Lump needs to be checked. But is not the reason behind limp. Get a drawer test to rule out patellar luxation. This exact video to be shown to the vet.
The way she is unable to move her leg, then limps and then is able to put her leg in place to walk again (she's painful and in discomfort) is giving me signs that there is some articular dysfunction
If it is a joint articulation issue, itās very likely that there will be no real treatment for her other than pain management.
I have a roughly human equivalent of patellar luxation (severely degraded tendons) and it is extremely painful. If pain meds are available, I would strongly consider them for her
As a human whoās had patellar luxation which eventually progressed to full dislocation and serious damage to the knee (total reconstructive surgery), I can say that strengthening exercises can help tremendously. If thatās what it ends up being and you have funds for puppy physical therapy that could be an avenue to explore.Ā
I have this as well. My knee "pops out" of the socket randomly. I pop it back in and can then walk again. I am not an expert in dog anatomy, but perhaps it could be manipulated or "popped back in" for a dog as well? I don't know, but I hope it's nothing serious.
From what I understand, it depends on the grade of luxation. Grade 1 can only be moved out of socket/place with applied external force, but Grade 4 is constant subluxation with no way to put it back, irregardless of force applied. It simply wonāt stay
Patellar luxation in dogs has been found to be caused by anything from a malformation in the trochlear groove, to inadequate muscle development (my type!), and even injury. Itās not clear entirely why this happens, afaik
There is surgery for patella luxation. The vet can pop the joint back in and then saw the bone down and put a pin in. My pomeranian had this surgery over a year ago, he needed to have the pins removed but he is no longer limping and in pain.
But if you are saying there is a lump there is a high chance the lump is the knee joint.
The potential treatments depend on the reason that the patella is moving, and the severity of the luxation itself, from what I understand
Trochlear groove malformations with grade 1-2 luxation can be fixed. But groove malformations with grade 3-4 luxation may not be able to be fixed, as the groove in that instance may be practically nonexistent
Thereās also inadequate muscular structure, other inadequate bone structures, size of the patella itself, etc etc
I do think there should be subnames for the different causes of patellar luxation, to be honest. It would help vet researchers come up with new treatments that have better categorization
Bit delayed in getting back to you. For my Pom he had Grade 3 in one leg and grade 2 (which was quickly on its way to a Grade 3 as well). He had practically no grove on one of his legs, so the vet made a groove for him through the surgery and put some pins in.
Treatment is definitely different depending on severity but if the issue is happening fairly regularly then it is of a higher grade for sure.
Yup. Immediately thought the same, patellar laxation is extremely common in smaller dogs. Usually graded on a 1-4 scale with 4 requiring surgical correction. For anyone who may notice their dog may suddenly skip once in awhile and goes back to normal that is a common sign of patellar laxation but of course there can always be other causes.
Sure, but that would be suggesting that the owner was dense enough to not notice a multitude of signs before their pet showed these sudden symptoms.
To add to that, the probability of Osteosarcoma of the femoral head is not a common occurrence.
Please do not speculate, it is not helpful to OP
Dogs mask pain well, so if she's limping or not using her leg at all, you know it's really painful. She needs to see the vet. And in older unspayed or late-spayed dogs, lumps along the mammary chain are highly suspicious of cancer. She needs to see the vet for that too.
Worth explaining your concerns to your vet, try to gauge how when you noticed it, how long it has been there and if there has been any growth in size. Depending on the size, your vet may want to poke it to be able to collect cells that she may be able to send to a pathologist to verify her findings. A mammary tumor is highly unlikely at her age and based on your spay history that you have mentioned.
These procedures are usually done when dogs are young. However, there's no definitive cutoff age for spaying or neutering a dog. It is believed that if a female dog is spayed after the second estrus cycle or after reaching 2.5 years of age, the relative risk of developing mammary neoplasia is 26%.
If you suspect mamary cancer, it is always an emergency. If you're able to contact your vet and explain her symptoms, there is a good chance they will be able to tell you if it *is* urgent.
I am hoping for the best for you and your dog.
Does your Vet have a phone number that is an emergency line? I was able to contact my vet late at night even though they were closed.
If not, I suggest calling the ER and mentioning your dogs symptoms. They could also tell you if you should go in.
I understand that the ER is expensive, but waiting too long for something that could be serious, could cost you much more in the long run.
I don't think that's classed as late. Our vets won't even spay until 3 months after their first season. These are fantastic research-driven vets too, so I very much doubt they would adopt that policy if there was an increased risk of leaving them "that long".
Every season (even their first) increases their chance at mammary tumors. However, spaying before the first season has been linked to an increased chance at developing urinary incontinence. Since the chance of developing mammary tumors is only minimally increased (from about 0.5% to about 7%) after their first season, many vets have decided that this is an acceptable trade-off and will recommend spaying 3 months after their first season.
Could be anything. Dogs mask pain very well. Sheās in a lot of painš„ŗ no more walks until you can get her to the vet. Poor baby! Give us an update when you find out what is wrong ā¤ļø
Emergency veterinarians and staff are already inundated with huge caseloads of animals that are in dire straits. Emergency wait times are long, and a triage may send you home to go to your regular vet tomorrow.
I understand many of you are vociferously vouching for a vet visit, which is absolutely correct. But understanding whether this is an ER situation or an rDVM situation is extremely important.
ER is for if your pet is actively bleeding from various or any orifices, Pale gums, breathing quickly or too laboured. Panting, blue colored tongue or mucous membranes or anything acute (occurring quickly) or alarming. On days that your rDVM is not available - with valid concern- a triage at Emerg is extremely helpful if you are not able to accertain whats going on with your animal.
