Limping back leg

Mickjameslenehan

I'm sure this is not unique to BT but my 7 mth year old puppy wakes up with a dead rear right leg which he can't walk on for a minute or so. It appears to cause no discomfort and does not appear when out walking. It does not matter if he sleeps for 1hr or 8hrs he wakes up with a dead leg on the same side

I'm hoping it's growing pains but will take him to the vet later this week if it continues has anyone else experienced this with their younger dogs.

Neil

Yes, ours did exactly the same thing between the age of approx 4 to 8 months, intermittently.
He is now 17 months old and has no problems.

Mickjameslenehan

Cheers Neil he seems to be growing so quickly at the minute I'm assuming his joints are struggling to keep up

Djammy

Pretty normal in puppies in my experience. I would have it checked by a vet though, if it seems to worsen over time. Also if it does not vanish within about four weeks and seems to be present more or less constantly. Pain coming and going, however, is neither a good or a bad sign. We are often "stiff" after napping and everything feels better once the muscles warm up again when moving a little. That's true for growing pains, but also for muscle related injuries. Bull Terriers have a high pain tolerance, which can make it very hard to evaluate the situation correctly. So, best thing to do is watch for changes not over just a day but several days. Hope this helps.

Mickjameslenehan

Thanks for the replies I took him to the vet today as he is still limping. Nothing obvious she could feel 2wks rest and anti flams. Hopefully will clear up just got to figure how to keep him chilled for 2 weeks

Mickjameslenehan

He was on anti inflammatory tablets for two wks he showed improvement but the minute I started lead walking him again it came back. So vets tomorrow for an x ray to get to the bottom of it good or bad :-?

BulliesofNC

I've haven't seen this before on any puppies I've raised. I'm glad you are having some tests done because it's not normal for your Bullie to be hindering a leg, especially one specific leg.

corey90260

This has happened on my mini 3 times now twice on her front leg ,we took her to the vet and they didn't find anything and then last week she did this with one of her back legs . The front leg lasted a couple of weeks the back leg lasted 2 days .

Mickjameslenehan

They did an x ray today they found inflammation on rear right hock. The took a sample of the fluid to check for infection then take it from there. I think one of the other things they are looking into is called OSD (Osteochrondritis) basically damage to the cartilage which may require surgery and long term care. We have insurance but some of the tests they are talking well exceed our limit so have to wait and see will know more in a week or so.

kstorck

Just came across this and we have been seeing something in our pup. Sassafras is 15 months currently and a few days ago she went outside and came back in a few minutes later limping on one of her hind legs. I checked over he pads for any signs of abrasion or anything and she didn’t seem to mind me prodding at it and touching or moving around her leg. After a few minutes she was running around again. Then it just has continued to happen after that, mostly after she has been running around, but now instead of a limp she will hike up her leg and not walk on it all for a few minutes. She goes to lay down for a few minutes, gets up and appears to be back to normal. I have tried taking it easy with her lately but that only leaves her with a lot of energy to burn which usually results in her running around which seems to bring it on. I am thinking it is time to get it looked at...

BulliesofNC

My thoughts were also with some sort of cartilage, muscle, or ligament damage.
Bull Terriers have a high tolerance for pain so normally when they are limping it's due to a legitimate injury or significant problem that requires attention.

Mickjameslenehan

Kstorck is worth getting checked out you may find that a few weeks rest and some anti inflammatory tablets will resolve the situation but as we have found trying to rest a BT is no easy job.

corey90260

@kstorck that is exactly what happens with Mackenzie we have taken her to the vet and they can't find anything wrong . First time it happened I really think she was stung by several wasps on the pad of her foot which caused her to jump sideways not sure if it was the stings or the jump or both but her foot swelled up and she would not put weight on it .We had several vet appointments and x rays and after 2 weeks she was fine but since then she has had several times when she will come up lame after playing it usually take a couple of days and she is fine again ,last week it happened on her back leg she hopped around for a day and has been fine ever since she even went hiking last week . Weird ...

Mickjameslenehan

We have been recommended to go see a orthopedic specialist. But sought a second opinion from a family friend who works at a vets. Her vet viewed the xrays and agrees there is something on the xray but states if it was her dog she would hold back on the specialist for now due to the fact he is still growing and it could improve with rest.
He seems to be improving a lot just on the anti inflammatory tablets and limited exercise so fingers crossed it will resolve itself.
As a breed it's Ocd is not a common problem fro what I've read rottweilers and larger breeds are more susceptible to it.

kstorck

I took Sassafras to the vet yesterday and she said she could hear a clicking in her knee which is a sign of inflammation. Everything else was fine, her knee pallete and range of motion all good. She gave me anti inflammatories for now and said because she is young she expects it to clear up, but we go back early December for a recheck. We have also come to find out she has a yeast/bacterial infection in her paws! The vet said is most likely an allergy, whether environmental or dietary is yet to be determined. She eats grain freee already and gets some dairy from cheese and yogurt. Anyways they gave me antifungalsand antibiotics and a special shampoo to soak her paws in. Any advice on this anyone could give would be great! Thanks!

corey90260

@kstorck I think we have the same dog Mackenzie has not had any issues with her legs /limping for over a month . She has environmental allergies so is on meds to combat it .

Mickjameslenehan

After rest for a few weeks his limp all but disappeared until we took him to a farm shop the sight of the pigs and goats were too much and by the time we got home that evening he was limping again. We have booked to see the specialist but the earliest appointment is Mid December he is fine again now, but not much fun if every time he has a decent walk he is in pain. So the wait goes on

kstorck

Stressful for you I am sure! Hope things get figured out and get better

Mickjameslenehan

Seen the specialist and confirmed as osteochrondritis in the rear right hock. He can do surgery but believes very rarely successful on the hock and at best a short term fix. His advice is limited exercise and anti inflammatory tablets for the bad days and maybe some point in the future consider fusing the joint depending on how he is getting on. It's gutting but generally day to day he shows no signs of discomfort or pain and can walk up to about 20 minutes without causing any pain. It's not life threatening and he will still lead a comparatively normal life so got to look at the positives

Djammy

Wow, so it did turn out to be more serious after all. Sorry to hear that. But you are right, he could have "picked worse". I think this is something he will be able to deal with. I bet the hardest part will be to keep him from overdoing it. Because especially when excited their pain tolerance is so high, I guess they would not even notice if a leg fell off until they are done chasing that ball. Good luck with your little one and congratz to your choice of vet who seems to be giving you what I would call reasonable advice and choices - and not only the kind of advice that will fill his pockets with money.

Mickjameslenehan

Thanks just glad to have an answer to be honest and can plan a way to deal with it the best we can he knows no different. Just got to find the balance of keeping him active to keep arthritis at bay and also for his mental health without over doing it