working on 2 legs…uug..what!!
I am beside my self. This Am, my girl woke up pretty much balancing on 2 legs.. what is going on. my anxieties are through the roof. Yesterday, we did nothing out of the ordinary, went to work (she comes too), went to stable, she pretty much just layed down for about 20mn and went home.
This AM she can barely balance because she is barely using her back Right leg, only toe touch. Mostly because she has to, being a tripawd and all. Shes almost peg leg, like during a CCL tear. So shes pretty much walking on one side of her body, because shes a Right amputee and now R back leg pan. Uug my worst fear a CCL tear.
The catch to all of it is she has very tiny lung mets, still only visible on a CT scan. Ortho appointment is scheduled for monday,(it will be a loong weekend) If it wasnt for the mets id be less freaked out.. well still freaked out but not as much. Because, what do I do.. its such a hard recovery, yet I dont want to take away her livlyhood of hoping around, today,she mostly just wanted to lay down and even for the first time ever had a hard time getting up, I had to help in alot of the cases and when I didnt, she strained ALOOT. She didnt work out of it and i let her rest all day, she just went on drives with me, but even if given the chance to move she only peed and then went to lay down.
Im pretty freaked out!!. Her personality and attitude is fine, except for being a bit frustrated because its hard to move.
Of course I went on into my research. She had a TPLO on her left hind about 3 yrs ago. But this one had no gradual signs..just woke up and no use… what the heck is that?!! shes definitely off balance trying to stand on 2 left legs.
options: via my mind pre vet consult: prolotherapy (they use it alot in people, no guarantee but also use on dogs and horses. conflicting research but yet so is everything else these days.
Brace: my vet mentioned prior that even the best braces do not physiologically function for this situation because of the angle and function of the knee joint. As a rehab therapist, ok, I get it but.. hmmm.. this is a unique situation now…
shockwave therapy for pain…problem with this is.. its doesnt heal (i dont think) it just decreases the pain, hence the problem of the knee not mechanically being stable, hence ligament instability.
surgery:.. huge recovery, not knowing the speed of her cancer, yet no surgery, she wont be at her optimal self, yet if surgery, lots of recovery and pain in recovery, with cancer slow or fast….. idk.. plus cant to any meds for cancer while in recovery for kneee because it delays healing.. yet if no knee then shes only half of her normal self… omg.. so so stressed.
aaaahhhhhhummm…
this is going to be a long weekend, especially the way my brain works…
oh and BTW… no i still have not moved forward with deciding a Ca med TX.. uugg.
not that im suddenly overwhelmed or anything.
November 8th, 2014 at 5:33 am
NEKA! Sweet beautiful Neka!! Geez, sorry you’re having issues! Just rotten!!
Of course, yoj are not worrying about a thing…..you’re leaving all that to your mom! And we humans do that really well!!
Okay moM…B R E A T H E……B R E A T H E…. you are overwhelmed, understandably so! With it coming on so suddenly, it could be a pinched nerve, or something else not scary that complete rest can handle. Could you call your vet and get a prescription for Prednisone until you can get her in? That could help for now. Maybe even a low dose pain pill?
Try not to jump ahead to the “what if’s”…yeah, not easy!! I REALLY doubt t h is has anything to do with the almost invisible mets. Neka is feeling too good snd doing too well for that ro be a concerned
Yep, a long week end indeed. But we are all right here for you to lean on. To help pass the time, maybe you coukd post some more pictures….her other pics fro other post just melt my heart!! Love this dog!
Eat lots of junk food and give her extra treats this week end snd just know she’ll be fine! You’ll figure out the cause, come up with a trewtment plan and get on living life n in the moment snd to the fullest with Neka!!
Sending you lots of hugs…..and don’t forget the deep breaths!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
November 8th, 2014 at 6:36 am
thanks!!,
i know I sound spastic. (surprise, surprise) Its crazy how I can be perfectly fine composed through all of these crazy more harsh diagnosis then this stupid thing just sets me over the edge. I think alot of it is knowing our limitations from her already dx condition. I think my over spazing alot is from almost all of the steps up to here were from me oddly enough guessing/ pre catching all that has happened. And with her having a prior knee, Ive seen how they move and thinking, pardon me WTH… I do have gabapentin and rimydl which I gave her tonight after we got home prior to bed.
November 8th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
This is my greatest fear. Hopefully it is just a minor problem and easily fixable. A friend of mine did prolotherapy on her dog and when I looked it up, people said it was very painful. Hopefully she is better this morning and the vet will find an easy fix. Thinking of you both!
November 9th, 2014 at 1:44 am
Thanks. yeah prolo could be painful, I work with patients who have had it on their elbows and knees and shoulders to promote healing, there is controversy with the studies whether the results are long or short term, but it is using your own body’s blood so at least its natural with out steroidal side effects.