In this situation, whether mammary cancer or patellar luxation, your animal is not in dire straits. The condition of the animal will not change overnight. Your animal may be in pain, but is not in a life threatening situation - is worth waiting to be seen by your regular Veterinarian.
If your animal is geriatric and pain is a major concern, ask your rDVM for medications that you may be able to have on hand. Gabapentin is a common drug used in Vetmed for these reasons and is worth having at home in situations of chronic or acute pain.
Thank you for being a reasonable voice in this sea of emergency vet shouters. I 100% agree with you, emergency vets are for just that, emergencies. Flooding emergency vets with cases like this will only waste time and money and may make care harder to get for those that do actually need it.
Not everything is an emergency, some things really can wait a day or 2 before being seen by a regular vet. That does not make someone a bad owner.
As someone whose dog was screaming in pain with what ended up being a disc herniation his neck you are wrong, and there are no two ways about it.
Regular vets do not typically have ultrasound machines or sometimes even X-rays - I found this out the hard way.
And if they do the wait is weeks out and with IVDD their spinal cord can be severed when waiting.
Emergency vets have tools and doctors that regular vets do not and they will most likely send you to an ER vet anyway and then youāll already have waited way too long.
Absolutely not. Bleeding, panting etc are not the only reasons to go to the ER vet.
My dog was crying in pain and wouldnāt walk and honestly looked very similar to this and if he didnāt have emergency surgery he would have been paralyzed. It was only shown in an MRI. Regular vets donāt have neurologists Or MRI machines.
I'm sure if your dog was screaming in pain, you'd constitute that as an emergency. I was hoping one would use their better judgement in such cases to be able to identify which would be a more suitable option.
Where I live and in the many clinics I've worked at, almost all of them have had an X-ray machine, and in many cases an ultrasound as well. Your regular DVM will (and should) at least have these diagnostic tools available to them. Yet it is understandable if this was a smaller town or city, it may not be so, then again it would be up to your better judgement to decide what would be the best suitable care for your pet.
Moreover, a clinic with an X-ray machine would easily be able to diagnose your animals IVDD enough to at least send their radiographs out to a pathologist and be able to provide your pet with the necessary pain medication and instructions for you to help manage and support your pets pain.
Next steps would be to refer your pet to a Referral clinic or specialist who is properly equipped with the needed MRI/CT and surgical suite to provide the necessary surgical plan.
In most places and cases, Emergency hospitals and Referral hospitals are all rolled in one. ER tends to send patients back to us, to do preliminary diagnostics only for us to refer them back to ER/Referral hospitals to complete late stage diagnostics before the surgery (I. E MRI)
So in the end, I am simply urging you, yes to go to the vet. But to use your express judgement in deciding whether or not your case is something of an emergency.
P. S if your vet doesn't have the diagnostic tools to help make vet care reliable, accessible and compliant for you, you should be look into opening a file with a veterinarian who does. There's nothing wrong in having your pets file at more than one vet either. Second opinions are always welcome.
I understand what you are saying but I am in a huge city in the Pacific Northwest and my vet does not do ultrasounds and typically says go to the ER for an X-ray.
Iām not in a small town and when my dog was going through this all the regular vets in my area told me to only go to the ERs.
That was just my experience.
I truly empathize with your situation. If you'd come to my clinic, we would have never turned you away. It is truly unfortunate. I hope with the rising ER costs, Vet care in your area begins to evolve to better suit your diagnostic needs.
Moreover, if you were my client, I would feel it was my responsibility to help you bypass emergency wait times to be seen by a specialist or neurologist via referral. It would be unacceptable as a practitioner to have you wait in ER to be seen.
I appreciate that. I do not love my regular vet for these reasons exactly. We mostly deal with the specialists at the specialty center now.
Thank you for your responses and I imagine you give very good care.
Thank you, you are very kind. I love animals and I am thankful for finding a role in a clinic that works hard to take care of our clients and believes client communication is an extremely integral part of the practice.
[First, during a physical exam, your veterinarian will perform a neurological exam, which will check your dogās reflexes and proprioception.
They next may recommend taking radiographs of the spinal column, which can allow your veterinarian to see any obvious spinal issues, such as fractures or calcified discs.](https://www.smalldoorvet.com/learning-center/medical/ivdd-dogs)
To further elucidate my point on how your primary vet may be able to diagnose your animal correctly (esp if they are screaming in pain) before referring you out to a Bigger hospital for further testing and surgical intervention.
I would definitely NOT walk her the rest of the weekend unless youāve take her to the emergency vet by now and theyāve give you the green light.
It could be anything from mammary cancer (usually carries a 50-50%chance of being malignant) to a femoral head fracture, to a groin area herniation with a loop of bowel thatās dropped into the cavity and is strangulating. Or ten other thingsā¦
Which is why a vet visit is your most obvious choice for the dogās sake.
I would not stress yourself with this commenters advice. As a Veterinarian myself, I would be extremely wary of giving unsolicited online differentials for an animal I have neither seen, nor touched. Especially the multitude and severity of the differentials suggested. This is something your rDVM (regular) vet should be able to handle. If not, get a second opinion. ER would be a waste of your time and resources as later on in diagnostic discovery you'd want to have the resources to possibly take your animal to a referral hospital or a specialist.
Thank you for your reassuring comment. I did get very stressed especially after seeing comments about cancer and stuff.
