Dog Question

Xeikeness · #1 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:29 AM

Ok, so my silly pup went and hurt his left front leg. I have no idea how, and I have no idea what it is that hurts, besides the generalised "left front leg".

Every day, multiple times a day, I ask him for a hug. I hold my arms out and say, "Hug me, lovey!" and he jumps up, stuffs his head against my chest, I grab his elbows, and we hug. Then I ask for a kiss and he gives me one and we go aobut our daily lives.

Only today... I asked for a hug and he wouldn't give me one. Six years together, and every time I ask for a hug he's up like a flash. Something was wrong. I gave him a quizzical look, "Jennyr, hug me lovey." He hopped up, stretched out his legs, yelped really loudly, and sat down again before he could even touch me.

I asked for his paw, he gave me the right one. I felt up and down his leg, no problem there. I asked for his left paw, and grudgingly he gave it to me. I took his leg and he yelped again. Hm.

So I poked and prodded and stretched and massaged... nothing. He put his paw down again. I asked for it again. He gave it to me, and yelped.

What on earth???

All the vets are closed around here right now... anyone have any ideas? There's no tenderness except for when he first puts it up. I can stretch it and flex it once I have it, but as he gives me his leg is when it hurts him enough for him to yelp.

And does anyone know which is toxic to dogs? Acetomenophin or ibuprofen? And is vikoden ok to give to dogs? My hub swears up and down that vikoden is ok for dogs, as long as it remains the same per weight as it would for me. Anyone know for sure?

B25Wolfpack · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:32 AM

sounds like a shoulder problem, has he been pulling anything or playing alot of tug-o-war? . I would give him low dose aspirin, that is what the vet told me to give to my dog once. I hope the little fella gets better and its nothing serious!!

Xeikeness · #3 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:36 AM

Hehehe... little fella.

110 pound rott/pit mix... no, he doesn't do anything but sleep, eat, and hug me. lol

trendkill · #4 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:37 AM

I don't know about the vicodin, but you can give him Benadryl (the regular tablets) in case there is any inflamed or swollen tissue within his leg. 1mg for every pound he weighs, every 6-8 hours. It should also make him a bit drowsy, which may help with pain.

Get him to a vet though, because dogs generally have a very high pain tolerance, and when they show that they're hurting, it's usually not good. I had a Boxer that ruptured the ligaments in both back knees. The vet said the injuries appeared to be 1-3 months old, but he first starting limping about a week before I took him into the vet! He had to have two very expensive surgeries to fix his knees. Had we caught the injuries earlier, the surgies may have been able to be avoided.

Poor baby.. I hope he's ok. Give him a hug for me!!!!

Xeikeness · #5 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:38 AM

So it's acetomenophin that's ok, and ibuprofen that's toxic, to dogs?

Xeikeness · #6 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 03:40 AM

I'll give him hugs, but I don't think I'm gonna ask him to hug back.

And Jennyr has a massive pain threshold. My little brother three years ago stabbed him in the gut with a fork. All the way to the flat part of the fork. Jennyr just looked up at me as though to say, "Mom.... save me... please?"

Hence why his yelping -really- concerns me... He only yelps when it's -bad-. Otherwise, he makes NO nosie.

Isn't benadryl allergy stuff?

Tom · #7 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:17 AM

I would check with your Vet before giving him any meds but I do know dogs can take aspirin for pain and joint relief. I use to give my two old dogs a 14 year old lab and a 18 year old mutt aspirin every day to help with there arthritis.

Take care
Tom

Reptscue · #8 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:36 AM

You can give a big dog like him 1-2 adult buffered asprin. It could also be his neck. When a dog has a pinched nerve it can shoot pain down the front legs like it would do in a human.
Tell him to rest and get him to a vet.

Stargazer · #9 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:37 AM

I hope it's nothing serious. The last time that happened to my cat, she got better on her own. Is there a 24-hour vet you can just call for advice? There's usually one in any decent sized town. Best of luck, Xeike.

Xeikeness · #10 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:42 AM

lol, small town, here. Technically I'm in a little town called "Metzger" which is a subsidiary of another small town called "Tigard" which is a sad excuse for a town south of portland.

There's a 24 hour vet about 45 minute drive away, and I gave them a call, but the rude woman on the phone said, "I'm sorry I can't help you over the phone. You'll have to come in for an exam." "How much is an office visit?" "115 dollars, there may be additional charges for treatment or size of the dog."

...

Money. You know, I wish it were still the good old days when to get something done you needed a barrel full of corn and a few healthy chickens, you know?

Stargazer · #11 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:47 AM

Yeah, those emergency vet bills suck. Sounds like not an emergency, but I'd be really nervous about giving him any human meds w/o a vet. Could he have stepped on anything sharp?

Xeikeness · #12 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 04:58 AM

I thought that, too. I cruised the backyard looking for anything he could have stepped on, but didn't find anything, and there's nothing sharp inside. He also has no pad soreness, and his feet and wrists and ankles look just fine. There is no visible damage.

Stargazer · #13 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 05:03 AM

Well I'm feeling small and helpless in this situation (lol) but you can always call in to my emergency vet (303) 366-2639 in Aurora, CO and ask to talk to a vet about the meds. They don't have to know you don't live in the Denver area. They have been very helpful to me over the phone in the past.

Xeikeness · #14 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 05:23 AM

Hmm... I might do that. Thankies!

Jem_Scout · #15 (**permalink**) 04-02-2007, 03:17 PM

How is he doing today?

Xeikeness · #16 (**permalink**) 04-02-2007, 05:43 PM

He's doing better today... he's still limping, but there's not much to be done about it until I have money for the vet. In the meantime, he's doing much better with aspirin and a double dosage of his glucosamine. I went and pulled the foam off my bed, folded it up and stitched something of a case around it... he now has his own super squishy bed, and he doesn't want to get off of it even for food. lol

(I don't give my dogs beds, because they sleep on mine, or on the sofa)

I guess it's high time Jennyr had his own, with his hips getting worse, and now this thing with his shoulder...

He's getting kind of up there, he just turned 6, and for a dog his size that's just passing into middle age, and the ride only speeds up from there.

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