I'm really frightened

[Piratebears]

Hi all,
My Grey boy Merlin dosent seem right to me.
He is 4 months old.He finds it hard getting up,he puts his weight on his front legs and strains to get up but his back legs seem to fail him and he skids.He hops along and its as though he has no muscle in his back legs.
We took him to the vets yesterday and the vet emptied his glands and checked his hips etc and said it all felt OK,but we could go back for X rays if we were still worried.
He has been a little better since his glands were emptied,but he still gets up like a cronky old man,his back legs seem so weak.
Any suggestions as to what this could be ??
:-(

 

[sarnewfie]

I hate it when no xrays are taken, i would think maybe a pinched nerve, spinal fusing, or arthritus
go get xray of spine and hips
good luck
Oh is this the pup?
i would also wonder about tick disease or was he playing with other dogs?
did he slip on ice?
did he torque something?
growing pains?
pano?
get xrays abd that will rule out some of it, blood test will tell you if infection or tick disease.check his gum color?
how is it?
if pale get him to the vet.

[ 02-26-2005, 12:36 PM: Message edited by: sarnewfie ]

 

[Piratebears]

We are taking him back next week for x rays.
I just cant believe how he is at such a young age.
He cries a lot when he lays down.We thought it was just growing pains.
He seems to walk OK now,its just the "getting" up that makes him look cripple.
Its like he has no strength in his back legs.
Im so very worried.
He is fed on Eukanuba lge breed pup and has Glucosamine/Chondroitin and MSM supplements.
Our elder Newf is fine

 

[sarnewfie]

Oh boy
here we go with the LARGE BREED FORMULA!!!!!
GET HIM OFF IT NOW!!!!
get him on an adult food low protein, NOW
this is so typical of pano and from growth related issues on newfs, nards and danes fed this large breed crap

i am not yelling at you, i am FRUSTRATED AS HECK at these frigging dog food companies.
get him on a good quality kibble adult formula YESTERDAY, go read the dog label post in the food and diet section, not the holistic.
I would make sure it is not tick disease, but read past posts on GROWTH related problems in the food section

[ 02-26-2005, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: sarnewfie ]

 

[Piratebears]

Can you tell me some more about tik desease?

 

[sarnewfie]

GET HIM OFF THE LARGE BREED FORMULA NOW!!!!
do a search for you part of the country, see if you guys have woodticks, i lay you odds this is pano, and GROWING TO FAST
And improper balance of diet, dane people follow the guidlines in the label post in the dog food section

 

[pawsx12]

Pano would be my take on it from the sounds. Diet is a HUGE part of this. Isn't it so frustrating when x-rays don't show anything and it leaves you hanging. Been there done that.

 

[Piratebears]

Its very hard to know what to do for the best.
I really dont want to get into a food argument,but my elder newfie has allways been on Eukanuba and has never had so much as a day limping.
Thats not to say that the food is excellent,just that you hear good and bad things about EVERY diet.
I live in England and i havent heard of Tick disease over hear,but will do a search.
I also havent heard of Pano before , but have read a little on hear since you mentioned it.
Merlins limping is only his back legs,and its both legs at the one time.He can walk fine,just cant get up OK and they fall under him.
I certainly will look into a lower calcium food as I have been worried he was getting too much,especially as we give him MSM tablets.
We are part of a water work grouo too,but I guess we have all been lucky in that no one there has had Newfs suffer from anything other than torn ligaments.A few have had OCD.
So I dont really have any one to ask over here.
My breeder is away too.She is excellent
Both parents are hip scored and quite low,Merlins Dad is the brother to last years winner at Westminster ( I know none iof this makes any difference to his illness )
I'm just so worried and really apreciate "case studies" so i can see what seems to match Merlins symptoms.

 

[Crazy4Suki]

In the meantime, isn't there a test the vet can give for Pano... to determine if that's really the problem? I'd pay him/her another visit and ask if they can run a test on that, and to see if they can do the x-rays now instead of waiting for Monday.

And if you switch up the food, do it slowly so he doesn't get the runs. He probably doesn't have much appetite anyway if he's feeling yucky.