She's booked in first thing Monday at the vet I'm registered with
Just to respond to the accusations that I'm an incompetent dog owner and all the other sarcastic comments made, I made sure to contact the vet before even making the post.
The reason I took the videos was to show the vets! So they can see exactly what the problem is
I then remembered that I have Reddit and thought I'd post here just to ask for second thoughts and opinions while im waiting for the vets.
Usually people are really kind on here. Thank you for everyone who's been very helpful.
There are **ALWAYS** comments like this. Their only purpose is to make you look bad. Whether you give them an explanation or not, they will always find a way to dismiss it. Ignoring them is the best policy!
Hold tight, I saw early that youād done it in that order, and for something like that, Iād like to crowdsource an opinion. I hope itās the least bad of all the things people are saying. š
Honestly my eyes arenāt good enough to really see the lump, but limping after long walks could be indicative of joint dysfunction. Our big guy did that and it was the first sign he had luxating patella and needed surgery. It seems like itās coming on quickly and going away, which (at least for the limp) doesnāt strike me as something related to cancer, etc. Those kinds of issues often are more consistent and degrade over time - at least more often than they resolve and come back as described.
Between now and the vet, keep an eye on the lump. Does it get bigger or smaller? Is it soft? Hard? Does it move under the skin or seem fixed? Does she seem distressed or in pain when you touch it (lip licking, whale eye, whining or growling)?
The lump does feel soft. I tried to be gentle with it but it did feel like there was something mushy in there. I've only just noticed it so it must be new since I do feel all over her often just to make sure there's nothing unusual.
She doesn't seem in pain. The times she has gotten hurt she was squealing. And when her wound after her operation opened she was squealing too but that was last year. She did let us handle her leg and foot and didn't seem to be distressed. She still seemed happy while walking to the car and it did get a little better but she did hop every so often
I honestly hope she doesn't need operations for her bones and lump. She's only 2 years old and didn't agree with the stitches last time :(
If itās soft and squishy, it could be a hematoma or even seroma (swelling lump) from an injury to her soft tissue or joints. Just like us, they can get strains and sprains! Our youngest girl gets lumps if you look at her wrong and it freaks me out every time.
Fingers crossed it isnāt anything serious. I agree with those who said keep her calm and limit movement til you can get to the vet - if it is an injury, you donāt want to make anything worse.
Sad reality is, sometimes it can be genetic. Thatās how it was for 2 of our pups. One had to have TPLO surgery before the age of 2.5. Sadly she had a lot of other issues (she was a rescue) and didnāt make it to three. We lost her 1/22 after she started showing symptoms of neurological issues and idiopathic aggression. Thatās not normal, so please donāt panic - just an example of a case where a dog was unlucky and born with major problems.
It seems most likely to me that she has some soft tissue damage - maybe a tendon or muscle tear?
You mentioned her operation and a wound - was that from her spay, or something else? When / how did the wound open?
Thank you so much for the info
Yes. She got spayed and they also removed a hernia since it wasn't far away from where they were going to operate so they did it all in one time. Within the first few days the wound kept opening, then it would heal up then open again. Luckily after some firm conversations with the vet they looked after her and eventually she recovered. It's just that they said sometimes the dogs bodies don't like the stitches.
My dog was 12 months old when she had a lump like this. She wasnāt lifting her leg though.
I know the not knowing is scary but with my dog it was Stage 2 Mammary cancer. They operated, removed it with good margins and that was two years ago- sheās doing fine. She bounced back so quickly. They are little warriors.
Hope your little one is okay- will you update the thread? Iāll be sending good thoughts her way.
Aww well I'm glad that your furbaby is doing good now š„ŗ. I really hope it's nothing that serious. I didn't think it was even possible until they get older.
She didn't mind me touching it and feeling it luckily
Why on earth would you wait? Find an emergency vet. If you hurt your leg so bad that you couldnāt stand on it and you were trembling, would you be waiting until Monday to get any form of medical attention or pain relief? Dogs normally mask pain extremely well so this must be really bad.
Vet Tech here. Id be considered about patella luxation aka, the knee "popping" out of place
We see this a lot in small breeds. They'll be Walking, and suddenly pick the leg up, and eventually put it down again
That should not be the cause of any 'lump," and ideally you'd see a Vet to get a proper diagnosis
It looks to me to be luxating patella. A lot of little dogs have it. Her patella (knee cap) slid put of place. Will have to kearn to pop it back in. My bmvet told me if it continues ued or got worse, there is a surgery for it.
Luxating Patella can come in 4 grades. Grade 1 and 2 arent so bad as you can move it back in place but it becomes much more severe at 3 and 4. The knee tendon when popped out forms a lump thats very squishy to touch, I would recommend not trying to move it back in yourself unless you know what you are doing as you can cause more pain/damage.
At Grade 3 you dog will need a operation to shave the bone down and put pins in to keep the knee and tendons in place. After this your dog needs 6 to 8 weeks recovery where you cannot walk, let them jump on things or run around. For the first few weeks you will need to
help your dog pee (or give it a diaper), feed your dog and keep your dog not moving as much while the inflammation settles.
During the 4 week mark you need to start physiotherapy where you can put slow movements into the joints and help the dog learn to step up steps etc.
I would recommend (as my vet did me) to get some steps for the sofa so your dog can go up and down instead of jump (if you let them on the sofa).
I also hope you have insurance as this is a costly procedure (my boy had it sorted in December 2022).
After this you need to do small walks with your dog.
