Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  3. Issues with legs

Issues with legs

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • B

    Last year we adopted Booda (a basenji/chihuahua mix) from the local Humane Society and were overjoyed with how loving and active she is. Towards the end of June this year she suddenly developed issues with her back legs. She was slightly dragging her paws so her nails scratched the ground when she walks, tripping over her back legs, not being able to balance when going to the bathroom, slipping on linoleum, when she barked her whole body would cringe like she was in pain. When we took her for walks, she would walk normal with no issues of falling over, except the nails scratching on the gruond when she walked because she dragged her paws. She did not cry or bark when we would poke her pads or put her legs in a position that would elicit pain from her.

    We took her to the vet because she started to trip over her front legs and was starting to drag her front paws. Based upon his tests (still not eliciting pain from her back legs being put in positions that should have made her cry and being poked in her paws), the vet felt that what she had was neurological problems or possibly spinal menigitis. The vet gave Booda a prescription of a steriod and antibiotic. She started to show signs of vitality again after a few days, but began urinating without knowing it, we got doggie diapers problem solved. We believed the steriod had this effect as Booda was drinking more water than usual. A few days after her last steriod pill, it was almost like we had our old Booda back and no more unscheduled urinating. She wanted to play, walking up and down the stairs, running, barking.

    Now almost a month after the first signs appeared she is experiencing the same issues (no longer on medication). But now eliciting pain when her back is touched. She is having problems even lifting herself up from a lying position, to the point that is is using her front legs to drag herself across the floor rather than walking, but once again when she is actually up and walking she is fine except for the occasional tripping.

    We have a second vet appointment tomorrow and are completely loss at what the problem could be. We love her dearly and don't want to see her suffer.

    I was just seeing if anyone else had experienced the same problems with their basenji and what steps they took. :(

    0
  • tanzaT

    Not a usual problem with Basenjis. Have you tried a specialist? You might want to ask your Vet for a referral to a neurologist.

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • D

    How old is your dog? I would take her to a specialty clinic or university clinic that would have both a neurologist and an orthopedist. My 1 year old deaf rescue girl who is a herding/spitz mix has shuffling feet, tremors, and other problems. She was seen first by the neurologist and they suggested x-rays and more testing. My regular vet did take x-rays of the neck, back and hips. I took her to an orthopedist to review the x-rays. Since she was a stray they do not know what caused the problem but it was suggested distemper or perhaps another infectious disease. I just took her to an opthalmologist and her eyes are good but she does have sensitivity to light. Distemper almost always causes eye problems. The specialists are suggesting an MRI of the back, neck and a spinal tap for her.

    If your dog was adopted as a puppy or an older pup, I would check with the Humane Society to see if she may have had distemper or some other disease.

    Did she have an accident where she might have injured her back or neck?

    You might want to look into getting a doggy wheelchair since she has good movement in her front legs.

    I am sorry for the problems your girl is having and I hope you find out what is causing it.

    Jennifer

    0

Suggested Topics

  • ChanningsMomC

    Gallbladder/liver issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    41
    0 Votes
    41 Posts
    4k Views
    ZandeZ
    @channingsmom said in Gallbladder/liver issues: He is getting enough to eat that he hasn’t lost weight That in itself is very good news. It can be very difficult to keep weight on a picky, elderly Basenji. Once they really start to lose it, often there is no putting weight back on. Good luck !
  • M

