Please Help

My 5 month old puppy is limping and has been now for just over two weeks. At first I caged her after watching her trip and then limping for the first time, letting her out for short periods. After a week no improvment, and on checking her pads for I noticed a small area covered in what looks like very tiny blisters. I had not noticed these when she first limped or when I checked a number of times.  So I took her to the vet who checked her joints and could find no problems so gave her a 5 day course of antibiotics which to be honest having done anything either. I've now started washing her pad with hibiscrub, shes already on ester-c to help her with her pasterns.  Anyone got any advice?

chris

What breed and which leg is effected?

Sorry shes a neapolitan mastiff and its her front leg, inbetween her toe it feels slightly swollen and I can feel a very tiny lump, Im wondering if this could be the route of the problem, apart from making her limp, shes not bothered by it in the slightest.

Chris

Well, this is only my thoughts and I am not qualified to diagnose. Think the limp has nothing to do with the tiny lump you have found I think there is another reason. She is a big dog and they do suffer from intermittent lameness but that often moves from leg to leg. I would attempt to keep her quiet and make sure you do not over exercise. If the vet has checked the joints and is happy with them I would just watch to see if it gets and worse other wise I think it will stop is a few months.

Have you spoken to the breeder, they may well be able to put your mind at rest or suggest what it may be - if you have not told the breeder I would make that the next thing to do.

Its probably the lump causing the problem , but if she doesnt improve I would ask them to xray and have it looked over by an orthapedic vet.
My dog has elbow displacia and no vet has ever picked it up on examination. If there is a problem its better to get it sorted out while they are still young.

Thanks for your reply's. I've used to large breeds and understand exercise, and did for a while restrict her to her cage when I thought it was muscular. I've shaved her foot and there is no sign of a puncture anyway, yet the area does feel swollen, but its not warm or anything.  She's finished the antibiotics which didn't touch it, so I think I will try bathing her foot 3 times a day in warm salt water, and give it a few days, before I take her back to the vet.

thanks again

Chris

If the lameness has been going on this long and no improvement would be heading back to the vets and x-rays?

If rest isn't working then there is something not right - I wouldn't be waiting another couple of days if it were me. 

If the antibiotics didn't do anything then it wasn't an infection so don't think bathing her foot in salt water is going to help.

Did the vet not say to go back if no better?

> So I took her to the vet who checked her joints and could find no problem

When my English Mastiff pup started to limp (at about 5&half months old), the vet couldn't find anythong wrong with his joints on 2 seperate physical exams,, it was only on the 3rd exam that he noticed the TINYEST hint of a pian response in his face as he firmly moved his elbow. Xrays confirmed elbow displasia (UAP) and showed us also that the hips were fine (it looked as if he was limping on a rear leg too).

I know a Neo & an English Mastiff are not exactly the same, but they are both mastiffs - both giant breeds, both prone to growth related probelms and both very very good at not showing pain.  I'm not trying to worry you and I do really hope your pups problem is a minor one, but don't rule out bone/joint problems on a physical examination only. More specifiacally, your breed is prone to pano.

If pup is worse at home (my pup managed to get rid of his limp every time we stepped into the vets), then take some vidoe footage at home to show to the vet, so they can see whats going on.

> ester-c to help her with her pasterns.

Who recomended it vet or breeder? Have you switched pup onto adult food to help with the pasterns yet?

I chose to put her on ester-c for her pasterns, as I know there is a bit of research to support its use, and aslo for the treatment of joint issues, so decided to keep her on it.

She did not limp yesterday and only taday on waking up, with the limp disapearing once she had got over her stiffness.  I know my breed is prone to pano, so I have reduced her food and tried to limit exercise since this all began. And she was on adult food for some time before this all started. However I took the decision to put her on a puppy food which I have used before on with other neo's and had no issues, which contains glucosomine etc.

I've decided to continue soaking the foot in warm salt water for no other reason than its timed nicely with a notable improvment (fingers crossed). I've also decided to put her on a herbal horse supplment thats for joint issues, easing stiffness and inflamtion to see if this helps.

If she dosn't continue to improve the next step of course will be x-rays, but as said I'm use to large breeds and so are friends with other large breeds and we have really been over her and no sign of it causing her pain what so ever, which has really thrown all of us.

Thanks for everyone's advice and i will let you know how she gets on.