I'm worried about Logan

Since we came back from Boston on Friday Logan hasn't been himself.
Friday night he let out a yelp out of the blue and was shaking. He curled up in my arms and stayed there. I thought maybe he ate my Mom's dogs food and had a belly ache? I am usually one to run right to the emergency Vet but this time I am trying to be reasonable and take the wait and see approach since he is peeing, pooping, tail is up and eating just fine.

Yesterday he was mopey all day long. This is so not like Logan. He usually follows me everywhere and he just sat on his bed all day. Even when I was cooking in the kitchen.

I felt his belly and his back etc and nothing seemed to be bothering him. Now I am thinking could it be his knees? When he was a puppy the Vet said she could already feel luxating patella at 7 weeks old. Do you think this is why he is acting all mopey? I feel so helpless.
No worries - I am going to take him to the Vet. I just want my PA friends opinions or if you have experience with luxating patella. I'd love some info. Thanks.

I have no advice, but I hope he's feeling better soon.

Poor Logan. It's time like these when I really wish they could just tell what's wrong. I hope the vet is able to figure out the problem and that it has an easy fix.

Is he limping at all or lifting one of his paws? That's happened to E two times--once when I came home from being gone for a weekend and he ran to see me; another time more recently, I couldn't find him at first, and then found him in the basement (I usually have a gate up so they don't go down there w/out me) and he could barely climb the stairs. He was very tense when I carried him up; I gave him some Metacam and had him sleep next to me, and he was better the next morning. I tried to make sure he wouldn't jump up or down.

Let us know what the vet says! I hope he's feeling better!

It could very well be a knee. Can he get up the steps? Can he jump on the furniture?

I'll tell you our two experiences with LP. Last August, Grace woke up one morning, wasn't interested in eating breakfast, walked outside and just sat on the patio. When I called her in to see what was wrong, she couldn't get up the two steps to come inside. She was in major pain. Now, mind you, she NEVER EVER limped even once until that day. We knew she had LP only because when the vet examined her, he noticed it, otherwise no symptoms until that knee went out and just could be popped back in on its own. She had surgery on that knee three days later.

Most recently, she woke up one morning and just didn't seem herself. Didn't want to eat, but could still get up and down the stairs to go outside and even managed to get up on the bed using her stepstool. So I figured upset tummy. But soon enough she was shivering in major pain. It was her other knee (which we knew was bad and would need surgery eventually as well) bothering her. Luckily, we got her on pain meds and her knee settled down and no other problems since that day a month or so ago.

I don't know if this helped you or not, but I will say from what you described it does sound like it may be Logan's knee. If that is what it is, no reason to rush him to the ER vet, just keep him comfy until he can see his regular vet. Of course, if he develops other symptoms or makes you think it may be something other than his knee, I'd go to the ER vet, but otherwise I'd wait until tomorrow.

He is going up and down the stairs but not jumping on the couch like he usually does. Walker was home with him yesterday and said he didn't move from his bed. Only when it was time to eat and to go potty. When I got home he came running to me and jumped on my lap that night. He is not following us around like he normally does.

The reason I thought it might be his knee is because this morning he moved on the bed but didn't put pressure on his leg and that was the first time I noticed him doing that. He only shivered briefly Friday night and that was torture for me. I cannot stand to see them in pain. We walked this morning and he was fine, he even got one of his toys. Then he went right back to his bed.

I am going to call my Vet tomorrow. She is pretty good about seeing me within the week.

As far as the emergency Vet I am trying to learn not to over react unless it's absolutely necessary.

I can't believe how sudden it came on with Grace. How do they measure what level it's at?

Kerrie - it does sound like his LP is bothering him.

I think the grades are based on how easily it pops in/out of joint. Here's a decent article:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2448

They'll be able to do an xray and also manipulate his knee manually to figure out the grade, and whether or not surgery is recommended.

Poor Logan! Give him an extra cuddle for me!

lola's mom wrote:He is going up and down the stairs but not jumping on the couch like he usually does. Walker was home with him yesterday and said he didn't move from his bed. Only when it was time to eat and to go potty. When I got home he came running to me and jumped on my lap that night. He is not following us around like he normally does.

The reason I thought it might be his knee is because this morning he moved on the bed but didn't put pressure on his leg and that was the first time I noticed him doing that. He only shivered briefly Friday night and that was torture for me. I cannot stand to see them in pain. We walked this morning and he was fine, he even got one of his toys. Then he went right back to his bed.

I am going to call my Vet tomorrow. She is pretty good about seeing me within the week.

As far as the emergency Vet I am trying to learn not to over react unless it's absolutely necessary.

I can't believe how sudden it came on with Grace. How do they measure what level it's at?

It does sound like his knee. With Grace's latest episode, it didn't seem to be as bad as her last one, since she could still do the stairs and the bed, but she was a lot like you described Logan - very mopey, didn't move around a lot, totally not herself. She seemed to pop the kneecap back in and settle down so I went to work that day. When Josh got home, she was fine. When I got home, she ran off the bed to greet me and popped it back out and was in tremendous pain again. Popped it back in that night and was fine again with no more flareups.

I believe they measure it's level by physical manipulation - how easily they can pop it in and out. Grace didn't have any xrays the first time, it just wasn't able to stay in place at all anymore. The latest time she didn't even visit the vet because with pain meds and rest she was ok. But again, her right knee is simply a matter of time before she'll require surgery.

I do hope Logan is feeling better soon - I know how heartbreaking it is for you when they shiver and are in pain. Hugs to Logan and you.

Poor Logan!! So sorry to hear that he's in pain :(

That poor little guy!! (Not to mention poor worried mum and dad.) Whatever is wrong, I hope it is something very easily diagnosed and treated. Or he gets better all by himself overnight.

poor logan. i hope he is feeling better soon.

Aussie Witch wrote:That poor little guy!! (Not to mention poor worried mum and dad.) Whatever is wrong, I hope it is something very easily diagnosed and treated. Or he gets better all by himself overnight.

After giving me a heart attack for 2 days, I walk in the apt. yesterday after work and the little stinker was his old self. Greeted me like a maniac, jumping on and off the couch, squealing like a pig, and body slamming Stewie and Lola! I swear they are going to be the death of me!

He also had no problem jumping up on the park bench and sitting on strangers laps!

So- we wait and see if he has another episode. He is going in for his rabies so I'll still have the Vet take a peek at his knee.

What a stinker! Hope everything is okay.

smoochieface wrote:What a stinker! Hope everything is okay.

Ditto!!!

Hopefully it was just some soreness from so much pug wrasslin with Stewie.

Taz would have episodes for about a year before I realized that he had a knee problem. He would be fine then I would hear him yelp and limp a little. Within a minute, he would be back to normal. I didn't feel the need to take him to the vet because he has always been a drama queen, and there was nothing that would stick around as if causing a problem. Towards the end of the year though, he was not jumping on things, he refused to go for a walk and would stop after going two houses. He also would not go up or down stairs. Even though he didn't limp, he already had a lot of arthritis build up and had surgery at age 3.

I would recommend giving him a joint supplement if you are not already. It could benefit him greatly.

Ugh, I am glad he's feeling better, but don't you hate when they worry you and then they are fine! Maybe he was having doggie depression? LOL