We have a new GSD rescue (our first "failed fostering" ), she came to us emaciated and was in isolation for suspected exposure to distemper. I am happy to say she did not develop distemper.

I'd guess that she is +/- 12 months old.

So, it appears that she had a fracture when she was younger and it never received medical treatment. When she sits, that foot kicks out and she limps when she walks. By the end of the day she will bunny-hop to avoid walking on that leg.

The vet she saw for xrays says that there is nothing to be done for the leg beyond "medical management" with glucosamine, Metamcam, etc.

I'm not a doctor, a vet, nor a trainer but I joined these forums so I could ask for advice for her.

I've read quite a bit from this website in the past and currently, and would respect some opinions from GSD-experienced people. btw, thank you for taking the time to read this.

She's a great dog, very smart, with a high prey-drive. I'm a bleeding heart.

She certainly needs more exercise, which I would love to provide however she is so eager to please I'm afraid to encourage her further lameness than she already experiences while sedentary.

My questions are:

a) Is there really nothing that can be done for an old injury of this type, surgically or otherwise? I used to have my shoulder shot up with cortisone before they did my surgery, is this sort of joint pain relief not done for canines?

b) If your dog is eager to please and will overdo itself, how do you help define limits?

Thank you for any advice, it is appreciated.

Lisa

Do you have any canine physical therapy or rehabilitation centers nearby? Hydrotherapy, acupuncture, even a brace, you'd think they would want to try SOMETHING!

I hate to say it, but I wouldn't accept that answer from the vet. They just seem like they don't feel like delving into a potentially complicated treatment. I'd be looking into a second and third opinion. And I just want to add that's all just IMHO and not based on any medical knowledge of any kind.

I have a couple thoughts about this.

First off seek an orthopedic specialty vet. Get their opinion over that of a general practitioner vet . It might be that in the case of this dog they might live a better life as a 3 legged dog instead of a four legged lame dog or maybe they can recommend a treatment plan that will restore quality of life. Only a really decent vet can or should give their opinion on it... get more than one opinion, and treatment plan.

If there is no available treatment options and the only thing left to this dog is to live in pain IMO it's better to euthanize than long term manage pain of this kind.

I absolutely agree with both of these posts.

If the vet she saw was the GP vet who is working (maybe gratis) with a rescue, then this is not the vet to make that final call now that the dog has an owner without second (and third, as mentioned) opinions from ortho vets.

This may indeed be a case where euth is the kindest route, but you don't have the info needed to evaluate that yet.



JMO.

And Lisa, welcome to the board.

Whatever you learn, you'll find help here.

Yes, the vet report came from the rescue's vet. It rather turns my stomach to think that their advice would vary depending on her financial viability/ownership, but it is much the same with humans.

I've already contacted one orthopedic vet in our area. I'm just waiting for her xray films from the previous vet. I went ring-around-the-rosie with a long succession of doctors for many years over a rarely-diagnosed disease, so I'm a bit leery of any medical office that says "sure, bring the films but we may need to take more of our own".

I wouldn't consider put her down, but if push came to a very hard shove I would consider amputation.

Here is a picture:

Lisa I know you mean well but you have to consider what is best for this dog even if PTS is the recommendation. No dog should want to run with every fiber of their being but can't due to pain. It's unfair and downright cruel.

Odds are the ortho vet will need more x rays to determine the full picture. How are her hips, her other leg, and her back? Only X rays will tell the story. It's from that that they'll likely tell you what the best option will be for her hind end to function properly if possible.

I wish I could say that all rescues are on the up and up about this kind of stuff. Imo they should have taken care of this before they sent this dog out the door. I had a client recently who was sent home with a dog with a torn ACL from a rescue. The rescue told her it would be a minor surgical correction but they were unwilling to do it themselves (likely due to cost). To me this is downright criminal.

Our lab had bone that had flaked off into his hock joint. It was very painful for him to even walk and this boy wanted to GO!

General vet's opinion: He could fuse the hock but Einstein would be lucky to walk well afterwards let alone run or jump. Consider PTS or amputation.

Ortho vet's opinion: Hock fusion not necessary or as much of a death sentence as other vet made it out to be. He had field trial champs with fused hocks in his clientele. Cleaned bone shards out of hock and gave shots to rebuild joint cartilage. Long term glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation. Recommended swimming for exercise.

We went with the ortho vet and Einstein made a full recovery. He runs, jumps, and wrestles with his husky girl. That's a long way from considering to kill him or amputate a leg! Don't give up till you get those different opinions. The ortho vet had to completely redo the xrays so he could see the angles he needed. He also had a digital x ray system versus the film kind.

What is her weight like Lisa? It might not be much on the grand scale of things, but keeping the extra weight off your girl might help take some of the pressure off her injury. I know rescue groups like to feed and Feed and FEED their dogs because they think it will help make up for abuse or neglect.

Controlling her diet is one small thing you can do until the vets have their diagnosis.

And short swimming sessions.

Any thoughts?