[BookerMoose]

For the past couple of weeks Moose has been favoring one of his rear legs - for the first few steps he takes after getting up he won't put any weight on it and basically holds it up and hops. Then after a few steps he puts it down and walks perfectly normally... and otherwise runs, plays and goes up and down stairs completely normally. He also doesn't appear to be in pain and doesn't react when we feel around the leg, hip and knee...

We had the vet do a really quick look at the leg last week when we had Booker in for her back - she felt around the leg and flexed his hip and didn't think there was any obvious problem with the hip or the knee (he had strained his ACL once some years ago, but was then obviously in pain and reacting totally differently than he is now, which is really limited to the few hopping steps when he first gets up).

The vet said to watch him and if he didn't improve to bring him back in for a more thorough look, which we are definitely going to do since he continues to do the Moosie-hop. In the meantime I was wondering if anyone else had experience with anything like this?

 

[Murphys Dad]

The Bagel sometimes will get a thorn or sticker as we call em when roaming in the desert. He three legs it over to me for fixing and then will do just what you say to test it. Moosie may have had something that bothered him like that, it didn't get fixed straight away so he may have lied down, got up, a couple times before the annoyance worked its way out. Now he recalls and tests just to be sure before trusting.

 

[BookerMoose]

That is an interesting theory - bob. We do know that Moosie isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so he could keep forgetting he is better now! Also, I hadn't really thought of his paw, either, and had been focusing on his knee and hip... so I'll check that out tonight just to be sure.

 

[Murphys Dad]

He could have a tender pad or something so a good foot exam wouldn;t hurt. I know the Bagel is an accomplished three legger and often by the time he gets back to me for repair, he will have already shook the offending item off, but he won't put it back down with out me rubbing his foot and then he only tests the repair with caution. Give Moosie some love from the Bagel and I

 

[Murphys Dad]

Amber would limp when she first got up when her arthritis was bothering her. It took a couple of steps for her leg to loosen up and then she was fine. She'd run and play and be fine afterwords, it was just those first few steps that were awkward.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Nice ideas there.... Big hug to Moosie

 

[Zookeeper]

Cassie has arthritis and dysplasia and she will sometimes do the same thing when she first gets up, especially if she's been down for a while.

Hope Moosie feels better soon and you and the vet can figure out what's bothering him.

 

[BookerMoose]

Well, the Moosie Hop wasn't getting any better so today we took him to the vet - this time with his own appointment rather than just as an add-on to Booker's appointment... After much more poking, prodding and such, the vet now thinks he hurt his left ACL somehow. He doesn't seem to be in apparent pain (unlike the time he injured his right ACL a few years ago when he fell down a snowbank while pooping...) and so we just have to watch him and keep him on reduced activity for a couple of weeks to see if he gets better. If he does - wonderful. If he doesn't - possibly surgery. He'll go back in two weeks at the same time we take Booker back for her four week checkup about her back... Fingers and crossed they are both on the way to being mended without surgery.

Oh, and we took Popcorn to the vet with Moosie today to have her anal glands expressed and, guess what - she has an infection in them! Good grief - two of our three are on medication, a different two of the three are on reduced activity to hopefully avoid surgery. And why exactly have we never gotten pet insurance?!?!?

 

[Zookeeper]

Poor Moosie! Hope the bed rest helps so he can get past this without surgery.

I know what you're saying about pet insurance. I think we won't need it and then one trip to the ER makes me beat my head against the wall.

 

[Lisa P]

Hope it's not the ACL, but from what I have read it sounds as if a dog has injured one there is an 80% chance of him injuring the other. Crazy sounding I know, but I have come across this same statistic everywhere I've looked as we once thought one of our dogs torn hers.

Good luck with Moosie and I hope he feels better soon.

 

[cobismom]

Tell Moosie I have an injured ACL too, and to do what the doc says...bed rest and lots of lovin'. Not a fun thing, and he certainly doesn't want surgery on it.

About insurance, so many PEOPLE don't have it, can't afford it, and then we have to think about our wonderful furbabies, too? I added up our vet bills to the first of July ---- OMG! it was a scarey thing!