Doggie parents whose furkids have hind leg problems?

LaComadreja14

My dog, Tequila, is a five year old male chihuahua who has never had hind leg problems before in his life, my grand father got him for me when I graduated high school, he was 4 months old at the time so I know his full history. He is about 9lbs and mostly muscle.

Sunday when I took him out to potty at 11:30a he was fine. All day he was normal, didn't hurt himself or anything but when I went to take him out around 2:30p he sat up but couldn't walk. At that point I couldn't really tell if it was his back, hips or legs that were bothering him. I went to pick him up and he started crying, long story short I had to hand feed and water him. I gave him 1/4th a pill of tramadol (I checked to make sure it wasnt expired) that I have from when he hurt his front paw + a glucosamine treat and he was able to move around a bit but not 100%. I gave another 1/4th tramadol and glucosamine treat in the am (12 hr intervals) yesterday and he was pretty much himself when I got home from work. I went to get some groceries and hit traffic so I was about 13 mins late to give him his next tramadol and he had regressed pretty badly, again barely able to walk. Even after I gave him the tramadol, it appears that it's worse at night than during the day, though with how he was acting last night I have pretty much pin-pointed the source of pain to be his hind left leg. He is eager to eat/drink and when he has his tramadol and has been walking around outside for about a minute he seems more reluctant to stop, but I guess he knows his bounderies because he will head to the stairs. Stubborn thing doesn't want to be carried up them, he wants to do it himself and will try to do it faster (which hurts him) when I try to pick him up near the stairs.

I can't wait to get him into the vet and see whats going on but I need some peice of mind.. someone to talk to about it I guess..... Given his age + lack of injury to hind legs I seriously doubt its athritis. Given his breed (CKC registered Chihuahua) my first assumption was luxating patella but symtoms don't seem to fit, he has never stuck his leg out straight behind him nor had a limp and the pain *seems* to be located more toward the hip than the knee cap- however his knee cap kept cracking last night whenever he tried to move around. When the pain is in full swing, he simply will not move because when pain is in full swing and he attempts to move it hurts him like hell and when I try to pick him up it hurts him, he crys and crys when he moves on his own or is moved. When he sits down he either sits pretty much directly ontop of his hind left thigh (when tremedol is wearing off) OR when tremedol is in full swing, he sits with his legs set much wider than before (to my understanding this is indicitive of hip dysplasia) and I looked up videos to see how dogs walk with luxating patella and not one looked at all like how hes moving around when he is able to..... but when I watched a video of a dachshund with hip dysplasia it looks exactly how he walks around.

So I was wondering if anyone has any words of support/advice ... information..... things I should mention to the vet or look for.. (I already checked his paws by putting them knuckle down when hes standing and he corrects them immediately) anything on hind leg problems/ living with luxating patella/ living with hip dysplasia... pictures of your pets who have hip problems/ luxating patella/ hip dysplasia


Thank you so much,
Bella & Tequila

Legalchica

My rat terrier is 12 now and is starting to have hind hip/back problems We keep children's motrin tablets around and give her half of one when see seems to be having problems... usually for a couple of days...

Qarol

Wait, he's NOT been to a vet yet? I have a dachshund. The moment I saw she couldn't move her hind legs, we were at the vet. She had a ruptured disc in her spine. She had to have immediate surgery. She can walk now, but the longer you wait, the worse it gets.

TAKE HIM TO THE VET! Please and thank you.

Contrarian

Why haven't you taken him to the vet?

aaleigha1

metacam will work better on inflamation - tramadol is a pain killer ONLY but a good one
it would be a spine problem or a hind leg issue one of my dogs has BAD arthritis but goes to the vet regularly

I know we all like to self treat where possible but I would never put off a vet visit with a paralysis or pain that bad you need tramadol
please let us know how you get on at the vets

♥Faerie♥

I would definitely get him to the vet, the longer you wait, the more serious it could become. And I know you mean well by given him something to ease the pain, but there is a reason he is in pain, and its his bodies way of preventing him from injuring his self more, if he does not feel the pain, it could cause him to worsen whatever it is (like trying to go up stairs).

