[Woof]

Ruby, our 5 year old basset is limping. It's her front left leg or paw; can't really tell.

It happened once when she was a baby and then it went away. Happened again about a month ago and it went away the very next day.

Now, it's been going on 2 full days and I made a vet appt for her but she can't get in until Monday morning.

She's still wagging but we're concerned. Will keep you all posted.

Ruby's mommy

 

[TrudiRose]

Good luck to Ruby - let me know what the vet says. Our 8-month-old basset, Norton, has been limping for THREE full months! It's his front right paw. The first time I took him to the vet, he examined the paw and saw nothing wrong, thought maybe it was just a pulled muscle. I tried giving him glucosamine chondroitin every day. But it didn't go away.

So a few weeks ago, I took him in again. The vet did thorough X-rays to see if it was osteochondrosis or elbow dysplasia or something like that. Nope - the X-rays again showed nothing.

The vet put him on 10 days of Prednisone. After a couple of days, the limp magically went away - but only for two days. He had two limp-free days, but then the limp returned, even though he was still on the Prednisone.

I'm going to take him in again next week, but I feel very discouraged, because I don't know what the problem is. Yesterday he DID have an almost limp-free period in the afternoon (we had a nice walk and he was doing very well), but then the limp returned.

On the positive side, he's not in any pain or discomfort at all - he never yelps, no matter how you touch or manipulate the paw - and he gets along fine and even trots quite speedily. He just bobs up and down and has an uneven gait while he trots. Walking, the limp is much more noticeable.

 

[Anonymous]

I am glad that you have made an appointment to see your vet. Our Basset Ben started dragging his back end when he would get up, at about 9 months. I found a wonderful vet who is also a Basset breeder who explained to me that Bassets, especially big boys go through a lot of growing pains because of their body type. Ben has been taking Deramaxx for a couple of months and we have noticed a huge improvement in him. While it is difficult to watch your baby gimping around , I have yet to hear of any dog that was in a great deal of pain. They limp and gimp to protect themselves and their joints. This is not uncommon in Bassets. Good luck at the vet, curious to hear what they have to say. Martha

 

[TrudiRose]

Birch Briar, that's comforting to hear! I don't mind if it's something common that they grow out of. I'm just a worrier, so when I see my puppy limping, my mind goes to "Oh, no, there's something terribly wrong! And it will get worse, and he'll be crippled for life!" So, thanks for the reassurance!

 

[lnrider]

If Ruby is still a puppy, it could very well be pano. Cooter had pano, and the vet said it could come and go and change legs. He took Rymadyl when he was limping, and eventually he outgrew it! Your vet will be able to tell you if it is pano. Best of luck, hope Ruby is all better soon!

 

[Mikey T]

Ruby being five pano is very unlikely the causes of limping are too numerious to even speculate on.

I basset puppy especially male begins limping Pano is the number one suspect, even when other orthopedic conditions exist. The short limbs put much less torque and stress on the joints. Also because the genetic of dwarfism the joints themselves are larger in comparision to other dogs therefore they can tolerate with little or no discomfort what would criple other breeds.

Panosteitis

[ March 01, 2004, 11:06 PM: Message edited by: Toughynutter ]

 

[TrudiRose]

Woof, what happened with Ruby? Did the vet find the cause of the limp?

My Norton has just been diagnosed with a form of elbow dysplasia called "premature closure of the distal ulnar physis, leading to radius curvus." He's having surgery on March 23. I feel so sad and so worried.

 

[Betsy Iole]

Sorry to hear about Norton; hope his surgery goes well.

From Tampa Bay Area Veterinary Specialists

Angular Limb Deformities
Angular limb deformities are usually caused by asymmetrical growth of paired  bones as a consequence of trauma or breed-related developmental disorders. The  most common problems involve the antebrachium because of asymmetrical growth  of the radius and ulna. The distal ulnar physis can be damaged by minimal trauma,  which may lead to premature physeal closure and asymmetrical growth. We also  see premature closure of the distal ulnar physis without trauma in chondrodystrophoid  breeds such as Basset Hounds. These dogs frequently develop excessive carpal  valgus, which may be accompanied by cranial bowing of the radius and pronation  of the foot. Some dogs also develop elbow subluxation, which may not be obvious  clinically, but may be a significant source of pain and lameness. It is important  to carefully evaluate these dogs clinically and radiographically prior to developing  a treatment plan. Immature dogs with premature closure of the distal ulnar physis  may be helped with a segmental ulnar ostectomy. Carpal valgus deformities are  usually treated with a corrective osteotomy of the radius stabilized with a plate,  external fixator, or cross-pins. Elbow subluxation is usually treated with a  dynamic proximal ulnar osteotomy. We occasionally see severe deformities resulting  in limb shortening, which might best be treated with osteotomy and Ilizarov (ring) fixation. Prompt and thorough evaluation of these patients is essential for treatment  planning and an optimal outcome.

Additional links:

Angular Limb Deformities (D. Degner DVM)
Angular Limb Deformities, PetPlace.com (Dr. C. Reese)

[ March 12, 2004, 08:26 PM: Message edited by: Betsy Iole ]

 

[TrudiRose]

Thanks, Betsy!

 

[Mikey T]

From Betsy's link Angular Limb Deformities petplace.com

Some breeds are predisposed to premature closure of the growth plates, causing abnormally short, crooked legs. This is normal in breeds such as the basset hound, shih tzu and dachshund, but sometimes this \"normal\" abnormality is more pronounced than expected and causes lameness.

Angular limb deformities are often misdiagnosed in basset as a cause of limping when they are not. It is not unheard of a dog to go through surgery and still be limping. Because some degree of deformity is the norm rather than the exception it is not just a matter of determining if the deformity exists but if the deformity is great enough to be causing a problem.

From Betsy's post and Basset hound FAQ on elbow dysplasia

A study on forelimb lameness in the Basset is currently underway at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. As previously mentioned they have determined that elbow incongruity occurs in the Basset but suspect that incongruity rarely causes the lameness. During the course of the study, conservative therapy will be recommended for all cases in which panosteitis appears to be the cause of the lameness. In cases with severe growth deformities or elbow pain associated with elbow incongruity, surgery may be recommended. If your Basset develops lameness and is diagnosed with an \"elbow problem\", discuss with your veterinarian the possibility of panosteitis.

As much as I love our current orthopedic vet I would want a second and maybe even a third opinion from a specialist of orthopeadic that is familar with bassets before opting for surgical correction.

From Ask Dr. Mike"I think that some Basset hounds are pained by the deviations that occur in their legs that are just breed characteristics and we see a lot of Basset hounds with interdigital pyoderma (infections between the toes) who are lame as a result of this problem. Treatment for the inflammation and infection usually resolves this problem and then it usually comes back later on and has to be treated again."
As another possibility for lameness.

[ March 13, 2004, 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Toughynutter ]