I recently took my dog to the vet as he was having issues walking and would yelp in pain when trying to sit or just walk, she found nothing wrong other then to say he may have his knee pop out, however, he was tested positive for Lyme disease, he is on the antibiotics for it now, however, the yelping and almost screaming continues, if this an effect of the lyme disease, seeing they found no other reason and how long will it take before his sufferings start to feel better? I cannot easily get him to take pills, 28 of them as I wrote before he gets very agressive when handling him in any pill type manner?
It definitely could be due to Lyme Disease. This infection causes swollen joints, with pain and lameness as outward signs. You could talk to your vet about a non-steroidal or corticosteroid injection - these might help bring the inflammation down a bit. That being said, there might be a reason your vet didnt do this when your dog was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, but its worth asking if your dog is still in pain after the antibiotics.
I know theres a thread about medicating your dog, have you asked your vet for helpful tips on how to deal with your particular dog and pills? Obviously I'd say try putting them in food (peanut butter, hotdogs, dogroll). You could also ask if you can get an antibiotic paste or something easier to mix into food - if your dog still hesitates, try withholding other food until the medicated version is gone, dogs typically dont starve themselves (unlike cats!), so it shouldnt take long.
Hello again, my little terror is better but the yelping in pain is still pretty strong, I am going to see if the vet thinks an x-ray would be in order to make sure he does not have some physical problem from scars from being bitten so many times before I got him. He also seems to be afraid or will bark excessively at people wearing dark glasses, so I am beginning to think he may have been abused even before my son saved him from being put down.
Sorry I haven't been on for a while, his lyme is better, his treatment is done and this Friday he can get his last lyme vaccine. Now I have a new problem, this pain he gets in his rear half, which the vets hasn't seen his x-rays from his former vet yet, is getting worse and happens at least 20 times a day, sending him yelping and running to hide under my bed. Since I last wrote he has bitten me again, this time he was also hurting when I touched his back legs, not sure what happened but I saw all the signs of "don't you dare touch me now" yet I did and got bitten on the wrist bone bad enough to send me to the doc again. I am at a loss as to why this happens, last night he was just laying in my lap like he usually does and when he got up he started growling and when I raised my voice he got even more vicious and growled louder, I did not want to get bit again so I got out of the chair and told him to get, he ran under the bed but continued to growl all the while, later on he came back like nothing happened at all, don't know what to do as my skin is so thin at my age then one wrong bite and I will probably bleed out before I can get to a doc. Not sure where this is coming from as normally he is so loving and sweet and listens well to me outside.
Glad things are looking up! Hopefully your new vet can keep things going in a happy direction, health wise.
I still think the pain your dog is having in his back legs/rear end could be from the lyme disease. I'm not sure how long after the infection is cleared that joint problems can last - but I would assume pain from a constant level of inflammation during the course of the actual infection would linger a while after the dog is healthy. If his joints and legs were affected by the disease, theres a good chance they are still stiff and sore now!
Again, I would talk to your vet about pain relief for him - some kind of regular shot or dose that he can give since you have trouble pilling at home. Unless you'd be willing to give your dog shots - some owners find this much easier to do, it eliminates the stress of the vet, and is a pretty quick procedure.
Just try giving your dog attention when he seeks it - dont just pet him randomly as this may spark aggression if he's in a testy mood. When he comes up to you happy and wagging tail, wanting a pat, give it to him - and be really happy to do so! Otherwise, just give him verbal encouragement, but try to limit the physical patting.
This should help re-establish some trust with you and him - he wont be so worried about being accidentally hurt by you. You can also try hand feeding him his kibble to try and establish trust again. Remember to never corner him, and next time you get those signals of "dont touch me", try to hold back! You getting bitten only adds to the stress of the situation and again breaks down trust between you and your dog.
Overall I really think theres SOMETHING your vet can be doing to help the pain and make your pup much more comfortable. Don't be afraid to be rude - this is your dog, and you are his advocate! I hope his x-rays are good news, and wish you luck with this!
