disk/luxated patella
 

Hello,

I have 13 year female Yorkie seems to be having problems with her back end.

She is curling her rear end and running really fast around trying to burrow under blankets and pillows. So that prompt me to make a visit to the Vet. The first vet told me that she has a luxating patella and arthritis. She ran some blood work in which all levels were normal except her kidney levels were a little elevated. So she advised me to avoid giving her dry food and start a wet food diet with low protein. Also sent me home with two medications. Azodly for kidney treatment and Tramadol for pain. Since starting this wet food diet and administering these medications she been knocked out and lost her appetite. So she sleeps all day and is up all night in obvious pain.
I go to work today and come home to my wife telling me that she was acting strange when she was drinking her water. Every time she goes to get a drink of water she starts shaking her head at it, as to say the hell with you for giving me this nasty medication.
So my wife felt very uncomfortable with her behavior So off we went back to the vet. Round 2 .. The vet tells me that he thinks she has a disc problem and we need to treat that before we move on with anything else. So he sends us home with Robaxin & Rimadyl. and stop giving her the other medication for now. I come home to google both Meds before I started giving them. I find out the drug Rimadyl is highly controversial. So I knew where to turn at the point.
I just don't know what to do for my little girl. It hurts me to see her like this.
Any advice I would gladly accept

Thank you

Oh, my, I'm sorry. Your thread must have gotten buried in the others. I'll give you a bump here and hopefully someone with some experience in these matters will be able to help you a little.

If my vet prescribed Rimadyl for my dog, I would not hesitate to use it.
As for the "disk problem" - this can range from being treatable with meds and keeping activity down or it can be severe requiring surgery. On two occasions, I have had one of my yorkies in a similar position and crating the dog w/ anti-inflammatory medication for 4 weeks allowed the disk to heal. With the symptoms you describe, I think I would make a trip to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists for a visit with the neurologist there. I don't know the neurologist there but I know they have one (it appears they have not updated their website). Keep us posted.

Tramadol can make pups act strangely. When that happens, the dose can be cut down. Sometimes Rimadyl is needed. That would be commonly prescribed for disc issues along with Robaxin. The possible kidney issue could complicate things. What makes your vet think this is a disc issue? How are the kidneys doing? Are you using a special kidney diet?

Did the second vet do an Xray to determine the disc problem? I had an ER vet tell me when I took Cali in for something totally unrelated (stomach issues) that she had a disc problem. She was hunching her back due to tummy pain. She has never had a problem with her disc and that was years ago. If she is still acting different I would get a 3rd opinion from a specialist like Cathy mentioned. Keep us posted. I hope they can find out what is bothering her and get her feeling better.

Disc problem
 

Thank you all for getting back to me on this issue.. I failed to mention her name in my first post. Nellie

Let me say that there were no xrays done. The vet came up wih this because he pushed on her back and sheimmediately went to her stomach.

As the days move on, I think we have 2 problems going on. Because of the elevated kidney levels the Vet had me try the K/D food. Now she can't stop itching. Nelliedeveloped a hot spot under her jaw. her skin is really red. She is always gnawing on her back leg and scrathing at her jaw. Now I don't no if its because of pain or allergies?

Could it be possible that she doesn't have a disc problem and she has really bad allergies. which is causing her behind to curl up when she walks. When I let her outside she runs around to do her business with no problems but once she is done she curls up again and darts for the door to come in.

I think because this is the first time I've seen Nellie in this condition. My wife and I might be little freaked out. I guess we need to let the meds kick in for a week and see if there is noticable changes for good or bad.

Thanks again for responding