# ugh, now she is limping...



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Angelina*

Oh, sorry to read she is limping!

Think I missed reading about her teeth being extracted so trying to make the connection between the teeth and the limping.

We had two Samoyeds that had to be on meds for arthritis and we had to watch their activity a little bit, but they didn't act real crazy!


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

She has mild arthritis and because of the pain meds has been feeling TOO good! She tries hard to keep up with the 2 year old and this past week has done things she has not done in years, like jumping up banks and running/sliding downhill. Now that the pain meds are wearing off the stress of feeling too good from the past week are catching up and she is gimpy...

I am thinking of starting her on a low dose of pain meds if it helps her arthritis and will talk to the doctor about it this weekend. I want her to remain active and not be in pain from it but not feel so good it makes her arthritis worse. She is still only 10.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Angelina*

Angelina

Yes, talk to her vet and tell her exactly what you are saying here and see what she says. 
Keep us posted!!


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## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes, please do be very careful. They can get themselves in big trouble from feeling "no pain". Kind of sad, but better safe than sorry.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

No - sort of just the opposite here! 

Tee has arthritis in her front ankles, and limps without her painkiller. But with the Deramax, which she takes daily, she can run and play ball, and jump on and off my bed, go for hikes in the woods, and run on the beach. It makes me happy to see her happy.

I would never prevent her from playing ball because it is THE best thing in her world. Her quality of life would nosedive without ball, and I know she would become depressed. We may play less now as she gets older, but as long as she feels good, I let her do whatever she feels good doing.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Pain is the body's way of saying back off. For example, if Angelina's excercise is monitored (not stopped, just not over doing), then her limp goes away. Drug free. So why would I want to give her drugs for the rest of her life (she is 10) which will in turn stress her organs and who knows what it does to her mentally, when she can live happily without them?

She does lots of swimming which is a low stress exercise. She retrieves the ball...on the lawn. She loves keep away, we play. We hike but not fast; it is mostly mental for her (the nose, ya know...). She may be a little stiff getting up, but she is happy. And when she's had enough she knows it and she lets me know. 

The day where she limps without pain meds but from doing these normal lower stress activities will be the day she gets (another) full blood panel and put on something to help her. I'd like to keep that day away if I can. Until then, I may get something for her for those days she does over do it. (for after, not before). 

How old is Tee?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

> Last night she found one of Cannella's 'hooves' and started gnawing at it... I took it away and yup, blood on her gum where the stitches are and later a glob of blood congulate comes dribbling out. I'm taking her back in Sat. for a check. She was so upset I took it away.


Is she still bleeding from the gums? Is she on antibiotics? If not I'd probably call the vet and ask if she's at risk for getting a bacterial infection from anything on the hoof that got into her incisions by chewing on it. She might need a round of antibiotics if she isn't on them already.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

@ Dallas Gold, thanks for your concern. She is still on antibiotics and back to soft food. She is not sore but not ready for hard things yet. We have an appointment for Sat. K


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Angelina said:


> Pain is the body's way of saying back off. For example, if Angelina's excercise is monitored (not stopped, just not over doing), then her limp goes away. Drug free. So why would I want to give her drugs for the rest of her life (she is 10) which will in turn stress her organs and who knows what it does to her mentally, when she can live happily without them?
> 
> She does lots of swimming which is a low stress exercise. She retrieves the ball...on the lawn. She loves keep away, we play. We hike but not fast; it is mostly mental for her (the nose, ya know...). She may be a little stiff getting up, but she is happy. And when she's had enough she knows it and she lets me know.
> 
> ...


Hi again,

Tesia just turned 11 - and I should clarify - she ALWAYS limped without the pain meds, starting when she was 10. It didn't go away, even with no exercise.  So it sounds like her arthritis is more advanced that Angelina's. For sure, if Angelina can be drug-free and get exercise and be happy and pain-free, then don't put her on the painkiller. 

It was a long, well-researched decision for me to put Tee on the Deramax (look back at some of my threads. It took me a long time to decide to do it). She limped for a long time - always when she walked - but then she would still want to run and play ball. Playing ball is Tee's biggest love in life. And without the painkiller, she'd have to stop. Her poor little ankles swell up, and she is clearly in pain. I made the decision to help her do what she loves more than anything. I truly believe my dog would be depressed, and her quality of life diminished if she couldn't play ball. So weighing both sides, putting her on the painkiller seemed the best. Of course, I monitor her, and I cut off ball-playing earlier than I did when she was younger and pain-free. I know how much she can do these days (though the other day, just as I was taking her home from the park, a little girl arrived and wanted to play with her. She played ball for another half hour at LEAST, and she was just fine later on). I also have her blood tested every six months (she is just coming up to the end of her first six months on it). 

