Finn is limping

[Anne123]

A few years ago Finn was diagnosed with beginning of arthritis. Now Finn is limping since yesterday. This morning when my oh let him out he was limping severe and I called the vet to ask for some painkillers. As we have another vet I couldn’t get a painkiller unless he was seen. She would call me back as I didn’t have a car to drive to her. Then I let Finn out and he didn’t want to move in the middle of the street. He stood still as a statue. I persuaded Finn to walk back home and I phoned the vet again. I got an appointment and my neighbor offered to drive me there as she just came home seeing me with Finn struggling.
At the vets Finn was hyperactive…he always is as he likes it there. She saw him limping, and it was his arthritis pain. She gave him Carporal intramusculair and I have to give him tablets starting tomorrow. Most of the time it helps him against the pain, but after 2 hours he is still limping. That I find rather strange. Can’t figure out what more is bothering him. It’s his left elbow. His walk before bed just ended and he is still limping. Not as much as this morning, but still… I just want to wait and see how he is weekend, otherwise I take him back again on Tuesday. I was shocked at the costs of this consult. 100 euro for just a consult with carporal 10 tablets and the injection…..My oh said he is going to change jobs and start as a vet…..

 

[Granca]

It’s his left elbow.

Has he twisted awkwardly and strained something? I hope he has a good night and shows some improvement tomorrow.

 

[Emily]

Poor Finn. Hopefully the meds start to help. I'm not sure what they are - was it a painkiller and/or anti inflammatory?


I'm understanding your shock at the vet fees. Ella had a consult, painkiller, antibiotics, 15min surgery for biopsy with blood test. $1,500

1,026 euro
850 pounds

 

[M.F.]

Sorry about Finn. Did the limp come on suddenly? Did the vet check his paws for a thorn or injury?

 

[Anne123]

Has he twisted awkwardly and strained something? I hope he has a good night and shows some improvement tomorrow.

No, he didn’t. The vet thinks that it is due to his anesthesia and waking up from it. Perhaps he strained his paw or moved it awkward. He had anesthesia to clean his teeth. After he came home I saw he walked stiff and kept licking his paw. The paw which is shaved and where he had his canule in. My thought then was that it probably was itchy.

 

[Anne123]

Poor Finn. Hopefully the meds start to help. I'm not sure what they are - was it a painkiller and/or anti inflammatory?


I'm understanding your shock at the vet fees. Ella had a consult, painkiller, antibiotics, 15min surgery for biopsy with blood test. $1,500

1,026 euro
850 pounds

Finns teeth cleaning was 400 euro…..

 

[Anne123]

Poor Finn. Hopefully the meds start to help. I'm not sure what they are - was it a painkiller and/or anti inflammatory?


I'm understanding your shock at the vet fees. Ella had a consult, painkiller, antibiotics, 15min surgery for biopsy with blood test. $1,500

1,026 euro
850 pounds

Does the name NSAID say something?

 

[Anne123]

Sorry about Finn. Did the limp come on suddenly? Did the vet check his paws for a thorn or injury?

Yes the vet checked his paw for injury or a thorn. I do that quite often. Sometimes there is a very tiny stone and he refuses to walk, lift his paw to show me that there is something stuck….She also checked if he has arthritis in his feet…The limp was there right after he had been sedated for cleaning his teeth

 

[Anne123]

My OH said tonight that he is going to change jobs in becoming a vet. The prices they ask for a consult or diagnosis are far more higher then in humane medicine…..And there is a shortage on vets

 

[Jacqui-S]

*Carporal* is Cartrophen which is a NSAID. It can take a few days for it to fully kick in.
I do hope Finn is back to his normal self tomorrow

 

[Cath]

Poor Lad x

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

I'm sorry that Finn is feeling poorly - hugs from me and his friend Señor Carbon and hopefully the meds will kick in as @Jacqui-S has said.

 

[kateincornwall]

Poor lad, hugs for you both

 

[Stacia]

So sorry Anne, am going through the same thing with Rourke, though his arthritis is spread. I have spent £491 on x-rays and nearly £1,500 on 4 consultations. Veterinary world is a worrying place at the moment, sky high prices and a shortage of vets. I do hope Finn improves very quickly.

 

[Loraseal]

Hunter still limps when he has had his painkillers. I personally think the arthritis makes it easier for him to strain something as well. Have you reduced Finn's walking?i sometimes have to really reduce his walking for a few days before the pain meds kick in. Plus my idiot can't do slow walks which is very frustrating. I hope he feels better x

 

[Anne123]

Finn is doing better. His limp is still there but less pronounced. This morning he got his first tablet. i just have to wait and see. We didn’t reduce Finn’s walking and the vet told me that what I do is good. As my oh has to work this Easter only short walks on hand. I don’t let him play and only on lead walks. He doesn’t mind!

 

[Anne123]

So sorry Anne, am going through the same thing with Rourke, though his arthritis is spread. I have spent £491 on x-rays and nearly £1,500 on 4 consultations. Veterinary world is a worrying place at the moment, sky high prices and a shortage of vets. I do hope Finn improves very quickly.

The vet told me that if he is still sore after a fortnight she want to do X-Rays. I asked her what she wanted to do with them, if it would change her therapy? No she said, then I see how bad it is…..I told her I dont want to have him X-rayed just for curiosity…..and it won’t change therapy.

 

[Anne123]

What bothers me is that you can’t buy over the counter painkillers for our furry friends and that it is still in the hands of the vets. It makes prices unnecessarily high. I would have given Finn a kind of paracetamol for a few days and when that would not have helped seek veterinary advice.…We do this ourselves and for our children, why not for our furry children? There are only medicines on prescriptions….

 

[Jacqui-S]

@Anne123 I always find that frustrating too.

I have access to a range of things that are prescription only. And will buy OTC too, but the doses of veterinary meds are so different to the human ones, particularly I found co-codamol .
So much cheaper OTC but a higher amount of paracetamol in relation to codeine (if I remember right......)
That is called Pardale V from the vets (co-codamol) but little evidence that the codeine part actually makes a difference for pain. This is an interesting blog about PardaleV on a vet site.

I think the veterinary dose of paracetamol is based on 10mg/kg 2-3 times daily (but can be higher for short periods, but I wouldn't use it higher without advice).

Lilly is 25kg and regularly gets half a 500mg Paracetamol (Lidls best ) twice a day, with an extra half if she is limping or going to have an active day.

There is nothing wrong with telling your vet you want to try paracetamol for a while and asking them to confirm the dose you intend to give.
Paracetamol (nor PardaleV) does NOT interfere with NSAIDS though sometimes vets seem a bit vague on that.
There is good evidence that paracetamol boosts the effects of other painkillers.
And that codeine and opiates like tramadol are less effective and also cause tolerance because if their addictive potential if used in THE MEDIUM or LONG term.

Sorry this is waffling. I have strong feelings about human pain management.

 

[Stacia]

Three years ago, Rourke was prescribed PARDALE V 500mg (I have to write it in capitals as the spell checker won't let me write it otherwise, keeps changing it to Paddle!) by an orthopaedic specialist vet. The instructions say 'give two tables morning and evening'. I must confess that I have not given them to him as scared it might make his stomach bleed like the NSAIDs. I see no reason why they should, but still scared! Hope this helps for dosage.