Time to see a different Vet ?

[KurtNYC]

Last week I took Riley in to the nearest vet because he was limping and favoring his right front wrist and it wasn't getting any better. By luck of the draw I got the less favored vet at that practice. He came into the room with his mind made up -- 'I have two male dogs and one has Lymne disease.' His assistant and I kept correcting him when he referred to Julia as male but it didn't seem to matter to him. He couldn't get Riley onto the scale. Didn't watch him walk. Just said 'he doesn't want me to touch him' so that means Lyme disease. Riley was vaccinated for Lyme 6 months ago. He still insisted it was Lyme. They did a blood test - negative for Lyme. But per the Vet, still Lyme. Shot of penicillin and 30 days of Doxy. Finishing with Riley, he asked again 'now what about this guy? (Julia)'

It has been almost a week and Riley is more active (was lethargic) but still favoring the right wrist and when I touch him anywhere else he is fine but when you touch the wrist he reacts by licking your hand or touching his teeth to it. So to me it seems like strain, bruising, tumor, break, etc.

Am I 2nd guessing this guy or should I go to the other (bigger) local vet?


Riley (left) and Julia at the Post Office. They love the Post Office and car rides.

[warrior1]

1. My late Sara did this too

My vet said it was arthritis. Treatment, which is difficult, try and keep them off their feet. Anti-inflammability drugs.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. If you are not confident in the vet or his diagnosis, I would say go to another vet.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. I agree.

Doesn't matter if the vet is good, it's a matter of whether the OP feels comfortable with vet's competence. For me, a vet who can't keep track of the animal's gender isn't one that would inspire confidence.

[driver8]

4. I would see another vet.

Your dogs are adorable, by the way!!

Please keep us posted.

[KurtNYC]

8. Thanks

when Riley looks at me like that he just owns my heart. Part of this is I really don't want to accept as fact that he may have Lyme disease -- he is 10 months old and Lyme leads to arthritis and a variety of chronic conditions.

Just talked to a neighbor who has had 5 bouts of (human) Lyme and she said 2 weeks is about what it takes for the antibiotics to have impact. I will probably schedule the follow up with the other vet.



Love the eye whiskers in this shot. And their necks.

[TorchTheWitch]

15. don't you just love that marvelous squishy neck glorp?

I always called those splendid folds of skin "glorp" for lack of a better word. It's my favorite part of my dogs, and I can't seem to tire of squishing it around but maybe that's just because Akitas have an over abundance of it along with all the thick fur covering it. Oooooo... lovely squishy neck glorp!

Just look at those lovely adoring faces! Heartmelting. Squeeeeee!

[murielm99]

16. My dog had Lyme disease a few years ago.

She got over it quickly and has had no lasting problems.

I would still take Riley to another vet. This sounds like it could be something else. A second opinion never hurts.

[RebelOne]

5. My Rottie was favoring her paw also.

Turned out she had bone cancer. But she was almost 13 years old, and not long after that she developed tumors in her liver. I had to put her down just 2 weeks before her 13th birthday. I was giving her pain meds and they were just not working any longer and she could barely walk, so I had to do what I did not want to do. I would say to go to another vet and get X-rays.

[KurtNYC]

9. thanks

:hug:

Lost my last dog to degenerative mylopathy (which looks heartbreakingly similar to this). At the end I was carrying him (78 pounds) up and down one flight of stairs and balancing him while he pooped. These dogs are nearly 100 pounds each now. So if this becomes arthritis I will have to move to a first floor unit.

[geardaddy]

6. get a second opinion.

We did. Our pug-chihuahua looked like she had some eye problems and our regular vet at the time said we should see the doggie opthamalogist. We did and SHE said it wasn't eye stuff at all, but an abcessed tooth and we should get it taken care of right away. So, we call our vet for surgery options and they blow us off saying it wasn't urgent. Needless to say, we switched to another vet who could take her right away and has been our vet ever since.

[AngryOldDem]

7. Look at it this way...

...would you be satisfied if a doctor treated you this way?

See another vet.

Beautiful dogs, BTW.

[hamsterjill]

10. Keep going.

I think you should seek an additional opinion. Take any labwork, etc. that you paid for.

Vets make mistakes, and Riley deserves it!!! What a cutie!

[KurtNYC]

11. Thanks - my last dog was a rescue and I am happy that I was able to

give him the life he deserved. I got these 2 at 9 weeks old from a local unplanned pregnancy and just give them as much love as I can. They multiply by 2 and give it all back.

[trof]

12. Yep, get another vet. My daughter's Mastiff has similar symptoms.

Vet says if could be a form of dysplasia.
Or maybe arthritis.
I think they're going to do an x-ray.
Many dogs with arthritis respond well to glucosomine sulphate.

[RebelOne]

13. Also, check out this Web site.

http://www.vomtech.com/whatis.htm

My Rottie was taking these treatments for a while because of her arthritis and they helped immensely. Not all vets offer this service, but it is becoming more popular.

[TorchTheWitch]

14. I'd run away from that vet

And mostly because of the lack of interest in even really looking at the dog. Sometimes diagnosis is hard to make especially with lameness, but a vet that is so disinterested to even look at the dog much less examine him is one to run the hell away from. It's crazy to me to that the vet believes that lameness in one foot is Lyme. That's just nuts. Lyme effects every single one of their joints. If Riley only has lameness in one leg or one joint it's ain't Lyme.

I must be really spoiled with my vet (ok, I know I am) because I can't even conceive of a vet so disinterested. My vet will examine and do whatever it is they need to do even if they need three people to keep the dog still or knock them out cold with drugs to due whatever is necessary to get an accurate diagnosis or do some sort of treatment. They know every dog or cat intimately and sometimes remember things about my dog that even I forgot about. What the hell kind of vet can't even get the dog's genger right and doesn't even care to get it right when corrected? Ugh.

I just can't imagine a vet to be so disinterested in their patients, and I run away from one that can't even be bothered to properly examine them.

Yeah, dump that vet like a hot rock and have Riley properly diagnosed fast by someone caring and competent. It sounds much more like this is an injury of some sort or maybe even bone cancer like my dog has which is horribly aggressive. Whatever it is the worst things it could be must be properly diagnosed or ruled out fast.

[Skittles]

17. I would express my concerns to the other vet at the practice

he seems a bit off :o