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

[Stella]

Scuffing the toe nails is almost always neurological and would likely be coming from her neck. X-ray only shows bones, it doesn't show the spaces where the nerves exit adequately. They can look fine on X-ray but MRI can show encroachment into these spaces by disc material etc etc. There are other causes of nerve symptoms into the forelimb, but a regular vet would not know how to assess for these - tight scalene muscles, first rib dysfunction etc etc. I would definitely timely try to get her seen by a specialist - ortho, rehab etc. This has been going on for a long time now. 

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

So we had a Bone Scintigraphy done yesterday and it's interesting they comment on her right foot that I mentioned she was dragging (second digit specifically). I don't completely understand the results, this language is beyond my smarts level but clearly they do see the issue with her shoulder and much to my surprise her foot which in the long run is less of a concern?  His first guesstimate was an injury resulting to what would be comparable to long term tendinitis? Looks like we'll have matching frozen shoulders! ugh

This facility was amazing, the evening of the testing they sent an email recapping the procedure, home care instructions, and what to expect in the next 48 hours, followed 20 minutes later by a copy of the report they sent to the specialist with images.

Here's a snippet from the report.  Hoping the specialist will call by the weekend and break it down for me in a way I can understand.

Findings:

A series of dynamic flow images was acquired following the IV administration of the radionuclide. No abnormalities were noted.

Soft tissue images were acquired 5 minutes following the administration of the radionuclide. No abnormalities were noted.

Multiple delayed bone images were acquired 4 hours following the administration of the radionuclide. There is a moderate, diffuse and articular increase in radionuclide uptake involving the left glenohumeral joint. There is a small, focal increase in radionuclide uptake involving the metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the 2nd digit of the right manus. No other areas of abnormal radionuclide uptake were noted.

 

Interpretation:

1)   Diffuse and articular increase in radionuclide uptake involving the left glenohumeral joint typical for osteoarthritis. The concurrent presence of soft tissue injury to the supportive soft tissues of the left glenohumeral joint cannot be excluded.

2)   Focal increase in radionuclide uptake involving the metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the 2nd digit of the right manus typical for a traumatic etiology and considered most likely secondary to altered weight bearing from the left glenohumeral pathology.

Increased uptake of bone seeking radionuclides (99mTc-MDP) on a bone scan is a nonspecific finding. Factors affecting radionuclide uptake include metabolic activity, blood flow and sympathetic tone. Typical causes for the increased uptake include, but are not limited to arthritis, infection, tumor or fracture. The pattern of abnormal radionuclide distribution, clinical history and radiographic findings all need to be considered when interpreting the etiology of the increased uptake.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think things will be clearer for you when you can speak with the specialist. Hopefully he/she will have a treatment plan. 

[Stella]

So glad that you decided to get this investigated further. The report seems to suggest that osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is the problem, rather than soft tissue. Hopefully the specialist will be able to explain the results so that you can understand them, and come up with a treatment plan. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My interpretation is foot injury is a result of the shoulder problem?????? 

If these problems are from an injury, might it be related to getting into and out of the boat from a swim????

I look forward to the real interpretation! 

Expect a phone call asking you how Sassy is doing....

I found this place through Karen and Jackdoodle's research.  We were well satisfied for Gordie's orthopedic and dermatological needs.  When we took Charlie to the Emergency vet section recently, I was disappointed in that they tried to sell me extensive treatment - drain, surgery, overnight stay..... but when I declined all that, they cleaned the wound thoroughly and stapled it up and Charlie healed perfectly.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

In viewing her in Sacramento I think she was dragging her foot because shifting her weight to her bad leg was painful especially after her wild haired zoomies in the grass before I was able to leash and contain her? I could be wrong but I know with me I stumble when one hip is out.  I think I only noticed it because the parking lot and boat ramp was concrete so I could see and hear it, at home the carpet and grass muffle the sound.  She's not dragging now because her nails are not scuffed like they were that weekend. 

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Monday June 4th we go in for an MRI.  Surgeon called me on his day off to talk about Sassy.  He said her left shoulder really lit up but it was too large of an area to pinpoint the exact location that's causing the lameness.  He was pleased there were no other areas of concern (ie; elbow, foot, spine, etc).  He's hoping the MRI will narrow it down and shed light on the main culprit. Saturday we went in for her rabies shot and she was terribly freaked out she would be left behind. She's such a nervous Nelly and now with my mom in the hospital both dogs are very anxious, she's who they spend their days with while I'm at work.

I'll keep you posted on the MRI results.

[Stacy]

Wishing you both the best results from the MRI! Do keep us updated. I'm thinking of sweet Sassy.