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Post by Tina on Oct 9, 2015 9:05:26 GMT 10
Hi Tom. I have three greyhounds....all 12 years old. One of my girls, Lexie, has been limping (right front leg) for weeks. She was seen by our vet and x-rays taken of the neck, shoulder and paw area. He found no injury visible on the x-ray and did a complete physical exam of the paw, wrist, shoulder and neck. He believes she suffers from a pinched nerve in her neck. Lexie does not display any signs of pain except the limping. She puts minimal weight on her leg/paw and her muscle density has tremendously decreased, we're assuming this is a result of little or no weight being placed on the leg/paw. The vet also stated the only procedure to correct the pinched nerve issue is surgery. She showed no improvement with the pain pills so the vet recently prescribed Tramadol (50 mg). This vet has taken very good care of my girls for years but I am considering obtaining a second opinion. Lexie has always been so vibrant and the thought of putting a 12 year old dog through surgery (a surgery that the vet said may or may not be successful and is somewhat expensive) is scary to say the least. But I certainly cannot stand by and see my girl limping around for the rest of her life either. I'm not sure what to do at this point. Thank you so much for any thoughts you may have.
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 9, 2015 21:04:58 GMT 10
Hi Tina,
I wish I was in a position to check your Lexie myself because a pinched nerve does not under normal circumstances cause limping.
The main causes from the most likely to the least likely:
Because of her age: Arthritis in one of the joints in the front leg, such as toe joints, or wrist joint, elbow joint, forearm shoulder blade joint.
Foreign object in one one the pads or a corn in a pad
Bone damage in of the bones of the wrist or wrist joint
Bone damage in the elbow or where the forearm joins the shoulder blade
Fracture in the spine of the shoulder blade.
Damage to the toe bones ligaments or sesamoids.
Then possibly a severe muscle spasm to the base of the neck interfering with the radial nerve, but this would show more in the inability to move the neck freely than a tendency to limp.
There is no doubt that a dog favoriting a front leg will finish up with painfull spasms to the muscle tissue at the base of the neck and to the area where the shoulder blade joins the top of the spine, but pain in that area does not constitute a pinched nerve. These muscle spasms can be improved by hot packs, massage, and a warmth producing liniment.
Surgery to free a pinched nerve can only be successful if the X-rays clearly show bone changes that have impacted on the nerve bundle, if not clearly visible surgery should not be undertaken. In fact that type of surgery to a 12 year old greyhound is highly unlikely to provide any long term relief.
Cheers,
Tom
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Post by Tina on Oct 9, 2015 22:26:25 GMT 10
Thank you so much Tom. I do believe it's time for a second opinion as I questioned the vet's initial diagnosis all along. I'm installing a ramp on my back deck tomorrow as Lexie has issues with our steps. Hopefully this will help her until I get this sorted out. I will keep you posted and thank you again...greatly appreciated!!!!! This site is wonderful!!!!!!!
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Post by Tina on Oct 24, 2015 2:44:31 GMT 10
Hi again Tom. Just an update on Lexie. Saw the vet yesterday (second opinion) and the diagnosis remains the same....some type of nerve issue. She prescibed pain medicine specifically to target the nerve pain. She did xray the leg and wrist area (wasn't originally done as I thought it had been...just the neck, spine and shoulder was done). Nothing was noted in the new xrays so I'm satisfied with that aspect. She also recommended a possible visit to the Neurologist but stated this maymay not be in Lexie's best interest as they may not be able to identify the exact location of the nerve damage. I will not pursue that or the surgery that goes with it. Lexie is doing fine and is adjusting well to the ramp on our deck, as are the other greys. Thank you again for your help!!!
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 25, 2015 4:45:33 GMT 10
Hi Tina,
Thank you for the update, and I can only hope your girls condition improves enough for her to be comfortable.
Cheer,
Tom
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