Rudo in pain not sure what to do

[Aoibheann]

Hi all, i know it's been ages since I've posted on the forums, Cairo and Rudo have been keeping me busy.

Rudo had a dental done on Tues ( I think his first one in his 11.5 years) and was chipped. Thankfully he didn't need any extractions, but a couple of hours after being home he started yelping. Since then he hasn't been able to lift his head above shoulder level and when ever he moves or isn't curled in a ball and even sometimes when you just touch him he yelps ( not with every single step or movement but often.) I've been giving him tramadol (sp?) ever since tues evening (4 halves so far) and it hasn't done anything to help.

I took him back to the vet yesterday and he either hid the pain or was too petrified ( he's my 32lb cowardly lion/scooby doo) to show pain with the vet put him through range of motion tests, but shortly after we got back home he started yelping again. Normally he's goofy, bubbly, and very animated and will come up to you and look you in the eyes and either rub up against you or pet you for attention… Now he hangs his head and tail and walks very stiff afraid when the next stab of pain will come and looks at me like it's either me doing it to him or for help.

My only thought was that it might be the microchip in a nerve cluster or something like that but the vet told be there's none where they generally put the chips and it has an anti-migration device. I'm just wondering if new nerves or scare tissue could be there because i was told that when Ru was a youngster he was attacked by 3 big dogs and need over 100 stitches in his shoulder/back area... I don't know. Or could it be fibromyalgia or something else?

I'm really starting to wish I'd never dropped him off on Tues... I wish I knew what to do to help him.

[eeeefarm]

Maybe a pinched nerve or something? Perhaps he was in an awkward position for some time while his teeth were done. As to why it isn't apparent at the vet's, I don't know, but maybe when he is too focused on being afraid he tunes it out. Might be useful to video the behaviour for your vet to see. Perhaps it isn't related to having his teeth done, but the timing is suspicious.

[agilebasenji]

@eeeefarm:

Might be useful to video the behaviour for your vet to see. Perhaps it isn't related to having his teeth done, but the timing is suspicious.

Just what I was going to say. Technology is quite helpful sometimes.

[Aoibheann]

I have caught a couple of clips on the ipad but it isn't the greatest and I'm going to try and get some more footage with my camera when I get home from work. I'm totally sure he hid the pain ( I wasn't sure at the vet at the time because I've never seen him so frozen and stiff) and I had to carry him in (he so wasn't going in on his own.)

Hopefully it is a pinched nerve that will clear up soon on it's own. It worries me though that the pain meds aren't working though. It also kind of makes me feel worse because I'm pretty sure he was abused before his former owners and BRaT got a hold of him, every time he hurts he looks at me like I had something to do with it and has started running or shying away from me.

[Patty]

This worries me - there can be troubles with micro chips and I'd definitely get your vet to have a look at it. He is obviously in pain and even if its not obvious when he goes to the vet it still needs to be looked at. Perhaps its just the previous damage but in my opinion the microchip shouldn't have been inserted at that point. Please don't just leave it hoping it'll go away - he's obviously gone through a lot in his past and you are his saviour. Please keep us updated.

As to the running away from you - this is quite normal where he doesn't quite know where the pain is coming from and it could be his previous experience. Once he's better he'll soon realise that you are his loving companion and carer again.

[dcmclcm4]

Did they scan for the microchip when he was at the vet yesterday to evaluate the pain? Perhaps it migrated but I would not think that could cause pain.

Jennifer

[DebraDownSouth]

I had a dog 3 legged lame who would walk for vet. Vet trusted me and examined then did xrays to see a disc that looked "wrong." Hopefully you can get a better video but I'd simply INSIST the do more testing. Poor you and Rudo.

[Aoibheann]

Quick update,

When I got home yesterday after work both Cairo and Rudo were waiting for me at the garage door. Rudo promptly leaned against me and offered his paw, though still couldn't quite look up at me. He yelped a couple of times during their after work walk, but seemed to be much more himself with his tail up and bouncing when trotting. And he got a bit better as the night went on, even looking back over his should at me when I stop the pats. This morning he seemed a bit better, but I'm going to keep a close eye on him over the weekend and keep the tramadol on board just in case.

The vet said the only thing she could do was to take Xrays to double check the chip placement and if Ru keeps having pain then I'll probably go that root. I also will try and have my friend who's a vet tech there come check him out if the pain persists. Since Ru would more than likely freeze at the vet again.

Thank you for the advice and comments

[dcmclcm4]

Perhaps his neck got pinched during the surgery. If you do get x-rays I would have the vet take a series of the entire back including the neck. I think that would be two x-rays. My older girl had spondylosis of the neck/upper back region.