I have a 7 month old French Bulldog, and she is in perfect health right now, but I do know they are prone to having hip problems. So if she ever showed symptoms of that, she would be at the vet that day, even though I would have to sell my soul for treatment....
Good luck to you and I hope you little guy will be well soon♥

NemesisJRM

Yeah seriously get him to the vets. I have a German Shepard who is 12years old and is starting to suffer from hip problems, I was advised to give him an adult dose of cod liver oil, or evening primrose oil to help ease his issues rather than using expensive med's from the vets, but if the issues got worse to get him back down to them and they would prescribe a med for him, but you need to get him to the vets ASAP and see whats going on. If not for peace of mind, to at least easy the dogs suffering. Tramadol will only mask the pain and not treat the problem.

fish119

I have a big dog, a Rottie/Shep mix. He's 8 years old. He was limping and not wanting to walk a few months back too. Apparently he had sprained his leg when he jumped off the bed. He WILL NOT wear a brace or any such thing on his leg so it took some time to heal. He occasionally limps now from time to time. Hopefully that is all that is wrong with your little guy. I would try to get him to the vet as soon as possible though to get him checked out and then you can be at ease knowing what is really wrong.

Also, if you have not already, check his toe nails. My Rookie is a real turd when his nails get too long or if he has a broken one. He doesn't like to walk much until it is filed.

XiaoRuRu

If they don't want to get up but can sit and lay down it is a back problem in my experience. My little buddy threw out his back last year.

While back problems are not common with chihuahuas, the problem all small dogs face as they get older is that their joints are breaking down, not necessarily arthritis. The thing is: small dogs jump to get everywhere. On the couch and off, on the bed and off, in the car and out. Jumping up makes them stand a bit and requires a lot of upper body strength to haul themselves onto their target. Jumping down compresses the spine as they land front feet first.

My dog had hurt himself in the jumping process without us even catching it. We put him on a pillow and carried him around so we didn't lift him by the middle and make it worse.

After that, vet visit.

Remember the quality of life for your beloved pet. We want them around forever, but if it gets to a point where you have to make a decision--think of your pet and not yourself. Good luck! I hope the little guy feels better!

Katbaran

We have an 8 y/o, 40 pound shepard mix that has hind leg problems on the right. He always sits how you've described--with one leg out to the side a bit like it doesn't want to bend correctly. Vet said he has a weak achille's tendon. We give him meds. Mild anti inflammatory and a mild pain killer, when the weather gets cold here and he's hurting as per Vet instructions.

Get him to a vet! Could be just a pulled muscle or something more serious, like a slight "neurological event" as they call it these days--fancy words for a small stroke. If you love him as much as you say you do---take him TODAY!!!!

Good luck!

dixiech1ck

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. If it's problems with the back legs, it could be something with the spine. The vet would be able to give the best diagnosis. I have three rescued chihuahuas so I totally get it. All of mine have issues -- diabetes, epilepsy and colitus so I know about being a walking, talking pharmacy / favorite of the vet.

Best wishes! Keep us informed.

Angie
(Bailey, Rocky and Chloe, too)

jlc1243

My dog (a small lab mix) has patellar luxation in both kness, and she is never in that amount of pain. Sounds like something a lot more serious. The vet is going to be your best bet in diagnosis and treatment for what ever is ailing your poor baby.

Contrarian

Why haven't you taken him to the vet?

I am seriously waiting to hear the answer to this question. I'm curious to know what has prevented you from getting him to a vet when he cannot walk and is clearly in pain.

JNettie73

If he were my dog, I would take him to the vet right away. I would not wait. I would not give him any medication unless my vet has advised me to do so for the simple reason that you do not now exactly what the problem is. Please take him to the vet and have a thorough examination done ASAP. You do not want to wait and risk the problem getting worse and turning into something extreme.

grrrlface

I'm not sure on common problems in chihuahuas but my Jack Russell terrier had a knee problem on his hind leg at 3 years old. We were told it was a common problem in Jack Russells and he had to have an operation on his knee ligaments to set it right and if it didn't work he would have ot have another one to make his knee joint larger to fit the bone in properly. Luckily the first operation worked and he's had no more problems other than 'skipping' while he walks but apparently that's a common JR trait anyway.

I would take him to the vets straight away and explain what happened. I hope he gets better soon, it's so sad to see our pets in pain.

rml_16

It's very common for chihuahuas to dislocate their hips. It's extremely painful and if left too long, will require surgery to correct.

I adopted a chi who had been through that. His entire life (he recently passed), you couldn't go near his hips because of just the memory of the pain.

Please take care of that dog.

LaComadreja14

TO THIS PERSON

Wait, he's NOT been to a vet yet? I have a dachshund. The moment I saw she couldn't move her hind legs, we were at the vet. She had a ruptured disc in her spine. She had to have immediate surgery. She can walk now, but the longer you wait, the worse it gets.

TAKE HIM TO THE VET! Please and thank you.

THIS PERSON

Why haven't you taken him to the vet?