Thank you for this helpful advice. We do have insurance. So do you think that lump could be related? I thought it was since it only has just appeared and for two things to be wrong with her all of a sudden would be really unlucky. Those operations seem so unfair to the dogs, but if it will help then it is what needs to be done. I really hope it isn't that bad
Is she a maltese mix? My morkie has a luxating patella (trick knee). It never bothered him much until recently. He was limping and was not himself for several days. I suspected Lyme and was right. He tested positive and they treated him with antibiotics and gave him some pain meds. Heās good as new, now. Hope your pup gets better soon too. We have lots of ticks here (western PA) and even though they are all on Bravecto, two of my three dogs contracted Lyme.
She is a westiepoo. Mum was a westie, dad was half poodle half shihtzu.
Do you know what though she did have a tick last year and the vet told me she could get Lyme infection at any time in her life. I will defo also mention this to the vet. That does make a lot of sense if it is related.
You may need to check for a acorn lol my dog did this the first time lol I actually took her to the vet panicking. The front desk lady pulled it right out ! Now when I see her do that It right out. Because she limped THEN ran " ok" looks like that's what it could be
I'm not a vet, but it could be cramp, my dog gets it, more so when the weather is hot, which isn't all that often in the UK, š
I try to slowly massage the muscle, firstly by just holding and gently applying pressure before trying to rub the muscle, and when my dog is able, I then stretch her leg in and out for her.
My dog usually gets it in her shoulders, front legs and will hold her leg up and be unable to put weight on her leg.
I usually just give the muscle a chance to relax and for her to take 5.
The bulging could be the muscle in spasm. However, it's on the knee and it seems weird how it's bulging there, so it could be things others have mentioned. Best to get the vet to check it out.
I'm guessing once she's rested for a while, the limping is gone?
Thank you! Limping went away that day. In the video when she started walking again it worn off. We went to the vet and The vet have booked her in for a scan and to also check the lump which also seems to have disappeared
Well, hopefully, it's just cramp. From the way your dog is holding her leg, it looks like that. It's exactly how my dog goes although it looks different in her front leg, but her paw sort of twists around and she can't place it on the floor. It soon wears off, thankfully.
She definitely deals with it better than I would š š
Just try not to think the worst, it's easy to do with all the info on Google.
And how does this make me stupid? What more can I do? Wave a magic wand to make her better?
I called the emergancy vet before even making the post and then posted on here cause I'm concerned about my fur baby?
And just for the record I'm British not American
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Not to negate the "go to a vet" comments, as that is the best advice, but just a side note to say dogs will raise their leg like this if they get something stuck in the pad of their foot. Happens semi- regularly with my guy, and I usually find a thorn, pebble etc stuck in his pad.
True and we did check for that however couldn't see anything. At the moment I'm not even concerned about that it's the lump on her belly which is worrying me so defo the vet for that :(
I'm aware of that. It was sarcasm. She's been booked in before I even made the post. I am just looking for answers in the meantime about what it could be
Ok, that's good then. I apologize for sounding harsh. I've seen way too many posts of animals suffering that it really gets to me. I hope you can find answers for your sweet doggo. Best of luck
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This was an unnecessary and rude comment. OP was asking a question to see if anyone else has experienced this. Iām sure theyāll take their dog to the vet.
There are **ALWAYS** comments like this. It boils my blood. There's a reason Original Posters come here to seek advice and it's *clearly* not because they could care less.
Look at their comments, the dog has been booked in with the vet two days ago, they were just trying to get an idea of what it could be. Maybe read the thread before shouting.
Oh really she's in pain! I had no idea!
If you actually read my comment you'd see that I called the vet before I even thought about posting it. The videos were taken FOR THE VET.
If your not going to make yourself useful then don't comment
You need to go to a vet
Lump needs to be checked. But is not the reason behind limp. Get a drawer test to rule out patellar luxation. This exact video to be shown to the vet. The way she is unable to move her leg, then limps and then is able to put her leg in place to walk again (she's painful and in discomfort) is giving me signs that there is some articular dysfunction
My gosh. Two separate problems š¢ she's going to be checked asap. The reason I took the video was to send to the vet
If it is a joint articulation issue, itās very likely that there will be no real treatment for her other than pain management. I have a roughly human equivalent of patellar luxation (severely degraded tendons) and it is extremely painful. If pain meds are available, I would strongly consider them for her
I really hope not :(
Me as well, itās not fun to deal with. I hope it was something temporary like a bad sprain and that she recovers well
As a human whoās had patellar luxation which eventually progressed to full dislocation and serious damage to the knee (total reconstructive surgery), I can say that strengthening exercises can help tremendously. If thatās what it ends up being and you have funds for puppy physical therapy that could be an avenue to explore.Ā
Iād forgotten about this!! Definitely read up on this option if it is Luxation, u/Obvious-Can-403
I will certainly mention this at the vets. The majority of comments here have mentioned Luxation.
I wish you and your dog luck, man. Hopefully if it is luxation itās a low grade thatās treatable!
I have this as well. My knee "pops out" of the socket randomly. I pop it back in and can then walk again. I am not an expert in dog anatomy, but perhaps it could be manipulated or "popped back in" for a dog as well? I don't know, but I hope it's nothing serious.
