# Sprocket problems - help!



## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Tonight I got home at 8 pm. Drew wasn't off work yet so I put the dogs food out and let them in one by one so they can eat. 

Everything is normal until after dinner. Sprocket suddenly doesn't want to walk or put a lot of weight on one back leg. I check every inch of him, palpatate slightly, check inbetween toes, check capillarys, nothing is abnormal except for the walking. I gently carry him to the couch and he immediately lays down. Drew gets home and we decide that I will bring Sprocket to the vet in the AM. 

I carry Sprocket to bed, I barely sleep and wake up at his every movement. 

Around 12:15 he wants to go "potty" so I put him on the ground and turn on the lights. He looks at me like I'm crazy for turning the bright lights on, and trots off down the hallway like any other time. He walks to the back door, walks out side and poops. A nice, healthy, well formed, normal color poop. Walks inside, and goes back to bed. I have the day off and will continue to monitor him, but I am curious. 

Has anyone ever had this happen? 

My sister was the last one to see Sprocket before I got home so I had called her immediately to ask if she had seen Sprocket play roughly or anything like that. She mentioned that one of her dogs was acting similarly a few months ago and he just had gas. 

I've never noticed such a thing happen with my dog.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Weird...Nothing like that, so really nothing to say other than that!
I would be inclined to think like you, playing rough tumble and maybe just over did it. Just keep an eye on it, and try to minimize the playing for a day. Maybe just the rest will be all it takes. 
At least you have the day off, so you too can rest and catch up on the sleep you didn't get either!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Khan said:


> Weird...Nothing like that, so really nothing to say other than that!
> I would be inclined to think like you, playing rough tumble and maybe just over did it. Just keep an eye on it, and try to minimize the playing for a day. Maybe just the rest will be all it takes.
> At least you have the day off, so you too can rest and catch up on the sleep you didn't get either!


Yes I have the day off and I plan on just doing homework and watching him. As of this am, he is walking fine, and putting weight on it normally. He is curled in a blanket on the couch and not allowed to play with the big dogs. My poor little pup.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Drew took the wild one (Gunner) to work so it's just me, the old one and little Sprocket.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Has he had his patella's checked before? Ziva does this, she needs to have Patella Surgery. Basically her knee slips out of joint and she will pack it until it slips back into joint. It makes her act a little funny when it's out.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

cprcheetah said:


> Has he had his patella's checked before? Ziva does this, she needs to have Patella Surgery. Basically her knee slips out of joint and she will pack it until it slips back into joint. It makes her act a little funny when it's out.


I can't recall him having that checked but he has always been extremely healthy (aside from kennel cough a few months ago) and his vet always remarks on how "well structured he is for a chihuahua". He has never had an issue with his knee but I will bring that up when we go to the vet next.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

What Cprcheetah said, and if it isn't that serious and if you do indeed that her checked out, and they turn out fine i'd chalk it up to a possible sore muscle from rough housing maybe... for instance, little waggles would sometimes come limping out of the bedroom after he and Tobi had been wrestling around, after about 45 minutes of milking it out he'd go back to running around like normal.

I hope it's nothing serious for sprocket! :smile:


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

I remembered that my boyfriends parents dog was acting very similar to this a few months ago. She ended up being constipated. I'm going to give him a boneless meal today and a little pumpkin and see how he does. 

He is walking fine, stretched out okay, shook himself, gum color is good, but reluctant to move and is very lethargic but his appetite is fine.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

The little boy in question looking rather sorry for himself

What a heartbreaker :suspicious:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

My first thought is patella too. Very common in little dogs....


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Sprocket said:


> I can't recall him having that checked but he has always been extremely healthy (aside from kennel cough a few months ago) and his vet always remarks on how "well structured he is for a chihuahua". He has never had an issue with his knee but I will bring that up when we go to the vet next.


Patella luxation is considered a 'normal' abnormality in chihuahuas, it's rare to have one with good knees  Zoey has grade 1-2 in her knees, but has had other conformational issues with her knees, so had to have surgery on them. Ziva acts fine when her knee isn't acting up. There are several 'grades' of Patella Luxation:
ACVS - Patellar Luxations
Grade I: Knee cap can be manipulated out of its groove, but returns to its normal position spontaneously
Grade II: Knee cap rides out of its groove occasionally and can be replaced in the groove by manipulation
Grade III: Knee cap rides out of its groove most of the time but can be replaced in the groove via manipulation
Grade IV: Knee cap rides out of its groove all the time and cannot be replaced inside the groove

Most of the time surgery is an recommended if they have grade 3 or 4 but it depends on the dog and how bad it's bothering them.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

He wasn't holding his leg up like I've seen some little dogs do. He was just reluctant to put all of his weight on it but was walking. He is walking and running just fine now. Still on couch rest but is doing better. He pooped a really good poop about 30 minutes ago. 

He also threw up what looked like pieces of feathers.

I'm sure his discomfort is from the inside and not his knee. I will, however, have the vet check his knees out as well as his back. 

Thanks everyone for your concern


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

cprcheetah said:


> Patella luxation is considered a 'normal' abnormality in chihuahuas, it's rare to have one with good knees  Zoey has grade 1-2 in her knees, but has had other conformational issues with her knees, so had to have surgery on them. Ziva acts fine when her knee isn't acting up. There are several 'grades' of Patella Luxation:
> ACVS - Patellar Luxations
> Grade I: Knee cap can be manipulated out of its groove, but returns to its normal position spontaneously
> Grade II: Knee cap rides out of its groove occasionally and can be replaced in the groove by manipulation
> ...


Hey thanks for this! I don't expect him to be the exception. I just don't feel as if that is his issue at this moment.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Just an update  

Sprocket and Mikey went to the vet today. I asked her about Sprockets patella and potential issues he may have in the future. 
She graded his patella at a 1. In her words, his patella is hard to manipulate out of the groove but the ligament holding it is flexible. She said if I keep him at a good weight for the rest of his life, then he shouldn't ever have serious knee issues.

She also said Mikey had an very athletic heart 

Her parting words were "Keep doing what you are doing because they look great!"


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

OH and Mikey has lost the weight I wanted him to shed.. He is 41 lbs and looks SO good


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Sprocket said:


> Just an update
> 
> Sprocket and Mikey went to the vet today. I asked her about Sprockets patella and potential issues he may have in the future.
> She graded his patella at a 1. In her words, his patella is hard to manipulate out of the groove but the ligament holding it is flexible. She said if I keep him at a good weight for the rest of his life, then he shouldn't ever have serious knee issues.
> ...


Always nice to hear that you're doing everything right!!! :becky: very glad that there is hope that he won't develop any problems in his knees!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Tobi said:


> Always nice to hear that you're doing everything right!!! :becky: very glad that there is hope that he won't develop any problems in his knees!


I am very happy with the results of their visit . I really like this vet. She is so attentive with her clients. A couple months ago, Sprocket got a really bad cough. I took him to them, they did a blood test and prescribed anti biotics and a cough suppressant. 

2 days later she calls asking how Sprocket was doing. I said he was still coughing so she had me give him a whole pill instead of a half. He hasn't coughed since . 

I have never had a vet call to check up. It is much appreciated and impressive.

I am a bit sad because I told them that the boys were still on TOTW...I was too chicken to tell them about the PMR diet.


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