Just me brainstorming. but have to gather more info about dogs and procedures. It was just so intense to be something minor. Its a curse sometimes knowing too much about muscles….uug.
November 8th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
Oh gosh…we’d all be flipping out and feel like jumping off a cliff!!!
You have EARNED the right to spazz out! It’s not been an easy journey!! Just stay here with us…we won’t let you go too far over the edge!!
How is she today? I know she she still needs more rest, but it sounds like you’ve done what you canto keep her comfy til you can get a vet assessment.
PLEASE update us when you can. We love this girl!!!
Hang in there and grab a bag of chocolates at eat them all at once!!
((((((((((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
November 9th, 2014 at 1:11 am
Thanks, appreciate it… today mentally Im a bit better. and she.. well shes acting totally normal.. I way, way restricted her today, shes only gotten up to eat, and go potty and I totally suspended her with her harness. The meds from last night and this AM seemed to take a bit of the edge off. but if anything I know about meds, thats all they are meds. but honestly, shes not uncomfortable or acting odd.. just herself with decreased balance and odd lean..lol…appreciate the support to my flip out.
November 8th, 2014 at 9:43 pm
I’m so sorry Neka is having a rough time right now. Believe me I know all about TPLO procedures and the recovery required. My first dog Lucky had to have both knees done (not at the same time) and then my Leland went in for a TPLO which wouln’t hold plus he had an infection that the clinic couldn’t get under control after having him there for 4 days so that’s how Leland came to have his left hind leg amputated.
Then a few weeks after his right knee went out which lead us to make the difficult decision to let him go.
Perhaps Neka is only dealing with a partial tear because in my experience with my boys there’s usually a scream when it’s a full blown tear. I’m not sure of what can be done for partial tears but from what I’ve read usually surgery is the only way for them to gain full use of the leg again.
Your delimma of Neka’s cancer and having to put chemo on hold while she recoups from a TPLO surgery (which definitely takes a bit) is a tough one. I don’t know what I would do facing that situation. For my Leland his health was declining (autoimmune and thyroid issues) rapidly and we couldn’t put him through a 3rd surgery in such a short amount of time. Even the surgeon said everything would have to go 100% perfect after the procedure or we’d have to put him to sleep…nothing had gone a 100% since the whole mess started.
Just know that I’ll be keeping sweet Neka and you in my thoughts and I hope you find clarity to make your decision.
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 9th, 2014 at 1:20 am
thank you. so sorry about your pup. thats horrible the TPLO didnt take usually its the most reliable as far as all the knee surgeries go. Yeah she had her Left hind done about 3 yrs ago. Partial tear can be super painful because you have constant irritation on whats left of the ligament, and with full, youve detached all those pain receptors from point A to B, but I would guess aloot more motion in the joint with a full. her first tear was about 50-75% and even under anesthesia her draw test was still minimal, which apparently is a bit odd/rare.
But yeah, I think me being hit hard was that, the combo of Ca lung mets with this situation. Im hoping I will find a non conventional way to approach this situation to decrease the pain. But only monday will tell. Theres also an amazing rehab company called TOPS, that Ill probably be calling to make an appointment as well. Its even further than my oncologist and surgeon, but oh well, all worth it.
November 9th, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Ohhh guys! I saw that you were in the Forums and thought, hmmm, it’s been a while. I’m so sorry to hear she isn’t doing well and I hope that whatever it is it’s not serious. If you are listening later today to Tripawd Talk Radio we are having Dr. Kennedy, an awesome rehab vet, on our show, so call in and ask her anything you want OK?
Keep us posted. Lots of pawsitivity going out to you.
https://tripawds.com/forums/tripawd-talk/
November 9th, 2014 at 11:49 pm
Uug missed this post before the talk radio. Would have been cool to listen and hear about options. I used rehab with her left rear knee, and do as much as i can on my own so Ive always been interested.
November 13th, 2014 at 12:32 am
UPDATE:
Well went to vet on Monday, of course she would move a bit better than she was, but there was some instability in her knee as I feared, but honestly with her Ca diagnosis, do you really put her through such an invasive surgery. Which my surgeon pretty much agreed, so we changed to tramadol instead of rimidyl Im sure because of the effects on GI system. Though tramadol makes her so sleepy, Ill adjust dosage based on how she is.
Oh an FYI apparently NSDA stay in the system up to 72hrs which is probably why she didn’t seem as bad when I brought her in..
I am still a bit anxious.. in that I dont want the rest of her to fall apart while her body is doing so well with everything else.
so to balance a part of her yet not make anything too difficult for her body, yet don’t mask too much to cause increased problems…uug.. he offered a steroid injection… I wasn’t feeling it.. unfortunately with my background working in Rehab, I know the effects of those injections and how short lived, not to say, if one day she cant put the leg down at ALL, I wouldn’t do it, but not now.. to me the off effects aren’t worth it..
I may decide to have Legend injected its a joint supplement per-say…K…till next time