# Limpy Lab???



## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

I have an almost 6 year old lab. She is a big lab tall and about 100 pounds. Lately she has started to limp after she lays down for a while. When she stands up her back left leg is gimpy sometimes she holds it up off the ground and other times she just limps and favors it. She doesn't act like anything hurts if i run my hand up and down the leg and hips. After she moves around for a couple minutes she seems like it gets a lot better and she can move freely with out any limp. But after she lays down it comes back. Is this something that i can help correct by trying to take some pounds off of her and excercising her a little more. Should i look at giving her some supplements with her food. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

A female that weighs that much will see joint issues. Is the dog from quality breeding where hips and elbows were xrayed and free from displaysia? What type of feed is she on and how much is being fed?

Exercise will help but more than likely either her hips or elbows are going bad or arthritis is starting to set in already.


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## lecub (Mar 14, 2003)

hate to say it but it was those same symptoms that my dog showed with a torn ACL. get her to the vet to have her checked out.
Lee


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

My lab had the same as lecub said. Seems to be showing up more in labs these days. Why is that?


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## lecub (Mar 14, 2003)

Dick, I was talking to some lab people last night and this was brought up, you might want to check this out
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resource ... php?id=196
or google labrador gene
has to do with a gene that they have found in about 30% of the labs


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

lecub said:


> Dick, I was talking to some lab people last night and this was brought up, you might want to check this out
> http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resource ... php?id=196
> or google labrador gene
> has to do with a gene that they have found in about 30% of the labs


This is a totally different situation. This is called EIC or Exercise Induced Collapse which was studied and found by the UofM. EIC is a collapse of usually the hind end of a dog during periods of excitement such as retrieving birds or some other excitable activity. Until fall of 08 there wasn't a true publicly available way of identifying the gene mutation but now there is and even as serious as this is, there are still breeders out there that don't check and won't check for this. Heck, most every person posting a litter of labs on this site don't even have hips, elbows, eyes or CNM checked before breeding.


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## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

talked to the vet and he thinks it could be in the knee. I have an appointment on tues to get her checked. I hope it is fixable she it too young to be hobbled up. She is on a strict diet from now on too. I have to make sure the wife follows it though as she likes to spoil her. I am feeding her Purina weight control dry food.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

cut the feed and the dogs weight and go to Sams club and by the big bottles of glucosamine and start giving it to her


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## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

just straight bottles of glucosamine like we buy for humans Bob. Or are there dog ones at sams. What kind of dose is sufficient for a dog.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Straight human ones.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Chaws said:


> Straight human ones.


yes that, the ones I use are 1500 mg from Sams purely because they have the best price and I have alots of older dogs including me

dogs dont utilize them as well as humans so the higher dosage will be fine and harmless


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## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

went to the vet he figures she has a partial cruciate tear. she is on rest for 2 weeks and see how she is after that and if no better then maybe surgery. BobM got any juice concoctions for something like this like the ones i have seen you post for dogs with cancer. Got some glucosamine to start her on also. Vet also x rayed hips and both looked good, the left hip was perfect and the right one had just a little abnormal shape but vet said overall it looked like it shouldnt cause any problems.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I wish I did but no.

I've been very lucky and never ever had a problem with that issue and hope it stays that way.

*I was talking to a gun dog vet I know thats got a ton of experience and he told me that in his opinion 90% of those are a result of allowing dogs to jump in and out of vehicles.*

For that reason I never allow my dogs to jump in and out I always lift them up and down FWIW.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Bobm said:


> I wish I did but no.
> 
> I've been very lucky and never ever had a problem with that issue and hope it stays that way.
> 
> ...


