweet cuddly Saint and has to be muzzled?? And any thoughts on what could be causing the limping?? I don't think it causes him any pain because it doesn't slow him down when him and Tub are raising cain.Thanks in advance,sorry so long.
Is this common practice or is it because at the Vets he is not a sweet cuddly Saint and has to be muzzled?? And any thoughts on what could be causing the limping?? I don't think it causes him any pain because it doesn't slow him down when him and Tub are raising cain.Thanks in advance,sorry so long.Reply | Logged
Awwww poor Butt. Any time our dogs have had xrays they have been sedated. Tina is right--they need to be as still as possible for the xrays. Even the slightest movement while taking the xray can make it unreadable.
If you are taking him home right after you may want to have a blanket under him for sure. Our last rotti was sedated for an xray and we left shortly after once the vet said she was coming out ok. Well because she was sooooo relaxed from being sedated she pooped in the truck not once but twice. Make sure you have paper towels and clean up gear
I hope it is nothing serious for Butt. Sending positive thoughts though.
If you are taking him home right after you may want to have a blanket under him for sure. Our last rotti was sedated for an xray and we left shortly after once the vet said she was coming out ok. Well because she was sooooo relaxed from being sedated she pooped in the truck not once but twice. Make sure you have paper towels and clean up gear
I hope it is nothing serious for Butt. Sending positive thoughts though.
Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2007, 04:02:50 AM »
Yes, it's common to sedate for xrays. I've spent over $1000 in xrays (which amounts to a heck of a lot of xrays) and Corben was never sedated for any of them. I always requested it be a last resort if he was uncooperative. My dog doesn't stress when at the vets and he knows his commands, like down and stay. Depends on the personality of the dog.
Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2007, 04:22:41 AM »
I'm sorry that Butt is limping, poor guy. We've had some experience with leg x-rays here and some were done under anesthesia, other's were done while our girl was wide awake. I'm not a fan of putting dogs under anesthetic without a good reason, but we had a lot of trouble getting clear x-rays with her awake. If they are awake, they have to be very firmly restrained and that really frightened her, so she'd wiggle and the x-ray would be blurry. Also, if there really is a problem with a bone or joint and the dog had to be restrained, in our case, it definately seemed like our dog limped more after the unsedated x-ray than when she was asleep for it. Probably due to the additional force needed to restrain her when she wiggled. I know that there are some vet techs on BPO, so I'm sure that they can give you more info, yet. Please let us know what Butt's x-rays show and give him a big hug for me. 
And my pups:
Daisy a 9 y/o Golden/Lab mix
Sammy a 6-7(?) y/o Great Pyrenees adopted 3/07
Cassie a 3 y/o Pyr/Mystery Snuggle Bunny mix adopted 2/07
My angel girls waiting at the Bridge:
Cara 1989-2001 Great Pyrenees
Sally ? - 1993 Dobie(rescued '92)
Halley 2002-2006 Great Pyrenees
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2007, 04:39:16 AM »
awww i hope that Butt is okay!! 
The vet has to put the dogs under to get a good xray, or at least that's what our vet told us when fumble was put under for his. It helps them extend the big guys and get a really good look!! How is butt doing on the rimadyl? Fumble got kinda sick from it, and there is a milder version of an anti inflammatory. I hope that butt gets betteR!
The vet has to put the dogs under to get a good xray, or at least that's what our vet told us when fumble was put under for his. It helps them extend the big guys and get a really good look!! How is butt doing on the rimadyl? Fumble got kinda sick from it, and there is a milder version of an anti inflammatory. I hope that butt gets betteR! "I slip the hater of what i've become. they slip the halter of what they've been, and we live together, passionately, changed"
-Both from "in the company of newfies"
WE REPRESENT THE LOLLIPOP GUILD!!!
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2007, 08:07:18 AM »
Thanks all.I feel better now,I have to call tomorrow am and make his appt,I will keep you all posted.
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2007, 11:26:24 AM »
There are so many things it could be that only good diagnostics can help you - if it is truly the shoulder than it could be Osteochondriti s Dissecans (OCD) which is very common in your breed. It could also be soft tissue and wont show on x-ray if this is the case.
Elbow dysplasia - both Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP) and Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP) are very common in Saints so the elbow is a strong candidate as well.
Have you done OFA certifications on him yet? The x-rays your vet takes could be submitted to the OFA if he takes proper films of the elbows. He can submit digital x-rays as well.
I hope it is soft tissue
with Gracie and Skylar
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2007, 12:02:52 PM »
There are so many things it could be that only good diagnostics can help you - if it is truly the shoulder than it could be Osteochondriti s Dissecans (OCD) which is very common in your breed. It could also be soft tissue and wont show on x-ray if this is the case.
Elbow dysplasia - both Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP) and Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP) are very common in Saints so the elbow is a strong candidate as well.
