Hunting Brittany Limping When Rising: Could It Be a Muscle Problem?
However, it is our observation that the dog may not fit the profile for arthritic behavior. He does fit a profile for muscle injury, we suspect.
For example, in the human shoulder there is a muscle that elevates the arm for the first 1/3 of its movement, and another muscle group that continues the elevation.
Our dog very much favors his left hip/thigh muscle; he will not use that leg for the first part of his standing up sequence from sitting or laying down. He only uses his right let for rising. Once he is standing, he uses the left leg for running and walking. He does limp while walking, and limps more and more as the day ends (especially if he has been highly active during the day).
Does dog muscular anatomy allow for a specific hip/thigh muscle that is used for the first part of standing from sitting (similar to the human shoulder)? If yes, could that muscle area be injected with steroid/anesthetic combination (as could be done for a human) and possibly remove a trigger point that is causing this problem? Thanks.
Yes, a muscle injury is a real possibility. Dogs do have hip flexor muscles, notably the iliopsoas, which runs from the lower spine to the inside of the thigh, and strains of this muscle are a recognized cause of hind-leg lameness in active and working dogs. A veterinary orthopedic or sports-medicine specialist can check for it by stretching the hip and feeling the muscle, and ultrasound can help confirm it.
Iliopsoas injuries are usually treated with rest, pain relief prescribed by your vet and a structured rehabilitation program. Injections into the muscle are used in some cases, but that's a decision for a specialist after a diagnosis. It's also worth ruling out problems in the knee, hip and lower back, since a sore back or a partial cruciate tear can cause a similar limp. A rehabilitation vet can help plan a gradual return to hunting.
See arthritis in dogs.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
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