18 month old with stiffness in joints

[rosesinmygarden]

Obviously will be seeking vet advice asap for this but they can't fit us in until next week.

Dog is 18 months old and is a collie x retriever girl.

I've noticed over the last month or so that she is occasionally slow to come out of her crate in the mornings and often appears a bit slow or stiff after exercise.

She gets 2 x 30 minutes a day with me and also goes out with a Dog walker for about an hour twice a week.

Has anyone experience of a Dog of this age having arthritis? DH thinks I'm imagining it but I think there's something not quite right.

Could be loads of stuff tbh... but yes young dogs do get arthritis, if they’ve got dodgy joints then it starts really young.

We lost our previous dog at 6 to inoperable cancer so I'm dreading what could be wrong. She had to be put to sleep on the same day we took her in with the symptoms as they tried to operate and felt it would be unfair to let her come round. I lost my best friend in the space of a few hours and have never really got over it.

So my biggest fear is the sane thing happening again. I will of course take her as I don't want her in pain but I'm really very worried.

Not a vet, but I can’t think of anything involving being a bit stiff but otherwise fine that would mean having to be PTS immediately...

For instance arthritis or actual joint conditions are usually manageable for years after diagnosis IME.

Thank you @tabulahrasa I know I'm possibly being a bit irrational!

I'm hoping it's something that can be managed with diet and choice of exercise to be honest. But obviously need to find out for sure so we can plan the best course of action.

“I know I'm possibly being a bit irrational!“

Meh, totally normal to be a bit irrational after something really upsetting

The way my last dog being PTS happened left me with a few hang ups for quite a while, lol

Does she need to be in a crate as perhaps being in a confined space isn’t helping . Also is she the correct weight , our dog has bilateral luxating patella and other joint issues but we keep him quite lean and he has supplements and he has been at a status quo for about 7 yrs now .

Was there any similar problems with either of her parents ?

It could be useful for the vet if you could get some video footage of her doing the stiffness/lameness that worries you, in normal video & slomo setting if you have it too.

She's not overweight as far as I know and her crate is big enough for her to get up and stretch/turn round with plenty of space. She can also lay flat out in it my little pony style!

She chooses to go in her crate at various points in the day and always for bed time. It's her safe place but I guess we could try leaving the door open to see if she'd rather not.

Her parents are both healthy, Checked with the breeder. They also said they'd not heard from any of the other puppies' owners. Obviously I have to trust what they say though....

I'll try to get some video footage too, that's a really good idea. She's very good at picking up on my cues though so I'll habe to be sneaky about it!

Our Doberman kept going lame when she was about a year old. We eased back on exercise and gave short term pain killers, cleared up within a few weeks and it’s never reoccurred.

Here’s info on the condition, it’s mainly in young large breeds, so could affect your dog.

Panosteitis is another condition that occurs in young dogs. It is most often seen in medium to large breed dogs between nine months to two years of age. It affects the long bones such as the humerus, radius and ulna. The lameness often comes and goes and can be very painful at times but tends to resolve after two to three years of age. It is a self-limiting condition but will require pain management and medication at times. X-rays are generally needed to diagnose panosteitis and follow ups will be needed to monitor the progression of the disease.

Most likely some sort orthopedic issue or even reoccurring strain & there's lots that can be done to improve quality of life with those things even when severe although may eventually reduce longevity. Does the stiffness tend to coincide with the longer walk days or when been very active?

Yes the stiffness does tend to coincide with the longer walks...

Thinking about it, it's probably most mornings that she comes out of her crate slowly.

I've managed to get her appointment moved to Friday this week so that's good. It will be after a Dog walker walk too...

Thanks @Newfor2021 that's really interesting.

Fingers crossed it won't be anything life or death.

Back from the vets now and they've advised stays.

The vet examined her and says there's definitely something not quite right around her hip area.

We have metacam for time being but I guess we will have to book her in and see what they say. Bit worried now as he wouldn't be drawn.on what it could be.

X rays even!