Help Needed! Questions About Limping

[ddnene]

I'm really glad to hear that the products have worked for you. ..I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get them sooner. ..maybe it would have either prevented some of this or at least kept it at bay. Live and learn unfortunately. Do you use nuvet plus also or just nujoint?

Yes I give her both NuVet Plus and NuJoint… she also gets adequan injections, but she is 10 years old. I give Wally my bully NuVet supplements, but I haven't started him on the NuJoint as of yet. Don't beat yourself up, I only learned about this stuff on EBN… I also give my pups coconut oil to help their joints.

 

[Goob14]

Yes I give her both NuVet Plus and NuJoint… she also gets adequan injections, but she is 10 years old. I give Wally my bully NuVet supplements, but I haven't started him on the NuJoint as of yet. Don't beat yourself up, I only learned about this stuff on EBN… I also give my pups coconut oil to help their joints.

You know. ..I never really thought that a dog could develop arthritis so young but it make sense because of the EB build. Hopefully...that's what I'm dealing with and not an ACL injury. Maybe I will go in on the coconut oil as well. ..he is sleeping on my leg right now. Poor baby.

 

[Libra926]

We just went thru this with VegasR. We took him in and had xrays done....3 specialists looked at them and it was determined that at 7 years old he chipped his elbow and is suffering from advanced stages of arthritis. (Vegas is not graceful due to the epilepsy drugs that he is on. He missed a step on the stairs and took a tumble. Then as he was getting better, it happened again. We now have a gate secured at the bottom and a gate pulled across the top of the stairs to prevent this disaster from happening again)



The drawing on the left is where the chip is and the drawing on the right is where the arthritis is.



We were told strict bed rest. No running, no playing, no stairs, no couch..........nothing. That was near impossible, but a couple of months later and he's no longer limping. He is on a good dose of glucosamine and he's back to his playful self.

 

[Goob14]

We just went thru this with VegasR. We took him in and had xrays done....3 specialists looked at them and it was determined that at 7 years old he chipped his elbow and is suffering from advanced stages of arthritis. (Vegas is not graceful due to the epilepsy drugs that he is on. He missed a step on the stairs and took a tumble. Then as he was getting better, it happened again. We now have a gate secured at the bottom and a gate pulled across the top of the stairs to prevent this disaster from happening again)

View attachment 80901

The drawing on the left is where the chip is and the drawing on the right is where the arthritis is.



We were told strict bed rest. No running, no playing, no stairs, no couch..........nothing. That was near impossible, but a couple of months later and he's no longer limping. He is on a good dose of glucosamine and he's back to his playful self.

Wow...that IS strict bed rest!!! I suppose if the vet tells us the same thing (or something similar)...Goob will go back to the crate when we leave the house.

 

[bullmama]

I ordered nuvet plus and nujoint plus. Not the DS. I read that you said the two were made to be taken together. Maybe if I go through the first bottle and realize he needs more I'll go for the double strength

Yes, that is correct, but there is two different Nujoints, one is nujoint plus, the other is nujoint DS, which basically has more mg of each of the ingredients. I give mine the nujoint plus not the DS, and it works really good so far, even with the cold coming in.

 

[Christie H]

What we are dealing with as of right now is our boy Abbott started kind of walking weird ..sideways etc. About a week ago so we took him to the vet and she thinks its a strained ligament in his knee.It is his hind leg. He is on Vetprofen and sedatives to keep him calm so we have our fingers crossed it heals on its own. He still walks with a limp at times.When it started he wouldn't bear much weight on it at all for a few days.

 

[rjisaterp]

[MENTION=12231]Goob14[/MENTION]

Cranial Cruciate Ligament and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Disease in Dogs


The stifle joint is the joint between the thigh bone (the femur) and the two lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). It is the quadruped equivalent of the knee in bipeds (i.e., humans).

A ligament is a band of connective or fibrous tissue that connects two bones, or cartilage, at a joint; the cranial cruciate ligament is the ligament that connects the thigh bone with the lower leg bone - it helps to stabilize the stifle joint. Cranial cruciate ligament disease , also referred to as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is the sudden (acute) or progressive failure of the cranial cruciate ligament, which results in partial to complete instability of the stifle joint. Cranial cruciate rupture is the tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament; it is the most common cause of rear-leg lameness in dogs and a major cause of degenerative joint disease (progressive and permanent deterioration of joint cartilage) in the stifle joint; rupture may be partial or complete.

