Hello, my 13 month old rescued GSD mix has been limping on front right paw for several months now. The limping gets worse with exercise/play with other dogs. One vet thought it was a right wrist after barely examining him, second vet determined it was rt shoulder. Xray didn't reveal anything abnormal. He does have wasted muscle on right front rather than on left. The dog does want to do all activities, still bears some weight on rt leg, but can jump, run, play - this limping does not stop him. He never yelps or moves away when I or a vet examined his leg including all joints along the leg and their ROM. Vet now sends to ortho for consult saying what if there is osteochondritis and there is a piece of cartilage that makes my dog limp. My question is this - since xray is normal, only sign is limping and no yelping or dog does not withdraw from any activity - are there any other alternatives? or what other possible Dx could match my dog symptoms? Could limping be painless (just like in humans it could be)? We tried 2 different anti-inflammatories as routine and on as needed basis, I don't see any difference in my dog whether he takes them or not, its the same.Im afraid going to ortho since they are surgeons and definitely more inclined to operate rather than not. I would not want unnecessary surgery.

I recently rescued a small mixed breed. She is approximately 6-9 months young. She is unable to put weight on her back left leg. It was xrayed today showing an old breakin the tibia which was likely not cared for as it did not heal properly. It is not fused together and the bones are off set creating a bone spur. The Vet consulted with an Orthropedic specialist who recommended sawing the and fusing together with a plate and conducting a bone graph.Procedure is estimated at $3800. I asked to speak to the surgeon to inquire about previous outcomes and expected outcome of this procedure only to be told I would have to make all inquiries through this Vet. To me this is a big red flag!!! Looking for any input reference this type of surgery and known outcomes. I intend to get a second opinion, however any insight is appreciated. Thank you

My 9 year old collie/husky/sheltie rescue dog was injured on May 30th. I had him seen by my vet the next day where he suspected a CCL rupture with kneecap displacement To confirm the diagnosis, xrays done under sedation of his lower back, hips and rear right leg knee on June 5th. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of a complete right CCL rupture and early arthritic changes in his left hip. My regular vet explained some options to me including a type of ligament repair using "elastic fibres" to try to compensate for the injured ligament. However, he also felt the injury was significant enough that Fuz would need a newer procedure and referred us to an an orthopedic surgeon. Fuz's consult is not until June 25th, nearly a month from the injury. My questions are: Is this a typical amount of time to wait to be seen? Could the wait time cause more damage/injuries to the knee? Fuz is on Onsior 40mg od & Tramadol 100mg bid every 12 hours for pain management. I also purchased a harness by Blue Dog & recommended by the surgeon's clinic to try and support his rear end when he needs to move/walk. It also has a handle at his shoulders to assist him in getting up from lying down. Is there anything else I could do to help him be more comfortable while we wait for the appointment? What about anything I could be doing to try to prevent further injury to the right CCL or left hip while we wait? Thank you very much for your time in reading my inquiries. I look forward to any help/suggestions you can offer?

My rottie has a neurological shake in his back hind area leg. I read distemper shots can cause this along with him having an x-ray it showed he had arthritis in his both knees. He started yelping one day last week so bad I was alarmed n had gotten him to a vet and had the x-ray done. He gave him rimadyl. But this is a temporary solution. He said the severe yelping he believed could be due to his knees. I really didn't feel confident in his evaluation. He really didn't perform a physical exam but used imaging instead to formulate his diagnosis. He obviously had this arthritis for some time but the yelping has caused me to look further into this now. He is only 41/2 yrs old. Any advice would be greatly appreciated