[AnnS]

Hope you get on okay at vets. A couple of months ago my big beardie couldn't get up, he was fine the night before, with difficulty we got him to the vets he got steroid injection and tramadol. Was about 3 days before he managed to get up without us helping him, back to vets and put on trocoxil but apart from that I've been taking  him to  canine massage lady locally, what a difference, his movement is so much better. His muscle tone is improved.


He'd obviously just did something to his back, so glad we gave him time to recover and didn't rush into having him pts.


AnnS

[Ladygrey]

Hi AnnS! Glad your dog is better now! maybe its something similar with laddie! who knows

Went to the Vet at 2, he did a full exam of Laddie and found no stiffness anywhere, was happy with all of his joints and neck and paws being turned over and laddie rights them again, temperature fine, no pain in the stomach, he was unimpressed at the tablets I was sent home with from the other vets for laddie

They were just antisickness tablets, no painkillers or anything

Laddie of course was walking ok when we were at the vet but I told him laddie cant get up, wont go up stairs, jump onto chairs etc etc

He has put laddie on Metacam for every day and after a week I am to call him and let him know if its taken affect, he says if Laddie is feeling better then its muscular or arthritis based and then just keep him on the metacam, if Laddie is not feeling better then will have to think of something else.

I gave laddie the first dose, he is still unable to stand up from sitting on his own, I filmed him to show the vet next time, it worries me as now I cant leave laddie on his own as he gets stuck in one place

So time will tell if the metacam takes affect and if Laddie improves

The vet was shocked at how much they charged and that they only sent me home with antisickness drugs

For today which was a consultancy appointment, full body exam and 3 weeks supply of metacam it cost £44!!!! the same at the vet back home (apart from it wasnt metacam it was wormer!) cost me £200!!

Just taken Laddie out for a wee wee but he cant stand up long, cant wait for the metacam to kick in     

[SallyintNorth]

  that Laddie starts to feel better soon.

Well done for getting him to another vet.

I'm wondering whether you may even have a case against your first vet for negligence.  There was someone had to go through that about a year ago and wrote about it on here... can anyone remember who it was and can find the thread?  I know they wrote up what they did to make a claim, and one of the legal folks (Kitchen Cottage would it have been?) gave them some legal advice.

[doganjo]

Metacam should take effect within an hour, but you might not see much improvement for a few days.

Allez had a similar problem last week, (he's kept just laying down, very reluctant to get up.  My vet checked him over, then pressed along his spine - big squeal at lumbar area so we reckoned he's pulled a muscle or twisted a vertebrae.  Metacam every day for a week and he was back to normal.

[Ladygrey]

Thanks

I think the problem with the first vet is that as Laddie didnt say anything when they touched him anywhere or squeezed him anywhere (I told them he wouldnt even if probly cut his leg off) they focused on me saying he had been throwing up recently, I said he was a farm dog and ate rabbits and often threw up as he swallows all the hair and bones and then throws these up later.

They said he has stomach ache and this is causing his hunched apearence and inability to stand up etc

I should never have mentioned he was throwing up, this was un related to his problems but as they couldnt find anything else they just accepted it was his stomach, gave me pills, took my money and said goodbye, the metacam and antiflam and antibiotics was just injections that lasted 24hrs

Silly people, he is a farm dog, I cant stop him from eating rabbits, they said I cant let him outside on his own and he cant eat rabbits or anything anymore... this wasnt the problem I was coming to them for 

So I dont think I would have a case, as I was the one to mention he was throwing up and they said his stomach looked like it has a mass inside it on the xray (was probly a freshly swallowed live baby bunny)

Maybe Laddie also has pulled something!!! unfortunately he wont let anyone know as he doesnt say anything for pain when he is being examined!!

[Bionic]

Hurry up and work Metacam

[SallyintNorth]

Collies are notoriously stoic.  My old boy Horace was persistently lame one day, when I looked he had a substantial screw (screw, not nail) sticking out of his pad.  I gave it a gentle pull, it was solid, so I decided to take him to the vet.  Horace being Horace, he stood stolidly while the vet unscrewed a 3" screw with a 90degree bend in the middle of it out of his pad.  As it came finally free, Horace uttered, "Mrmph."  It was the only sound he made throughout.  The vet was amazed.

But yes, it does make them harder to diagnose  .  Bless 'em :hugdog:

[Ladygrey]

Sally yes he is exactly like that!

he can be butted by my ram or jump a fence thats too tall and fall or anything and he would never say a word, he will be just looking for the next rabbit

Cant imagine having a screw screwed out!!!!

Is it best to leave laddie lying on his side or should I keep standing him up to get the blood flowing like we would a downer cow? he is on a sheepskin so its soft for him

[SallyintNorth]

I think it's not so much of a problem with non-ruminants to let them lie on their side if that makes them more comfy.

Sounds like you're going to have to help him get up to wee and so on.

Poor old Laddie, I do hope he feels better soon. 

[jaykay]

It sounds like something very similar to what's going on with my collie Skye, who is 13.

He is struggling to get up from sitting, sitting oddly, falling, no strength in his back legs etc.

My vets have said that they think the issue is arthritis in his back (over his hips, but not actually in his hip joints, in his vertebrae).

What they've told me to do is 1. Walk him up gentle slopes, to increase his back leg strength 2. We've got him on the top dose of the generic Rimadyl.

He isn't 'right' but he's certainly a lot better than he was.

I'm sorry you had such a bad, and expensive, experience with the first vet! I hope Laddie is helped by the painkillers.

[Ladygrey]

Woopsie...I must forget that not all of us are ruminants.....

Will just get laddie up for weewees then and leave him in peace the rest of the time

He does sound similar to your collie Skye!! although I was not expecting old age or arthritis to hit so suddenly and only at the age of 9

He is still wagging his tail

http://s22.photobucket.com/user/Duckberry/media/20140501_180040_zps6ae60cb9.mp4.html

[doganjo]

He's eating and drinking normally then? And weeing and pooing normally?

[Ladygrey]

He is eating and drinking normally,
I have him on chicken and rice as he isnt a big eater at all, food is not his forte and he says he is often too busy or prefers it live and kicking

He last wee'd at around 3pm, I took him out now and he didnt want to make anything, he last poo'd yesterday

[AnnS]

The vet you saw today sounds more sensible. The other things that helped my beardie were using a harness, I had one in the cupboard, a wheat bag thing warmed up in the microwave and placed across has back,placed a  lightweight  fleece blanket across his back at night, our house isn't very warm.


Hope tomorrow sees a big improvement for Laddie.


AnnS

[Old Shep]

I don't have much advice - just hoping Laddie gets right soon 


If its vestibular when they have a "do" their eyes move side to side very quickly apparently.