Limping?

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Limping?

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Hi i'm new to these forums, but appreciate all the great information!

We've had our Chow, Baxter, since October and he's become our "baby."

We've noticed that Baxter will limp in his front left leg after he has been laying down for a while. My wife took him to the vet, but the vet does not seem to think it is anything serious. Personally, I think it is akin to his leg "falling asleep" much as mine will if i lay on it for a while.

What are your thoughts?

Nick
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carolyn dewrance
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limping

Post by carolyn dewrance »

HIP Dysplasia.
A lot has been spoken on this subject over the years, but how deeply and carefully have we here in South Africa gone into the real issue?
It seems we are faced with a very real problem and I feel it is time we stood together and did something about it. We hear almost daily of another Chow having to be put down for Hip Dysphasia and no matter how we may try to cover up, this problem is going to raise its "ugly" head.
I believe we can learn from the Chow Breeders in The States who realized they had a severe problem with H.D. and decided unanimously after a number of year’s speculation and fighting, to establish a system of O.F.A. Certification. The Dysplasia Control Registry of the OFA was formed with the primary objective of providing individual dog owners with a standardized evaluation of the hip joint status. Consumers started becoming aware that purchasing a puppy from a breeder using only normal breeding stock, while not guaranteeing a normal dog, does increase the probability of obtaining a dog with normal hips. Thus, economic advantages of being a responsible breeder became obvious.
Breeders of Chows in the States have now almost totally eradicated the problem of H.D., by breeding only from Clear dogs, so ensuring that this problem is finally being bred out of our wonderful breed. A breeder I know, only breeds her bitches after the age of eighteen months and only after their hips were certified Clear, She also breeds her bitches to males who are certified the same. I know that even for certain Show status awards; the Chow competing must bare a Certified H.D. Clear Certificate before qualifying for a Supreme Title, such as Supreme Chow of the Year etc.
It is known that sound hips or dysplastic hips can only be diagnosed through a hip x-ray.
The Certificate does not evaluate movement. A dog may have a Clear Hip Rating, but still move terribly due to slipping patella’s, shoulders that are too straight, badly broken over hocks or spinal effects. By the same token, there are severely dysplastic Chows that move very well. Because hip dysplasia, particularly if severe, is feared because it is crippling, it has been wrongly assumed that if the dog is still getting around okay, he is not dysplastic•
This is a very difficult subject at best and I can only refer to various articles I have from overseas and vet's to enlighten us further. It has been established that Hip Dysplasia is largely hereditary and its incidence can be increased or decreased through selective breeding practices. By using only stock with normal hips in a breeding program, generation after generation, it has been proved that the incidence of hip dysplasia can be markedly decreased.
I know that one of the great fears of having our Chows x-rayed was death that has occurred due to Anesthesia. However, it is and has been possible for some time, to have our dogs x-rayed without the use of Anesthesia or chemical restraint. Most of our Chows will relax with tranquillizers alone and these x-ray results have been excellent.
We can have our Chows x-rayed by our Vet's who can give us a good indication of the state of our Chows hips. However, I must stress that he/she is not qualified to certify hips or give certificates.
No matter how good he/she is at reading x-rays, he is not an expert in the field and one cannot advertise one’s dog as "H.D. Free" on his opinion. This is illegal and should not be relied on. We have come across cases where a Vet has said a particular dog’s hips were very good.
However, after visiting The Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort, this same dog was certified as a grade 3 hips and not recommended for breeding.
There are those who would use this "contradiction of qualified opinions" as an argument
Against Onderstepoort x-rays, but I must stress, that The Faculty of Veterinary Science is
The only EXPERT in the field of Osteology and Radiology. While we appreciate our Vet's opinion, it cannot be taken as law.
I have been into this subject and have established that Professor Roos, a Veterinary Radiologist
At the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort is the only person who has the necessary qualifications to issue a certificate certifying dogs’ hip joints. One has to obtain a referring letter from one’s Vet to Onderstepoort to have the necessary x-rays taken.
Let me set your mind at ease here immediately. The dogs are given an injection/tranquilizer
Into the vein on arrival. Within minutes they are calm and can be laid on their back for the x-ray. You stay with your dog and assist, if necessary. The dogs do not feel any pain, despite what you may hear from others. Most of us have taught our Chows to lie on their sides for grooming, so it is not very difficult to get them to lie on their backs when sedated.
Your dogs are virtually wide-awake by the time you get to your vehicle and can walk on their own, so it is not a traumatic experience. As for the expense of x-raying and certifying, it’s a whole lot cheaper than replacing puppies or stock, never mind the heartbreak of having to put a pet down. It can still happen that certified stock produce dysplastic pups, but the odds are in your favor, increasing with every generation of certified ancestry.
According to Prof. Roos, the male seems to be the dominant factor carrying hip dysplasia.
When using a stud dog, he must be totally free from any sign of hip dysplasia. In South Africa the grading is done as follow 01234 with 0 being H.D. Free and 4 being the worst possible form of dysplasia. A male who is totally clear may still be put to a bitch having a grading of 2 in one hip and the chances are the puppies should be good. However, he advises this only be done with a bitch whose bloodline is still valuable.
Any male with a Grading of 1 and upward should not be used for breeding and any female
With a grading higher than 2 should not be bred to either, if we want to eradicate this very severe problem.
Dysplasia can be detected by x-ray at an early age if very severe, but the best age to have this x-ray is done before breeding is one year to eighteen months.
I have not written this article to cause uproar, but to bring to our attention where some of our problems lie and to show, as is the case in other countries, if we work together we can beat this crippling disease and work towards the betterment of our breed.
I also wanted to lie aside some of the fallacies heard about x-raying etc and hope that you will come away enlightened. I'm not saying that this is the only problem or most severe problem we have to face, but to me it seems to be rather an important one that we have, perhaps, been trying to overlook. There are NO GUARANTEES in any aspect of dog breeding, but we must choose the safest, most logical route to successful breeding. The future of our breed is at stake!
The New Year awards us all the opportunity to make the most of each day, each new acquaintance, and each exciting new birth of beautiful, promising youngsters. We must use these opportunities to grow, to educate and to share our love and knowledge of the breed.
It is through these efforts that we may gain the satisfaction of having done our share to insure the continued beauty of our breed. Let’s meet the New Year with enthusiasm, dedication and faith ... the future lies securely in our hands...
In loving memory of Cheryl Ann Hurley, who sadly passed away in 2002 from cancer?

