CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: dawnmarie on March 16, 2008, 02:33:05 PM
-
My 5 year old working cocker has had a slight limp on her front foot for almost a month, she is otherwise well with a good appetite and always eager for walks or to play with her 2 ten month old pups. After carrying out the usual examinations for cuts, seeds etc we rested her but it didn't get any better. So,we took her to see a new vet at our practice who said she had a high temperature and hot, spongy joints, she started Bonny on antibiotics and wanted to see her 5 days later. At this visit there was no improvement, the vet was really concerned, worried me silly and said she suspected meningitis or polyarthritis. I had to take her back on Thursday morning for xrays, biopsies and further tests. However, when we turned up on Thursday we saw our usual vet for Bonny's pre op consultation who said she could find nothing wrong with her other than some crepitus (rubbing) of her elbow joint, her temperature was only 0.01 above normal and she has a long history of having a higher than normal temperature so we were sent home with metacam as she wasnt't happy to anaethetise unless she had good reason to do so and felt that if she had polyarthritis or meningites she would be unwell. Now I don't know whether to be worried or relieved. Has anybody else a cocker with a persistent limp with no apparent cause or experience of a dog with polyarthritis? Sorry for the long post, but it's been a long week!
-
My friends cocker has just been diagnosed with polyarthritis, I think he's about 8yrs old, they were worried because he'd become lame on his back leg and couldn't jump up on to the settee or go up and down the stairs, he had x rays and a lumber puncture which confirmed that he had polyarthritis, she was told it was common in cocker's :huh: dawnmarie I'll try to see her and find out what treatment he is on.
-
That would be really useful - thanks.
-
Been to see my friend today and saw Milo, at the moment he is on steroids which is causing him to drink a lot and he is getting them up in the middle of the night to go out. He was referred to a consultant vet who diagnosed polyarthritis, when the steroids finish they are not sure which medication he will be on as Metacam didn't work on him, my friend seemed to think it was similar to Lupus in humans. Don't know if I've been much help but will keep in touch with her about his progress.
-
Has Lyme disease been eliminated? Some of the symptoms match, unexplained lameness, intermittant high temp :huh:
-
Polyarthritis and high temp are seen in lupus, however i'm sure there is a less dramatic cause for your girls symptoms. Lupus is an auto immune disorder which needs specialist treatment which my boy Jasper has recently been diagnosed with. Persist with your vet to get to the botom of her symptoms and I hope you get to the bottom of things soon.
-
Thanks for all your useful advice. Bonny's still limping, metacam hasn't had any effect although to look at her playing with the pups you wouldn't think there was anything wrong. I've made another appointment to see the vet next week so hopefully we can get to the bottom of this as I hate to see her lame.