Strange Twitch In R Back Leg

[sandymere 8,263]

 

 

Always worth getting a dog looked at if your unsure whats going on, then next time you will have a better understanding.

Its pretty much impossible to say without seeing the dog but the two most likely things that may cause the symptoms you describe would be a muscle having gone into spasm to protect itself and surrounding tissue or rhabdomyolysis (RM).

Check urine if dark then RM is likely. If improving with gentle massage mobilisation maybe muscle injury.

Either way a period of rest and recuperation.

Encourage fluids and give decent feed with some good quality protein.

An just to reiterate, if unsure then vets.

rhabdomyolsis can take up to 48hrs to show, the first signs will be stiffness and the dog wont be able to sit or lay down preffering to adopt a standing position often leaning up something, next will come extreme muscle/weight loss across the back and flanks. urine will be dark to red coloured, if this is whats wrong with the dog and your not 100% sure of how to treat it yourself then get it to a vet.

Dark urine, stiffness and mild weight loss are pretty common when dogs run hard but in most cases wouldnt always be recognised as mild RMS, its only when they get the severe symptoms that you describe that its recognised for what it is.

This is especially so when people havent as much experience to enable them to draw the line between a mild exertion induced rhabdomyolysis, (RM) and delayed onset muscle soreness, (DOMS), in truth the line is a blurred one at the best of times.

 

As a dog suffering mild stiffness and dark urine can just be a little dehydrated this would be the usual diagnosis and as the muscle breakdown that shows RMS is delayed and may show in a day or so its all a little late to do much about it, so Id go for the basic vets if unsure but plenty of fluids and decent protein in all cases to cover all the bases. (did I just use an Americanism, hate that), to cover all possibilities (thats better).

With experience we get an eye for when a dog is suffering a little more than we would expect but that takes a few years and not all are as old as you and I.

 

Ps Who said exercise was good, I have doms from the gym Sunday and fell over on my run last night, still Im drinking coffee by the pint and ate a whole Toblerone yesterday so it will be fine.

[Nibler 3]

Thanks for all the advice. Today he seems alot better. Happy walking and wanting to run. He still is protecting it very slightly, but is so so different to last night. Will be resting him for a while.