Osteoarthritis & Loss Of Bladder Control ?

[Sharna3]

My 9.5yo male rotti was recently diagnosed with severe arthritis, which came as quite a shock to my husband and I. One day he was A-OK and behaviour was normal ... next day he whined a couple of times when going to sit or lay down and then within 2 days could barely walk.

He is on Previcox once every three days and we have him on Sasha's Blend also; he has good days and bad but every day he walks a little more awkwardly and I'm just devastated that in five weeks my beautiful dog has changed so much. I dread to think where we will be in another 5 weeks.

To top it off - he had a little issue with incontinence a while back, put him on Propalin but the side effects (vomiting and lethargy) were significant so we took him off the syrup and the problem appeared to clear up... since his arthritis has presented that problem seems to have returned with a vengeance - whenever he lays down, a small puddle forms below him and he's forever cleaning himself. (And I'm following him around with a mop and a bucket of hot water). He also "leaks" when walking, or when trying to stand up.

Has anyone experienced this problem with their dog - any advice , suggestions would be so great. I just don't know what to do.

[New Age Outlaw]

Has he had an XRay? I'm just wondering if it is actually arthritis, or something else like spondylitis?

[persephone]

I agree with maybe further xrays/tests. It could well be a spinal problem or something else.. Poor old boy. ;) Try using a belly band on him

[Kelly_Louise]

I would also get a second opinion - and ask for xrays/tests to be done. Doesn't sound like just OA to me.

[SchnauzerMax]

How much water is he drinking?

My standard schnauzer Luigi had very similar symptoms to your rottie 3 years ago - incontinence and 'arthritic' pain. Bloodwork and urine tests always came back normal but he was drinking lots and lots of water and wetting the bed and peeing when he walked. Propalin seemed to work for a couple of weeks and then didn't. Eventually we ended up at a specialist.

It turned out to be a tumour on his adrenal gland. The only way to diagnose it was to do an ultrasound. It did not show on x-rays. What did show on x-rays was a badly inflamed bladder that the original vet thought was bladder cancer. The 'arthritic' pain was a really incredibly sore bladder due to the tumour. The solution for Luigi was surgery. He is now 15 and slowing down but still with us.

I hope the vet gets to the root of problem quickly for you.

[Sharna3]

How much water is he drinking?

My standard schnauzer Luigi had very similar symptoms to your rottie 3 years ago - incontinence and 'arthritic' pain. Bloodwork and urine tests always came back normal but he was drinking lots and lots of water and wetting the bed and peeing when he walked. Propalin seemed to work for a couple of weeks and then didn't. Eventually we ended up at a specialist.

It turned out to be a tumour on his adrenal gland. The only way to diagnose it was to do an ultrasound. It did not show on x-rays. What did show on x-rays was a badly inflamed bladder that the original vet thought was bladder cancer. The 'arthritic' pain was a really incredibly sore bladder due to the tumour. The solution for Luigi was surgery. He is now 15 and slowing down but still with us.

I hope the vet gets to the root of problem quickly for you.

Well, he is drinking a lot, but he always has so I didn't think too much of it. :p I think I will definitely follow everyone's advice and get back to the vet asap. He has regular blood & urine testing because he's got under-functioning kidneys and nothing has shown on those, but as you said, not everything does.

Thank you all for taking the time to offer your advice

I will call the vet and go from there... will keep you posted...

[Kelpie-i]

If no x-rays were done, demand them!

I know exactly how you feel, although my old GSD boy's deterioration has been progressive. He struggles to sit and get up, cannot stand properly as he is extremely unsteady on his feet and drags his back legs when he walks. It breaks my heart each time I look at him as I feel so useless.

He is currently on monthly cartrophen injections as well as daily anti-inflam tabs (rimadyl) and swims once a week. It helps but like your boy, he has good days and really bad days.

I am having him x-rayed for spondylosis as he was diagnosed some 6 years ago with this but it was very mild at the time. I am now wondering if the spondylosis has progressed and could be what is causing his condition and not just arthritis.

I feel for you and your boy and apart from getting the correct diagnosis, the only advice I can give you is make him as comfortable as possible and spoil him to bits

[Sharna3]

Well thought I would update, we went to the vets last night and by then my beautiful boy was pretty much not walking, not on his hind legs anyway.

Vet checked his kidneys again and they have been impacted a little by the NSAIDs (he has a preexisting kidney condition). We admitted him overnight and the vet put him on a drip while they put him back on previcox to see if pain was the problem with his hips... today he is not really better and his incontinence is definitely no better.

The vet thinks that there is nerve failings, this is why he is unable to control his bladder and is struggling to walk. Also thinks there is a disc protrusion in his spine. At 9 and three quarters, and with his kidneys the way they are he wouldn't cope with a spinal op, or any op. And they are hesitant to do x-rays because of his age and kidneys, the GA wouldn't be very good for him.

All this aside, the fact he is struggling to walk seals it for me, poor man can't get up to even go to the toilet without a massive struggle and just looks at me patiently as I coax him along. His heart is so big he will try to please me no matter what the cost to him.

And so my husband and I have made the decision that unless he improves overnight (he's at home with us), the vet will come tomorrow night and we will let him go.

What a struggle, my heart is breaking, but I want to do the right thing by him, as he has been faithful and loving and loyal to me every day of his life.

[persephone]

I think you have been shown the way to go - he is tired and you will be saving him a struggle .

yes, it is very sad...but so good that you can have him at home with you , somewhere he loves and is comfortable

for you all...

[darlingdog]

If no x-rays were done, demand them!

I know exactly how you feel, although my old GSD boy's deterioration has been progressive. He struggles to sit and get up, cannot stand properly as he is extremely unsteady on his feet and drags his back legs when he walks. It breaks my heart each time I look at him as I feel so useless.

He is currently on monthly cartrophen injections as well as daily anti-inflam tabs (rimadyl) and swims once a week. It helps but like your boy, he has good days and really bad days.

I am having him x-rayed for spondylosis as he was diagnosed some 6 years ago with this but it was very mild at the time. I am now wondering if the spondylosis has progressed and could be what is causing his condition and not just arthritis.

I feel for you and your boy and apart from getting the correct diagnosis, the only advice I can give you is make him as comfortable as possible and spoil him to bits

I lost my old german shepherd last year. She had hip displaysia for the past 7 years so I was used to her being not really sound and she was also on the same regime of drugs pretty much as your boy. She then started dragging her back legs and struggling to get up more then usual. Turns out she had a degenerative neurological disorder quite apart from the hip displasia, that almost exclusively affects GSD's. . I would suggest that you ask your vet if this could be the problem now. Best of luck, they are such wonderful dogs.