Dragging hind leg

k9kreationz said:
I was thinking about getting Koji a Thundershirt (just in general, but also for this). I was hoping it would make him feel more secure being crated since he loves snuggling and when the drugs stop making him tired, he's going to be a total PITA. BUT, I don't want him to associate it with being hurt or confined. Thoughts? I could put it on when we go for our potty walks (freedom) and when he eats (yummy time) and go from there.

Also, do you guys think I should try to stay home with him on Thursday? BF is home tomorrow, so we can still keep an eye on him. I'm assuming he'd sleep, but being crated all day/night might make him crazy. Thoughts?
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I bought Spirit an adorable little pink Thundershirt. Didn't do a damn bit of good. I donated it to a rescue who said they could use it.
 
Koji Update:
It's been a week that he's been on crate-rest. He's getting whiny, so he must be feeling better...or he's in pain and uncomfortable. When I have allowed him to walk a bit, he doesn't look like he's dragging his paws anymore, yay. But his back still slopes and he isn't able to hold himself up all the way when he pees (he squats a bit). The vet said to give it to two weeks to see if anything changes.

So, not much difference. :( I'm scared we'll have to go forward with a CT scan. Vet said that would cost $1500, but does that include all the pre-work too, like bloodwork? I'm assuming they'll have to put him under so he'll stay still. I wish I knew what was going on with him or even to know if it hurts.

Does anyone know how much pressure I'd need to put on Koji's spine to see if he's still have muscle spasms? I'm going to call my vet tomorrow to find out if no one really knows. And may see if he's willing to give me more muscle relaxers. I wish I could tell if Koji is in pain or not. Ugh! Why can't they talk to us?
 
I wonder if you've thought about taking Koji to a chiropractor? I know if may sound far fetched but there are chiropractors that specialize in dogs that could help. Perhaps ask your vet if they know of one in the area.
 
It's good that he's not limping, so maybe it will get better yet. Will it make any difference to how he is treated if he gets a CT? When I took Tully back to the hip specialist because of her limping he suggested a CT scan (or an MRI but no way could I afford that). But I didn't go with it because it wasn't going to change the treatment regime she was already on.

A muscle spasm is easy to see if you just rub the area like you are giving a light massage. Deska gets them all the time and his fur twitches when the muscle spasms. If he's having spasms, or his muscles are sore than a massage from you will probably help a lot (plus I bet he'd love it).
 
Piper's mom said:
I wonder if you've thought about taking Koji to a chiropractor? I know if may sound far fetched but there are chiropractors that specialize in dogs that could help. Perhaps ask your vet if they know of one in the area.
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Actually, that was the first thing I asked (we used to go when I did agility) - great minds think alike. :) However, the vet said that seeing as how we don't know what is going on, we need to get him better first. Once he's better, then he is fine with chiropractic care as upkeep. But seeing as how we're not sure what is going on, going to a chiro can cause more damage than not. Does that make sense?
 
Caro said:
It's good that he's not limping, so maybe it will get better yet. Will it make any difference to how he is treated if he gets a CT? When I took Tully back to the hip specialist because of her limping he suggested a CT scan (or an MRI but no way could I afford that). But I didn't go with it because it wasn't going to change the treatment regime she was already on.

A muscle spasm is easy to see if you just rub the area like you are giving a light massage. Deska gets them all the time and his fur twitches when the muscle spasms. If he's having spasms, or his muscles are sore than a massage from you will probably help a lot (plus I bet he'd love it).
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Would his care change? I would say it could. It's his back/spine. A CT scan should show us he needs surgery to fix something and then he's fine. It could show us that this is only going to get worse and there's nothing we can do. Well, that's what the vet said and he said I have to make the choice depending on how much money I want to spend.
 
Really hoping he doesn't need surgery and he's just torn/pulled something.:fl Times like this don't you wish they could talk and tell you what's wrong.
 
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