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Hi guys... long time, no see! I have a question for you all...
Barnaby, my shih tzu, 13 years old, has invertebral disc disease, arthritis in front legs and back, and luxating patellas in his back legs (among other age-related illnesses) has developed a new symptom or, maybe, range of symptoms, and I'm curious if any of you are familiar with it/them.
(I am trying to get him worked in with the vet specialist this week, but thought I would try here for ideas, too.)
About a month ago, I noticed that he was walking with what seemed to be a stiffer than normal gait in his back legs (those luxating patellas), and then I noticed that he seemed to be dragging his back left leg periodically. I could literally hear the scrape of that claw on the cement.
Also, he was stumbling a lot over his own front feet. He's always done this, but it just seemed like maybe he was doing it more than usual.
Then about a week and a half ago, we went for a walk and his back right leg collapsed out from under him twice as he tried to trot down the sidewalk. I stopped him, and did the quick neurological test of flipping his paws over so that he was standing on the top of his feet to make sure he flipped them right back to stand on his paw pad, and his response time was perfect.
Then Saturday, he fell halfway down our staircase, necessitating a visit to the vet specialist on an emergency basis. Actually, I'm not sure if he fell or tried to climb, either way was bad... he hasn't climbed stairs or jumped on/off objects since 2006 (that's what I and ramps are here for!). He checked out ok.
However, today, on our walk, he did this thing... it's kind of hard to describe. He was walking in front of me so that I could scope out his gait, when all of a sudden he started to sort of hobble, like he had something sharp stuck in a pawpad. I stopped him and checked his pads, nothing there. Then he started the same thing, hobbling forward again, until he literally sort of just fell off the sidewalk into the grass.
I picked him up. Did the neurological test. Ran my fingers over his muscles and back. Rotated his knees. I couldn't feel a darn thing wrong.
Then he didn't walk to walk, really. He did though, for a little way, until finally he just walked off the sidewalk, through the grass about 10 feet, and just lay down, panting.
I picked him up and carried him home.
Sidenote: He's been waking up two hours early every morning for at least a week, and middle of the night since the beginning of Feb periodically. Not really needing anything (although sometimes wanting water/sometimes needing to urinate), just seeming to think it's morning. Nothing has changed in our schedule to cause this.
Also, he has heart disease, but is not in heart failure, and he has kidney damage, but is not in renal failure.
He's being treated medicinally for all of these conditions.
I really don't have much to add. Just that it sounds like you are doing everything right for your dog by taking him to the vet specialist. He sounds like he's been through a lot. As for waking up early, just like elderly humans, elderly dogs sleep lighter and less. As for what is going on with the walking issues, I wouldn't even venture a guess. I am glad to hear that he is still enjoying his life and the physical setbacks are not getting to his personality. I wish you both the best.
Huh. It certainly sounds like a case for a specialist. I don't have any ideas other than what you've already thought of. Do you think you could catch one of these incidents on video for the specialist to watch? Sometimes it can be frustrating to find the cause of intermittent things, and we all know that a trip to the vet stops all symptoms, especially if it's expensive!
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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I have seen a chihuahua manifest very similar symptoms with incontinence to boot. She had a herniated disk that was creating a "pinch" on her spinal cord. She was treated with (reasonably affordable) steroid injections and recovered to about 95%.
Poor dog. Around here where we have a lot of Lyme disease, those are the symptoms in dogs. Has your vet considered that?
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