Bella's limp

hammie · #1 06-10-10, 06:09 PM

To day over the park on our walk i noticed that Bella was limping on her back left leg. Over the course of our walk Bella's back end went on several occasions her left leg went and then her right. She does not seem in any pain but over the last week she has refussed to eat her food and has lost a lot of weight. I have tried tempting her with different foods but she just turns her nose up at it.
Has anyone else had any of these problems if so how did they get over them. Its the not eating that is worrying and now her legs keep giving way as well. I was wondering if not eating and her legs giving way are connected.
Any thoughts anyone

kita · #2 06-10-10, 07:41 PM

How old is she?

What does the vet say?

Sue

LOVEGSD · #3 07-10-10, 11:13 AM

Sorry to hear this, has she been seen by a vet?
x

super D · #4 07-10-10, 11:34 AM

I would take her to the vets, as a precaution, and good luck, I hope she eats soon xx

Kissy1921 · #5 07-10-10, 12:58 PM

Vets missus, could be a number of things, but best to get her looked at, she may not be eating for a reason?

Please let us know the outcome?

hammie · #6 07-10-10, 05:11 PM

Hi all, have now taken Bella to the vets. Seems all her joints are inflamed and she has a very high tempeture. Vets have given her a pain killer injection but she seems to think the tempeture is due to the pain in her joints. Vet says it could be a condition that is caused when dogs grow too quick, but normally it affects males. I did say that Bella seemed to grow very quick so fingers crossed this is the problem. Vet said that if it is they normally grow out of it by 18mths. I have to take her back to vets tomorrow to see if her tempeture has gone down and if it has they will prescribe some medicine called Metacam.I will keep you all informed. But as the vets said we don't know Bella's background as i found her when she was about 6-8 weeks old on a common near us.
Oh and she has just eaten her tea but had to lay down to do so poor thing

wildmoor · #7 07-10-10, 09:11 PM

The lack of appetite will be to do with the pain and this will resolve itself soon aslong as you dont make an issue of it.
GSDs are not like a lot of breeds they rarely show pain: I have had a dog do a track in the morn and be pts later the same morning with an internal haemorrhage, another dog standing and weight bearing the same has being operated on his leg, a dog walking normaly even though he had severed a tendon and main vein that runs by the pastern, loads of other examples they dont cry out or show normal symptoms of pain but appetite loss is normaly present.

mackico · #8 08-10-10, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildmoor

The lack of appetite will be to do with the pain and this will resolve itself soon aslong as you dont make an issue of it.
GSDs are not like a lot of breeds they rarely show pain: I have had a dog do a track in the morn and be pts later the same morning with an internal haemorrhage, another dog standing and weight bearing the same has being operated on his leg, a dog walking normaly even though he had severed a tendon and main vein that runs by the pastern, loads of other examples they dont cry out or show normal symptoms of pain but appetite loss is normaly present.

I agree with this -- Archie has severe arthritis in both elbows, but there is/was never any evidence of pain. The local vet has seen him walking plenty of times and there was not one movement that sent up red flags in her mind. It was only when we went to see a joint specialist for his bursitis that muscle wasting was noted in his forelegs and there was stiffness at the very outward ranges of his foreleg motion so we had his elbows X-rayed. He has always been a fussy eater, and would sometimes only eat every other day. He initially limped on his first bursitis leg, but stopped pretty quickly, even though it was hot and swollen for weeks and weeks. When he got his second bursitis, in the same place, other leg he just walked normally, but by then all four of his legs were lame and sore. You wouldn't have known it without looking at his big, swollen hocks though, and he still ran and hooned if I let him. Shepherds' pain tolerance is utterly amazing.

That said, Archie does yelp if I stand on his toes, but even then he recovers very quickly.

Hope everything turns out okay with Bella. I'm sorry to hear she's feeling sore.

Tony Hall · #9 08-10-10, 07:31 AM

Hoping that Bella feel better soon.

Tony.

hammie · #10 09-10-10, 05:33 PM

Well Bella is feeling a lot better after the vet saw her. She now has the medication called Metacam which she has every night. Vet says she will grow out of the conditon by the time she is abot 15-18 mths so that is good news. I know she is so much better as she pulled me all the way to the door of the vets. She is still being fussey with her food and wants me to feed her from the spoon to begin with which is fine and then she will eat from her bowel. But i am worried that this will become a habit which she will expect every feed time.