This could be elbow dysplasia which has the same problems as hip dysplasia, I had a Baxter one and he was my baby, he died after killing a neighbours chicken and eating it he had a perforated intestine. Baxter was the ChowChow of the year in 1995 and was a very beuitiful Chow .
Carolyn Dewrance
4 Fernwood Close
Richwood
Cape Town 7441

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Post by Judy Fox »

If you have had Baxter to the vet and possibly/probably ruled out Hip Dysplasia, I would suggest that it is simply stiff legs after lying down too long or perhaps too heavily.
Mabel used to suffer from this when she was younger and sometimes still does.
I took her to the vet who gave her a thorough examination and as her parents have good hip scores decided that it was a tired muscle or whatever. She grew out of it so it would appear to have been a little bit like 'growing pains' that children experience sometimes.
Now, if it happens, which it does now and again, I just rub my hands firmly up and down her legs and she stands and lets me and then it seems alright.
So, I should not worry too much at this stage, just keep an eye on it.
Bless him!
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Post by Nick Bellenbaum »

Thanks Judy!
It's exactly as you've explained. He feels no pain when i run my hand down his leg, and the vet does not see anything wrong with him. I guess i'll just have to keep an eye on him.
Nick & Baxter
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Post by Judy Fox »

You are very welcome Nick, it is very difficult not to worry a little when these things happen. Mabel is now four and half and we have had her for over four years and Fred still worries when this happens. I don't worry any more - I just rub her legs and she snucks her head between my shins and wags her tail as I talk to her. She feels no pain either as I rub her legs then off she goes happy as can be!
Just enjoy him and love him and keep your eye on him. :)
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Post by Juniper »

Past few weeks I noticed my Sheena limping. However, I recently acquired a seat belt harness and just realized that the seat belt strap was tangling around her hind leg as she maneuvered around, trying to look out the window and place herself between the bucket seats. I have a Chevy S-10 pickup w/extended cab & 3rd door and place her in the extended cab section so she doesn't cause an accident. Without it she jumps from back to front and goes nuts. She definitely does not like confinement but it's for her own good. So I thought... She apparently has been straining her leg every time we go for a drive someplace. :cry:

I also found her getting so excited in the house that she's been tripping over throw rugs, etc. and is probably injuring herself on a daily basis. I've been watching her more closely now. She doesn't appear to be limping anymore.

This could be one reason - too excited and not paying attention to where he's playing, bumping into things, tripping and Baxter could be injuring himself without your knowing it. Just a thought. It sure caught me by surprise when I saw her running and tripping over the rug.