Sorry Bob, but I don't believe it for a second. Maybe if it was out of the top rack of a chassis mounted dog box but not out of a back of a pickup. Far far, maybe repeat it, FAR too many people have a dog that runs around the yard in the summer, gets lazy and fat, and then they bring it into the field in the fall for hunting season. Conditioning a dog should be year round, not just the week before upland bird season. Dogs don't have the ability to turn off prey drive because they're fat or their muscles aren't in top condition. They run just as hard as they did in their prime condition thus causing joint, muscle, and ligament damage.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

While I agree with your analysis about conditioning,what makes you think you see more of these than agun dog vet? :lol:

Dogs get stiff and tired just like us, even conditioned ones, a dog jumping off a tail gate is equivalent to us jumping off the roof of the truck try that several time aday all season and let me know how your knees feel


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Bobm said:


> While I agree with your analysis about conditioning,what makes you think you see more of these than agun dog vet? :lol:
> 
> Dogs get stiff and tired just like us, even conditioned ones, a dog jumping off a tail gate is equivalent to us jumping off the roof of the truck try that several time aday all season and let me know how your knees feel


My feelings toward lack luster back yard breedings are more of a consideration seeing these types of injuries. A typical "gun dog" that you'd see these days isn't typically from the best of breeding ethics.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Also, the comparisons of how joints move between canines and humans is somewhat similar but greatly different in their own. The range of motion is much more in canines elbows, shoulders and hips but improper feeding during development of those joints, over feeding in later years, under conditioning, and poor genetics probably weigh much more in injuries than tailgate jumps.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I think you missed my intended point all that stuff you said is probably true in many cases which is precisely why the jumping in and out of trucks is not a good idea.

Its so simple of a thing to lift them in and out that to me its worth the effort, some days phez hunting I wish someone would lift me in and out :wink: I'm also over fed and under exercised but really handsome :lol:

The vet I'm talking about keeps track of this stuff and isn't a bs artist, I trust him.


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## Canuck (Nov 10, 2004)

DieselDog,
I went through a similar situation with my now 9 year old lab.
She injured her ankle (hock?) on a back leg wiping out on a set of linoleum covered stairs at a good rate of speed! We decided to rest her as your vet has advised. Two weeks rest, then two weeks walking on leash, two more weeks with light jogs and finally two weeks on leash with runs (as fast I could go anyway). The regimen was carried out 3 times a day, a mile or so each time. By the end of eight weeks my dog was ready for work and I weighed less than usual my post hunting season weight in July!
My vet advised Metacam for pain and I supplemented her with glucosimine, chondroitin and fish oil capsules. The metacam is excactly the same drug as meloxicam, a cox-II inhibitor arthritis medicine for people that I get very cheap at Walmart and cut in half to make the correct dose. My dogs hock joint has swelled over the years in an attempt to stabilize. My dog still hunts pheasants hard, limps a bit when she gets up for several steps (so do I) and seems to need the medication as I tried to very slowly wean her off it (without telling my vet) and found she did a lot better with it.
Last spring my dog injured a front shoulder jumping out of the boat (I agree with Bob). I went through the whole rest walking rehab session again getting myself and dog back in shape.

I lift her in and out of boats, trucks and the like. I hope to get a couple more seasons with my dog. Good luck with yours.

Canuck


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

I agree with Bob on this one, Chaws made some good points about conditioning but that up and down, in and out of crates is wear and tear that can be avoided. Thats why most trainers with alot of dogs have gone to trailers over chassis boxes, and the ones that do have a chassis mount usually don't use the top holes.

Another thing I don't do anymore is "fun bumpers" Iv'e had two shoulder injuries with my older dog (who was conditioned, exercised very regulary and not over weight) both due to a sudden change in direction while flipping a fun bumper at the end of a session.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

be careful with metacam and definitely do not give it with anything else

IMO every dog horse and humans has X number of jumps in him before something gives, that why I dont let my daughters jump our horses, dressage fine, jumping no.

Even the most conditioned athletes in the world human or animal will sustain injuries from time to time.


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## Canuck (Nov 10, 2004)

Before starting metacam the vet did some bloodwork to establish baseline liver function numbers and tracks same every 6 months.
I do not use any other drugs such as rimadyl or aspirin.

Regarding the rest regimen....my dog was allowed as much swimming excerise as possible after the initial 2 week rest period.

Canuck


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

> IMO every dog, horse and humans has X number of jumps in him before something gives


Bob, my wife thinks I've used up my j u m p s.


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