# My pit is limping around. Not using back leg



## spottie

Hi everyone. My pit is a female, 6-yrs-old. For the last five days or so, she's been limping around. She's not using her back right leg, and it's just kinda hanging there. She doesn't seem to be in any pain and she's not whimpering at all. The only time she has expressed any pain, is when she tried to jump up onto the bed, she landed awkwardly, and kinda whimpered a little. 

I took her to the vet two days ago, and I was told that she most-likely pulled some sort of ligament that sits on top of her knee. Not sure how confident I am in my vet's assessment, because she didn't take any x-rays or anything. She gave me some pain medication to give to my dog, and told me I would need to go see somebody else... a "specialist" ... and most likely was going to have to get it operated on. 

Seemed kinda shady to me, so I haven't gone to see the specialist yet. It's been a few days, and she seems to be using the back leg a little more, but she's definitely not 100%..... anybody have anything like this happen to their pit? What did you do? 

Thanks...


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## Elvisfink

If you dog ruptured it's cruciate ligament the Vet would feel a large amount of play in your dogs knee. That's might be why your vet suggested you go see a specialist. I had a male several years ago blow out his first knee at 18 month and then the second 1 year later. Dr. Davis diagnosed it just from the excessive moment of the patella. Dr. D repaired both knees with very good success. Chopper wasn't the fastest dog after the surgeries but he got around very well. Here are two sites that will explain it much better than I can. I hope everything works out ok for your dog.

Cruciate Ligament Injuries

http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/ccl/symptoms.shtml

Cheers,
EF


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## OldFortKennels

It could be a displaced patela, sometimes the knee can slip out of joint. I would get another vets opinion.


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## redog

Elvis is right. It could be easily detected by feel . also the patella [kneecap] could be out of place witch the vet would know right away. my dog Champ had his acl repaired 2 years ago and he now blew his other. Im trying to avoid another surgery with some resistance therapy right now. hes 5 and has already 13 different operations so far.


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## Elvisfink

Here's the other issue that I believe OFK was taking about.

LUXATING PATELLA (KNEE CAP)


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## spottie

OldFortKennels said:


> It could be a displaced patela, sometimes the knee can slip out of joint. I would get another vets opinion.


LUXATING PATELLA (KNEE CAP)

I believe this is what the vet initially thought it was. She mentioned that there was a ligament that goes over the kneecap, and could possibly "be off its track".

How bad is this? Wouldn't my dog be feeling some sort of pain? She's still using it, just obviously not 100%. I need to find a new vet anyways, so I'm definitely going to go get another appointment this week sometime.

thanks for the links.


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## Elvisfink

spottie said:


> LUXATING PATELLA (KNEE CAP)
> 
> I believe this is what the vet initially thought it was. She mentioned that there was a ligament that goes over the kneecap, and could possibly "be off its track".
> 
> How bad is this? Wouldn't my dog be feeling some sort of pain? She's still using it, just obviously not 100%. I need to find a new vet anyways, so I'm definitely going to go get another appointment this week sometime.
> 
> thanks for the links.


Chopper's left leg had a petella problem. It's been about 14 years but what I remember Dr. D made the grove the back part of the petella more prominent and did something with the ligaments to help stabilize the knee. It ran me $550 but again that was a long time ago.


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## spottie

UPDATE: 

Hi... just wanted to drop a quick update on my pit. I just got back from another vet appointment, with a different vet, and he confirmed that it was the Patella. He said that it wasn't very severe, and that she should exercise more and lose some weight... and she'll be fine. I'm goign to check back with him in a few weeks, and if she's still not using her leg, then we may opt for surgery.

At the moment, she's using her leg more and is still not whimpering at all. 

Thanks again for the insight... It was very helpful.


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## Elvisfink

I'm glad to hear you got her correctly diagnosed. I hope the weight loss helps and I hope everything works out.


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## xxxxxxxsherry

*Knee Problems*

My Dog is having the same problems with left rear leg, he' holding it up not bearing weight on it. The vet said it will probably resolve on it's own. Didn't take xrays either. This has been going on for about 4 days. He said give it about a week and see if there's any improvement. He does have slipping patella I think thats what you call it, in other rear knee, hasn't happened for about 5 mo.


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## FloorCandy

sherry said:


> My Dog is having the same problems with left rear leg, he' holding it up not bearing weight on it. The vet said it will probably resolve on it's own. Didn't take xrays either. This has been going on for about 4 days. He said give it about a week and see if there's any improvement. He does have slipping patella I think thats what you call it, in other rear knee, hasn't happened for about 5 mo.