I rubbed her legs also when I saw her limping - sheesh - Sheena is getting spoiled - she stands by me just to get her legs rubbed now. :roll: Smart Chow is all I gotta say - she's got me trained!
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Post by Nick Bellenbaum »

Hmmm, Baxter tends to pull on his leash like a mad person/dog. I wonder if that is leading to his legs getting strained. It might very well be!

For some reason Baxter loves to get his butt rubbed. He'll come up to my wife and I and turn around and then turn his head towards us. That means we're allowed to scratch him. Like you said, the dog has us trained.
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Post by Juniper »

Sheena used to do the same, pull like a mad dog, but I used a gentle leader - the one that goes around the nose and doesn't choke them around the neck - basically it leads them by their snout - and she finally learned to not pull. Initially she bucked like a horse when it was put on but got used to it. Now I just use the leader without the snout feature - just as a collar w/leash. Infrequently she still will start to pull, especially when she sees a squirrel but now I just tug & release once, say leave it at the same time and she gets the message.

She just graduated from Petsmarts Basic Training class this past Sunday and I'll be signing her up for the advanced class. Although she wouldn't respond to treats or listen to the trainer - just watching the other dogs get trained did the trick and then I'd go home and do some training - found that she'll do anything for 100% dried chicken breast jerky. She learned quickly - after just 3 or 4 trys! I didn't need to drill her like the owners of the Rottweiler, Shepherd and poodle that were in her class did. On her final day when she needed to perform - told her it was important and she did all the commands for me in front of everyone! :o Gave her and everyone else a chicken jerky treat - she watched them eat and amazingly for the first time in public she ate a piece of jerky after her performance! Of course I gave her the biggest piece!

You might try a training class - even though the trainer feels it may be a waste of time because they don't respond to the trainer at all - I found Sheena learned by watching the other dogs and hearing the commands. Chows appear to be really smart and don't want to waste much time in training mode - just get to the punchline! :lol:

The only thing I needed to do in training class is turn Sheena's butt around to watch the others! Also I'd come 20 minutes before the 1st 2 class sessions to let her take command of the training area and become comfortable about being there and being with the other dogs. I even visited Petsmart periodically and walked around the training area and store to get her comfortable about being there. Beginning the 3rd session it looked like she preferred to make an entrance so I'd enter the training area after everyone else was there!

Good luck with Baxter and finding out how he may be straining his leg muscles. Every day is butt rubbin' and leg massagin' around here. Lucky Chows, eh, gettin' all their needs met!
Jennifer & Sheena
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Post by Judy Fox »

I don't use a collar with Milly and Mabel. I use harnesses with a long lead for each of them - actually it is a pony lunge rein - 27 ft. long. It is nice and strong and stopped Milly and Mabel pulling like mad dogs when they were younger.
Walks had become almost a misery with M & M pulling like fury and Fred and me not enjoying it at all.
Then we bought the harnesses and the long reins and overnight the pulling stopped. They walk along sniffing and enjoying. When we are in the park they can walk 27 ft. away from us! They are on their own doing their own thing but we are still in control. Obviously, when on the pavement on the way home, we have to shorten the reins and loop them up in our hand but they accept that.
This way Milly and Mabel enjoy their walk and we feel we have done our very best for them. Also, the pulling has stopped and thus our fear of them hurting themselves.
We bought the lunge reins instead of the retractable leads because we thought they were stronger and safer - Chows have incredibly strong legs don't they. We looked at the retractable leads in the pet shop and thought that M & M would make short work of them.
So now, walks are an absolute pleasure for the four of us!! :wink:
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Post by SWANCIN »

So...It seems our chows are pullers by nature, eh? I call walking Kodi the 'tractor pull'. :lol: We used the Flexi-lead initially with Kodi until my husband had it break (not retract) in the fully extended position with her still pulling at the other end. He said a couple of people were watching, he was so embarrased. No more flexis. :oops: We bought the Gentle Leader, but haven't tried it yet, seems she could squirm out of it somehow and she's also a bolter when it comes to seeing something more interesting off in the far, far distance.

