Stiff dog but doctor can't find a problem

[regan4]

Our 4 year old dog became stiff on Monday 7/20.  We watched her for a few days and it got worse, so on Thursday 7/23 we took her to the vets.  They did "normal" blood tests (lyme, heart worm, etc) and said that all was fine. We decided to give her antibiotics for lymes and joint meds and the vet agreed.  She improved within a day.  We went on vacation and left her with our friends who cared for her very well, gave her meds, carried her up and down the steps etc. When we returned and picked her up on Friday 7/31, she looked sad and we thought that it was just because she missed us.  Our friends told us that she was not herself all week, but they thought that she just missed us too. I again took her to the vets on Saturday, 8/1 for x-rays and the vet said that nothing was wrong.  When she goes to the vets she acts like nothing is wrong because she is so scared to be there (walks normal, sits and stands without much trouble, etc).  They gave us more joint meds and told us to come back Monday 8/3 for more blood tests.  Her symptoms include sudden stiffness, trouble standing up from a laying or seated position, loss of appetite, not happy, hot to the touch on her legs by her paws, swelling at night of the paws at the joint area.  Please help us, we feel that the vet thinks that we are crazy.  We actually are video taping her so that he can see what she does at home.  Thank you

[Lori Teller, D.V.M., DABVP]

I'm so sorry your girl isn't feeling well! In addition to the testing for Lymes and heartworms, was a CBC and chemistry profile performed? Were those values normal? Hot, swollen joints are definitely not normal. If the joints are swollen, it would be of benefit to have them tapped and have the joint fluid sent for analysis. There are different types of immune-mediated diseases that could be causing the symptoms you are describing, including, but not limited to, systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, immune-mediated polyarthritis, and others. Or another infectious organism besides Borrelia bergdorferi (the cause of Lymes) could be playing a role, and your dog may need some further testing for that. Or she could have some kind of problem with her lymph system causing some edema in the lower limbs. Making a video for your veterinarian is a great idea and may be very helpful. I would definitely continue to pursue this. I hope your girl feels better soon!

[regan4]

Thank you for the great information.  We went to the vets again today with comments in hand and they did a CBC and chemistry profile, as noted above.  They said that they would call us tomorrow and leave a message with the test results.... It really bothers us, that this animal hospital has not come across this situation before with other dogs!!!!!  

Regan seems to be doing better on the joint meds and the vet says (both of them) that they are stumped and feel that nothing is wrong with her.  The video tapes really helped because when we got home today before we went to the vets, Regan was acting like a puppy again and this is how she acted at the vets....the past 2 times.  This time, with the tapes, we did not look crazy and the vet said that it could be adrenilian making her act like this when she comes in.

Would you recommend that we find another vet?  It is sad when you have to tell them what to do.....

Again, we all thank you for your help.  I would be pulling my hair out without your information.  We will keep you posted as to what we are told.

[regan4]

Just an update, they said that the CBC and the chemistry profile was all normal.  I am not sure where to go from here because they said that nothing is wrong but she is still having problems walking and getting up.  can you let me know what else you think that we should do from here.

Thanks again

[Lori Teller, D.V.M., DABVP]

If there is a specialty clinic in your area, I would ask for a referral. It is possible that advanced imaging, such as CT or MRI may give you an answer that just isn't visible on the plain x-rays. If the joints are still warm and/or swollen, I would still recommend a joint tap. If you are not comfortable with your veterinarian's current plan, then I would definitely get another opinion. I know you just want your dog to be comfortable, and it is so hard when you see her not herself. The best of luck to all of you!