front problem with stag bitch

[Tiff 36]

I've a 6 year staghound bitch that started showing a problem over the past couple of months. It doesn't seem to bother her and it is not constant, but sometimes when she sits or is standing, one of her elbows bows out quite severely like she is bracing herself. Her foot seems to be in the same spot, it is her elbow and even some of her shoulder that looks strange. She doesn't show pain nor does she move any differently, it is a concern to us though. She is 24 inches and not heavily built, and as far as we know has not ever run into anything with that leg. She shattered a toe on the opposite leg 2 years ago but other than that she has never been laid up. Her dam was an off track greyhound, dad was a grey/built stag and not heavy either. She is normally kept rock hard fit but is not now, although she is lean and does run about the property. But she is not as muscled as she normally is. This started showing itself a month or so after we stopped working the dogs due to heavy ice/end of season anyway. Anyone out there with some suggestions? I'll post some pictures later to show what I mean since I might not be doing a good job explaining.

[Guest smashygadge]

a dog of aa good age suppose the old joints will start to cramp up if not worked for a while have you tried adding some good oil in her diet loosens them up some.hope she comes round

[MikeTheDog 153]

If my dog showed those symptoms I'd have her looked at by a good greyhound vet, may have pulled a muscle or worse.

[Tiff 36]

We have an old farm vet in our town, but the Mizzou vet school is 1/2 hour away and we can take her there, but I doubt there are any greyhound vets within a thousand miles of us (literally) I wasn't sure if what I was describing sounded like something someone had encountered before?

[skycat 6,173]

From a recent visit to the Greyhound chiropractor it does sound similar to the damaged shoulder joint that one of mine has. Without seeing the bitch I reckon it could be one of several things, the first two that come to mind is stretched/ruptured tendons and ligaments. Shoulder joints in dogs are pretty weak as a structure: there is no collar bone like in humans to anchor the limb so extreme over extension/sideways stress of the leg can damage the tendons holding the joint in place.

Muscle damage to the triceps is also very common in lurchers etc. Definitely get the dog looked at even if its at a vet school: the basic shoulder design is the same in all animals that walk on all fours so they should find something useful to tell you.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[Tiff 36]

would going from daily hard work to just knocking about cause that, or more likely an injury?

[skycat 6,173]

It sounds like an injury that has just got worse and worse until you noticed it. Not having a go, but I'm always shocked at how many injuries I hadn't noticed the chiropractor picks up: from torn muscle to tendon damage. and I pride myself on noticing these things!! Dogs still work, run and catch with all sorts of injuries: I tend to notice things when a dog doesn't pick up when I think it should have, like doesn't strike and turn properly on one side, or misses a catch I would have thought to have been a sure thing.

At the moment I have one groin strain, one dodgy shoulder, a torn muscle round the sacroilliac joint, a strained wrist and I could go on! OK, so they've been working hard all winter: one had even torn a stomach muscle some time ago and I never knew he'd done it: the chiro found the scar tissue in a second.

Dogs are tough buggers that's for sure. I'd have thought if yours is a tendon problem it has just got worse through time which it would have done if left untreated: even a quick spin round the yard, dog slips on something can cause it. Lead only exercise and massage is the only way to go: and if its bad your'e looking at 6 weeks no running at all.

[Tiff 36]

well here's an update on Slag, I had the bright idea of taking her into Kye's gym for ARP Treatment and after just a couple of sessions she is back 100% no limping no hesitation to run, jump, sit, etc. It has been extremely successful when used on people and has been used on horses and dogs, we figured if chiropractic works on them then why not this? This is the same treatment Kye went through after his car accident a few months ago, and he uses it almost daily (at a lower level) for muscle strain and "loosening".

 

 

I don't understand the techology, but from the website it says "ARP is an acronym for for Accelerated Recovery Performance, a system comprised of proprietary technology and protocols created by Denis Thompson founder of ARPwave.

 

ARP uses a patented bio-electrical current, simultaneously with active range-of-motion and other exercise techniques, to significantly speed up the body's natural recuperative ability."

 

 

http://www.arpwave.com is the technology if anyone is interested, I could not be more pleased, Slag even moreso!