Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject: Elbow problems.....
Jess has been to the vets today as she's been limping and basically she's got some kind of problem with her elbow
Her temperature is up slightly so the vet wasn't sure if it's been caused by an infection or just too much leaping about but she's been given injections of anti-inflamatories and a painkiller with some tablets to start from tomorrow.
We're back at the vets Thursday and if she's no better they've suggested x-rays
I wasn't sure how common elbow probs are in labs so any info greatly recieved. Also one of the drugs they've prescribed is Rimadyl which I'm sure I've heard some bad things about so if anyone knows anything about it that would be much appreciated
I wondered if she had done something like that when you posted earlier that she had gone lame - but I didn't want to be full of doom when she could easily have tweaked something.
Anyway, Bosun has elbow displasia. It took two lots of full x-rays of his front leg from elbow to foot and two lots of vets (I asked for a second opinion) to find it, but in the end he was diagnosed with fragmented median coronoid process, which is a delicate little wing to the socket part of the elbow joint, easily damaged in dogs with displasia. An operation to remove floating bone and damaged cartilage, followed by hydrotherapy have kept him sound and he is a happy chappy today.
The reason I am going into so much detail, is that I believe Bosun was misdiagnosed for at least a year, during which he was lame more often than not. I was being palmed off with pain killers and rest and no progress was ever made (hence the second opinion). I tended to keep away from the painkillers unless he was really bad, as it is only the pain that could tell him to take it easy - much harder for us to tell him!!
Have heard rumblings about Rimadyl, I'm sure someone will let you know.
Anyway, I am sure your vets will be fab and hope that it is sorted for Jess soon.
Oh dear, I'm sorry Jess isn't well, both of my dogs have had rimaydyl at some point in their life and we haven't encountered any problems.
I think elbow problems are quite common in Labs, x-rays are a good idea if she is no better, hopefully they will give a better picture of what may be wrong.
Aww so sorry jess isnt well, i have just cross posted on your other thread, I dont know anything about elbow problems and Pudsey has metacam for his hips
Healing vibes for jess(((((((((((_)))))))))))))))))
Hiya Jules.....Yes Mojo had elbow problems which came on really suddenly too.
Initially it was thought that she had just sprained the leg, as she went lame after running full pelt and her foot dropped down a hole (she went flying), but after a week of rest, it was no better so I asked for some x-rays to be done.
She was very sore and could barely put any weight on it, plus she can't have any anti-inflamms as they all don't agree with her, so I thought it was best to get this investigated asap.
The vet could see some changes in the joint (she could also see changes on the good side too ) so referred us to a specialist.
The Ortho vet decided the only way to find out what was going on was to do an Arthroscopy (go in with a tiny camera) and if necessary, remove any loose pieces of bone and cartilage while he was in there.
Thankfully, although he found that she had many tiny hairline cracks in the Coronoid Processes, they hadn't fragmented (broken off), so she was just sent home with strict cage rest instructions.
We started a course of Cartrophen at the same time (4 weekly injections, then one a month for 3 months, then one every 6 months from then on). The difference they made was extrordinary..within a day of the first injection she was weight bearing again.
Cage rest was a pain in the bum...more for me than her though funnily enough...She went from a dog which didn't stop all day, to one which happily laid in her crate all day. I missed the walkies and training far more than she did. Mojo never had any pain meds, although there was talk of morphine patches if things got really bad. It took a few weeks but she was soon sound again.
Because her lower leg bones do not evenly bear the weight (one is longer than the other on both sides), I'll always have to be careful with her....not too much ball retrieving, not too many long walks....try not to have her do handbrake turns (you try telling her that though )...Other than that she leads a normal life. She does occasionally go lame for a few days when she over does things but I just rest her up then...and her joints do have a small degree of arthritis already (she really clicks when she gets up), but we manage most of that with the Cartrophen jabs, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Tablets and a magnetic collar.
I really hope poor Jess has only sprained the joint, but if she hasn't and even if she does end up having surgery, it isn't the end of the world, even though it feels like it at the time.
Hello,
Sadie has had an operation to remove a 5p piece of cartilage from her front left elbow as she too was diagnosed with ED (OCD & FCP), that was in December 05. She was lame on and off for a while, always worse when getting up after resting...the vet initially had told us that maybe it was a bad sprain and to rest her etc etc, but it never ever went away, so xrays showed up the OCD & FCP... we went to a specialist, who was fantastic and said he wanted to operate as he felt it was the best thing to do for her....
She obviously has osteoarthritis in both legs, but of course worse in her left...
Like Mojo, Sadie clicks when she gets up, stretches a lot when she first gets up, but she too leads a normal life, we just cant over-do it with her, if we do, then she will be a little lame. We keep a bottle of Metacam in the cupboard and only ever give it to her if we feel she needs it.
We also give her a glucosamine based tablet with dinner and some green lipped mussel tablets with her brekkie...
She has her own wonky walk, but most people cant notice but, but of course we can....
The specialist also told us that because of her arthritis, she could be crippled with it by the age of say 5, but on the other hand, she could live a full life and be fine!
As Jules says, its not the end of the world if an operation is needed. I hope Jess has just badly sprained herself x
Thanks for the feedback everyone I'm trying not to think worst case scenario at the moment but I can't really seem to help it
Mands where do you get the green lipped mussel tablets from as that would be something worth looking into - Jess already has the glucsomine tabs with dinner
Tbh she seems to be better after resting rather than worse - she didn't lip at all this morning but then started going lame again about lunchtime - although I'd kept her really quiet all morning so she wasn't moving around on it much.
I've rescheduled Thursday's vet appointment for Friday as the Thursday one was with a locum and I want her to see our usual vet
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Mojo never had any pain meds, although there was talk of morphine patches if things got really bad. It took a few weeks but she was soon sound again.
