# My golden has a limp...



## Dozer's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

I first noticed a slight limp Tuesday evening before bedtime and didn't think anything of it. 

I noticed Wednesday morning that it had gotten pretty bad. I watched him walked and noticed that it was one of his front legs. After pulling on both legs (gently) I realized that he slightly flinches when I pull on his left front leg. It seems like its his shoulder joint. I'm wondering if he just pulled a muscle. So I made an appointment for today at 3 pm with the vet but cancelled it this morning because it seems a little better. I'm hoping he can get over this on his own. We just spent 700 dollars on my cat because he had an infection. I don't want to spend anymore money with them if this is something he can get over on his own. He's doing fine as far as eating and drinking going. He still wants to play and begs for us to throw his toys but we won't do it because we want him to not put any impact on that leg.

We're going to ice and heat his leg intermittenly later in hopes that helps with any swelling that might be happening. 

Does anyone else have any suggestions? He's just turned 1 yrs old.


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## mesuezee (Jan 9, 2009)

has he had any ticks? i think limping is one of the first signs of Lymes. Please someone correct me if I am wrong. I'm not 100% sure.


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## Dozer's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

mesuezee said:


> has he had any ticks? i think limping is one of the first signs of Lymes. Please someone correct me if I am wrong. I'm not 100% sure.


He hasn't had any ticks that I know of. Hmm, I will research more on the lyme disease though. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

And yes, if anyone else knows more about the relation between ticks and lyme disease please pipe in!


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## Dozer's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

So I just googled it and indeed limping is a sign of lyme disease. However, it also said that a high fever is also a sign of lyme disease which I'm sure he doesn't have because he's eating and drinking fine. But I am now more worried which means I will take him in tomorrow if he hasn't gotten any better.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

None of my dogs have ever had a fever with Lyme Disease. Actually, of the 5 that I have had test positive over the years, only 1 ever had any symptoms and he just lost a bit of his appetite.

Hopefully, it is just a strain but definitely keep an eye on it. I usually give them 2-3 days to get over a minor strain and then take them in to be checked.


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## NewToGoldens (Feb 5, 2009)

Dogs w/high temp don't necessarily stop eating or drinking.

Limping is also a sign of another tick disease, anaplasmosis. Ask me how I know. 

Mine was running a temp but limping, slightly lethargic (which coincided w/warmer and humid) but ate/drank fine. Only noticed that he had a temp when the vet took it and said "okay, 103.8". 

Good luck!


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

How old is your dog? Darby started limping on his front legs at ~ 10 months. It was Panosteitis. It is a self correcting growth disorder of the long bones in the front legs. We took Darby to an orthopedic specialist, only took front leg exrays to determine the problem. They put him on Rimadal and "Bed Rest" after a few months it went away. YOu can find information on it here http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1561&aid=466

This only effects young dogs and mostly always males rather then females.

Good-luck.

v


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Common causes of limping in young dogs are injury (like a sprain), panosteitis, and tick borne diseases (TBDs—like Lyme, Anaplasmosis Ehrlichiosis, etc.).

A sprain will often get better on its own if it's not too bad. Have you checked the pads on that paw carefully? Sometimes they get torn or get debris lodged in them.

If it's lameness from a TBD, it'll come and go and sometimes change legs. You don't always get a fever or any other signs at all with TBDs, but they can progress quickly and become fatal. A friend of mine lost her Toller to Lyme nephritis (kidney failure) because they live high up in VT and the vet didn't consider it a possibility early enough.

There's a relatively inexpensive test for Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis called SNAP 4Dx. If you live in an area where TBDs are at all possible, I strongly encourage you to ask for it at the vet. Those three diseases are relatively easy to cure in most cases, but they can all cause permanent joint damage or neurological disorders, and can even be fatal if left untreated.

If you can rule out those TBDs for the $50 or so, then you can treat it a little more casually. Pano often resolves on its own with some rest, as will a sprain. Neither typically progresses into something terribly serious.


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## Dozer's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

We've been letting him rest for a few days now and he's all better... no limp at all! I was thinking it may have been a pulled muscle because he plays super hard! Thanks for all the input though. Also, I talked to some people here where I live and they all said we don't have a tick problem which was somewhat reassuring.


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## claregirl (Apr 23, 2009)

Morgan had Ehrlichiosis. No limp not temp, nothing. The vet caught it with a blood test that he does for his yearly check up. Two weeks of antibiotics and that was it. Hardly cost anything. Our neighbor on the other hand never took great care of their Lab. She stopped eating for two weeks before they brought her to their vet. She had Lyme and kidney failure. They had to be put her down. That cost a hell of a lot more than a blood test and antibiotics. They attributed her limp to the fact that she was 11 years old. God knows how long that poor dog had Lyme and suffered before they did something. People like that shouldn't have dogs.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

You have a good vet. At this point, in the areas with major incidences of TBDs (most of New England, for example), it just may be a good idea to get an SNAP 4Dx test every six months as part of the normal checkup. In most cases, Lyme takes months to progress to nephritis or permanent joint damage, so the 6 month schedule is pretty protective.


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