    anal glands issue!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    2k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Okay... nothing wrong with her died or getting your food. You can keep her as she is, just add in fiber. And perhaps stool softeners for a bit. I actually gave my basenji liquid dissolvable fiber regularly because she would refuse to potty if it rained and ended up with anal gland rupture. But you can add in green beans, ground carrots or other veggies, even fibrous treats. However, I can't say enough negative about rawhide. Please throw them away. Although it has been almost 35 years, I am still distressed when I remember watching a dog choke to death on one, with 4 adults trying to hold the dog down to get it out of its mouth, the kennel owner getting chewed up horribly in the process, the terrible death. Saved from old post: Pet Health Info FROM: Seaside Animal Care was recently awarded the 1999 National Practice of Excellence Award (click here for details) from Veterinary Medical Publishing and an educational grant from Pfizer. We are one of just over 50 practices ever to receive this honor! WE DO NOT RECOMMEND GIVING YOUR PETS RAWHIDE CHEWS. They expand when wet and are the number one cause of intestinal obstruction at our hospital. They are poorly effective at "cleaning the teeth". Instead, we recommend chew-safe toys such as Nylabone® and Kong® products. Contact the hospital for additional information when selecting safe chew-toys for your loved one.<< While I find it LUDICROUS that they first state they are harmless then say they have seen it ALL, this does indeed support that they are not uncommon as you indicate: 2. From the AAHA: American Animal Hospital Association Miscellaneous Pet Care: Are raw hide chews safe? Answer Rawhide chews are pretty harmless. The problems come when they swallow them whole. They either choke on them, or the rawhide balls up in the stomach and causes gastritis or blockage. We've seen it all. Moderation is the key. One every once in a while is OK, but they shouldn't be included as a regular toy or part of the diet. In addition it's usually best to supervise or at least be nearby when your pet is chewing on any toy. << Diet - Treats and Snacks It is interesting to me that a number of veterinarians I have spoken with do say that they have seen problems associated with these toys. Their experience differs from mine. I practice in a rural area and sometimes I think that I just don't have enough patients to see all the problems that vets who practice in more crowded areas do. << OMG, they sell it yet their vets admit it is dangerous!!! Acme Pet - Pet Health Questions Ask Acme Pet'sExperts Q. I have a one year old mix JRT, she is a great dog. But the problem I have with her is that, whenever I give her a chewy like those basted sticks. I have to watch her because she will make it all soft, not bite a piece and eat it. She makes it soft and swallows half while she is still chewing the other end. She has almost choked on me twice. This happens with the square chewees too. A. I would suggest you not give them to her anymore. Many dogs die of intestinal obstruction each year due to rawhide. Find something else, which is safer, to give her.<< petcare Okay, this is a petstore, not a vet but thought their concern worth noting! In addition, we don't carry rawhide chews in order to assure the safest play experience for your pet. Rawhide chews, when gobbled or eaten in large quantities, can cause choking or possible obstruction in dogs. << vet@dog - Holidays - Chocolate and other dangerous goodies FROM: Dr. Lucy L. Pinkston, D.V.M. Rawhide chews can lodge in the throat and cause choking, or a large piece may be swallowed, scraping and irritating the throat and esophagus on the way down. Once in the stomach or intestinal tract, a large piece of rawhide can also create a physical obstruction. An additional danger that is less widely known is the practice, in some countries, of using an arsenic-based preservative in the processing of rawhide toys. We recommend that, if you do purchase these products, stick to brands processed in the U.S. There has also been a recent FDA alert about the risk of Salmonella associated with dog chew products made from pork or beef-derived materials: refer to the FDA advisory or call 1-888-INFO-FDA. See below (discussion on pigs' ears) for more details.<< I could go on, but the bottom line is, if it is SOMETIMES, even rarely, dangerous, and it isn't NECESSARY, why do it?
  • S

    Age issues or behavioral issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    agilebasenjiA
    @Patty: Personally I would take her to the vet to get her checked out for bowel or urinary infections. If she is losing sight and hearing she may be frightened. It sounds as though you need to step back a pace to calm your reactions. I can appreciate that you are getting fed up with all the work but she is an old dog. My present oldie (15) has taken to peeing (and pooing) indoors at times but I know I need to put her outside more often as she doesn't have the control she once had. She has also become blind and is certainly more aggressive with the others because of that. Any way first things first and do take her to the vet, please. Let us know how you get on. I have to agree with everything Patty wrote. Changing behavior ALWAYS needs a vet check. Increase aggresssion can be due to thyroid issues, pain, tick-born diseases, constant hunger (due to other things), etc. You didn't say in your post if you'd recently seen a vet and discussed her new issues. My oldest (16 in December) has failing kidneys (nonFanconi) and does need to pee more often. So, I put pee pads down in the house in his favorite pee spots. He's usually pretty good about that, but he does still pee in other spots if I'm not watching him carefully or if he gets a bit aggitated about the sitting arrangements. Would your pup stay in an exercise pen? That would give her a little more room than a crate.
  • Chealsie508C

    Eye issue

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    71
    0 Votes
    71 Posts
    28k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Pat, yeah, it was many but the specialist from GA (who does CERF btw, or did, could be retired at this point) said all were iris to iris and none should cause her issues. But you can still see them. I am comforted to know that a lot of strands don't pass as I honestly don't remember seeing that limitation, only on placement. Been a long time since I looked at CERF. But the issue was and then, the person LIED. She sent me a puppy for my child, who already had more on her than any child should with my health issues, that she obviously had no clue about– a puppy she had no clue about it's eye health. And then wanted her back if I wasn't going to breed her as she would. Yeah, over my dead body.
  • Anne-MarieA

    Liver issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    nobarkusN
    @tanza: These kinds of problems are not uncommon when your Basenjis start to reach their "golden" years. You might want to try him on Dr. Dodd's liver cleansing diet. http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Liver%20cleansing%20diet.htm Many have used it and had great results regardless of what you find out the issue might be. Good Suggestion Pat as I had an older B with liver issues in 2008 and that diet brought it down into normal range.
  • H

    Issue?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    1k Views
    P
    This could possibly be a minor epileptic attack. I have seen a video of many forms of these attacks (no basenjis) many of them very different and this was an example. A canine neurologist could confirm.