The possibility of a genetic link is unknown. An understanding of the role genetics might play may be important in increasing the likelihood of actively restraining stifle deficiencies and/or structural (conformation) abnormalities. What is currently known is that all breeds are susceptible. Specifically, the incidence of cranial cruciate ligament disease increases for rottweilers and Labrador retrievers younger than four years of age, dogs older than five years of age, and in large-breed dogs from one to two years of age. The predominant gender this affects is the spayed female.

Symptoms and Types


The severity of this condition is related to the degree of rupture: whether it is a partial rupture, or a complete rupture. The manner of rupture is also indicative of the severity, based on whether it presented suddenly, or has been a long-term (chronic) degenerative condition. Degeneration is the decline or loss of function or structure. Sudden (acute) front ligament (cranial cruciate) rupture results in non-weight bearing lameness, and fluid build-up in the joint (known as joint effusion). The dog will hold the affected leg in a partial bent position (flexion) while standing. A subtle to marked intermittent lameness, that may last from weeks to months, is consistent with partial tears in the cruciate; tears that are degenerating and progressing to complete rupture. Normal activity resulting in sudden (acute) lameness would suggest degenerative rupture.

A decrease in muscle mass and weakening of muscles (known as muscle atrophy) in the rear leg - especially the quadriceps muscle group, would be an indication that the leg is not being used properly and the muscles are suffering as a result. Progressive and permanent deterioration of joint cartilage will result if the condition is left untreated, due to ongoing inflammation, and to conditions that will encourage the degeneration of the ligament and surrounding muscles.

Causes


The causes for cranial cruciate ligament disease are most frequently caused by repetitive micro-injury to the cranial cruciate ligament, that is, putting pressure on the ligament in the same way, repeatedly. This action causes slight stretching of the ligament each time, altering the structure, and eventually causing the ligament to tear. Symmetrical or structural abnormalities that occur in the formation, or growth process (conformation abnormalities) are also suspected in the majority of cases. If the bones that make up the stifle were abnormally formed, the cruciate ligament will be unduly stressed and traumatized. Obesity also plays a role in cruciate ligament disease, when it is present, as the weight increases the incidence of repetitious injury to the same part of the leg.

Some of the incidents which may bring about deterioration of the cruciate are injury to the stifle joint; a history of athletics, where repetitive movement can cause stress to the ligaments; a specific traumatic event, as from jumping badly, or any accident that causes the ligament to tear; a knee injury, such as dislocation of the kneecap (medically referred to as patellar luxation).


Diagnosis


Your veterinarian will have several diagnostic procedures to follow when looking for the source of the injury. A diagnostic evaluation for cranial cruciate rupture will include a cranial drawer test, which involves specific manipulation to assess the status of the cranial cruciate ligament; puncturing the joint so that fluid can be removed from the point of origin (arthrocentesis), in order to study the cells for toxins, invasions of microorganisms, or immune mediated diseases; and arthroscopy, which uses an arthroscopic tool to directly visualize the interior ligaments, cartilage, and other structures inside and around the joint, as well as to treat abnormalities in the joint.


Here is alink to TPLO surgery.

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Jewel had a torn ACL. She had the above surgery and is back to normal activities. We used the Nuvet joint supplements which we think helped in her recovery.

I hope this helps.

 

[bulletsparents]

[MENTION=12231]Goob14[/MENTION] any update on your dog? has he gotten any better? our dog bullet is having same issue at only 4 1/2 months old

 

[Goob14]

@Goob14 any update on your dog? has he gotten any better? our dog bullet is having same issue at only 4 1/2 months old

Thanks so much for asking. His limp has slowly been going away but it has been 2 weeks and he is still favoring his hind leg. We have been keeping him off of the bed and all furniture and take him for short walks around the block. He doesn't seem to be in any pain. I read online that some serious strains may take up to six weeks to heal. If he isn't back to 100% by next week, we will be taking him in for xrays. If it comes down to that, I'm worried that it is a torn ACL.

Whats going on with your little guy?