Grrr, he's still limping :(

[mama23+pyrs2]

Today will be the 4th day since Yukon started limping on his front paw. I will have to see how he does today. I tried to take a better look at it last night but found nothing out of the ordinary..at least that is visible. I felt around the pad, couldn't really see into the fur since he fights like a moose. He didn't seem very bothered with me looking and feeling around the foot and his leg and applying light pressure. I just don't know what to think. He still holds it up when he sits, as if to show me, but doesn't want me touching it ha ha. The sitting on him suggestion to get him to hold still..not happening. Hubby could barely wrestle either of the dogs to the ground and if he managed, they were up in a second.. we must have fought with them for an hour just to look at his paw and trim 4 dewclaws. With all hubbys weight on top of them, he still can't hold them down. And Yiska fights even harder than Yukon. Anyone they ever don't want around, surely won't stand a chance.

Do I give his leg more time? Hubby keeps saying to wait it out a week. I'm just paranoid.

[fivestartaylor]

Hubby's are natural procrastinator s!!!! If it was me I would have to take em', i am a worry wart at heart.

[mama23+pyrs2]

Does he put any pressure on it?

How do his nails look? Sophie tore one of her dew claws a few months back and it was painful for her to walk on occasion....bu t it healed okay.

He still walks on it, just lighter I guess- hence the limp..but it does touch the ground and he uses it. I checked out the nails on that foot and they all look normal. I was going to clip all their nails since it's been awhile and saw that only his double dewclaws in the back needed it, since they seem to grow at lightening speed those things. I WISH I could see something so I'd know what's wrong already.

[mama23+pyrs2]

Were you able to get a really good look at the paw pad ... especially up near the toes? 

When we were in Atlanta, Elli tore hers all to pieces while playing and was limping around like crazy.  It took a while for me to even notice it was part of the pad that was torn.  She was pretty sore, but within a week they'd heeled up fine.

I hope it's something simple for you guys too!

Yeah, I was hoping to find something obvious like an injury to the pad or something but they looked fine and I felt all around each of them as best I could, and down between them..he didn't seem to mind it either. At least not mind it anymore than being held down, he didn't react differently to me touching anything. It's a mystery.

[lins_saving_grace]

it might be a light sprain.  Lady got those and it would take a week for her to feel better.

[mama23+pyrs2]

it might be a light sprain.  Lady got those and it would take a week for her to feel better.

He's quite a big clutz so you may be right!

[mama23+pyrs2]

Well when my mother in law came over to pick up my daughter this afternoon, she looked at his leg and felt up and down in comparison to the other one and it is swollen.  When she pointed it out, I could feel it too..right over his joint there. He had no problems with her touching it though, same as me..and he doesn't even know her well. Hmmm.......

[lins_saving_grace]

how's he walking now?  have you tried baby asprin for pain/swelling reduction? 
he should be ok if it's just a sprain.

[Duramax]

it might be a light sprain.  Lady got those and it would take a week for her to feel better.

He's quite a big clutz so you may be right!

Chevy has sprained his leg 2 times since we got him and he'll favor it when walking but he wouldnt ever react when i'd feel around the leg either. hopefully it's just a sprain.

[RMSChloe]

you said its swollen over the joint, which joint? and when you feel that spot thats swollen, feel the same spot on the other leg to. compare the temperature of the two, is the one thats swollen hotter, and can you feel a pulse in it?

[mama23+pyrs2]

He is still walking the same as he was last Monday when he started limping. I didn't even think to give any asprin or anything, I'll need to look up the dose I guess..there was a thread awhile back on meds I remember.

The joint that is swollen is the one just above his front paw where the leg bends, I might sound dumb here, but I don't know what that technically is called on a dog, haha. There was no noticeable difference in temperature or any pulse like feeling. It's not so swollen that you can notice it from just looking at his legs either, you have to feel for it.