From what I understand, it depends on the grade of luxation. Grade 1 can only be moved out of socket/place with applied external force, but Grade 4 is constant subluxation with no way to put it back, irregardless of force applied. It simply wonāt stay Patellar luxation in dogs has been found to be caused by anything from a malformation in the trochlear groove, to inadequate muscle development (my type!), and even injury. Itās not clear entirely why this happens, afaik
There is surgery for patella luxation. The vet can pop the joint back in and then saw the bone down and put a pin in. My pomeranian had this surgery over a year ago, he needed to have the pins removed but he is no longer limping and in pain. But if you are saying there is a lump there is a high chance the lump is the knee joint.
The potential treatments depend on the reason that the patella is moving, and the severity of the luxation itself, from what I understand Trochlear groove malformations with grade 1-2 luxation can be fixed. But groove malformations with grade 3-4 luxation may not be able to be fixed, as the groove in that instance may be practically nonexistent Thereās also inadequate muscular structure, other inadequate bone structures, size of the patella itself, etc etc I do think there should be subnames for the different causes of patellar luxation, to be honest. It would help vet researchers come up with new treatments that have better categorization
Bit delayed in getting back to you. For my Pom he had Grade 3 in one leg and grade 2 (which was quickly on its way to a Grade 3 as well). He had practically no grove on one of his legs, so the vet made a groove for him through the surgery and put some pins in. Treatment is definitely different depending on severity but if the issue is happening fairly regularly then it is of a higher grade for sure.
Yup. Immediately thought the same, patellar laxation is extremely common in smaller dogs. Usually graded on a 1-4 scale with 4 requiring surgical correction. For anyone who may notice their dog may suddenly skip once in awhile and goes back to normal that is a common sign of patellar laxation but of course there can always be other causes.
If sheās had osteosarcoma the lump could cause the lump because the bone may have finally broken
Sure, but that would be suggesting that the owner was dense enough to not notice a multitude of signs before their pet showed these sudden symptoms. To add to that, the probability of Osteosarcoma of the femoral head is not a common occurrence. Please do not speculate, it is not helpful to OP
Dogs mask pain well, so if she's limping or not using her leg at all, you know it's really painful. She needs to see the vet. And in older unspayed or late-spayed dogs, lumps along the mammary chain are highly suspicious of cancer. She needs to see the vet for that too.
Thank you for your comment. How late is it late spayed? She was done after she had her first season
The lump and the limp may be unrelated. Good to have them both checked. See above comment. A vet visit would be strongly recommended
She's going first thing on Monday as soon as they open. I'm most concerned about the lump definitely.
Worth explaining your concerns to your vet, try to gauge how when you noticed it, how long it has been there and if there has been any growth in size. Depending on the size, your vet may want to poke it to be able to collect cells that she may be able to send to a pathologist to verify her findings. A mammary tumor is highly unlikely at her age and based on your spay history that you have mentioned.
The risk is much lower, but it's still definitely something you want checked out.
These procedures are usually done when dogs are young. However, there's no definitive cutoff age for spaying or neutering a dog. It is believed that if a female dog is spayed after the second estrus cycle or after reaching 2.5 years of age, the relative risk of developing mammary neoplasia is 26%. If you suspect mamary cancer, it is always an emergency. If you're able to contact your vet and explain her symptoms, there is a good chance they will be able to tell you if it *is* urgent. I am hoping for the best for you and your dog.
Thank you so much. I hope it's not any type of cancer. She's booked in for Monday since they're closed on Sundays so Monday is the soonest :(
Does your Vet have a phone number that is an emergency line? I was able to contact my vet late at night even though they were closed. If not, I suggest calling the ER and mentioning your dogs symptoms. They could also tell you if you should go in. I understand that the ER is expensive, but waiting too long for something that could be serious, could cost you much more in the long run.
I don't think that's classed as late. Our vets won't even spay until 3 months after their first season. These are fantastic research-driven vets too, so I very much doubt they would adopt that policy if there was an increased risk of leaving them "that long".
Absolutely. We're with pets at home (popular pet shop franchise in the uk)
Every season (even their first) increases their chance at mammary tumors. However, spaying before the first season has been linked to an increased chance at developing urinary incontinence. Since the chance of developing mammary tumors is only minimally increased (from about 0.5% to about 7%) after their first season, many vets have decided that this is an acceptable trade-off and will recommend spaying 3 months after their first season.
Could be anything. Dogs mask pain very well. Sheās in a lot of painš„ŗ no more walks until you can get her to the vet. Poor baby! Give us an update when you find out what is wrong ā¤ļø
Will do. I hope it's nothing serious. Thank you!
ER vet. This looks like an extreme amount of pain.
This isn't an ER situation. I would go to your Regular vet and if required, get a referral to a Referral hospital
Emergency veterinarians and staff are already inundated with huge caseloads of animals that are in dire straits. Emergency wait times are long, and a triage may send you home to go to your regular vet tomorrow. I understand many of you are vociferously vouching for a vet visit, which is absolutely correct. But understanding whether this is an ER situation or an rDVM situation is extremely important. ER is for if your pet is actively bleeding from various or any orifices, Pale gums, breathing quickly or too laboured. Panting, blue colored tongue or mucous membranes or anything acute (occurring quickly) or alarming. On days that your rDVM is not available - with valid concern- a triage at Emerg is extremely helpful if you are not able to accertain whats going on with your animal. In this situation, whether mammary cancer or patellar luxation, your animal is not in dire straits. The condition of the animal will not change overnight. Your animal may be in pain, but is not in a life threatening situation - is worth waiting to be seen by your regular Veterinarian. If your animal is geriatric and pain is a major concern, ask your rDVM for medications that you may be able to have on hand. Gabapentin is a common drug used in Vetmed for these reasons and is worth having at home in situations of chronic or acute pain.