I certainly didn't mean to sound like I was telling you to put Angelina on drugs - I apologize if it sounded that way. More, I was just relaying the positive results for my dog, in hopes of giving you peace of mind if you were worried the drugs were making A feel TOO good.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

One of the things I'm learning is that some exercise is worse than others. When you're out hiking, you might want to keep her on a leash for the first half of the walk, until she burns off some energy and while the others burn off some of theirs. 

Then, when everybody has being more sensible, let her go. Not as much fun, for sure, but maybe a way of controlling your feeling good senior!


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Awww I'm sorry about Tee. Does the vet know why she is in pain for her ankles? Is it confirmed that it is arthritis?

A few years back Angelina would hop in and out of the car (the back wagon type with my dog walker) and she kept coming up lame; but it was a soft tissue injury. I bought a ramp and started using that with her. If I'm not careful that injury comes back so I know the front is not arthritis. But her hips are.

This morning no gimp so I am happy (no pain meds either). I have just been so affected by using ibuprohen for years without thought and then losing a kidney and having to stop all over the counter drugs. I've learned tons of what our common medications can do to you and hate it that our culture encourages use of pain meds as the first line of defense. So I do get a little defensive...sorry. 

Each dog is going to be different and age differently, just the way it is. The bottom line is our hearts are in the right place...to make the quality of life for our dogs the best it can be.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

@Pennys Mom...good advice! (sort of like lunging the horse first, huh?). For Angelina she hates hiking the same trail! (reminds me of my horse) and won't walk. We live next to 600 acres of forest and trail but Angelina hates walking it! So she stays home and I take Nellie. Angelina's main exercise is swimming which suits us all fine.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Kim sorry to hear Angelina is limping. Hope her mouth heals quickly but those hooves are just WAY too tempting. Hope the limping is just from over doing the energy because of the tramadol. Talk to your vet, see if you can give her an NSAID to help the limping, it will help her mouth too but not to the extent the tramadol does. I am a FIRM believer a little pain is really an ok thing. It does make them think. 

When Maxine had her first knee operated on, they brought her out to me with a morphine patch on. She came out bouncing on both back legs like she so often did (her nickname was Tigger) as if nothing had changed. When we took the patch off at the time we were told to, she stopped weighting the surgical leg. It suddenly was rather painful, it slowed her down too. Thank YOU!!!! Yup a little pain is ok in my book. Not a lot, a little.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Thanks Max Mom, she is fine this morning in regards to the limp and no longer on pain meds. She is retreiving the ball and eating her soaked food so I think she is well on her way in the mending department. K


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I walk the fine line on medicating for pain. Besides the dangerous consequences like yours, eliminating pain lets the horse or dog over do.

I believe a little bit of pain actually keeps the injury from getting worse and keeps the patient quiet.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Angelina said:


> Awww I'm sorry about Tee. Does the vet know why she is in pain for her ankles? Is it confirmed that it is arthritis?
> 
> A few years back Angelina would hop in and out of the car (the back wagon type with my dog walker) and she kept coming up lame; but it was a soft tissue injury. I bought a ramp and started using that with her. If I'm not careful that injury comes back so I know the front is not arthritis. But her hips are.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks.. it's okay. I definitely hear you about OTC painkillers and drugs. I hate the use of drugs myself - for me AND my dog. But after much research, I decided it _is_ right for Tee. And we definitely have the pain under control now, and Tee is her happy, bouncing, ball-playing self!  

It is definitely arthritis - she was x-rayed, and basically, she has very little cartilege left in her two front ankles. She had been limping on her right leg for a while, but I noticed both ankles were suddenly looking very swollen and knobby - the way I remembered my grandmother's old arthritic knuckles. I even posted a picture here. Poor knobby ankles 

But for Tee, the pain med has given her a new lease on life. And all of our dogs are different, right? For me, knowing Tee as I do, I would rather that while she is alive, she can run and play ball. I think she'd choose the same. For her, life with no drugs and no ball would not be life worth living. But for a dog who doesn't NEED to play ball the way my dog does, I'd maybe not give the painkiller. 

Before I was facing the painkiller decision, I was very hesitant about turning to drugs for her, too. So I TOTALLY get where you're coming from. :wavey:


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Poor Tee...I am so glad you were able to help her! She is a pretty girl!


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## JenniferJohnsonLovesGOLD (Sep 8, 2011)

My vet recommended: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=36526&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|589|770|90941&N=4048052&Mo=15&pos=4&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=90941&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC24936-Cat770&topnav=

Jen


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