rebeccafromtas Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Hi everyone about a year ago ago i adopted a newfoundland she was 2 years old and was called zoe. I picked her up and she lived about an hours drive away, when we got her home she was drooling a lot and breathing quite heavily. At the time i thought she was just a bit stressed from the car, her legs were also quite shaky. The next day she didnt seem to improve a lot and was drinking a lot. So i took her to the vet the next day this was about 48 hours since i picked her up. The vet did a blood test and confirmed she had been bitten by a snake, most likely before she had been put in the car. We found the puncture wounds and her front rh leg up near her chest. $3000.00 and 2 and a half weeks later she came home, she received 2 lots on antivenon and for a 76kg dog i can tell you thats a lot of antivenom. It has now been a year and she is still quite shaky in her back legs. Does anyone know if there is anything i can do to help her? She is an adorable thing and the sweetest girl on the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spottychick Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Why is she shaky in her back legs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccafromtas Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Why is she shaky in her back legs? The vet said the Snake bite caused Muscle Damage. I have been taking her on walks trying to build up the muscles just wondering if anybody else had experienced this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mish13 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 My only suggestion is can you take her somewhere that she can swim, its a lot less stress on her body and can help build up muscle. Sorry to hear about what you went through when you got your beautiful girl, but Newfs are worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I would also suggest swimming- keeping her at a trim weight, and perhaps seeing a chiropractor. has she been xrayed or otherwise tested for any hip/leg problems? Snake venom is destructive stuff- however it could be something else, perhaps. So- when do we see photos of this lucky girl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VJB Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 My neighbours dog was bitten by a snake a few years back, and she was shaky on her back legs for quite some time. Gradually got better, and some days/weeks it was less noticeable than others. She copes fine now, but her co-ordination is probably not 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I would also suggest getting her hips and spine looked at more closely. Yes dogs can have muscle weakness, but normally over time it does improve. I am also interested to know if she has had any spinal/hip xrays done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccafromtas Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 hi thanks for the suggestions, she did have her bottom half x-rayed and the vet never mentioned any problems. I am uncertain if she had the problem before she came to live with me. She was a special case, she was overweight and not the most cared for when i adopted her when i called her previous owner and told him about the snake bite he said get her fixed and he would go halves with the bill. well that never happened. So i adopted a dog with a snake bite. I am crazy but she was lying on the floor at the vets with those big sad eyes how does anyone say no. She does love the water but is definitely not a very energetic dog, i might have to get my husband to coax her in. I am pregnant with 4 weeks to go so i might watch, but i never thought of water and its a good idea. I have got her to lose about 11kg and she now sits about 65kg. Its not the best picture and you have to pretend you didn't see me. Rebecca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ari.g Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Awww what a beautiful girl she is I too recommend swimming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myboyjosh Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I had a GSD bitten by a tiger snake a few years back and he lost all muscle mass in his rear legs. We swam and swam him for weeks until he was almost back to normal. Then I walked him up and down hills to strengthen his leg muscles (bit like physio for humans) . It is a long and slow process but with Max it did seem to improve him. He never trotted like a normal GSD after that he paced (like a pacer horse) and we were never sure if this was a result of him compensating for the muscle damage or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat99 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 hi , my belgian got attached by a snake a few years ago , my dog sadly got bitten , on his frount leg he got treatment and is ok now . but he still has promblems with that frount leg . he will limp sometimes on that , i got a herbal natural heating gel when i see he is limping i rub into his leg and it makes a big differnce for him . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkehre Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 (edited) Sorry to hear about your girl. Provided all else is ruled out and it is definitely muscle atrophy caused by the venom, then I would also highly recommend swimming. The only drawback with swimming is that it mostly develops the front - chest and shoulders of dogs, not the rear, though it can help. Many dogs (Greyhounds often being one of them) can float and not use their rear legs at all. Underwater treadmill or walking with T Touch Pads will help immensely with buiding up many different muscle groups in the rear. Obviously whatever you take on build up slowly. Even walking up hills and along hillsides will be fantastic. If she has been getting little exercise at all since she has been recovering, you may be very surprised how much simple walking will help. Best of luck with your girl and I hope she has a full recovery. well done for taking her on. You deserve a medal. Edited February 22, 2010 by dyzney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfa Dog Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Hi there, What a star you are!! I am a Newf owner too so understand how much your kind gesture will be rewarded with cuddles and slober!! So when you picked her up had she just been bitten by a snake? Sounds like you're on top of things by getting x rays to rule out joint problems. As I'm sure you know, it's essential to keep her slim.. I was a little shocked when you quoted her weight- that's almost 20 kilos more than my boy!! But I understand that she was overweight when you brought her home. I agree with the others- swimming is probably your best bet to build up her muscles. Also, if you haven't already, probably best to get some health insurance to avoid any further big bills!! I"ve got Pet Plan for my boy as they insure Newfs no problems. http://www.pookinuk.com.au/product-selecte...&noGoBack=1 Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 She is a beautiful girl! I just love her face! My goldie has had a lot of muscle atrophy due to hip dysplasia and cruciate problems - what I found to have worked wonders was acupuncture. Our last session was about 6 months ago and I haven't seen him limp since! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Swimming doesn't necessarily mean work for the owner. There are dog hydrotherapy set-ups that are sort of like a tread mill . . . the dog stays in one place and they flow the water past it, which forces it to swim. I've never seen one, but they seem to provide a controlled workout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccafromtas Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Hi Thanks for all the helpful comments. I am going to definitely try swimming, being a newfie she will love that. It is awful to see her back legs shake when ever she tries to sit down and if she runs around too much, she seems a lot older than she is. Hopefully swimming will help her and yes we do get lots of cuddles and slober. My bow newfie weighs about 58kg so i will admit getting her into the car to take her to the vet at 76kg was quite interesting. The guy i got her from actually said that she had broke into his freezer at one stage and eaten $140 worth of frozen venison. Anyway thanks for all the useful comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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