Range of motion issue

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#41
Not really, ime of resting/rehabbing my dogs, but I would seriously consult a rehab vet if its a reoccurring injury. You'd be shocked what is and is not ideal for coming back from particular injuries, I know I have been.
 

DJEtzel

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
3,267
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
#42
Not really, ime of resting/rehabbing my dogs, but I would seriously consult a rehab vet if its a reoccurring injury. You'd be shocked what is and is not ideal for coming back from particular injuries, I know I have been.
I mean, should I contact a rehab vet BEFORE going to MSU? Do you think they're going to see something my vet didn't or have more ideas that wouldn't be necessary to take to the university?
 

Beanie

Clicker Cult Coordinator
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
14,012
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
39
Location
Illinois
#43
Contact a rehab vet now and see what their availability is like, tell them the date of your MRI, and see what they suggest.

It is almost certain they will want you to get the MRI, and may want to schedule your appointment out until you have had the MRI done and gotten the results back.

They may suggest you come in and see if they determine anything without the MRI.

Or they may just be booked out anyway.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
4,381
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Midwest
#44
if a good rehab vet is anything like a good human ortho and rehab doctor, they should have a plan of action well before an MRI is done if at all except in a small number of conditions. For example, a 50 year old woman with shoulder pain and reduced ROM with failed ortho tests. Even with a full thickness tear of the Supraspinatus (rotator cuff muscle) an MRI most likely wouldn't be done until a course of other conservative care was completed. Like 4-8 months worth. whether I do it now or later really makes no difference other than to your pocketbook. If I do it now, I don't need it now, If I wait till later, I might not need it.

Where as an exam showing a tear of the subscap would be an immediate referral for MRI and surgery as that muscle retracts rather quickly and if you wait a few weeks There is no other muscle support for those actions when that muscle tendon tears like there is for the other 3 rotator muscles.

I'd go see a good rehab person before going on the advice of anybody else. Most MD's will send someone for an MRI today with drop arm sign and shoulder pain and refer right to surgery. Thats' 20 year old thinking. It takes a while for non specialists to catch up. right or wrong, it's how it is.
 

adojrts

New Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
4,089
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
#45
Agree with everyone, get to a rehab vet. Many, many years ago, Petie hit an agility jump standard, yelped, limped and 30 seconds later was fine. I stopped all training and with my race horse experience watched him like a hawk. Yep saw he was slightly off, made an appointment with my vet. Vet said my dog was fine, refused to take any x rays and told me to carry on as normal.

I walked out highly annoyed at myself for going to a regular vet in the first place, wasting my money. Took him to sports med vet/chiro, had x rays done which showed his pelvis was out by almost a 1/4 inch. We continued with crate rest, meds, hand walking and chiropractic adjustments for 2 months. Then slowly increased with a very careful conditioning program and rehab with continued vet care for another 3 months. He has never been lame on it since. And he competed to a national level and did well in agility until he was 13 yrs of age. Injury happened when he was a year old.

It is the same with racehorses and performance horses...skip the local vet and head to the specialists, in the end it is faster and cheaper.
 

Red Chrome

Active Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
1,568
Likes
0
Points
36
#46
I can say that it took 4 different vets to finally diagnose LoLa. My regular vet, an ortho, a sport/rehab vet and a chiropractor. You bet your ass as soon as she started limping, we did some major resting and other things till we pin pointed the exact problem.

A limping puppy is one that I'd be very careful with. Doesn't matter how long they limped it matters that it is happening, any of mine would be going to s sport vet asap and would have a treatment plan in place NOW. I live 2 1/2-4 hours from the nearest ortho or sports rehab vet. It saved my dogs life going to them cause she was so bad off within 2 weeks, I wasn't sure what would happen. It all started with a little limp that was carefully addressed from the beginning, had I been non chalant, it could have ended my dogs life.
 

stardogs

Behavior Nerd
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
4,925
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
NC
#47
RTH has a VERY good point; a good rehab vet consult is going to be a LOT cheaper than an MRI and may result in better outcomes, too. Last I checked MRIs are several grand and that's without a treatment plan for whatever you find on MRI.
 

DJEtzel

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
3,267
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
#50
Talked to my agility trainers and decided a second opinion/rehab/sports vet would be a good idea first... Got a great referral the other day to a place about an hour and a half north of here, did some research on the doctor there that specializes in sports medicine and rehab, and called this morning. Only to find out that she had emergency back surgery this week and is going to be out of practice until June at the earliest. So, they took my information anyway and are going to see if they can't find another doctor within a couple hours from me that does the same thing.

I'm going to check the other link now for vets and see what that gives me.

eta; found another vet through Boston's link... got an appointment for Monday about an hour North. We'll see how this goes!

I am honestly unsure if I could even afford that. Wow.
Yeah, I'm set to pawn my camera and get some loans for it if we decide to go that route. And I've applied for a fourth job. :/
 
Last edited:

Red Chrome

Active Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
1,568
Likes
0
Points
36
#51
Next step for LoLa is an MRI. So far my ortho vet has said to hold off, we are having some good luck with current treatment.
I will do it if I have too but I'd rather try less expensive options first. Which is why I recommended that to DJetzel. An ROM issue is nothing to scoff at and if mine Recon would be crate rested strictly till a plan of action was done.
 

