Author Topic: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2  (Read 1684 times)

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Offline TirelessTitch

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Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« on: February 12, 2019, 04:35:56 PM »
Hi all,
I'm taking Titch (age actually 2 and three quarters) to the vet next week, but thought I'd post here to see if anyone had any ideas.

About six weeks ago Titch seemed to have picked up an injury when dashing about; He was still running everywhere but would squeek a bit if jumping. We rested him from playing and jumping down from walls etc. and he seemed much better after two or three weeks.

However, he seems to have become very reluctant to go up steps, and no longer jumps onto his chair in the conservatory. He now hobbles up stairs after me like a little old dog, instead of barging past me at great risk to (my) life and limb. For a little while he wouldn't even come in from outside without encouragement as it entailed him climbing up a single step.

I must add that it is only the jumping up/going upstairs that he shows reluctance about. He is still running a mile a minute and chasing his ball (which we now try to roll along the ground rather than throwing in order to minimise bouncing) He also flies down the stairs at top speed, sometimes jumping the bottom few steps. In every other aspect of his full-on life, his behaviour (and appetite) is unchanged.

Anyhow, any suggestions would be gratefully received, both as to what might be going on and anything I can do.

Offline Joules

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2019, 07:44:31 PM »
Sounds like he may have injury that is causing him pain.  :'(

No one can tell you what is wrong on here really - he needs to see a vet as soon as possible to check him over and find the cause of his discomfort. Is there any reason why you are waiting so long to see the vet?

I would definitely be resting him until he has seen a vet and had a diagnosis  ;)
Julie and Watson

Offline TirelessTitch

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2019, 08:44:41 PM »
Joules thank you for your response - the reason we haven't whisked him to the vets sooner really is that he has seemed fine in every way and hasn't been showing signs of pain in his normal activities.

The main reason we haven't noticed his reluctance to jump up on chairs or run up stairs is that it has been Winter.
Wet/Muddy dogs are not permitted upstairs and although he has certainly been discovered upstairs he hasn't really had many opportunities to come up alongside me. Ditto the jumping up on a chair. The only furniture the dogs are allowed on is in the conservatory and until the last few slightly warmer days they haven't spent any time in there.
So, as his behaviour on the flat is completely normal and he has shown no sign of discomfort since the first couple of weeks we thought that he had had a pulled muscle or similar from which he had recovered with "rest".

Really having now noticed this I was just wondering if there was anything I could be giving him that might alleviate any discomfort/help his joints or if anyone had experienced anything similar. I won't be able to get him to vets until next Tuesday unfortunately.

Offline Joules

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2019, 08:30:43 AM »
Without a diagnosis of the problem, it is not possible to suggest what you can give him and this is not the place to get veterinary advice.

As this has already been going on for rather a long time and to the extent that he is reluctant to go up a single step, I really think a vet visit is a priority.  If he has torn something, delay will only be making it worse  :'(
Julie and Watson

Offline Emilyoliver

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2019, 11:25:07 AM »
I can only reiterate what Joules has said.  Get him to a vet as soon as you can as he's not improving.  Don't mean to alarm you, but my cocker displayed symptoms like yours and was diagnosed with 3 bulging discs in this spine.  He was fine running about, but when he'd overdone exercise he was loathe to jump up on furniture/ stairs.  If your dog has anything like this, delaying a diagnosis is potentially dangerous.  If you can't get him to a vet before next week, then i'd suggest strict rest (crate rest) and very short on lead walks 'til then.  No joint supplement is going to miraculously fix his symptoms.
Michelle, Emily and Ollie

Offline elaine.e

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2019, 05:26:08 PM »
I can only reiterate what Joules has said.  Get him to a vet as soon as you can as he's not improving.  Don't mean to alarm you, but my cocker displayed symptoms like yours and was diagnosed with 3 bulging discs in this spine.  He was fine running about, but when he'd overdone exercise he was loathe to jump up on furniture/ stairs.  If your dog has anything like this, delaying a diagnosis is potentially dangerous.  If you can't get him to a vet before next week, then i'd suggest strict rest (crate rest) and very short on lead walks 'til then.  No joint supplement is going to miraculously fix his symptoms.

The same happened with William when he was 5. He had two relatively mild episodes of back pain in about five months, exactly the same symptoms as Titch, both treated apparently successfully with rest and anti inflammatories. When it happened a third time I opted for him to have a MRI scan. It revealed some bulging discs in the lumbosacral area of his spine. He's almost 15 now and has lived a normal life with just a few restrictions, such as not allowing him to go up stairs, always lifting him in and out of the car, no tuggy games and no ball chasing. If I'd just left him and not had him properly checked and diagnosed he would have been at high risk of doing serious damage to his back and needing surgery.

Cockers are very prone to disc problems, so please have Titch checked by a vet as soon as possible and restrict his activities in the meantime. Hopefully he doesn't have disc problems and it's something less serious. But if he does, the sooner you know the better.

Offline Darwin

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2019, 10:00:17 PM »
 Please don’t delay and get him checked out by a vet. Darwin went from being active to being completely paralised in the period of a week!! It’s been a long journey, but Darwin is now a happy cocker, but with serious mobility issues, having had major spinal surgery and we had to teach him to walk again
Cockers are really prone to spinal issues.  I don’t want to panic you, but just save you some of the heart ache, sleepless nights and expense we’ve had. 
In the meantime I would recommend no stairs, chairs, jumping and if possible limit his exerice and off lead time. Rest, really does mean cage rest, which is hard for any cocker
Fingers crossed that it’s nothing major.  Please keep us posted

Offline Joules

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Re: Titch can't manage stairs - he's only 2
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2019, 08:35:51 PM »
Any news yet?

How is Titch doing now?
Julie and Watson