Down in the hock.

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear that Ripley is really not doing well. I'm concerned by the symptoms that you have described.

Most likely, if your vet felt that there was a back problem, then Ripley likely had some neurological problems when she was examined. Do you remember the vet trying to knuckle her over on her toes to see if she was able to place her foot back properly? This is one test that we do to determine if there is a back issue.

What is a little strange though is that back problems don't usually affect one side more than the other. (They can, but it is not the norm.)

If she has neurological problems and one leg is affected more than the other then I get concerned that this may not be just a simple back problem. Many back problems can get better with a short course of the medications that you have mentioned. But, if the problem persists then there is something more serious going on.

One possibility would be if there was a tumor either in the spinal cord or affecting the nerves to the affected back leg. Unfortunately if this is the case then our options are limited.

It's also possible that there is a problem with one of the joints such as severe hip dysplasia. Something like this could show up on xrays. If this is the case then she may be able to be maintained with medications, or she could possibly have surgery to get some relief.

If this were my case I likely would be taking xrays to look for things such as a boney tumor or severe arthritis. It is true that many back issues will be difficult to detect on xrays, but there are some conditions that we possibly could see.

I think she really should see a vet again. It's really up to you whether you want a second opinion, but I think your current vet is doing the right things. They likely will be ok with doing xrays now that her condition has not improved.

I really hope things look up soon!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

It is interesting that she has issues with her esophagus. You may want to ask your vet about the possibility of something called myasthenia gravis (MG). MG is really not common but it can cause esophageal problems as well as very unusual musculoskeletal problems. MG is a treatable condition.

It is very unlikely to be related to the epidural.

Your vet may decide to keep her on these meds...this is fine. But, it would be much better to know exactly what we are treating!

If you have more questions I may be a few minutes before I can reply. We have some people just arriving for a superbowl party. But feel free to reply and I will respond as soon as possible.