Gotta love 'em
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I Wanna Go Chase Something!!!!!
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Post by Judy Fox »

It would appear that they are pullers by nature Cindy and also they are stubborn little baggages who do not like being told what to do! :roll:
You would not believe the change when we bought the girls harnesses and the long leads. As I have already said, walks had become a misery with the short leads and certainly my hands were so sore hanging on to naughty Milly Ching.
Then when we took them out for the first time with the long pony lunge reins, naturally, when we first left the house, we had to have them on a short rein but when we got to the path that leads down to the park we were able to feed out the rein - they stopped and looked at us and we could almost hear their brains ticking! :? :?
Then when they realised that they could walk 27 ft. away from us, they were thrilled. :D :D
Regarding bolting forward to chase something - we do have to watch that and we try to keep one step ahead of them and if we see a dog approaching or squirrels or whatever we haul in the rein!
Strangely enough, they accept this without an argument. The only thing is that if a dog has passed us, they very often sit down and watch the dog out of sight and refuse to move. :x :x I mean, how dare other dogs come in their park!!
As you say, you gotta' love them.
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Post by Jasper »

Maggie - 10 year old female. She had the limping problem. She lost some weight. We added calcium to her diet, and we stopped pulling her on her walks when she was stubborn, and try and encourage or touch her on the bottom to get her to move. No more limping.
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Hopping

Post by MybabyBear »

Hi-
My Chow Bear started hopping around yesterday afternoon. When he stops to stand, only his toes on the hind left foot touch the ground. There is nothing in his paw and I rubbed his leg last night. I could feel no broken bones, but the rub down didn't help. My dad is refusing to do anything, (Just the same as he did for Bear's Straph infection, which he STILL hasn't been seen for!), and I can't stand to watch Bear move around as he does and having to help him up the stairs. What should I do?!?
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Post by Judy Fox »

Stephanie,
Is there a charitable organisation who will help with vet's fees or whatever?

Are you sure there is nothing in the pads of his paw.

Try and get him to lie down and carefully examine his pads and between his toes. Then very carefully put pressure on to see if there is any reaction - ie if there was a thorn or splinter in. Then, gently sqeeze each pad in several areas - a little puss pimple might show if there is sosmething in. Be careful though, because if there is something it will hurt him and he might snap.

Other than that, my love, I don't know what to suggest.

Purple kisses to him from Milly and Mabel and some snuggles for you. :) :)
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Limping

Post by kingalls »

Stephanie,
My Mr. Nahkohe managed to get a thorn from a rosebush between his toes. At first he tried to take care of it himself and hid from me. Finally, he let me slowly feel his paw - I think he knew I was trying to help. Even so - I was very slow and would have stopped if he showed the least bit of irritation with me doing it. I did find the thorn and while I was removing it, he kept licking my arm - I think to tell me he was happy that I was taking care of it.
I hope you can do the same but just be really careful.
I think you are very good to try and do the best with your Chow despite the challenges of getting him to the vet.
We all hope the best for you and your Chow.

Karen
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Post by MybabyBear »

Well, I called a vet since my vet wasn't in. They said he could have injured his leg or it could be Lyme's Disease. But my dad still refuses to take Bear in! He still has it in his mind that Bear's not going to live much longer....oh please! I told my dad right out what I did and what I wanted to do. He looked at Bear who looked at him back, then said,"Want to go outside Bear?" and walked away! He never gave a reply. My mom said that she would take him in, but I won't be able to go because I have band camp all week and can't miss it! I want to go and be with him, and I can't! I know what's going on and my mom doesn't! None of my life is fair right now! Stephanie, Bear, and Homer
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Post by Judy Fox »

Stephanie,

Now then, take a deep breath, darlin' and calm down.

I know it is difficult being your age - I am nearly 63 but I have a very vivid memory and can remember so well how it was when I was your age - and younger!

You are not in control and you want to be and I can perfectly well understand why.

You need to go to your band camp. Go and do your best.

Trust your Mum - sometimes Mums are best to deal with Dads and that is a fact. My Mum (who is now nearly 91!) used to deal with my Dad for my two sisters and me and I used to deal with my husband for my children - in fact I still need to sometimes and they are all grown up and married with children of their own.

What you have GOT to do at this present time is to justs love Bear - let him know you love him - and trust that your Mum will do what she can.

You have also GOT to remember that dogs - and Chows for that matter, 'cos Bear is not a dog is he - don't always feel exactly how we feel. I hope you understand what I am trying to tell you.

If you had a disease or a bad leg or whatever, you would know. You would understand what, say, cancer meant.

But Bear doesn't so he won't suffer mentally like a person with cancer or leukemia or an older person who knew he/she was suffering from dementia.

He will most likely just handle it and so long as you love him like you have never loved him before, he will handle it.

So, go to your camp, trust your Mum, don't think badly of your Dad 'cos that won't solve anything and just keep on loving Bear.

Love and big squidgy purple kisses and snuggles from Milly and Mabel to you, Bear and Homer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Purple kisses)
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