My Chiuaua is lame on her back feet. I am keeping her ...

Hi Customer (name blocked for privacy),

First, stop with the tylenol. It can be very toxic to dogs if used to frequently.

Does she carry a leg when she is limping? If so, is it always the same leg?

I'll be here watching for your answer.


__________________
Please check just one ACCEPT box. Feedback is nice, too.   Medicine comes in doses of Science, Art, and Miracle, given as needed.

no, not always the same leg...and actually this morning it seems like her hind legs can't keep up with her front legs. She is "wobbly".
I have her out of the crate now and she is eating and walking fine....

Good Morning!,


Wobbly... like she is a little unsure if her back legs are going to work right?

And you didn't say... when she limps, does she carry one leg lifted up?

Does she ever switch legs, when she is walking, to carrying the other leg and using the one she had been lifting up?

I know, sometimes these questions seem a little curious, but there's a method to my madness Images available only to Customers.



__________________
Please check just one ACCEPT box. Feedback is nice, too.   Medicine comes in doses of Science, Art, and Miracle, given as needed.

Yes, like she is unsure if they are going to work. No, she does not hold her legs up, but she does use them at the same time when she is walking. So, like a gallop.......she stretches out one of her hind legs....I'm not sure if its the same one every time, but she spends a lot of time stretching.......

Thank you for the quick reply...

Small breeds, such as Chihuahuas, Poodles, Yorkshires, and too many more to mention, are more prone to have knee problems.... their kneecaps will slip out of place, usually to the inside of the knee. This isn't painful, but it has to feel 'funny', and they walk gingerly. (actually, a dog's knee is called the 'stifle', but knee is easier to type ;-) ).

Usually, when they walk, they will flex the leg that isn't working. Straightening the leg allows the kneecap to slip back into position more easily.

The cause of this is hereditary. The knee end of the thigh bone has an abnormally shallow groove that the kneecap usually fits into, and when the thigh muscle pulls to straighten the leg, as when climbing, or taking a step, the kneecap can slip out of the groove and off the end of the thigh.

Resting for just a moment, especially if the leg is straight, may be all that's necessary to reposition the kneecap.

Many, many, small dogs have this problem, to varying degrees. Some large dogs too, but usually it is associated with some injury. All of them accomodate to the 'challenge' and get along fairly well. Many owners never notice.

Left alone, over a period of many years, severely affected dogs have a change in their bone structure that better suits the 'new' line of pull by the muscles i.e. over the side of the thigh bone instead of straight over the top. The hip joint and thigh grow to a new shape, but this new shape makes the dogs bowlegged, their knees point outward instead of straight ahead. This causes a great deal of walking and sitting difficulties.

You realize I have been speculating, not being able to feel the knees. My recommendation is to ask your veterinarian, the next scheduled visit you have, about the knees and walking irregularities.

This is so common that some vets say nothing, on general visits, unless the owners mention something like 'she carries her leg up sometimes'. Nothing is going to change, for the better or worse, between now and then.

Crating her longer will not be helpful, and please, NO MORE TYLENOL. There are newer, saver aspirin-like drugs for dogs and cats available from your veterinarian.

I hope this is of help. More questions? just ask


__________________
Please check just one ACCEPT box. Feedback is nice, too.   Medicine comes in doses of Science, Art, and Miracle, given as needed.