We had Maverick for 7 years, he was two years old when he came to live with us. What a wonderful dog. Smart as all get out, and such a loving dog. He was better than some humans I know.
Two weeks ago we let Maverick out in the morning for a bathroom break. We found him an hour later crumpled up in the corner of the yard. He could barely walk. He seeme scolded. He was shaking in pain. After a visit that day to a vet, it was determined he had a muscle sprain. There were no signs of displaysia or arthritis. We gave him Remadyl for a week. He seemed to get worse. He would hardly put any weight on his right-hind leg. We went back to the bet the next weekend after he yelped out in pain one night. Scared us to death at 4am. The new vet thought that perhaps he had a pinched nerve. We now know what it was.
Maverick was on Prednisone and a pain pill each day. While he wasn't in pain, it was obvious he couldn't control his right-hind leg. And by the end of the second week, he total froze up in pain. We rushed back to the vet for another high-dosed steroid shot. The vet watched him for 24 hours. His condition worsened. It became so that he didn't even know if the leg was twisted, spread out, or under him as he lie. And, yesterday, we had to put him down. His mind was still good. He still ate and drank fluids. His spine and lower back just gave out on him. The only solution would have been to try expensive surgery, with no guarantees.
We petted and talked to him as he went to sleep for the last time. It just broke our hearts. The first time we ever put a pet down. We know we did the right thing for him, but we are grieving for your buddy.
If you pet has these same conditions, please have the vet check for nerve damage.