AND ANYONE ELSE ASKING WHY NO VET YET:

He hasn't been to the vet because I can't get off of work- I have vacation/sick time but know one knows how to use the system in my office and my boss hasn't sent anyone to learn yet, therefore I haven't even been able to get off for anything. Not to mention, I can't afford it this very moment, a series of emergancies (car problems on my car and fiancee's + finacee had to go to hospital w/o insurance) wiped out my savings account.

Since I already have pain meds I was advised to just give him the pain meds until I can get him to the vet, since I only have two left I will most likely beg the doctor whose office I work in to let me go tommorrow since she doesn't see patients wednesday, only I do and usually only in the AM. I just needed some support and some people to talk to- some kind of explination that can ease my mind till then. Guess I looked in the wrong place- awesome guys thank you so much for trying to make me feel like a bad mom when I am doing the absolute best I can. I wouldn't be giving him tramadol w/o being advised to because its a powerful drug and I don't feel comfortable making that kinda call on my own.
He can walk with tramadol, when it is putting out full affect- he walks almost 100% fine (he is a funny boy who likes to stand on his hind legs a lot, even with pain meds he isn't doing that so its not 100% affective, but it certainly helps). He isn't paralyzed just in pain. Like I said, I can't wait to get him to the vet- which means that I am taking him to the vet, not ignoring it hoping it gets better.

Qarol

"He isn't paralyzed, just in pain" - this is SO much worse! He deserves better than this...

LaComadreja14

metacam will work better on inflamation - tramadol is a pain killer ONLY but a good one
it would be a spine problem or a hind leg issue one of my dogs has BAD arthritis but goes to the vet regularly

I know we all like to self treat where possible but I would never put off a vet visit with a paralysis or pain that bad you need tramadol
please let us know how you get on at the vets

I will and I know. I was advised to bring him in as soon as possible, they know my situation and understand- and I plan on bringing him in asap. Work is the toughest thing to get around because I work for a company who contracts me to an office- even if the office gives me clearance to take a day off, I have to run it by my boss who doesnt like the office left w/o a phleb. Wednesday the doc dosen't see patients so I am trying to see if I can take the afternoon off to take him in, I didn't want to ask yesterday because the doc may forget by wednesday, I will ask her today when she isn't busy. I only have two tramadol left so its not like I have much of an option... and I have to go with him because he will attack anyone else who takes him + the vet if I am not there. They put a muzzle on him once but it only made it worse. I am just in a *kitten* situation and needed to talk until I can see the vet.

I am hoping that he doesn't have to end up being on a pain killer/anti-inflamatory for his entire life because I worry about what will happen to his liver/kidneys. I'm also afraid of surgery because he'll probably have to stay over night at the vets and as previously stated, he isn't exactly friendly despite years of being brought every where with me and being held by tons of different people, when he was young he would tolerate it but after a few thermomaters up the bum he started hating the vet and by age three he decided most of anyone who isnt myself or my fiancee is his enemy.
When I started him on tramadol right before it kicked in, my fiancee came home from work. His hands were full so he knocked on the front door and even in pain, Tequila went bark/yelp hop/running at the door to scare the "intruder" ... he's just that kinda boy, very over protective. I'm also scared of surgery in general... I don't know why, I just am. Not that I wouldn't do it- I will totally do it if need be.... It just scares the living hell outta me so I was hoping to get some friends that I could look to if he does have surgery

Contrarian

So, if you got sick, you wouldn't be able to call in and take a day off because no one knows how to use the system? That makes no sense.

When you adopt an animal, you have a responsibility to ensure that the animal is looked after. I'm sorry if you feel that you aren't getting the support you want, but in my opinion, your dog isn't getting what HE needs.

"He isn't paralysed - just in pain."

You consider yourself this animal's "mom". If you had an actual child and didn't get him or her adequate medical treatment, charges could be laid. Again, I'm sorry if you feel bad about the way people are reacting, but in my opinion, you are not being a responsible pet owner and you are not being kind to this animal.

MissObstinatiox

I had the same problem last month with my puppy lilly she is a pug cross.
I contacted the vet and was told to rest her for two days if she wasn,t any better to take her to the vet which i did the vet thought she may of broken her leg after sedation and x-rays they found nothing wrong but they think she had ligament damage they gave her antiflamatrys and after one dose she was back to normal.:0)
Just a thought to as you said fiancees are difficult have you thought about getting pet insurance?
I,m currently paying 20 pound a month on pet insurance to cover vet bills when i need them thats for lilly the dog and phoenix the cat.
Its worth while as this cover covers me for 75 pound excess fee and the rest the insurance pays out for up to 4000 a year.
Hope this helps i feel for you as i know how heartbreaking it is to see your baby,s in pain.