In a nutshell:

My 6 yr old raw fed, previously healthy gsd began to have a wandering lameness a few months ago. The type of things we saw were very subtle. Hard to see...is he sore or not? Which leg? That type of thing.

Off to the vet 2 1/2 weeks ago for blood work. All normal. Pyhsical exam revealed only slight discomfort on one front joint. Weird, his rear leg was sore that day...

In light of normal blood work vet thought maybe Anaplasomsis and started him on doxycycline 200 mg twice per day.

Two days ago he crashed, unable to get up, shaking and just awful sick. Repeat blood work. LIVER enzymes over 1000. Horrible. Additionally his hocks were swollen worse than ever.

So: Tapped the fluid in the joint. Lots of inflammatory cells, we're thinking Immune Mediated Polyarthritis.

Liver enzymes elevated from the doxy. Dc'd doxy, began Denamarin for liver support. Astounding rebound. He's markedly better.

IF culture of joints is neg for bacteria will start pred for the Poly arthritis which is still bad.

I am seeing info about a low protein diet for liver support.

Any info from those with a med. background would be appreciated.

Please tell me you stopped doxycycline ?

Also, the liver looks normal, all liver products, glucose etc are normal.

Did I mention how hard this is?

I missed where you dced the doxy. NVM...

Out of curiosity are you using a General practitioner for this vs seeing an ortho specialist? I guess my thought is that the wandering lameness you saw before starting the doxy could have been unrelated to the storm you saw after you started it.

I guess I'm confused on why a low protein diet would be the solution when my first question would be if this was a structural related strain. Liver problems caused by the doxy seems far more likely with the swelling being another symptom of liver disease.

does he drag his hind toes from time to time? Wear the nails down, that sort of thing? Subtle, but you can hear them on the carpet. Or sometimes just standing there, his back toes might be bent under and he doesn't notice?

General practitioner.
I was going on the assumption that it was a tick-borne issue.
(Anaplasmosis)

I'm not thinking of a low protein diet as a solution per se, only that I've been reading that it is suggested For liver issues, along with the Denamarin (milk thistle)

I cannot link the two issues definitively except to say that his affect returned to almost normal after dc'd the doxy.

No Marcia, he doesn't drag his rears. Rather he kind of hikes it up. Doesn't appear to be DM.

oh, good, because my last GSD had DM. Horrible.

Hey Lori,

Personally I'd seek another opinion preferably one from a specialist as related to the initial problem of wandering lameness. Once structural wear/tear has been eliminated as the issue then I would move on to inflammation causes which could be a congenital disease like DM or something as simple as infection.

The liver needs time to recover but personally I'd be VERY hesitant to go low protein with a dog. I'd also be pretty hesitant about starting a dog on pred. It's side effects are often as bad as the thing they're treating. I'd need to be pretty convinced that it was the solution to the dog's woes and that it would only be a temporary fix.

Good luck,

Melissa

Wouldn't x-ray rule out structural wear? I ask that bec we did x-ray him as well as ultrasound.

I'm with you on the pred. I hate the stuff.