DJEtzel

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
3,267
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
#52
Next step for LoLa is an MRI. So far my ortho vet has said to hold off, we are having some good luck with current treatment.
I will do it if I have too but I'd rather try less expensive options first. Which is why I recommended that to DJetzel. An ROM issue is nothing to scoff at and if mine Recon would be crate rested strictly till a plan of action was done.
We are currently doing this until our vet visit on Monday. Recon is crated beneath my feet at my sewing corner as we speak. :)
 

Dizzy

Sit! Good dog.
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
17,761
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Wales
#53
An MRI here is 3500$ for dogs.
We have paid £2300 for Fred's consultations, scans and op. $3551.

My advice is just get it done. We paid it without blinking, yeah, it's a lot, but for a young dog the outcome for not checking it out could be a life long disability. Not. Worth. It. Money well spent to us.

And rest.... Well Fred is on "strict" rest. However the vet is happier for him to be loose. The reality is he's crated during the day, and at night. But is loose when I get home till we go to bed. It's IMPOSSIBLE to be totally immobile. He gets bored and frustrated in the crate when I get home, and digs and messes. Which is worse than having him out sat chewing.

But you have to at least TRY!!
 

adojrts

New Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
4,089
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
#54
We have paid £2300 for Fred's consultations, scans and op. $3551.

My advice is just get it done. We paid it without blinking, yeah, it's a lot, but for a young dog the outcome for not checking it out could be a life long disability. Not. Worth. It. Money well spent to us.

And rest.... Well Fred is on "strict" rest. However the vet is happier for him to be loose. The reality is he's crated during the day, and at night. But is loose when I get home till we go to bed. It's IMPOSSIBLE to be totally immobile. He gets bored and frustrated in the crate when I get home, and digs and messes. Which is worse than having him out sat chewing.

But you have to at least TRY!!
That would be nice, but coughing up a bunch of money and quickly sometimes just doesn't work out for many. If most of us had it, we also wouldn't blink or hesitate to do it.
 

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#55
lol I got excited I might have an extra 50 this month after bills to pay towards my CC.

Thank god for care credit but even that has a limit and only a six month interest free rate before the 26 or so percent raping interest begins to take hold.

I think the message was fair and I am all for doing everything I can for my dogs. However, it is true that some of us just can't help but be realistic that at this point in our lives we're still struggling to gain stability beyond paycheck to paycheck.

I keep telling my dogs to get a job but the bums just laugh at me and say feed me more woman.
 

Dizzy

Sit! Good dog.
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
17,761
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Wales
#56
That would be nice, but coughing up a bunch of money and quickly sometimes just doesn't work out for many. If most of us had it, we also wouldn't blink or hesitate to do it.
You think we have it to spare?

If it was a child... Would you hesitate?

We choose to take on this responsibility the moment we take another living being into our homes.
 

Red Chrome

Active Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
1,568
Likes
0
Points
36
#57
We have paid £2300 for Fred's consultations, scans and op. $3551.

My advice is just get it done. We paid it without blinking, yeah, it's a lot, but for a young dog the outcome for not checking it out could be a life long disability. Not. Worth. It. Money well spent to us.

And rest.... Well Fred is on "strict" rest. However the vet is happier for him to be loose. The reality is he's crated during the day, and at night. But is loose when I get home till we go to bed. It's IMPOSSIBLE to be totally immobile. He gets bored and frustrated in the crate when I get home, and digs and messes. Which is worse than having him out sat chewing.

But you have to at least TRY!!
You have to have a diagnosis to treat. I will pay for stuff if necessary but I have to have a firm diagnosis to treat.
 

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#58
I wouldn't have kids if insurance was an issue, I would have to make a choice otherwise.

You say spare it but many people are unable to spare it even if they want to. Credit only stretches so far after income runs out.

I don't think anyone is debating the "give it all you have" but not everyone has 3,500 fluid or even in credit for a singular medical visit. This necessity, inability, is why so many other options, more conservative, exist prior to and in addition.

I think Fred is lucky to have you, I also think many other less financially fortunate dogs are lucky to have their owners as well.
 

Dizzy

Sit! Good dog.
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
17,761
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Wales
#59
You have to have a diagnosis to treat. I will pay for stuff if necessary but I have to have a firm diagnosis to treat.
The scan gave us the diagnosis. The consultation gave us the reason to scan...

One step at a time, wouldn't have had an op without the first steps. Had hoped it cleared up with the first vet visit....! Wouldn't have asked for a scan if we didnt think it was necessary.

When I posted here, people recommended a scan. I took that advice because its important to listen to it. I didn't want to keep waiting and waiting. The first step was the consultation with an orthopaedic vet though. Which led to the rest.

All she needs to do is have a consultation. The scan might not be necessary. If it is, you pay for it.... Or you try.. Or you accept your dog may have a lifelong disability.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
4,381
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Midwest
#60
You think we have it to spare?

If it was a child... Would you hesitate?

We choose to take on this responsibility the moment we take another living being into our homes.
This isn't really very realistic though. In fact that kind of thinking that we must scan, order tests and get to the bottom of everything immediately is how we have such a problem with runaway costs for healthcare in this country the way it is.

In the rush to use technology many doctors and I'm sure it affects vets too, they forgot how to doctor. If all we used was protocol to order MRI's I could probably add over a million dollars myself to the bottom line here. The problem is, very few of them actually need it. And in even fewer cases are they events that it must be done sooner rather than later.

Physical exams should tell you more than an MRI

for children, absolutely I'd take a wait and see approach every time unless there was some glaring red flag that told me otherwise
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top