Did your vet tell you why he thought it would resolve on it's own, and why he did not take xrays? If he feels play in the patella, I can understand, but there are many types of soft tissue damage that have no outward signs other than pain, and lack of use. My Bulldog has pulled and strained muscles before, and the limp was very different than my pits soft tissue damage. With my pit, my incompetent vet injured her, than assured me she would be ok with a splint and crate rest. He took xrays and saw no damage. After 2 weeks of crate rest, she was still as bad as the first day! The ortho specialist I went to said that leaving it untreated that long could have had severe and permanent side effects. When My bulldog pulled a muscle, he limped with his leg off the ground, but he would occassionally put it down, it hang as loosely as the soft tissue damage. After one day of crate rest he was using it again, still with a limp. If your pup shows no improvement in 48 hours I would insist on xrays and a real diagnosis. My pit had no swelling, no play in the knee, none of the signs of injury that people mentioned, this was because it was not a cruciate injury, or luxating Patella, she had a fracture of the tibial crest, and complete tear of the tendon that goes over the knee, she has 2 pins and wire holding her knee together now.


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## performanceknls

one of my agility dogs had a luxating patella and it bothered her only a little but but she was never lame. It would pop in and out and I did not have to have surgery till about 4 years later. What will happen is it gets worse over time and surgery is a must. I paid 900 for her surgery and she was competing in agility 4 months later. Sometime surgery is a must but not right away, good luck.


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## 9361

Good luck with your dog. I'm going through the same thing, only mine tore her 2nd acl. I recommend crate rest as well. Your pit bull is not showing any signs of pain, most likely because these are tough dogs. My dog showed no signs of pain both times she tore her acl. She never whimpered and it didn't slow her down, so I had to slow her down. After about a month she seems to be walking better, but we still have to return to the vet to see how much it's improved. I will eventually try to do surgery on it. But might have to wait til tax time next year.


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## Callisto

*My pit is having the same problem*

My pit bull has been acting funny she wont use her back leg nothing she just keeps it up in the air it kinda worries me it's happened before but never lasted this long. I was hoping it wasn't her hip but I'm not sure What do you all think?


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## Blue_Nose_Bella

Callisto said:


> My pit bull has been acting funny she wont use her back leg nothing she just keeps it up in the air it kinda worries me it's happened before but never lasted this long. I was hoping it wasn't her hip but I'm not sure What do you all think?


Take your dog to the vet. It could be a number of things. Could be an ACL injury that would require surgery.


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## 9361

Callisto, sounds like an ACL tear, take your dog to the vet. The vet should be able to feel the knee and have a good idea of the problem.


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## performanceknls

Could be an ACL or luxating petella, either way time to go to the vet.


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## MILOU

This sounds like my dog as well. She always runs around our vehicle in the garage and then jumps up the 5 stairs to our landing. Today she did this and then started to hold up her back right leg. I called our vet and she said to give it a few days and then she will refer us to someone who knows more about dog knees. She is happy and still running around, only on 3 feet. I tried running my thumb down her leg to see if she would react but nothing. I really hope its her patella.

Thank you for all if the information you have shared everyone.

We went to the vet today and she has torn her ACL in a traumatic action. She has surgery on Wednesday. She is getting the Synthetic Ligament Method with a 4-strand kevlar material with a bone tunnel in the femur and tibia.


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## Jfabi25

My pit is having the same problem with his right leg. I am a personal trainer and I do a lot of work with sports injuries, so I knew the possible issues but I'm no vet. I bring him to get checked out and the vet said " well his knee does feel a little crunchy..." This blew my mind. That was let professional assessment and just gave my pain Ned's for my dog. I gave him the anti-inflammatories she gave me along with joint support fees for dogs. He was better for about a month and now it's worse.


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## JoKealoha

if you have experience with orthopedic/sports injuries, then you know soft tissue does not repair itself very well. especially in joints like the knee where blood flow is minimal. nutritional supps and meds cannot fix the problem.
the dog will need very limited activity for 2 to 4 weels. then some form of physical therapy. OR surgery, rest, then therapy.
serious injuries to the knee take several months to heal properly and it takes alot of care and work. my dog has been rehabbing torn ccl for over a year and he is only about 90% right now.
see a specialist and canine physical therapist. they will explain options.


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## Sharoncat

I took my dog Brandy to the Vet because of this back rear right leg hanging, I thought injured somehow running in the huge area we have where there are gopher holes. He's a good Vet,I trust him and he mentioned the knee ACL, then he gave me pain pills and said she may get better in a month or so, but she still runs and favors it,can't get her to stay still. He mentioned a gal who spent $2100 on her Rottweiler then it got out in the road and got killed. Mine do not go out in the road, but I feel so badly for her. Giving her the pain pills once a day and hoping for the best. I don't have $2100. I rescued her and our other Pit Bruno 8 years ago when someone dumped them out in the country where I live. I even went on TV locally to find the owner and to tell people to stop dumping dogs out in the country when they don't want them anymore. No one came forward or even recognized Bruno, so we kept him. I saw a site asking donations for a dog that needs surgery before adopting out, and I know I wouldn't ask for donations. I'm just hoping for the best. I read about a knee brace. Does anyone have any experience with something like that? It just kills me to see her favoring it and still trying to run to us when we get home.


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