Ava struggling

[Stacy]

I took these short clips of Ava this morning and I would love it if someone had an opinion about what is going on. She looks so much older than a dog who just turned 7. I'm really so worried about her. I just don't know what to do. The groomer seems to think she spent too much time in too small of a space during her breeding years. But she wasn't like this a few months ago. She ate well, she played. I don't know if it's at all related to the tumor being removed from her jaw, or if there's something else. These girls are going to be the death of me! 

 

https://youtu.be/Hnl4g_HCPXE

 

https://youtu.be/9k552GSsof0

 

https://youtu.be/3UW764N4rzc

Thank you, Stacy

[Rae]

I’m so very sorry. My Rozee was exactly the same way. It was severe arthritis in her hips and knees. Her vet should be able to help. When you go to the vet take these videos to show him/her. Rozee didn’t seem that bad while at the vet but once I showed him the videos he knew exactly what it was and we were able to manage her pain. Rozee was just about the same age. We ended up going to a specialist and i’m So glad we did. Our vet is great at referring us. Give that sweet girl an extra hug from us. Please keep us updated.

[Stacy]

Thank you - I do wonder if she's arthritic. She seems to "go" better as the day goes on. I know I'm super over the top paranoid about the dogs. I was talking to the groomer last week about this and she jokingly, (I think) suggested that maybe I was the one who needed to be seen at the vet! It's just that every time I go in with what I think is a simple tooth abscess or nasal polyp I come out with some dramatic diagnosis that I wasn't expecting. And I'm sure the dogs pick up on my anxiety as well. Is it a sign when the vet no longer charges you to come in and chat? 

[Trudy Harlow]

She obviously is in pain. I'd take her in to the vet for a full checkup, perhaps including ultrasound and xrays because of the tumor. I don't know what kind of tumor it was, but it's possible you need to consider that it has popped up again. Or, as Rae said, it simply could be arthritis. In any case, with a history of tumor, I'd get her in ASAP.

[Stacy]

Thank you - we do see all the vets frequently. Girl has seen more specialists in the last year than I have in my life! 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

She looks like she might be in pain and her rear limbs  are not holding her up well - as she finally was able to jump off the bed, they collapsed on her.  I agree with Rae.   I am so sorry she hasn't bounced back.  She could be older than you were told, but you have a bit of her history and know how badly she was treated, so she could be 'old before her time' because of that.  Thank you for taking her and thank you for loving and caring for her.  Please keep us posted.

[Stacy]

I see what you're saying about her back legs. I'm going to get her in to the vet this week and see if they can help. She just seems so listless and uninterested in anything. She doesn't seem to care about food or treats or squirrels or attention. My mom and sister were both over at different times today and she didn't even get up to greet them. I can get her to eat, but not without a struggle, and an egg, and my pleading. And it all seems like it had such a sudden onset. One day she was fine, and the next she just turned old. 

I guess I'm naive. It didn't even occur to me that they could have lied about her age. I don't think they did, but... I don't know what purpose it would have served. I would have loved her anyway. It hurts me that my love hasn't been able to make her better. I think she knows how loved she is, but nothing I've done seems to be able to give her the life I think she deserves. 

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

Watching Ava try to move in your videos is heartbreaking, but familiar.  My late cairn terrier exhibited a very similar difficulty moving and depressed spirits. Because she had short legs and a disproportionately long body, my regular vet suspected she had osteoarthritis and referred us to a specialty vet who confirmed that diagnosis and prescribed medication for pain and a carefully designed, gentle, but gradually increasing exercise regimen.  The vet emphasized the importance of keeping her moving to slow the progression of the damage, and pain meds allowed us to do that for many happy years. I was instructed not to let her jump from the bed or car, but a set of steps easily alleviated that problem. This was a long time ago and I think there are better pain meds now (a friend has his arthritic dog in a clinical trial at Penn that seems to be working really well). So if Ava is diagnosed with arthritis, help is available. Although the initial vet bills were unfortunate, once the treatment plan was in effect, we only had to go every 6 months. If Ava does have arthritis, the sooner treatment is started the better.  Wishing you and Ava the best.  

[Stacy]

Arthritis is definitely better than some of the things I can dream up to be worried about. I do feel like that would be a treatable thing. But it really is hearbreaking to watch them struggle. Thank you for thinking of us. I hope we find a good answer. 

[Stella]

I would definitely get her in to the vet. Take these videos with you for them to see. She is definitely uncomfortable in her back end, in the first video she pulls / pushes herself up with her front legs, normally a dog would push themselves up with their back legs. It could be because she is offloading she back end forward, but she also looks lame in front a couple of times. I would get the vet to check her back, hips and knees, it might also be worth considering something more systemic like Lyme Disease, if that is present in your area, as you said this came in fairly quickly. Is she on any meds after the tumour removal, I can't remember if you decided to do chemo or not? May be a side effect of new meds??

Also could you put a ramp or a stool next to the bed, I really wouldn't let her jump on or off the bed right now.

[Stacy]

Sometimes she takes these strange short little steps with her front feet. She doesn't do it all the time, but I feel like there is also something going on with the front. But maybe she's just compensating for the back? I'm having a hard time describing exactly what I see, and I'm not sure even the videos do a great job showing it. It's kind of subtle and she definitely isn't telling me what is going on. 

She isn't on any meds. The surgery for her tumor was supposed to be curative. And I also thought of lyme last night. It isn't very prevalent in our area. She's on Bravecto and I've never seen a tick on her, but never say never. 

I just picked her up and put her on and off the bed yesterday. She doesn't seem inclined to do it herself. She didn't even sit on the couch yesterday. She just stayed on the floor and it made me sad. 

[Stacy]

Ava saw the vet today and he called her a medical enigma. He agrees that on the videos she looks like something hurts her, but he was able to completely range all of her joints and her cervical spine with no indication of pain. We did labs and they just emailed them to me, and they're all stone cold normal. That's comforting, although we still don't know what is going on. I think the next step is an abdominal ultrasound and a chest x-ray, possibly more imaging after that. Arthritis doesn't seem to fit all of her symptoms, but everything is so nonspecific that a diagnosis isn't jumping out. I'm hoping for more answers soon.

[Rae]

Sounds so much like our Rozee. Every darn time at the vet they were able to move every joint every which way and they (she saw three different vets at same clinic) couldn’t locate the pain triggers. It wasn’t until we found the right specialist that we finally got her on the right meds after many different tests. It’s extremely frustrating and difficult to see and deal with on a day to day basis. Please keep us updated.