Desperate help needed for ill labrador

fireyanth

Hi all

I am posting here in desperation. My 9 year old lab fell ill quite suddenly last night. After having some treats in her usual jovial fashion, she then disappeared. I found her in the lounge struggling to catch her breath and trembling. She then started with a limp to her right front leg, and then the wimpering started, turning into full blown yelping at times.

We took her to the emergency vet at 10pm last night, and he couldnt find anything obvious, but as she was definitely in some discomfort, he gave her a morphine shot to relax her for the night. This didnt work. Nor did the rimadyl tablet.

She was just as bad this morning, yelping in pain, walking very badly in general with a limp to the front, and her tail well and truly tucked between her legs with her back slightly arched. Our own vet agreed she wasnt 100% so gave her a valium shot to see if she would be better this afternoon, which she wasn't. So we have been back only for her to be given another valium shot and be booked in for xrays tomorrow.

I did abit of reading today and came across Canine Vestibular Disease which can induce this kind of behaviour, and is linked with the ears, which funnily enough the vet said last week she had abit of an ear infection and he gave us some drops for it. The locum is not so keen to look at this option.

Does anyone have any ideas? her blood tests came back clear by the way

Thanks in anticipation.

junkyard

My sister had a problem like this with her dog it turned out to be a pulled ligament in her back leg and very painful by all accounts, hope this might help, hope its nothing major with your dog.

eiretamicha

I do not think it's vestibular. Look at her eyes, are they moving/jumping/not steady? Is she dizzy? Is she walking in circles? Is she vomiting everything she eats/drinks?

I assume she's had X-Rays done already? It sounds like she just genuinely hurt her leg. Keep her rested and limit her mobility, if possible.

Good luck and keep up updated.

fabcat

Hope she gets better soon.

Dave!

yeah, hope she feels better keep us up to date

Seanie M

If she has hurt her leg, then the only thing that you can really give her is lots of TLC. Keep her mobility limited, pet her a lot, even talk to her in calming sounds (cheesy I know, but you are treating your pet like it was your child, right?).

Comfort is the key for this kind of situation, even if there is not much that can be done for the pain.

Seanie.

Rogueish

Hope she feels better soon.

Our man in Havana

Any update on your dog?? I hope she/he is ok soon.

Ronan|Raven

My beloved lab cross of nearly 13 years (she is still going... just!) had something similar, however in her case she had a seizure but was limping quite badly after it, odd I know. Maybe in no way similar to your incident but just another idea.

eiretamicha

Ronan|Raven wrote:

My beloved lab cross of nearly 13 years (she is still going... just!) had something similar, however in her case she had a seizure but was limping quite badly after it, odd I know. Maybe in no way similar to your incident but just another idea.

In many cases, a seizure can cause nerve damage which can, in turn, cause limping, partial paralysis, etc.

13 years! Wow! You're so blessed to get 13 wonderful years of memories out of your Raven. Labs are beautiful creatures.

padi89

eiretamicha wrote:

Labs are beautiful creatures.

yes they are even if you own one thats a bit of a poser:D

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f258/padi89/?action=view&current=DSC00236.jpg
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f258/padi89/?action=view&current=DSC00235.jpg

eiretamicha

padi89 wrote:

yes they are even if you own one thats a bit of a poser:D

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f258/padi89/?action=view&current=DSC00236.jpg
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f258/padi89/?action=view&current=DSC00235.jpg

Your Bailey is gorgeous!!

quad_red

My lab of 14 years (died last September ) experienced similiar symptoms when he damaged his back leg (and later on when the resulting arthritis was bad).

Yes, he was a stud. Broke his leg during the act. Amazing dog though.

Maybe she was attacked by another dog fireyanth? Could explain the pain and fear/stress?

Hope it works out.

FranknFurter

If the vet still cannot find somthing, tell him to check her heart very carefully and check also for signs of a stroke.
it sounds basic, but, can she walk in a straight line or is she favouring one side? When limping, is she holding one foot up or is it more a "lurch-limp"?

b

dragona

fireyanth, I have pmd you

dragona

eiretamicha wrote:

In many cases, a seizure can cause nerve damage which can, in turn, cause limping, partial paralysis, etc.

13 years! Wow! You're so blessed to get 13 wonderful years of memories out of your Raven. Labs are beautiful creatures.

I need to say that Labradors are the best dogs ever ever ever

Darragh29

Our last dog once managed to chew a piece of a rubber bone and swallowed it. I'm not too sure of the actual problem it caused but she could not break it down in her stomach or pass it and this caused her to act all weird and was in obvious pain. She was very withdrawn and if we touched her, she went beserk. Maybe look at this as an option? If it's come over her suddenly, it may be that she has ingested something that cannot pas through her system and needs to have it removed. I imagine this would appear on an x-ray depending on the density of the object, although in the case of our own dog, I think the vet could actually feel the object in her stomach. Worth investigating further anyway, hope you get to the bottom of it anyway..