I'd get a second opinion. He sounds like he's in pain from something.
I know that muscle spasms certainly make ME want to snap at people (literally and figuratively). You might want to see if you can get a referral to a rehab specialist, to work on exercises to help prevent more problems in the future.Update.. i ended up taking him to the vet again. They looked at his back, legs, neck and organs and could not find anything. But she did discover a spasm in his back muscles. I think his that might have been the problem. So he got a shot for that and some inflamation tablets. He was acting like his old self again when we got home. But if the problem still persists by thursday he will be seeing vet number 3.
Thanks for the reply?s though. I really appreciate it.
An option to consider would be a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. A CVA is a Dr. of Vet Medicine first with that additional training. I have several friends whose dogs have gone from nearly immobile to enjoying walks, including a 12ish year old Doxie (a breed known for back troubles) and a Great Pyr with 2 knee surgeries.Update.. i ended up taking him to the vet again. They looked at his back, legs, neck and organs and could not find anything. But she did discover a spasm in his back muscles. I think his that might have been the problem. So he got a shot for that and some inflamation tablets. He was acting like his old self again when we got home. But if the problem still persists by thursday he will be seeing vet number 3.
Thanks for the reply?s though. I really appreciate it.
I second seeing a rehab specialist, although you might want to call around. In my area, at least, they don't require a formal referral (although ours did request that we have Snowball's records sent over before our appointment). I'm so glad that we went - not only did she identify a problem that our vet had missed, but she was also able to give us exercises to help him strengthen problem areas. It is also common for untreated problems to cause issues elsewhere as they try to compensate for the reduced or changed use of limbs or body parts or whatever. Snowball's previously undiagnosed problem was starting to cause abnormal tightness in his back.I know that muscle spasms certainly make ME want to snap at people (literally and figuratively). You might want to see if you can get a referral to a rehab specialist, to work on exercises to help prevent more problems in the future.
Exactly.Being in constant pain is also not particularly "healthy" - especially for an older dog who may already be not particularly active.
Check with your vet, but as far as I know there are very few conditions that are made worse by low doses of pain killers. Liver problems, which would show up on bloodwork, and GI issues which would also be pretty obvious, are two. But to be honest, if your dog is in pain NOW, you should be aiming to alleviate it - regardless of whether you know the cause or not.As I said if it is not needed........ I just want them to be absolutely sure of what the problem is! I just want to be 100% sure that this is the problem and there is not something else that could be worsened by taking pain killers etc. he will be going in today for more extensive blood work.
I only want the best for him as I do for all my animals. my oldest dog recently passed away and he was 18 years old so I know all about having them on low dose arthritis medication.
He is still a very active dog. loves to play ball and go on walks and run.
thank you all for the replies and care. I do appreciate it a lot.
I don't think either of us meant that you were not giving the currently prescribed painkillers. Just that you should not overlook the potential benefits of future/on-going low dose use for fear of some minor risk of side-effects. Quality of life is important after all.I have been giving it to him!!! He still gets the shivers though! We are waiting for the bloodwork to come back. And they only gave him 3 pills so thats till Friday. He will be going back tomorrow
Yes, this!I don't think either of us meant that you were not giving the currently prescribed painkillers. Just that you should not overlook the potential benefits of future/on-going low dose use for fear of some minor risk of side-effects. Quality of life is important after all.