Jennifer

[Buddys Pal]

I am so sorry to read this…it hurts us to see the obvious pain they have and can't totally communicate it to us! My girl had dental cleaning (NEVER AGAIN!!!) She came home looking like she had had a stroke as her muscles on one side were drooping. Eye orbits, jowls, even her ear. Long story short, the doc admitted they are on a grate to allow the water to wash away during the cleaning. It obviously pinched a nerve. So in your case, I can only imagine they pulled back his head to get an angle at the cleaning and could have gone back beyond the normal range of motion. To rule out the origin area of his neck pain try sitting on the floor and see if he comes to you, then gently place your two fingers along the neck/shoulder region. A pressure of the weight of a nickle if you will. He will flinch when it is tender. This may help, or maybe the Vet tech friend of yours can do this. It may dissipate, but may not resolve. Do you have a dog massage therapist in your area if needed? Or maybe your friend can show you some stretches to do to 'get the kinks out'. If you do get the x-ray, it will help to decide of a vertebrae is out of alignment. This being the case, you should not have to pay for the x-rays as he was fine before the treatment!!!!!!!!!!! (I get a little riled up with things like this!)

[eeeefarm]

Another avenue to explore is acupuncture, if you have a vet in your area that practices this. I took one of my girls for acupuncture for a complaint once. Unfortunately it wasn't effective for her problem, but I was amazed at how relaxed she became during the treatment. Went from her typical "oh no, I'm at the vet's!" demeanor to actually falling asleep during the procedure. And she stayed very relaxed and happy all the way home afterward.

[DebraDownSouth]

Buddyspal, I hope you aren't saying you won't get the teeth cleaned again. Not cleaning teeth can lead to serious health issues. Get a new vet to do it but they need it.

The thing that would worry me is if there is a disc issue, the longer you wait the worse the damage. This long of pain is indicative of something and while your dog may act less in pain, by this point it could be getting used to being in pain or actually improving. No way to know without finding out what is causing the pain.

[Buddys Pal]

Don't worry about my knowledge of not getting the teeth done and that it could lead to serious health issues. I know what she needs, trust me! Wonder what they did 75 years ago. Do you think they had beef flavored toothpaste?

[eeeefarm]

@Buddys:

Do you think they had beef flavored toothpaste?

I am sure the dogs kept their teeth in better shape than they do these days…....it's called "bones".

[Patty]

Have you tried a Masseuse or an Osteopath?

[DebraDownSouth]

exactly eeeefarms.. when I fed my dogs rmb, they none, not one, ever needed teeth cleaning. My vets jokes I must be cheating on them .

But in the "old days" the dogs broke teeth, suffered, got infected, suffered, had health ruined or died because for many in the "old days" you fed them, you had done your part. Most dogs never saw a vet until rabies were made a legal requirement.

[eeeefarm]

@DebraDownSouth:

But in the "old days" the dogs broke teeth,

That is my one objection to feeding bones. I have had dogs chip teeth on them, and I know it could be worse with a greedy chewer, which all mine seem to be…...but it sure keeps their teeth sparkling!

[Buddys Pal]

Ok, back to Rudo and the pain thread! What has been the outcome for Rudo?

[Kipawa]

@Buddys:

Don't worry about my knowledge of not getting the teeth done and that it could lead to serious health issues. I know what she needs, trust me! Wonder what they did 75 years ago. Do you think they had beef flavored toothpaste?

Well, they do have flavoured toothpaste now!

I clean Kipawa's teeth once a week - he thinks the toothbrush is a toy, so it takes a bit of time. But I also use a product called PlaqueOff (made in Sweden) which works very well for Kipawa. The main ingredient is kelp. I sprinkle it on his food and he seems to love the taste of it. It inhibits plaque and his breath smells good (neutral, no unpleasant odor). I get it from a specialty pet store near where we live, but you can also get it online. Here is the web address: http://www.plaqueoff.com/for-animals/

They also make a version for humans (in capsules). I started buying it for myself - and it works. But I have switched to using just the powder because there is a huge price difference and I don't think the product for humans is any different than the product for dogs. I put some in a bit of water in a water bottle, shake it around and slug it down.

[Kipawa]

@Kipawa:

Well, they do have flavoured toothpaste now!

I clean Kipawa's teeth once a week - he thinks the toothbrush is a toy, so it takes a bit of time. But I also use a product called PlaqueOff (made in Sweden) which works very well for Kipawa. The main ingredient is kelp. I sprinkle it on his food and he seems to love the taste of it. It inhibits plaque and his breath smells good (neutral, no unpleasant odor). I get it from a specialty pet store near where we live, but you can also get it online. Here is the web address: http://www.plaqueoff.com/for-animals/

They also make a version for humans (in capsules). I started buying it for myself - and it works. But I have switched to using just the powder because there is a huge price difference and I don't think the product for humans is any different than the product for dogs. I put some in a bit of water in a water bottle, shake it around and slug it down.

Forgot to mention that Kipawa has elk antlers to chew on, and I think the chewing on those helps with tartar buildup as well.