Unknown injury/illness

[Gman88]

Hey guys, I need a little help figuring out what could be happening with my dog.

He’s visibly in pain/distress and yelps very 5th or 7th step he takes but he has no limp so I do not believe it’s appendage related. He just turned 4 years old last month, has no known ailments, and is neutered. He does not get a heart guard or flea and tick chew, his feed is Canidae all stages of life.

When I first noticed the issue, his hair on his back was raised when he yelped, he laid down next to me shaking.

I immediately checked his gums and they looked normal. I ran my thumbs down his spine to see if there was any reaction and there was none. I squeezed his stomach in multiple areas with strong pressure and no reaction. I’ve poked and prodded his whole body and paws with no pain reaction. No odd lumps were felt or discovered, and his legs/joints showed no pain response when moved and pressed.

His appetite is strong and when the front door bell is rung, he reacts. But he is definitely walking in a state of distress, wince yelping randomly, and shaking.

I believe it’s his neck as I can almost notice a correlation with the Yelp when he changes directions but I’m not confident enough to say that with strong merit.

My vet is only seeing animals for emergencies and there’s an extra $500 dollar charge to be seen. The money isn’t the issue but I feel that his condition isn’t truly that bad yet as it hasn’t worsened and maybe slightly improved.

It’s been about 7 hours since first noticing the symptoms. He has moments where he seems normal and wants to go outside. Then once out there, the Yelp happens and he just sits or lays down.

My strategy is to give him a dose of CBD with a treat for pain and if the condition is the same in the morning then I’ll take him to the vet.

would anybody have any experience with what this could be and also am I crazy for waiting for the vet? Any advice is greatly appreciated at this time on any aspect of my situation.


Thanks,

George

 

[Kaiser2016]

believe it’s his neck as I can almost notice a correlation with the Yelp when he changes directions but I’m not confident enough to say that with strong merit.

Could it be a pinched nerve in the neck...or Wobblers? Did he run into anything hard?

Read this post as well, in case you end up at the vet, you will have some ideas to work with.
https://doberman-chat.com/threads/new-dobie-owner-and-we-need-some-help.33396/

 

[Gman88]

Thanks for the speed of your reply. I’m convinced it’s his neck as he yelps when bending his head/neck. Especially when tight cornering around furniture etc.

I did not notice him run into anything but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t.

 

[Ravenbird]

Hoping it's better this morning, do let us know what you find out. If you haven't yet, read up on Wobblers.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

Wobblers usually presents itself around 7+ yrs of age in Dobermans and in Danes it presents as a young pup.

I would find a vet that can fit you in on a non emergency fee basis and have xrays done. The Vet can manipulate the neck to find where the pain may be coming from. Also they will observe for clinical signs of Wobblers, IVDD.

You may want to locate an integrative or holistic vet to see if Acupunture and chiro will help.
I would not wait to get him in because these types of issues can worsen and cause further damage.

With Wobblers you will usually see knuckling under of the rear or front paws when walking and onset of paralysis in the rear and or front limbs.
I would also have him checked for Ehrlichia and Lyme as both those tick borne diseases cause pain along with other symptoms.

Check his lymph nodes for any swelling too.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Any update?

 

[Gman88]

Hey Kaiser, the vet didn’t find anything but did observe him Yelp. We did x day on the hips and spine and nothing came back.

blood work came back good so it’s a mystery at this point.

he’s eating fine and is active so I’m just going to monitor him and hope for the best.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Could you find a chiropractor for him? Maybe it’s some discomfort causing the yelp yet it’s not serious enough to show up on an xray. My hb had some knee pain when he fell down on it and it was painful for a while. His chiro ordered X-rays because he thought the injury had lasted too long, but it showed nothing, so they worked on supporting the surrounding muscles instead. Another thing we do with Kaiser is to give him a warm up and a cool down around strenuous exercise, like with an athlete, to prevent injuries.

 

[strykerdobe]

Look at seeing an Orthopedic Vet.
They might have to do an MRI to really look at the neck and spine.

Possibility of a pinched nerve.

What brand of CBD are you using? Can always double the daily dose.
Can also use this homeopathic and the Boswellia for inflammation.

Also

Boswellia

 

[Gman88]

I’ve been using the receptra natural 75mg large dog formula of CBD. He gets pretty affected by the dosage so I give him half of the recommended serving.

thanks for the boswellia tip! I’m definitely going to look at that.

he’s pretty much normal now, now signs or symptoms of anything. Hoping it was a little tweak and he’s on the mend. I’m going to keep his activity restricted for another 1.5 weeks and restrict him to just walks.

 

[strykerdobe]

I’ve been using the receptra natural 75mg large dog formula of CBD. He gets pretty affected by the dosage so I give him half of the recommended serving.

thanks for the boswellia tip! I’m definitely going to look at that.

he’s pretty much normal now, now signs or symptoms of anything. Hoping it was a little tweak and he’s on the mend. I’m going to keep his activity restricted for another 1.5 weeks and restrict him to just walks.

Receptra Natural looks like a good product. Took a quick look on their web page. They even have ones with Arnica and another with Turmeric which I like. Both are good for pain and inflammation.

Today there are so many CBD products out since the Farm Bill passed little over a year ago. You really need to research them. The main things when researching CBD. USDA/ORGANIC, Co2 extraction process (some use chemicals) and Third Party Testing.

Yes the restriction part is the worst for a Doberman! We had to do this years back with our boy for 6weeks! He had a neck issue or a pinched nerve.

Keep us updated.

 

[Gman88]

Dang! Six weeks must have been unbearable for you both . I’m happy with the receptra products and you’re absolutely right about the research. I’ve used their CBD pain rub with arnica and was beyond happy with it. When their product range extended to dogs I was comfortable with the brand after researching and talking to their customer service.

I took him to the park today and ran him a bit. He did fine so after limited mobility for another week, I’ll get him back to his routine.