[sc.trojans]

My Berner girl sprained her wrist last week and has been favoring that leg since. She is weight bearing, and when first up on it more sore than when she loosens it up - hence a sprain. 

To treat, the most important thing is to rest them - truly rest them - no walking or running or jumping beyond normal around the house stuff.  Ice it for 10 minutes a day, and I have been giving Traumeel for pain and inflammation (available at your local health food store - homeopathic).

Keep in mind that a true sprain will take about 2 weeks to heal.  So rest for this duration is key and you can't expect it to resolve in a few days.

[mama23+pyrs2]

My Berner girl sprained her wrist last week and has been favoring that leg since. She is weight bearing, and when first up on it more sore than when she loosens it up - hence a sprain. 

To treat, the most important thing is to rest them - truly rest them - no walking or running or jumping beyond normal around the house stuff.  Ice it for 10 minutes a day, and I have been giving Traumeel for pain and inflammation (available at your local health food store - homeopathic).

Keep in mind that a true sprain will take about 2 weeks to heal.  So rest for this duration is key and you can't expect it to resolve in a few days.

Okay, thank you. I have a homeopathic that I've given him only twice..perhaps I should continue to try it until I see an improvement. It's a trauma/injury formula and I was hoping that it would help him some. I would have given it right away but forgot I even had it. He doesn't do a whole lot..he runs a bit when he goes outside, but not much..just to run to the fence to bark mostly. He and his sister wrestle a bit but unless I keep them apart, it's kinda of impossible to prevent haha. I sure hope it resolves. I haven't tried ice. Is there an easy way to ice the leg? Trying to think of how to do that.

[RMSChloe]

my pup has HOD, and she needs her legs iced regularly to keep the inflammation down. What i do is soak wash clothes in water in a bowl and put them in the fridge (still in the bowl of water) for a while untill they get really cold, i dont put them in the freezer because then they dont bend well. and i take them and wrap them on the joint. and when they warm up, i change it with another one. another thing you can do is get the blue gelpacks. make sure theyre the gel, so when they freeze, they will still flex. you can get one of those good and frozen and get this wrappping that has a thousand different names and brands (vetwrap, coflex, powerflex, etc.) the vets use it a lot to wrap after an IV has been in or whatever theyre doing. its a streachy sticky wrapping (ill put a link so you can see what it is, ive even seen it at my local pharmacy) and you can secure the ice pack on with that so that the dog can still get up and move with the pack on. just dont put it on too tight, you can cut off the circulation.

http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=516

obviously, dont order it from the site. you can probably find it at a petsmart, or if you have a feed store (horses) around you, theyll have it for A LOT cheaper than this site has it!!

[mama23+pyrs2]

Thanks for all your advice and info on the wrapping to ice it too. I haven't done that yet, gotta go get the stuff to try it. I just got off the phone with a couple of vets to see what they said. We still don't have a vet for them so I was calling to see if I could find one with some large and giant experience or dogs in their practice at least..since our last vet didn't seem to have a whole lot of knowledge about them. Pyrs are seldom seen around here, so one vet has a Pyr mix that's it, but they do have Danes and Mastiffs and the other vet had a Pyr 3 yrs ago..but also have Danes and Mastiffs..so that's good. They both advised lots quiet time and rest, and to give it a few more days and see how he is. He gets a lot of rest..he isn't very high energy as it is and since he hurt himself, he lays down a lot.

So, I made an appt for him on Monday if he's still not better. I also wrote my breeder in the meantime to ask her opinion, and to her it sounds like a sprain too. She mentioned Motrin for the inflamation.. anyone know right off the dosing for that? I'll see if I can find that thread that was posted if it's not too buried.

I'll keep you all updated! I just stood there looking at him in his crate last night, getting teary cause I get so scared with all these terrible stories on the board. I kept looking at the way he sits verses the way Yiska sits..his feet seem to turn out but hers don't. Is that normal? Maybe I'm just a paranoid preggy momma.