I recently noticed that my collie's foot on one leg is getting longer! Or rather, it looks like it is, because her leg has gone funny at the "wrist".

I assume it's some kind of slackening of some kind of tendons or ligaments or something? She isn't in the best of health and isn't lame or sore on it at all so I'm not going to rush to the vets, but wondered if anyone has had anything similar! Wonder if it's a problem or if she is just getting old lady legs. She's 11 and has some arthritis in her shoulders and has always had not too great flexion in her wrists.

I'm attaching a pic of her creepy curly leg. http://oi62.tinypic.com/2r62k38.jpg

Unfortunately I can't remember what it was called but I have seen the exact same thing (judging by the photo alone), a lot worse though and involved both front feet, and this was also in an elderly Collie. She ended up walking completely on her pasterns and looking like a sealion. I would go to the vet asap if it was my dog as the bitch I saw got gradually worse and did end up having to be pts eventually as she couldn't walk and was in pain, so IF it is something similar, presumably the sooner treatment is started, the better. And fingers crossed, it might be something else, easier to sort.

Oooh dear, that doesn't sound good :( Maybe she will have to lump the stress of a vet visit then. :( Thanks.

Iv seen very similar in large heavy chested breed dogs when they are young, such as Bullmastiffs, dogue de Bordeaux's,Great Danes, or Mastiffs etc.

Iv only seen it when they are young puppies where the bones and joints are still developing and with careful feeding and exercise plus time 9 times out of 10 the legs and pasterns straighten back up. However your dog isn't a large breed nor is it at the bone/ joint development stage so I'd say a trip to the vets.

Thanks guys. Not much info out there at all on pastern problems in older dogs, tons on pups, the little that I found suggests arthritis or neurological reasons. Either of which would be perfectly reasonable for her. I will get it checked out.

One of my bitches has this - carpal hyper extension due to weakening of the tendons - in my girls case it was due to high steroid use for treating an a immune mediated disease. Although she is no longer on steroids it never went back to normal - as she is very active I was advised to use a support called a carpo flex X by an ortho vet. It was quite expensive (£70??) but it has stopped it getting any worse and she is very comfortable exercising in it.

Now that is interesting, Red dog, as she has been on steroids for around 8 months now. What dose of steroids and what's the weight of your dog?

She was on immune suppressive doses - was around 3 years ago but she is 22kg and started off on about 40mg per day (split into 2) and very gradually reduced over about a year - a couple of times we had to increase the dose as she was relapsing but the problem was thankfully sorted eventually . The reduction was so gradual that she was eventually on 1.25mg every other day , then every 3rd day  until we stopped. Although we know the steroids caused the problem with her leg they also fixed her horrible immune disease so I know it was the right thing to do.
( my memory is rubbish but I've just had a quick look in her folder to get the numbers !)

In fact 4 years ago !

Thanks all. Back from the vets and he believes it's degenerative (and yes it is carpal hyperextension), and Red dog I ran the steroids past him and he agreed it has probably played a part. Unfortunately she can't be on a lower dose than she is, she is a poor candidate for surgery, and so I am going down the same route as you- have ordered the same support you used as I've seen it recommended by a few people.

So you were all spot on :) thanks for your help, fingers crossed it doesn't deteriorate too badly.

Good luck - the support is really good . Let me know how it goes .

>She ended up walking completely on her pasterns and looking like a sealion

I suspect Goldmali is talking about my girl. I had to have her put to sleep earlier this year at just under 9, no age at all for a collie but walking was just too painful in the end and in her head she was still a young active dog.

Gem's pasterns starting stretching and becoming weaker quite early on. unfortunately because the pasterns were not working the way they should (as shock absorbers) she also developed arthritis in her wrists. She was seen by a top orthopaedic surgeon but there wasn't anything he could do for her. I kept her going with a combination of herbal/homoeopathic remedies, conventional nsaids and physical supports. I used glucosamine and chondroitin, green lipped muscle and rhus tox and bought some leather wrist wraps that had plastic stiffeners in them. These worked quite well until her arthritis became so bad it was too sore to use them. She was also on metacam for many years, and latterly previcox and tramadol.

The vet thought that doing agility training in an indoor arena may have strained her pasterns, I thought jumping on the sand surface would be good but he said it is very hard work.

Gem is the dog on the left, her legs look very similar to your girls, hope the support works.

Oh so sorry to hear about your collie :( awful when their bodies give up but their mind is still so capable. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm not sure how soon I've caught it. She has other problems though so I don't think this will be her demise, I hope to just keep her sound until something else gets her.

She has taken to the carpal support really well, thankfully. Did any of you use them all the time or just for exercise?

Thanks.

Only for exercise here x

Only for exercise too, might well be worth using it more if she tolerates them.

Thank you both :) x