Mystery Limp with NO Other Symptoms

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Okay DK family this is long winded (sorry) but I am hoping someone else might have an idea on what is going on with my poor Sassparilla.  This started without warning and won't seem to go away. 

At our October doodle romp Sassy played as she usually does but after we got home she settled down without movement, for those that know her she is the energizer bunny and goes non stop but I didn't think much of it other than I could finally get some things done around the house. Come dinner time when I called her I heard a very loud yelp and when she appeared she was not putting any weight at all on her front left leg.  I worked the leg, spine and surrounding area and nothing seemed to bother her but when she'd try walking on it she couldn't?  She spent the entire night yelping when she moved and whimpered with every breathe all night?  Needless to say the family slept downstairs, she came to me and cuddled for well over an hour which isn't like her and the entire time I stroked, massaged and loved on her.  Next morning no change so I took her straight to the vet where she could barely walk to the door so my daughter carried her in. Of course as soon as she saw the vet she got anxious and the adrenaline kicked in. She was fine walking up and down the hall but as we left as soon as she exited the office the limping came back full force!  I screamed for the doctor and he watched her return to the car, chopped it up to soft tissue and gave us an anti-inflammatory and sent us home with limited activity. (Note this was not her usual vet but another working out of his office that day)

She seemed to be improving but then the following month the next romp comes around and bam same thing so I continued the meds thinking we are just getting older but on thanksgiving she was playing in the house and that night again limping and yelping.  Fast forward to this past Saturday, I was out all day came home and got the usual greeting then they settled down and I ventured upstairs to do a little work. I heard a yelp but it didn't register because I saw her out of the corner of my eye heading down the hall to my bedroom but when I called her to go back downstairs she again was yelping, whimpering and limping. This Sunday was out romp again and I denied her her greatest pleasure of chasing the ball and only tossed it about 2-3 feet from my seat to keep her quiet and again she's limping and in pain.  She fooled everyone at the park acting like there was not issue!  Last night she was crashed dead silent on the floor and when I called her for dinner she didn't move or open her eyes!  Eventually the tail started wagging and as you can see in the attached video she didn't put ANY weight on her leg when she got up.  This morning she is still limping and whimpering but thankfully she hasn't yelped.

I have a call out to the vet to see if he wants first crack or if I should go straight to an orthopedic specialist?  She is my ADHD dog and the lack of activity I'm sure is eating her alive.

I'm baffled on (a) why all of a sudden and (b) why it hasn't gone away and (c) the fact I can poke and manipulate and it doesn't hurt is confusing?  Is it soft tissue, pinched nerve, or what in the world could it be??  She is six and has always been active although the last three years we aren't nearly as active as we once were (thanks to my workers comp injuries) but we play and chase a ball or toy EVERY night at home mostly from the couch and down the hall into the kitchen, if I have daylight we will play in the back yard. She's a non stop play hound from the moment I wake up or walk in the door she places a toy or ball in my lap and we toss it across the room, down the hall on in the backyard, my only reprieve is to eat so this goes on all night till we go to bed.  I've never seen her slip although she has been t-boned a few times over her lifetime at the dog park but most were quite a while ago? In November I took her to my chiropractor and she worked on her but I'm not sure I noticed a difference.  We have a doggie door that she runs in and out of, could that be causing an issue after all these years?  I've had big dogs and doggie doors all my life only difference is Sassy tears out of the house through the doggie door rather than walking in/out of it?  I work full-time but my mom is home with her and says neither of the girls are very active when I'm gone it's not until I get home that they the get the happy zoomies and start roughhousing.

My sister has my nerves on end, she's lost two to cancer and both started with a simple limp.  Whats concerning about that mostly is Sassy came from the same neck of the woods! 

The vet just called and wants to see her first thing tomorrow before referring her to an orthopedic.  I'm grateful because he is very open to referrals and specialist.  Sassy has her own cardiologist he referred her to as a pup when he found her heart murmur. They describe it as an innocent murmur and both agree it's most likely from her separation anxiety. 

Please if you have anything to offer I'd be greatly appreciative.  The more I go in with the more we can rule out from the get go.  It breaks my heart to see her like this and I want to everything I can to find the cause and alleviate the pain.

TIA

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

❤ Thanks Janet 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Hoping Sassy feels better soon!

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thanks Laurie

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

NEW UPDATE:  This conversation kinda got lost in another one so I thought I'd throw it back here. Last week she underwent the sedated xray.  Our vets were both baffled as to what it could be but you know the more I look at the xrays and zoom in I REALLY think the bone is chipped? How in the world she did this I'll probably never know? Hard landing from a jump, from being t-boned?? 

Something new I discovered over this last weekend when walking on pavement she is dragging her good leg and the top of her nails are all shredded, I'm wondering if she's having trouble supporting her body weight when she shifts to the injured side?  She's not acting in distress other than favoring it unless she gets too rambunctious then she whimpers and really limps otherwise she has a distinct wobble, she looks like a duck walking! lol  She's become a lap dogs which I am enjoying, she definitely wants mommas lovin which clearly means something is not right.

Depending on how tomorrow goes at the Pet Expo we might try to squeeze her in this Saturday or next to an orthopedic specialist recommended by Nancy?  Last year there were several medical groups on hand so I am hoping I can talk to a few and get some feedback, some booths actually had surgeons on hand then depending what the isolated topics are there are specialist giving seminars?

Wish us luck and we'll keep you posted.

Xray front left shoulder:

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You might ask the vet about a spinal issue. Scuffing (dragging the foot topside down) is a symptom of a disc problem. The only way that can be diagnosed is with an MRI. 
I think if a bone was chipped, your vets would see that.
And remember, most issues that cause these kinds of things are soft tissue injuries that don;t show up on Xrays.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thanks Karen. From the other xrays they took they said her spine looked good; straight with proper even spaces?  They also took one of her hips which they said showed NO sign of hip displasia.  They took a total of 10 and said everything looked good only oddity was the pic I posted? They definitely felt arthroscopy would determine what this is and one could only hope it's an easy fix.  I'll know more in the coming weeks.

[Stacy]

My thoughts are worth what you paid for them :) But I agree with Karen. I would be worried about something neurological with the foot scuffing. I feel like there are dogs with only one front leg and that there shouldn't be an issue with leg strength if she's not having a problem with her other front leg. I also think that if I had insurance and they would pay for it I would want an MRI before I would let them do exploratory surgery on her. 

But when you have two dogs with major health issues like mine have had, you turn into the world's biggest worrier. So I'm not sure everyone would share my opinion!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jolene, try this simple test:
While Sassy is standing, pick up her foot (the one she's dragging) and turn it so that the toes are pointed down, touching the ground and kind of tucked under, like a ballet dancer's, and the pad is facing her back end. If she doesn't right it immediately, that's neurological.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Ha ha, my mom and I couldn't figure out what you saying so i asked my daughter and she went right to it.  I swear Sassy has springs!   No neurological problem here.  Lol

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Testing for the equivalent of "drop foot" in people?

My neighbor has disc problems and has trouble with her foot orientation... on her driving foot.. still drives O_O

Glad Sassy passed the "test" :)

[Stella]

Testing for proprioception - does the brain know you have just put their foot upside down?  Dogs with neurological dysfunction will be slow to correct, or in severe cases won't correct the foot position. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Interesting, thank you :)