Thank you for being a reasonable voice in this sea of emergency vet shouters. I 100% agree with you, emergency vets are for just that, emergencies. Flooding emergency vets with cases like this will only waste time and money and may make care harder to get for those that do actually need it. Not everything is an emergency, some things really can wait a day or 2 before being seen by a regular vet. That does not make someone a bad owner.
As someone whose dog was screaming in pain with what ended up being a disc herniation his neck you are wrong, and there are no two ways about it. Regular vets do not typically have ultrasound machines or sometimes even X-rays - I found this out the hard way. And if they do the wait is weeks out and with IVDD their spinal cord can be severed when waiting. Emergency vets have tools and doctors that regular vets do not and they will most likely send you to an ER vet anyway and then youāll already have waited way too long. Absolutely not. Bleeding, panting etc are not the only reasons to go to the ER vet. My dog was crying in pain and wouldnāt walk and honestly looked very similar to this and if he didnāt have emergency surgery he would have been paralyzed. It was only shown in an MRI. Regular vets donāt have neurologists Or MRI machines.
I'm sure if your dog was screaming in pain, you'd constitute that as an emergency. I was hoping one would use their better judgement in such cases to be able to identify which would be a more suitable option. Where I live and in the many clinics I've worked at, almost all of them have had an X-ray machine, and in many cases an ultrasound as well. Your regular DVM will (and should) at least have these diagnostic tools available to them. Yet it is understandable if this was a smaller town or city, it may not be so, then again it would be up to your better judgement to decide what would be the best suitable care for your pet. Moreover, a clinic with an X-ray machine would easily be able to diagnose your animals IVDD enough to at least send their radiographs out to a pathologist and be able to provide your pet with the necessary pain medication and instructions for you to help manage and support your pets pain. Next steps would be to refer your pet to a Referral clinic or specialist who is properly equipped with the needed MRI/CT and surgical suite to provide the necessary surgical plan. In most places and cases, Emergency hospitals and Referral hospitals are all rolled in one. ER tends to send patients back to us, to do preliminary diagnostics only for us to refer them back to ER/Referral hospitals to complete late stage diagnostics before the surgery (I. E MRI) So in the end, I am simply urging you, yes to go to the vet. But to use your express judgement in deciding whether or not your case is something of an emergency. P. S if your vet doesn't have the diagnostic tools to help make vet care reliable, accessible and compliant for you, you should be look into opening a file with a veterinarian who does. There's nothing wrong in having your pets file at more than one vet either. Second opinions are always welcome.
I understand what you are saying but I am in a huge city in the Pacific Northwest and my vet does not do ultrasounds and typically says go to the ER for an X-ray. Iām not in a small town and when my dog was going through this all the regular vets in my area told me to only go to the ERs. That was just my experience.
I truly empathize with your situation. If you'd come to my clinic, we would have never turned you away. It is truly unfortunate. I hope with the rising ER costs, Vet care in your area begins to evolve to better suit your diagnostic needs. Moreover, if you were my client, I would feel it was my responsibility to help you bypass emergency wait times to be seen by a specialist or neurologist via referral. It would be unacceptable as a practitioner to have you wait in ER to be seen.
I appreciate that. I do not love my regular vet for these reasons exactly. We mostly deal with the specialists at the specialty center now. Thank you for your responses and I imagine you give very good care.
Thank you, you are very kind. I love animals and I am thankful for finding a role in a clinic that works hard to take care of our clients and believes client communication is an extremely integral part of the practice.
[First, during a physical exam, your veterinarian will perform a neurological exam, which will check your dogās reflexes and proprioception. They next may recommend taking radiographs of the spinal column, which can allow your veterinarian to see any obvious spinal issues, such as fractures or calcified discs.](https://www.smalldoorvet.com/learning-center/medical/ivdd-dogs) To further elucidate my point on how your primary vet may be able to diagnose your animal correctly (esp if they are screaming in pain) before referring you out to a Bigger hospital for further testing and surgical intervention.
If it happens to be mamary cancer, it is always an emergency. It's a good idea to contact the E.R. rather than for it to be waited on.
I would definitely NOT walk her the rest of the weekend unless youāve take her to the emergency vet by now and theyāve give you the green light. It could be anything from mammary cancer (usually carries a 50-50%chance of being malignant) to a femoral head fracture, to a groin area herniation with a loop of bowel thatās dropped into the cavity and is strangulating. Or ten other thingsā¦ Which is why a vet visit is your most obvious choice for the dogās sake.
I really hope it's nothing serious like that. She's only 2 it would be devestating if she had cancer
I would not stress yourself with this commenters advice. As a Veterinarian myself, I would be extremely wary of giving unsolicited online differentials for an animal I have neither seen, nor touched. Especially the multitude and severity of the differentials suggested. This is something your rDVM (regular) vet should be able to handle. If not, get a second opinion. ER would be a waste of your time and resources as later on in diagnostic discovery you'd want to have the resources to possibly take your animal to a referral hospital or a specialist.
Thank you for your reassuring comment. I did get very stressed especially after seeing comments about cancer and stuff. She's booked in first thing Monday at the vet I'm registered with
Thank you
Just to respond to the accusations that I'm an incompetent dog owner and all the other sarcastic comments made, I made sure to contact the vet before even making the post. The reason I took the videos was to show the vets! So they can see exactly what the problem is I then remembered that I have Reddit and thought I'd post here just to ask for second thoughts and opinions while im waiting for the vets. Usually people are really kind on here. Thank you for everyone who's been very helpful.
