Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there,

It's been MONTHS since I've last been on here! It's good to be back around. I was wondering if anybody had some input. I've rescued my 6th dog this year a couple of months ago (all others have been fully vetted, trained, and rehomed). He's a 9 month old American Pitbull Terrier, and anybody who knows the breed knows that they're like the energizer bunny on a caffine high at this age. Well, we're staying at my mothers while we wait for our new apartment to be ready on April 1st and she called me at work the other day saying he seemed to be limping a little, but she thought it was just that he had ice in his pads from being outside. He seemed fine so I didn't think anything of it. A few days later I was laying on the couch watching tv and he came over and held up his right hind and just started whimpering. I checked it out and there was a little bit of heat in the back of his thigh, and what felt like a knot it the muscle. I called the vet and they said to give him half of an asprin 2 times a day as it sounds like he pulled it and try to keep him quiet (haha). I've been making sure he comes to work with me every day so he's not tempted to play with the other 3 dogs and have been taking him for longer walks to get his energy out in a more civilized way. This has been going on for a week now and he seems fine at times, but than if he goes up the stairs or slips from me in the house and starts to run around he ends up unable to put weight on it and it heats up again. I can't get him to the vet until Tuesday due to my work schedule. Any ideas on what it may be or how to try to take care of it until then?

Thanks!
Tiffany and Java

Hi Tiffany! It's really hard to tell and your vet will know for sure when you get him there but it could be he may have torn an ACL(Anterior Cruciate Ligament). It could also be just a muscle tear or strain that doesn't get enough time to heal because he is so active. He is in good hands with you and I also commend you for the rescue work you are doing. Please let us know what you find out from your vet on Tuesday.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Thanks for your feedback. If it were an ACL tear is the only choice of repair surgery? I just did an internet search and all I get is surgery as an option. Any ideas on how much a surgery like that would cost? Money's tight right now (work's slow) so I'll have to pull all the spare pennies together just for the vet visit.

Unfortunately yes if it is an ACL the only option is surgery. My Springer mix tore his left one and then almost a year later his right one. This was about 4-5 years ago, I wish I could remember the cost...I can only hazard a guess like maybe $200-300 but this is only a guess. Shemp has since passed on and I'm not sure where I put his old paperwork. Let's keep our fingers crossed it is only a simple muscle strain.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

I would go in for an x-ray. Do it soon. If not your poor pup may be in pain for the rest of his life. Mya tore her ACL. The vet told me if I kept her weight down, she would be fine. Well she's not. She know has arthritis in both her back knees.
If you can afford to get the surgery if he has torn the ACL.

He actually seems to be doing much better today, I'm surprised! Still not 100% but keep your fingers crossed for me. If come Tuesday it's still bothering him at all I'll bring him in. I left him home today though and my mother let him out of the room and let him play around not thinking anything of it, and he seems fine. The heat is gone, although there is still a small knot left in the muscle. If it's not gone by Tuesday I'll bring him in anyway to just have it checked. Better safe than sorry!!

I agree when in doubt it never hurts to be safe. Good to read your pup is doing a little better today. He is really a cute looking dog. Did I miss it? What is his name?
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Yep, better safe than sorry is what I always live by with the furbabies. Thanks, he's really a great boy. I was nervous when I picked him up at the pound. I had never met him before, but he only had hours to find a home and the ACO knew I just rehomed my last rescue and that I was on the look out for another pitty. He was OFF THE WALL hyper when that night I thought I was doomed lol! So, I named him Java...he seemed like he was on a caffine high..and my other boy is Dunkin (as his favorite place ever is Dunkin Donuts..munchkins have taken over his brain). He's still hyper, but not anything more than your pitty puppy exuberance.

Bring him in anyway. Mya's leg would hurt her for a while get better. Then hurt her. For about a yr I thought she was hurting her feet. And it ended up being her knee.