Holding right hind foot up

[Dana]

Murphy is not putting weight on his right rear foot.
Over the past 2 days he occasionally hopped on the leg when running.
There does not seem to be any soreness or pain in his hip, leg, knee or foot.
The 2nd toe seems to be slightly sensitive to strong massage.
I can not see any abrasions or splinters or burrs.
Thoughts?

 

[Dr. Sara]

Hmmmm, there are a lot of possibilities. Since you have tenderness in the toe, I would address that first. If he still is lame, x-rays would be in order.

Bruises and Sprains:
Bruises may cause swelling of the affected body part. In dogs, feet and legs are most commonly bruised. You can soak the bruised part in warm Epsom salt solution diluted as directed for soaking feet. This is quite soothing, just don't let the dog drink the Epsom salts, and gently rinse the foot afterwards. Arnica 30 C one to three times daily for a few days will help resolve most bruises. Choose from the Mini Materia Medica below for help with sprains
Rhus tox - muscle soreness from overexertion, sprains, strains, damaged ligaments & tendonitis
use this with patients that start out stiff and improve as they move around
Ruta - torn or wrenched ligaments
use after initial swelling and pain has decreased
often useful if Rhus tox didn’t help or if stiffness doesn’t improve with motion

Fractures:
Fractured toes may be intensely painful. If the toe is not bearing much weight, and the fracture is not displaced, some dogs may act like it is no big deal. If a toe is fractured, with no displacement of the bones and intact skin, it is often better not to apply a bandage, as the other toes support the broken toe.
Symphytum 30 C once daily for a few days, then once weekly for three weeks will speed healing of any fracture.

Those are some starting points; I hope that helps!
Dr. Sara

 

[GinnyW]

My automatic response is to look for a cruciate ligament issue; I've seen this so many times. If such is the case, do not automatically think of a surgical outcome. There are lots of alternative treatments.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Cruciate ligament injuries are indeed common. A cruciate injury is less likely considering that Murphy is a young dog and sexually intact.
It is more likely that he injured himself in Agility, and forelimb and toe injuries are among the most common Agility injuries.
The same treatments apply for forelimb, toe, and cruciate sprains and strains. Cruciate damage runs the gamut from a mild sprain of the ligament to a full tear, and sprains will resolve with appropriate care.
Dr. Sara

 

[Dana]

Ginny wins the prize!
Dr. Wolff did an anterior drawer test. Murphy has a right rear cranial cruciate ligament partial tear.
He is recommending REST! (6-8 WEEKS!!!!!!), Acupuncture and Adequin injection 2x per week for 4 weeks. Gabapentin 300 mg 2x per day - possibly in combination with Amantadine later. 4 Desuquin soft chews per day... Dr. Wolff does not believe that the braces help but I'm tempted to get one anyway as it can't hurt.
I am WIDE open to any suggestions especially how to keep my own sanity. Our very favorite thing is long walks in the park and this is the very best time of year ?

 

[GinnyW]

Boy! BTDT, twice on the same dog - my first. He had two TPLOs, as noone was much doing conservative management then, especially the surgeon getting paid for them. He developed pretty good arthritis by the end of his life, though. Yep, the crate rest, at least initially, may be a good thing.
This link is from our vet. Although she employs braces, she has treated dogs with, without, with surgeries, with crate rest - and was successful with all. It depends on the extent, the dog's age, health, size...With your guy's partial, the outcome is very positive with rest and good nutriceuticals.

ACL/CCL-Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury - Canine Rehabilitation & Integrative Veterinary Center

Does Your Dog Have a Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury? Is Surgery the Right Choice for Your Beloved Dog? Maybe. It depends.

finndvm.com

In addition to the Adequan, which is great but pricey, I would look into either Trixsyn, which is not the least expensive, and JointFlex, from 100Xequine, and way cheaper b/c you can buy gallons. Both these are straight liquid hayluronic acid, the same compound, pretty much, as in Adequan. I've used them all, and still use JointFlex daily - me, too! - as a nutritional supplement.

I'd be inclined to look at the braces, especially if your dog is large or impetuous, or both. It's surely easier than worrying every time he moves.

 

[Dana]

Boy! BTDT, twice on the same dog - my first. He had two TPLOs, as noone was much doing conservative management then, especially the surgeon getting paid for them. He developed pretty good arthritis by the end of his life, though. Yep, the crate rest, at least initially, may be a good thing.
This link is from our vet. Although she employs braces, she has treated dogs with, without, with surgeries, with crate rest - and was successful with all. It depends on the extent, the dog's age, health, size...With your guy's partial, the outcome is very positive with rest and good nutriceuticals.

ACL/CCL-Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury - Canine Rehabilitation & Integrative Veterinary Center

Does Your Dog Have a Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury? Is Surgery the Right Choice for Your Beloved Dog? Maybe. It depends.

finndvm.com

In addition to the Adequan, which is great but pricey, I would look into either Trixsyn, which is not the least expensive, and JointFlex, from 100Xequine, and way cheaper b/c you can buy gallons. Both these are straight liquid hayluronic acid, the same compound, pretty much, as in Adequan. I've used them all, and still use JointFlex daily - me, too! - as a nutritional supplement.

I'd be inclined to look at the braces, especially if your dog is large or impetuous, or both. It's surely easier than worrying every time he moves.

Thank you sooo much for this Ginny! I will keep you posted

 

[Dana]

3 paths that we could take:
1: Surgery. would fix the tear. 6-8 weeks of total down time. rehab
2: Brace. tear will eventually heal with scar tissue. can resume normal life as soon as the brace is on. may have to wear the brace for life
3: do nothing. leg will heal but maybe not well. might limp for life

Dr. Wolff is treating 2X per week with acupuncture and Adequin injection.
Spoke with Dr. Jeff today and we will stop the Gabapentin as it is masking the symptoms and reducing his energy. Dosed with Ruta 30C 3X10 q-tip 3X within 1.5 hours.
We have an appointment with the orthopedic a week from Monday.