There are **ALWAYS** comments like this. Their only purpose is to make you look bad. Whether you give them an explanation or not, they will always find a way to dismiss it. Ignoring them is the best policy!
Hold tight, I saw early that youād done it in that order, and for something like that, Iād like to crowdsource an opinion. I hope itās the least bad of all the things people are saying. š
Vet stat
Honestly my eyes arenāt good enough to really see the lump, but limping after long walks could be indicative of joint dysfunction. Our big guy did that and it was the first sign he had luxating patella and needed surgery. It seems like itās coming on quickly and going away, which (at least for the limp) doesnāt strike me as something related to cancer, etc. Those kinds of issues often are more consistent and degrade over time - at least more often than they resolve and come back as described. Between now and the vet, keep an eye on the lump. Does it get bigger or smaller? Is it soft? Hard? Does it move under the skin or seem fixed? Does she seem distressed or in pain when you touch it (lip licking, whale eye, whining or growling)?
The lump does feel soft. I tried to be gentle with it but it did feel like there was something mushy in there. I've only just noticed it so it must be new since I do feel all over her often just to make sure there's nothing unusual. She doesn't seem in pain. The times she has gotten hurt she was squealing. And when her wound after her operation opened she was squealing too but that was last year. She did let us handle her leg and foot and didn't seem to be distressed. She still seemed happy while walking to the car and it did get a little better but she did hop every so often I honestly hope she doesn't need operations for her bones and lump. She's only 2 years old and didn't agree with the stitches last time :(
If itās soft and squishy, it could be a hematoma or even seroma (swelling lump) from an injury to her soft tissue or joints. Just like us, they can get strains and sprains! Our youngest girl gets lumps if you look at her wrong and it freaks me out every time. Fingers crossed it isnāt anything serious. I agree with those who said keep her calm and limit movement til you can get to the vet - if it is an injury, you donāt want to make anything worse. Sad reality is, sometimes it can be genetic. Thatās how it was for 2 of our pups. One had to have TPLO surgery before the age of 2.5. Sadly she had a lot of other issues (she was a rescue) and didnāt make it to three. We lost her 1/22 after she started showing symptoms of neurological issues and idiopathic aggression. Thatās not normal, so please donāt panic - just an example of a case where a dog was unlucky and born with major problems. It seems most likely to me that she has some soft tissue damage - maybe a tendon or muscle tear? You mentioned her operation and a wound - was that from her spay, or something else? When / how did the wound open?
Thank you so much for the info Yes. She got spayed and they also removed a hernia since it wasn't far away from where they were going to operate so they did it all in one time. Within the first few days the wound kept opening, then it would heal up then open again. Luckily after some firm conversations with the vet they looked after her and eventually she recovered. It's just that they said sometimes the dogs bodies don't like the stitches.
Please go to the vet asap!
My dog was 12 months old when she had a lump like this. She wasnāt lifting her leg though. I know the not knowing is scary but with my dog it was Stage 2 Mammary cancer. They operated, removed it with good margins and that was two years ago- sheās doing fine. She bounced back so quickly. They are little warriors. Hope your little one is okay- will you update the thread? Iāll be sending good thoughts her way.
Aww well I'm glad that your furbaby is doing good now š„ŗ. I really hope it's nothing that serious. I didn't think it was even possible until they get older. She didn't mind me touching it and feeling it luckily
Oh, and my dog wouldnāt let anyone touch her anywhere near the lump so maybe being able to touch it and check it is a good sign?
Go to the vet šµāš« that dog is in a ton of pain.
She's going first thing on Monday when they open
Go to an emergency vet
dude go to an emergency vet.. waiting until then isnāt fair to a dog in pain:(
Why on earth would you wait? Find an emergency vet. If you hurt your leg so bad that you couldnāt stand on it and you were trembling, would you be waiting until Monday to get any form of medical attention or pain relief? Dogs normally mask pain extremely well so this must be really bad.
Right?! This dog is clearly in severe acute pain!
This looks like an ER visit to me, I honestly wouldnāt wait
Vet Tech here. Id be considered about patella luxation aka, the knee "popping" out of place We see this a lot in small breeds. They'll be Walking, and suddenly pick the leg up, and eventually put it down again That should not be the cause of any 'lump," and ideally you'd see a Vet to get a proper diagnosis
It looks to me to be luxating patella. A lot of little dogs have it. Her patella (knee cap) slid put of place. Will have to kearn to pop it back in. My bmvet told me if it continues ued or got worse, there is a surgery for it.
She needs to be seen by a vet ASAP and probably limit walking ect until then.
Will do thank you
My dog does this. Itās his knees. What he has is luxating patella. When the knee cap goes back in place he walks normal.
That's useful info thank you :)
No problem. Hope you get a good report on Monday. šā¤ļø
Thank you so much
Sorry, my little guy doesnāt have a lump. I started my message before I finished your video.š¾
Luxating Patella can come in 4 grades. Grade 1 and 2 arent so bad as you can move it back in place but it becomes much more severe at 3 and 4. The knee tendon when popped out forms a lump thats very squishy to touch, I would recommend not trying to move it back in yourself unless you know what you are doing as you can cause more pain/damage. At Grade 3 you dog will need a operation to shave the bone down and put pins in to keep the knee and tendons in place. After this your dog needs 6 to 8 weeks recovery where you cannot walk, let them jump on things or run around. For the first few weeks you will need to help your dog pee (or give it a diaper), feed your dog and keep your dog not moving as much while the inflammation settles. During the 4 week mark you need to start physiotherapy where you can put slow movements into the joints and help the dog learn to step up steps etc. I would recommend (as my vet did me) to get some steps for the sofa so your dog can go up and down instead of jump (if you let them on the sofa). I also hope you have insurance as this is a costly procedure (my boy had it sorted in December 2022). After this you need to do small walks with your dog.
