young dog with suspected polyarthropathy
Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:28 pm
I was hoping to get an opinion on a dog that I have yet to examine. Buck is a 13 month old Shep X who has been "lame" since the fall of 2020. He is reportedly a bit worse at this time. Colleagues have tried to examine him and he is hesitant at best. He can be aggressive and is very tense when touched. This is the reason that I would like to get my feet on the ground before seeing him. I am considering a CHILL protocol so that I can touch him but that will lessen any response from him.
Given the lack of opportunity for a proper physical exam, he was sedated, palpated, radiographed and, in a separate visit, had joint taps done. He was 4Dx neg on July 22nd of this year. They tell me that he did not have a cranial drawer or tibial thrust (which I acknowledge is not foolproof), no appreciable laxities or effusions. He was put on a trial of meloxicam with no response.
The Interpretation and Comments from his joint taps (from the R and L elbow, R and L stifle, L carpus) came back as follows:
" Overall there is increased cellularity with an increase in synovial cells and synovial cell hyperplasia indicating chronic degenerative arthropathy. Did the dog have prior infectious disease, viral diseases or nutritional deficiencies as a puppy? Congenital and poor joint conformations may also play a role in joint abnormalities." (the other joints came back as non-diagnostic)
A radiologist was suspicious of bilateral stifle effusion. When I watch him walk, he doesn't strike me as a dog with cruciate disease, nor the way he gets up after resting.
I am having difficulties uploading 2 videos, one after rest and the other once he has been up and moving. I will try to forward them in a separate email. In the videos, he seems to be hesitant in his front end as well as his obvious hind end lameness when first rising from rest. Given his signalment, I am concerned about some form of polyarthropathy but not sure where to go from here in terms of further diagnostics or appropriate therapeutics. Any opinions or advice would be welcomed.
Given the lack of opportunity for a proper physical exam, he was sedated, palpated, radiographed and, in a separate visit, had joint taps done. He was 4Dx neg on July 22nd of this year. They tell me that he did not have a cranial drawer or tibial thrust (which I acknowledge is not foolproof), no appreciable laxities or effusions. He was put on a trial of meloxicam with no response.
The Interpretation and Comments from his joint taps (from the R and L elbow, R and L stifle, L carpus) came back as follows:
" Overall there is increased cellularity with an increase in synovial cells and synovial cell hyperplasia indicating chronic degenerative arthropathy. Did the dog have prior infectious disease, viral diseases or nutritional deficiencies as a puppy? Congenital and poor joint conformations may also play a role in joint abnormalities." (the other joints came back as non-diagnostic)
A radiologist was suspicious of bilateral stifle effusion. When I watch him walk, he doesn't strike me as a dog with cruciate disease, nor the way he gets up after resting.
I am having difficulties uploading 2 videos, one after rest and the other once he has been up and moving. I will try to forward them in a separate email. In the videos, he seems to be hesitant in his front end as well as his obvious hind end lameness when first rising from rest. Given his signalment, I am concerned about some form of polyarthropathy but not sure where to go from here in terms of further diagnostics or appropriate therapeutics. Any opinions or advice would be welcomed.