Recurrent Shoulder Strain (Tilly) - UPDATED - going for x-rays

[Nicola]

Since I've had her Tilly has had a periodic shoulder injury which causes her to limp quite badly on her right front leg when it flares up. I don't know what originally caused it but it strikes maybe once every few months and usually only lasts for a day. We were out yesterday throwing a ball for them in a stubble field so she was really running fast and after about an hour and a half I noticed she was limping and by the time we got back to the car she was on 3 legs and we had to lift her into the car and then carry her into the house. The thing with her is that she doesn't show it when she's hurt, if I hadn't noticed her limping and kept throwing the ball she'd have kept running after it even though she was obviously in pain   She seems to have hurt it more badly than usual this time as she's still limping on it very noticeably today so obviously I haven't walked her but she shows no signs of pain when I press, rub and flex her leg and shoulder and she doesn't seem unhappy or out of sorts.

So really the question is what, if anything, should I do about it? I've mentioned it to the vet before and they said it's most likely a muscular thing but should I take her in tomorrow and see what they say this time or is there not really anything they can do? The thing is with it being so recurrent is it possible that it's not just a muscle strain but something more serious so should I ask for a second opinion? I don't like her ending up hobbling around like this on a regular basis and I don't want to leave it now and her end up with arthritis in her shoulder or something in a few years but I don't know if there's anything that can be done about it. Are there any physios on COL?!

[spanielcrazy]

Since this is so recurrent, and it seems Tilly should be fit enough that her muscles should be well toned, I'd be inclined to x-ray her to rule out OCD

Are you sure it is in the shoulder?

[PennyB]

I had recurring problems with Wilf re a limp that my vet couldn't get to the bottom of (nothing on X-ray) then he eventually referred me to a vet who rehabilitates dogs after injury or surgery - he gets acupunture and other types of physio - and she managed to diagnose his problem that others had missed completely (a physio I saw a couple of times was still thinking it was his leg/hip yet it turned out to be his back). I much prefer now to see a vet who specialises 1st rather than get a diagnosis off a physio/chiropracter etc. but that's my own personal experience.

I have been told by a variety of different vets that a vet who also specialises in acupunture is better at 'visualising' muscle structure etc. than other vets (when there is no x-ray or similar evidence to see).

[JaspersMum]

My lot all have canine massage treatment for muscular problems and it's been excellent in popping in hamstrings etc...  She's more likely to pick up things than the vet

We're a bit far from you, but you could contact Nat to see if she knows a local contact...

http://www.k9massage.co.uk/

They also have a reiki session too, Jasper goes mad when Nat comes, he's lining up for treatment 

[Nicola]

That's the thing I suppose, I'm not at all sure it's her shoulder, I'm really just assuming it is as that's what it looks like to me   It could  be anything though from her ankle joint to her back. I think I'll make a vet appointment for her tomorrow and see if they'll x-ray her and/or refer us to a specialist if possible to see if I can get her some physio or alternative treatment. I'll have a look at that website as well Jenny, thanks

[spanielcrazy]

There are sooo many things that can cause front leg lameness that it would be worthwhile to get a specialist, or a 2nd opinion or some xrays 

[joanne_v]

Poor Tills. She had that once while you were travelling, was fine the next day.

[Nicola]

Poor Tills. She had that once while you were travelling, was fine the next day.

It usually goes away quickly but she seems to have done a job on it this time as she's still hopping on 3 legs now so that's been over 24 hours which is the longest lame period she's had since I've had her. The parquet floors aren't helping either and nor is the fact that she doesn't appear to have the sense she was born with and keeps trying to jump on and off the sofa and run around with Rodaidh regardless, she's a nightmare!   I'm definitely taking her to the vet in the next couple of days and will ask for x-rays or a specialist referral or both.

[JaspersMum]

Heidi's recurrent lameness was affecting different legs, turns out that it was the legs on opposite diagonal which is how the muscles work. sorted out the porblem and hope that won't be too much of a problem again    There is no way a vet would of found it in a ordinary appointment as she probably wouldn't be lame at the appointment  

Don't suppose the muscular side or the anatomy would show in xrays either. Nat's been working on all sorts of dogs including working gun dogs

Hope you can sort Tilly out  

[Countrygirl]

This happened to my last cocker, Sophie.