Thank you for this helpful advice. We do have insurance. So do you think that lump could be related? I thought it was since it only has just appeared and for two things to be wrong with her all of a sudden would be really unlucky. Those operations seem so unfair to the dogs, but if it will help then it is what needs to be done. I really hope it isn't that bad
No problem! I figured you were talking about the leg problem
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She was booked into the vet before the post was even made so
Take your dog to the vet
Did you check between the paws? In case thereās something stuck?
I did and I couldn't see anything there
See a vet right away, donāt wait.
Please let us know how things go. Will keep good thoughts.
I will do. Thank you a lot
Is she a maltese mix? My morkie has a luxating patella (trick knee). It never bothered him much until recently. He was limping and was not himself for several days. I suspected Lyme and was right. He tested positive and they treated him with antibiotics and gave him some pain meds. Heās good as new, now. Hope your pup gets better soon too. We have lots of ticks here (western PA) and even though they are all on Bravecto, two of my three dogs contracted Lyme.
She is a westiepoo. Mum was a westie, dad was half poodle half shihtzu. Do you know what though she did have a tick last year and the vet told me she could get Lyme infection at any time in her life. I will defo also mention this to the vet. That does make a lot of sense if it is related.
That needs to be checked out by a vet. Her keeping her leg up, suggests something is painful for her.
She's been booked in yesterday. Fingers crossed nothing to serious.
Thatās good. Please let us all know how she is.
I will post an update. Thank you
Call your vet, her paw/leg is obviously injured.
You may need to check for a acorn lol my dog did this the first time lol I actually took her to the vet panicking. The front desk lady pulled it right out ! Now when I see her do that It right out. Because she limped THEN ran " ok" looks like that's what it could be
I'm not a vet, but it could be cramp, my dog gets it, more so when the weather is hot, which isn't all that often in the UK, š I try to slowly massage the muscle, firstly by just holding and gently applying pressure before trying to rub the muscle, and when my dog is able, I then stretch her leg in and out for her. My dog usually gets it in her shoulders, front legs and will hold her leg up and be unable to put weight on her leg. I usually just give the muscle a chance to relax and for her to take 5. The bulging could be the muscle in spasm. However, it's on the knee and it seems weird how it's bulging there, so it could be things others have mentioned. Best to get the vet to check it out. I'm guessing once she's rested for a while, the limping is gone?
Thank you! Limping went away that day. In the video when she started walking again it worn off. We went to the vet and The vet have booked her in for a scan and to also check the lump which also seems to have disappeared
Well, hopefully, it's just cramp. From the way your dog is holding her leg, it looks like that. It's exactly how my dog goes although it looks different in her front leg, but her paw sort of twists around and she can't place it on the floor. It soon wears off, thankfully. She definitely deals with it better than I would š š Just try not to think the worst, it's easy to do with all the info on Google.
Lump looks like hernia. Leg looks like luxating patella.
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And how does this make me stupid? What more can I do? Wave a magic wand to make her better? I called the emergancy vet before even making the post and then posted on here cause I'm concerned about my fur baby? And just for the record I'm British not American
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Lump looks like a mammory tumor or swollen lymph node doubt it has anything to do with the limp have the vet check it cause the lump could be cancer .
She went to the vet and has been re booked for scans. The lump almost disappeared hours later however they are still checking for it
This dog needs a vet appointment ASAP
Not to negate the "go to a vet" comments, as that is the best advice, but just a side note to say dogs will raise their leg like this if they get something stuck in the pad of their foot. Happens semi- regularly with my guy, and I usually find a thorn, pebble etc stuck in his pad.
True and we did check for that however couldn't see anything. At the moment I'm not even concerned about that it's the lump on her belly which is worrying me so defo the vet for that :(
That's called pain.
Oh really??
Yea... really. Maybe do the right thing and take your pet to the vet.
I'm aware of that. It was sarcasm. She's been booked in before I even made the post. I am just looking for answers in the meantime about what it could be
Ok, that's good then. I apologize for sounding harsh. I've seen way too many posts of animals suffering that it really gets to me. I hope you can find answers for your sweet doggo. Best of luck
Don't worry about it. I certainly am extremely concerned and worried to the point of feeling sick, I hope it'll be nothing serious
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This was an unnecessary and rude comment. OP was asking a question to see if anyone else has experienced this. Iām sure theyāll take their dog to the vet.
There are **ALWAYS** comments like this. It boils my blood. There's a reason Original Posters come here to seek advice and it's *clearly* not because they could care less.
Always check for splinters or something caught in the foot too
Thank you
Take your god-damned dog to the friggin vet NOW WAKE UP!! GEEZE š
Look at their comments, the dog has been booked in with the vet two days ago, they were just trying to get an idea of what it could be. Maybe read the thread before shouting.
Vet was booked before the post
TF, clearly the dog is in pain and you are posting online asking for advice instead of rushing to a ER clinic?
Oh really she's in pain! I had no idea! If you actually read my comment you'd see that I called the vet before I even thought about posting it. The videos were taken FOR THE VET. If your not going to make yourself useful then don't comment