My 3y/o boston has intermittent pain

[jeanp46]

4 days ago my 3/yo boston started yelping intermittently while walking or playing. We took him to the vets, they said he had some redness to his anal glands..possible infection. They gave him a cortizone shot, prescribed prednisone and antibiotic. I applied some moist heat to his rear. Seemed to help a bit. Next day was worse. Took him back to the vet. He checked him again. Said I could use stool softner to help and prescribed pain medicine. 3rd day seemed a little better. But started to see some a swollen spot in his hind leg. Not sure if this was worsining or if it was from the cortizone shot. He was playful most of the day but towards evening he was not doing too good. So the 4th day we took him to the PET emergency. They did an xray which seemed everything was good there. They added an anti inflammatory to his list of meds. The poor thing is more sedate which helps to keep his playing down to a minimum. He eats and drinks, and goes to the bathroom. He seems to be in more pain and discomfort after being still for awhile, But then after some time of being active he hurts too. He favors that leg and he tries to bite/lick that area. He rolls around the floor trying to scratch it. When he walks he may just stop dead and then shake like it hurts, then we pick him up to carry him home. Just don't know what else to do. At first we thought it would have been fleas or ticks since we were in the woods camping. He has had the lyme vaccine and that was 2 weeks ago. How long will he be like this before he has some relief? Poor thing.

[Misfits4Me]

Any updates on your guy? Please, let us know...Thanks

[Misfits4Me]

Thanks for the update.....You state that he is favoring his leg...Does he limp or hold it up? How about kick it (Out straight or behind him) and then move on.
When he yelps, does he immediately bite at any area.....Back or bottom?
Does he wince when you pick him up?
How about fleas? Is that possible?
Full range of motion sounds good.....Did he show a pain response or wimper/cry when they did the check of his leg?
Let us know about his appointment & thanks....Karla

[jeanp46]

The vaccine was back in february of 2013. They did not give him the vaccine again. They asked me if he was vaccinated I said yes. We live in an area that is very prone to both types of ticks and I live near woods. But they have been really bad in this area this year. I just wanted to tell the vets that we were camping 2 weeks prior to this starting. Also his xrays came out good and he has full range of motion. When he tries to bite it's towards his rear not his knee.

[jeanp46]

I should have added this in my post. He did have the vaccine back in february on his yearly visit. They did check his anal glands, and did express them. The first vet said there is some redness, the second vet didn't really see a major problem. Im starting to think it's a pinched nerve. My day yesterday for an example...I opened his door to his crate and as he proceeded to come out he yelped. He got his bearings together, I picked him up and carried him down the steps, took him outside and he did his business. He came back in and wanted to play a bit....keeping it restricted of course. Then he yelps suddenly, and stops for a bit and then starts up again. when we walk him to do his business he may or may not want to keep walking, we have been keeping his walks short. He has a follow up appointment tomorrow.

[shannon781]

I agree, this particular vaccine is known to cause hypersensitivity reactions more commonly than some other vaccines. Usually, they are not life threatening and limited to swelling of the muzzle/face, vomiting/diarrhea, and general lethargy. However, severe cases can cause death. One has to weigh these risks with the benefits. If an animal is of a breed of high risk or lives in an area of high risk, the vaccine benefits are great because the disease can be devastating causing kidney failure and death, among other things.

[Misfits4Me]

Here's what I was trying to get across....It was deleted because it's against this forums rules to post from another forum. (I don't believe I knew that even after all these years, but I recieved a message stating such). That was not my intentions, I was trying to get a specific article to you...Here is part of it....Sorry

Lyme is a “killed” vaccine and is associated with clinically significant adverse reactions. According to the 2003 AAHA Guidelines (Page 16), "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)." Further, the AAHA task force reports on Page 18 that, "Bacterial vaccines, especially killed whole organism products …..are much more likely to cause adverse reactions than subunit or live bacterial vaccines or MLV vaccines, especially if given topically. Several killed bacterial products are used as immunomodulators/adjuvants. Thus, their presence in a combination vaccine product may enhance or suppress the immune response or may cause an undesired response (e.g., IgE hypersensitivity or a class of antibody that is not protective)."

Dr. Alice Wolf, Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, stated in an address Vaccines of the Present and Future WSAVA 2001 - Vaccines of the Present and Future at the 2001 World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress that Lyme vaccines : "are only partially effective and may cause serious immune-mediated consequences in some dogs that are as serious or more serious than the disease itself.....The most reactive vaccines for dogs include leptospirosis bacterin and Borrelia [Lyme]vaccine .".

[Misfits4Me]

I have reread and yes, I agree w/shannon....It's very possible (From your description) that this is a Luxating Patella issue......It would fit.....Your Vet should be able to check stability of the patella with just a physical exam....

I have a Poodle that has LP in both back knees (Stage 2)......Diagnosed at age 5......Started on a good Joint Supplement at the time....7 years later, they are no worse...Still stage two! Let us know what you decide......Karla

[shannon781]

Hey Karla, just FYI a "killed vaccine" is one in which the vaccine can't mutate and cause the actual disease..that one is a "modified live". The killed vaccines are the safer version of the two. This dog did not contract lyme disease from the vaccine (symptoms would include fever, lethargy, shifting leg lameness, etc), but I think you are right if he got the vaccine in that leg, he could very well be having a reaction to it; although the steroid injection is what would have been given to treat it, so it should have helped. My other thought is that if he is biting at a back leg, he could have luxating patellas. When the patellar tendon pops out of place, it tends to be very uncomfortable and they try to lick and bite at it until it pops back in. (If he is going for a place other than the knee area, this may not be the case, but it is very common in small breed dogs). What medications are you giving him? It sounds like no one can figure out the problem, but I would suggest having the vet do a full orthopedic exam on that problem leg and check all the joint, soft tissues, and bones to try and localize the pain. I hope you get some answers!

[Misfits4Me]

P.S. What's the name of the Anti-Inflammatory that the ER Vet prescribed? Many CANNOT be mixed w/steroids......Thanks

[Misfits4Me]

Welcome to the forum....
Boy, your Vet sure loaded him up w/some dangerous treatments!!!   My first thought  was he needed his anal glands expressed & that still could be a possibility....During all this, did they express them or just start treating w/antibiotics?  POSSIBLE infection does not exist! Once they express the glands, the fluid can tell if infection is present or not! Some of this doesn't make sense! Does he try to lick and bite at his anal area?

Then I started thinking>>>...

Was he fine before the vaccine??? Was the vaccine given in the leg?

The Lyme Vaccine is a very dangerous vaccine and only holds about a 60% immunity for one year....The possible side effects out weigh the treatment of the disease it's self.....The vaccine is a "Killed" vaccine which means it's more likely to have adverse reactions or create the disease itself.

To my knowledge---There is NO Vet School in the US that recommends the use of this vaccine because of it's danger and very little studies on the vaccine. (Something like a whopping 2 days!)

So, I'm curious---Why did your Vet want to do this? Do you live in an area with serious load of  cases of Lymes?

It sounds like (From your description) that your dog has contacted Lymes FROM the vaccine...The symptoms you describe are the same with the disease.....I believe Testing now will give a false negative.....I suspect you could begin treatment w/Doxycycline, but unsure of the effectiveness if the disease was created by the vaccine! Hopefully I'm wrong....If you find that this is the case however----If I were you, I'd be good AND Pissed!!

Please google: "Canine Lyme Disease Vaccine Side Effects" and see what you think.......There is plenty of info available for you & many links will come up...

Hopefully, someone else will post and add to this...Let us know what you think or find out....Karla