Laurie's Blogs.

This blog was an easy one for me to do… essentially, I want to show you an interesting case that came up because of last week’s training video – The Case of the Flopping Carpus.  Essentially the ‘mystery’ was that the dog in MY videos likely had a rupture / avulsion of the entire carpal & digital extensor tendons.  Well, the day that my training video went out, I received the following e-mail from one of you – A Four Leg Member.

OMG!  I was just going to post about this and ask why???  I have one and it is bilateral!

Hunting dog brought to neurologist for ‘flipping’ the carpus. This was in 2/2018 and had been going on for a few months. He was referred to IM and diagnosed with severe IPA. Treated with pred and cyclosporine. IPA in remission, off of pred and weaned down on cyclosporine when referred to me for weakness in August. 

I was trying to problem solve and wanted to make it neurological. Thinking radical nerve, C7-T2 issue...  I went back to neurologist and IM Dr and they don’t think so because of no other neurological signs. 

I have seen him 3 times and he is improving but still floppy. 

I will send you the videos I have of his second visit. His 4th visit is Wednesday, I will check the elbow and forelimb out better and consult with our surgeons. 

Can’t believe the timing you had with this!

Thank you 

I will send 4 videos in separate emails if necessary to get them to go through. 

Connie Schulte

Here are the videos:

If you saw my video, you’ll be thinking, ‘That’s uncanny!’  

I know, right??!!

Here’s the follow up correspondence… (P.S.  I asked if I could use the videos to show.)

Yes, you may use the videos. 

I asked the owner about a possible injury prior to the complaint of ‘wrist flipping’ and he did recall seeing the dog go down with hyperflexion of the carpi. So, my thinking is that he was painful and decreased motion/coordination from the immune mediated polyarthritis, didn’t get the feet flipped quick enough and went down injuring the ECR. Then when seen by neuro and IM, the IPA was the first thing they saw and it needed treated. So here we are 6-9 months later...

I will still try to get one of our surgeons to palpate as I couldn’t determine anything. 

Connie

And I think, ‘BANG ON!’  That makes total sense!

As an aside, I doubt the surgeons will be able to palpate any better than this practitioner can.  The area you are feeling for is covered in a retinaculum.  It's not likely that you'd be able to pick up a 'loose end of a tendon' or anything!  I think the deductive reasoning on a case like this trumps all else!

So, there you go, something new to think of and be aware of!  Thank you to everyone for the feedback about the last training video!  I’m glad folks found it interesting!

Until next time…

Cheers!   Laurie