The first time it happened she was 2 years old, we rushed her to the Vet and he xrayed her.  He then told us that she had arthritic changes, told us she would have to be on medication for the rest of her life (it worked out a £8 a week, not a lot today but this was 16 years ago) and that she must have virtually no exercise again, ever.

We came home and I broke my heart.  Me and OH sat at the kitchen table with these tablets on the table between us and looked at Sophie, who by now was showing no sign whatsoever of there being anything wrong and was bounding round the house.  OH picked the tablets up and put them down the toilet saying that she was not having them and if she got arthritis in later life, we would deal with it then.  She didn't have one of the tablets.

The problem did happen again, we worked out it was when she was running and she swerved quickly.  What we did when it happened was we carried her home, if near enough (she was only tiny), OH sat her on his knee and massaged her shoulder for about an hour, then we took her a walk up the road.  She started off on 3 legs and by the time we got to the top of the road (8 houses) she was walking perfectly on 4 legs.

She lived until she was 14 years of age and was still walking up to 7 miles at a time until about 3 weeks before she died, with no trace of arthritis.

By the way, when I next went back to the vets I was really worried what they would say (not as stroppy as I am now!).  I saw a different vet, he looked at the notes, looked at Sophie, back at the notes, back at Sophie, and never mentioned the problem.  Nor did any of the other vets we saw, including the one who diagnosed her.  If it was now I would want answers,  I have always said it was a trial of a drug.  You may wonder why I kept going to the same practice, but to be honest its a brilliant practice, the vet in question was the one who had to put Sophie to sleep and he was absolutely wonderful with both her and us.   I still go there with Ellie and, strange though it may sound, really trust them, although I would not be afraid to speak up now.

Anyway, I really hope that Tilly's problem is just like Sophie's.  As Sophie got older and stopped dashing about so much, the problem stopped happening.

[spanielcrazy]

The problem did happen again, we worked out it was when she was running and she swerved quickly. 

This is the biggest cause of injury; a swerving or twisting motion 

[PennyB]

The problem did happen again, we worked out it was when she was running and she swerved quickly. 

This is the biggest cause of injury; a swerving or twisting motion 

This happened to Wilf when his body flipped and twisted when he collided with a much larger dog coming side on at him - he had whiplash (in his lower back).

[Nicola]

The problem did happen again, we worked out it was when she was running and she swerved quickly. 

This is the biggest cause of injury; a swerving or twisting motion 

That's very likely as she's a total ball obsessive, she runs flat out and does all kinds of jumps and acrobatics to catch the ball. As a quick update I've got her an appointment on Wednesday, our usual vet who I really like isn't in today or tomorrow.

Thanks for the post Countrygirl, that does sound similar so I'll see what the vet says.

[LurcherGirl]

If a vet cannot find anything conclusive, my next plan of action is always a McTimoney Chiropractor (they are different to normal chiropractor, much more gentle). Our pyrenees (9 years old) has arthritis, is a bit stiff on his back leg and limps on his front leg after a long walk. The option we have is not to exercise him or very little, which leaves him bored and frustrated... or exercise him normally and help him any way we can. We found that hydrotherapy was excellent for him, however, it gave him skin problems and he hated it, so it is not an option anymore. Going to the chiropractor regularly (every two months) helps him enormously and resulted in him not needing any painkillers until very recently when it became more of a problem - which could be due to not having gone to the chiropractor for 6 months... Now we are back on track, I am hoping that things will sort itself out.

Troy was x-rayed a couple of years ago, and nothing really showed. My vet and I decided not to x-ray anymore as Troy isn't too good with anaesthetics... So we just manage his joint problems now with supplements, chiropractor and if necessary painkillers. It gives him a good quality of life in his senior years.

Vera 

[Coco]

  I know it's different but I get an inflamed shoulder , joint strain that then leads to that. Could it be that's why it's lasting, the same thing? Perhaps there is some homeopathic treatment if so.