 

[sarnewfie]

Each dog is an INDIVIDUAL
just becouse one did good on Euk doesnt mean merlin will
xrays will show if it is pano
if it was my dog
i would get him off that food now
becouse each day he is on imbalanced diet for "him" is an extra day he is in pain.
changing that diet today will hopefully show improvements if it is pano
and pano is both legs, all legs or one leg at a time.
he is at "that age"
and i would not worry about diahrea at this point

[ 02-26-2005, 01:23 PM: Message edited by: sarnewfie ]

 

[Piratebears]

We will get some new food first thing tomorrow ( its 7pm here in England).
What would you suggest ?

 

[Piratebears]

Also,he is fine in himself,he just seems as though he is really lazy and dosent want to get up.
He whines when he lays down to sleep too.
Do you suggest an adult food?

 

[sarnewfie]

you might all disagree with me, but many old time breeders and some people i know, switched them to kenlration or a low grade food like that, until the pano subsides, it will give them relief in as few as two days.
really and truly, it is a painful condition, and i have seen firsthand dogs bounce back from it when diet was changed.
not sure what you have in england, but ken L ration is a low grade food something i never would think of feeding unless i had pano to deal with, once past it, than i would go back to the other diet.
some do the Vets canned diet.
Blech, but believe me, they saw results.

 

[Piratebears]

We havent got that over here.We have:
Science pan,Pro Plan,Eukanuba,Bakers,Pedigree etc etc
Am i just looking for the lowest protein kibble?
Adult ?

 

[Crazy4Suki]

Yes, low protein adult food.

 

[sarnewfie]

you are looking for what i call "junk" food
i will look up some others and talk to someone who just went thru this
to see what she switched to

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Originally posted by ZoeandElla:
.
He is fed on Eukanuba lge breed pup and has Glucosamine/Chondroitin and MSM supplements.

That could be your problem. Iams/Eukenuba is a corn based food that is not only high in protein but a puppy food. The gluc/chon in dog foods is usually minimal and generally insignificant.
Get you pup on a good quality adult food instead. Pro Plan would be good if that is what you can get or Wellness. Then add your own gluc/chon supplements.

[ 02-26-2005, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: NewfYork ]

 

[ardeagold]

Also...you say he's whining when he lies down? Has he been wormed? Checked for worms?

I agree about the Large Breed Puppy food. It's no good for a Giant Breed...he needs to get off...now! Some lines just can't eat it...it causes serious growth problems.

I'm wondering if he hurt his back playing...but you need to have him Xrayed to be sure. Have you had him lie down and tried to move his legs? See if you can pinpoint where the problem is. Don't jerk him, or twist him...just feel around and see how he does.

Also...when he's at the vet, have him run a blood test to look for any type of infection going on. Does he urinate properly? Any problems there? Any temperature? A dog's temperature should be around 101 F. (sorry, don't know what that converts to in C.)

Please keep us informed.

 

[Piratebears]

Thank you all so much,its so nice to have other Newf owners to mull this over with.
We have layed him on his back and gently squeezed all over his legs and he seems to have NO pian any where..The vet said this too.It was most strange.
He is due to be wormed next week.
We have been giving him extra Chond/glucosamine and MSM in his food.
The pro plan that they sell ~ would you still suggest the adult rather than the puppy?
He is urinating just fine,once he stands up he walks great now that the vet has emptied his anal glands ( they were blocked).Its just the getting up thats a problem.He does also drop his legs and rushes his head round as if he's being bitten or something?
Very strange.

 

[Largo]

Wow that poor fellow. Getting xrays is not a bad idea. If you are suspecting an insect bite, look him over very carefully. That could be the problem. Did his symptoms come on suddenly?

Also, check the post "food lables", and do the analysis on the food you choose. Some adult foods have just as much protein as puppy foods and higher calcium and phosphorus levels. I've done the analysis on most foods mentioned here, so do check. Also, the ingredients are important. Do check them out as well.

I hope you find out the problem soon so he can be on the road to wellness.