Have you done OFA certifications on him yet? The x-rays your vet takes could be submitted to the OFA if he takes proper films of the elbows. He can submit digital x-rays as well.
I hope it is soft tissue
If the soft issue won't show on xrays how will they diagnose that??No I haven't done OFA certifications on him yet,honestly I don't know what they are?? His appt is on Monday at 10:45,so I'm keeping all my fingers crossed until then.
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when will you know what the vet finds out? sedating them for exrays is best. and as far as pain, he won't do anything that hurts him too badly. he'll be fine.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2007, 12:23:46 PM »
when will you know what the vet finds out? sedating them for exrays is best. and as far as pain, he won't do anything that hurts him too badly. he'll be fine.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
His appt is for Monday at 10:45,so I'm really hoping to have some answers before I bring him back home.No matter how long I have to wait :)I already have a sitter lined up for Tub and the birds ,so I can wait all day!!!The wait until Monday though is going to feel like 6 mths.
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when will you know what the vet finds out? sedating them for exrays is best. and as far as pain, he won't do anything that hurts him too badly. he'll be fine.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
i'm not up on front leg problems...but i'm sure the vet will do whatever he needs to do to help your baby.
His appt is for Monday at 10:45,so I'm really hoping to have some answers before I bring him back home.No matter how long I have to wait :)I already have a sitter lined up for Tub and the birds ,so I can wait all day!!!The wait until Monday though is going to feel like 6 mths.
Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2007, 08:58:07 PM »
If the soft issue won't show on xrays how will they diagnose that??No I haven't done OFA certifications on him yet,honestly I don't know what they are?? His appt is on Monday at 10:45,so I'm keeping all my fingers crossed until then.
Often vets use x-rays to diagnose a soft tissue injury by ruling out any problems the x-rays do not show. Lucci has been x-rayed head to toe more then once while trying to figure out her on and off front end limp that started years ago.
Do yourself and Butt a favor and make the vet do both ends of the dog while under. This will stop him from having to re-sedate should something pop up in the rear anytime soon and sometimes the "real problem" is not where the limping is. With dogs carrying their weight 60/40 a problem in the rear can quickly cause a problem in the front...not saying that is the issue here just pointing that out.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2007, 09:08:54 PM by VdogLover »
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2007, 12:30:14 PM »
Often vets use x-rays to diagnose a soft tissue injury by ruling out any problems the x-rays do not show. Lucci has been x-rayed head to toe more then once while trying to figure out her on and off front end limp that started years ago.
Do yourself and Butt a favor and make the vet do both ends of the dog while under. This will stop him from having to re-sedate should something pop up in the rear anytime soon and sometimes the "real problem" is not where the limping is. With dogs carrying their weight 60/40 a problem in the rear can quickly cause a problem in the front...not saying that is the issue here just pointing that out.
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Great point. Ask for "OFA qualified" films while he is sedated and do both hips and elbows - the vet may also want to look at the shoulder. Go to www.offa.org to learn about what they require and the application - this is a critical minimum health certification for every large breed and I would hope your pup's parents would have had them. If not, then you do not know what orthopedic problems may be passed on to your pup, and the sooner you x-ray and get an OFA opinion the better to know what your options will be.
How old is your pup? Elbow dysplasia can show up at literally any age depending on severity. Many dogs do not show symptoms until later in life despite living their entire lives with it.
Also neck, skull and back problems can also manifest as a leg issue - often even in the rear so it is hard to say where the originating problem lies. I had a dog who ran into a rod iron fence, getting her head stuck between the bars. She later started showing a compromised gait that looked like the problem was in a rear leg/hip. Her hips turned out good, and ultimately specialists found the original "alignment" issue in her cheek/side skull - fixed that through therapy, then her neck, then her shoulder, and on down her body. Everything flows from the front to the rear so everything was compensating and it showed only in the very rear in this case. Just an example.
Good luck!
with Gracie and Skylar
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2007, 01:10:17 PM »
Thank you so much for all the info.Butt is a little over 4 yrs.(I think) We got him a little over a yr ago from his 3rd home and she said he was about 3 then.She didnt really have much info to offer,you could tell by his ratty apperance he wasn't near top on her lists of cares.I guess now I just keep waiting until Monday and go from there.Thanks again.
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Re: Limping Butt and X rays ?'s-Update« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2007, 03:42:56 AM »
Well my big guy is back home!!!! But I don't know anything more then when I took him.They did the rays and the Vet sid he didn't see anything that stuck right out at him,but he will send them off to a radioligist to look at an see what they say.He did say he didn't feel like it was bone cancer or tumors.It is good news he doesn't feel like it is anything very serious,but it still doesn't asnwer the question as to why.Right now the big fella is crashed at my feet and I would say he doesn't plan on moving anytime soon.So I guess now we just wait and see.
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