My doodle's knee is gigantic! Arthritis symptoms and signs?

I have a vet appointment Tuesday and am hoping for a cancellation tomorrow to get in earlier. We do not have a 24 hour clinic anywhere near us. She is walking, playing and eating. Her walk is stiff legged but she has always walked and ran funny because her hips are not correctly formed. Her hips do not have that tight mortar pestal fit- so instead of smoothly moving in the socket, the bone actually bangs into the socket. This is per the orthopedic vet we saw 2 years ago when she went lame for a few days after running hard. Now we don't let her run hard. This anatomy is why she tends to run like a bunny hop and on occasion has soreness after playing for long periods. Please no comments about parent genetic testing. I CHOOSE to adopt her. I love her.

Her knees have never been a problem but yesterday while I was grooming her, I noticed that the inner side of her knee (on the back leg ) is huge! It has been so darn cold that we haven't been outside running or playing. There is No known injury. She isn't limping and uses all four legs. She does always use her other leg first to weight bare when doing steps and drags the swollen knee leg a little bit. The knee has a large swollen mound. The mound is hard. Not moveable. Not warm to the touch. She won't yelp when I mess with it, but she doesn't want me to play with it. Currently she is chasing our kitten through the house.

I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this? When you say your doodle has been diagnosed with arthritis, what symptoms does he/she have? Any tangible evidence? I feel so sad for her. She has been a laid back dog, I wonder if she has been in pain and I just didn't know. She is so calm and quiet. What do you give your doodle to help?

Tuesday can't come fast enough.

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Permalink Reply by Janie, Jackson and Jilly on January 27, 2015 at 4:23pm

Thinking about Mabel and hoping she is doing well!

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Permalink Reply by Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau on January 26, 2015 at 1:14pm

I am sorry Mabel is going through this. Hoping she is back home with you soon. Keep us updated on her progress.

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Permalink Reply by Deanna M. on January 26, 2015 at 6:13pm

Glad you got in quickly and know what the problem is, hugs to both of you.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on January 26, 2015 at 9:45pm

I am glad you caught it and the vets have handled it as much as they are able. I hope she will recover quickly and not need any further treatment.

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Permalink Reply by Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie on January 27, 2015 at 4:21am

I was holding my breath- I was afraid that you were going to report that it was cancer. So sorry that she has to go through this, but soooo thankful that it is not something life threatening.....

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Permalink Reply by Gail and Bailey on January 27, 2015 at 9:58am

So sorry Mabel is having this problem! Hoping for a quick recovery! Give her a big hug from us!

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Permalink Reply by Emily on January 27, 2015 at 4:47pm

Thank you for all the love and support. Mabel has had a quiet afternoon. I got her to eat and take her medicine. She has been sleeping for most of the day. Her night was rough. The vet said to start her pain medication this morning but I gave it to her last night about 2 am because she was whining and grunting. The medicine took about 20 minutes to work. She settled right down and fell asleep til 7 am. I bought some water free shampoo and freshened her up a little and washed her beard again. She looks a little better but acts all meek, mild, rather pathetic. The vet said the mass was so deep so she will be uncomfortable for a while. Thank goodness for doggie pain meds. :)

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