HARM OF THE LIMP IN DOGS

The limp can occur in your pets and this case an important point of pet ownership, because the limp that became paralysis in less than 2 hours, if a delay in treatment could lead to totalparalysis and death.

Case of the limp :
Maggie, a five year old, spayed female, greyhounds. The owner noticed a clicking sound as Maggie walked. One foot seemed to be rolling over and the toenails were dragging on the floor, producing the sound. The dog showed no signs of pain and had no limp.

As we observed Maggie walk across the parking lot two hours later, her left rear foot was obviously dragging and she was unable to bear normal weight on that leg and she was limping. The veterinarians took x-rays to confirm diagnosis for this case, the pictures of the foot, leg and hip looked normal. It wasn't until we got to the x-rays of the 'backbone' or spine, that the cause of the problem was readily apparent. The x-rays showed an obvious narrowing of the normal space between the last thoracic and first lumbar vertebra ( normally this space is filled with a 1/4 spongy pad we call a disc ).

Our physical exam and other tests confirmed our diagnosis that Maggie had 'ruptured' a disc, causing it to put pressure on the spinal cord and disrupt nerve flow to the back leg.
Surgery was the best course of action for treatment “IV disc disease”, because the symptoms were progressing so fast. The process of surgery are removing a section of the bony vertebrae giving more space for the spinal cord while at the same time removing the ruptured disc. Medications were given to reduce the swelling and inflammation of the spinal cord, as well as relieve the pain.

After surgery, veterinarians began to see use returning to the rear legs ( because by the time we started preparing Maggie for surgery, both rear legs were paralyzed ) until Maggie returned to normal.

Pet ownership need to communicate to their veterinarians, if occurring changes in pet behavior and physical condition.

Posted in: dog,veterinary