Dog with tender inner thighs.
July 7, 2011 1:21 PM Subscribe
Why are my dog's inner thighs tender?
I have a 8 year old Jack Russell mix who has recently begun acting odd. (Going in her crate without being asked, tail between the legs). I realized that the inside of her thighs are very tender. She yelps whenever I poke them.
I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago. He told me its luxating patella and sent me home with anti-inflammatory pills and said we'd have to meet up again to discuss surgery. I knew when I got her this was going to eventually be a problem.
The reason I am coming here is because I am not convinced that this is causing the pain. I looked up luxating patella and her symptoms don't jive with what I'm reading. it says there may or not be pain but usually just when the knee slips. Also, there should be some limping at least periodically. This dog jumps a baby gate without even touching it. Runs like a crazy lady and has constant pain in the inner thigh.
Any ideas on what else this could be? I want to be as informed as possible. This just doesn't fit together right now...
I have a 8 year old Jack Russell mix who has recently begun acting odd. (Going in her crate without being asked, tail between the legs). I realized that the inside of her thighs are very tender. She yelps whenever I poke them.
I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago. He told me its luxating patella and sent me home with anti-inflammatory pills and said we'd have to meet up again to discuss surgery. I knew when I got her this was going to eventually be a problem.
The reason I am coming here is because I am not convinced that this is causing the pain. I looked up luxating patella and her symptoms don't jive with what I'm reading. it says there may or not be pain but usually just when the knee slips. Also, there should be some limping at least periodically. This dog jumps a baby gate without even touching it. Runs like a crazy lady and has constant pain in the inner thigh.
Any ideas on what else this could be? I want to be as informed as possible. This just doesn't fit together right now...
Response by poster: No rash, doesn't seem swollen... just sore.
posted by Snackpants at 1:44 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by Snackpants at 1:44 PM on July 7, 2011
Ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist if you don't think it's a surgical problem. Surgeons like to cut without seeing the whole picture, which may be needed in this case if it is an issue with the patella. However, an internist will look at all options and then either bring in a surgeon if nothing else is found, or find and treat whatever else could be wrong.
The internet is the worst place to solicit medical advice. Day practice vets aren't always competent, so you being skeptical is not a bad thing. However, specialists go through an extra 4 or 5 years of training to get board certified (1 or 2 year long internships as well as a 3 year residency).
posted by TheBones at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2011
The internet is the worst place to solicit medical advice. Day practice vets aren't always competent, so you being skeptical is not a bad thing. However, specialists go through an extra 4 or 5 years of training to get board certified (1 or 2 year long internships as well as a 3 year residency).
posted by TheBones at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2011
I want to be as informed as possible. This just doesn't fit together right now...
Which is exactly why you should be talking to the doctors and not people on the internet.
posted by TheBones at 2:42 PM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Which is exactly why you should be talking to the doctors and not people on the internet.
posted by TheBones at 2:42 PM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
The apparent soreness in the legs could be a red herring. She could actually have abdominal pain or spinal pain and it hurts when you press or she THINKS it's going to hurt.
I think you got blown off by your doctor - I've had a dog with Crazy Knee (technical term) and we just made her stop running for a second so we could put it back, it's really hard to miss. This is absolutely a second opinion situation - either another vet in the same practice or a different vet entirely.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:46 PM on July 7, 2011
I think you got blown off by your doctor - I've had a dog with Crazy Knee (technical term) and we just made her stop running for a second so we could put it back, it's really hard to miss. This is absolutely a second opinion situation - either another vet in the same practice or a different vet entirely.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:46 PM on July 7, 2011
Is there a veterinary school with a teaching hospital near you? That would be the best place, I think, as you have specialists across the board, and they could figure out which one to send you to.
posted by bolognius maximus at 4:43 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 4:43 PM on July 7, 2011
Being able to run and jump is absolutely not a sign that your dog's patellas are a-ok - I teach agility to several dogs with luxating patellas and they can run and jump except when their patellas luxate, then they kick their legs back to resituate the kneecap. The problem is that over the long term, this problem tends to get worse, and arthritis and other problems arise. Surgery by a skilled surgeon who has a good success rate cures the problem, but you want to do it before the joint gets too damaged, since dogs have way less joint cartilage than humans do.
That said, get a second opinion if you don't trust your vet, but any decent vet should be able to diagnose luxating patellas easily during a physical exam, it's not really a tricky diagnosis as a general rule. Whether luxating patellas are causing your dog's specific symptoms right now may or may not be the case, but as always, if you don't like the answers you get, either ask more questions or ask another vet.
posted by biscotti at 4:44 PM on July 7, 2011
That said, get a second opinion if you don't trust your vet, but any decent vet should be able to diagnose luxating patellas easily during a physical exam, it's not really a tricky diagnosis as a general rule. Whether luxating patellas are causing your dog's specific symptoms right now may or may not be the case, but as always, if you don't like the answers you get, either ask more questions or ask another vet.
posted by biscotti at 4:44 PM on July 7, 2011
Where are you located. I can ask my wife for a referral for you. She is an internal medicine resident and is familiar with the universities that have veterinary specialty hospitals. Memail me if you are uncomfortable posting it in this thread.
posted by TheBones at 5:41 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by TheBones at 5:41 PM on July 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
My dog licks herself a lot, and develops a red rash in that area periodically. The vet gave us a cortisone spray to relieve the pain.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 1:40 PM on July 7, 2011