My schnauzer

Question
QUESTION: I have a mini schnauzer that is having problems.I came home from work and he was carrying is rear right leg I took him to the vet and she treated him for a slight sprain 2 weeks later he is carrying his front paw and now both back legs seem to be weak and unable to support his weight.He is 17 lbs by the way.Now she says its back problems and rest rest she has done blood and urine and stool many many x rays of him to no avail and I keep him on pain meds just so he isn't crying.He is 6 years old and now he is going to be tested for pancreatic problems.Any help you give would be greatly appreciated.One thing I would like to add that I had done prior to his problems is I had him micro chiped and I'm wondering if this could have added to his problems?Thank you

ANSWER: First of all, micro-chipping has nothing to do with his problems. Being over weight might have started them, he is about 6 lbs over his ideal weight, but 6 lbs on a dog is a huge amount. That would be like us carrying around an extra 100 lbs.

These symptoms sound a lot like the symptoms of Lyme's Disease in dogs. Alternating lameness is one of the hallmarks of the disease.
You didn't say where you live, but it is spread all over the country now so it's every where.

You have to be careful of giving him pain medicine all the time also- that can cause some major liver issues.
If this was my dog I would take him in and ask that a titer be run for Lyme's disease.
Here is a video with a dog that has early stage Lyme's:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=P55SgEtOEug&feature=related

There are many places you can look this up. Many vets don't think about Lyme's right off the bat because most small dogs are inside so much- but they only need to be bit by one tick to get it.

Here is an article from the PetCenter.com on Lyme's:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/lyme.html

Now I am not saying that there aren't other things that this could be, I am just saying don't let this be overlooked.

There are many spinal problems dogs can have that can cause lameness, but not usually one leg then the other ones. And an xray would have revealed any spinal stenosis or problems.

The pancreas can certainly cause a lot of pain in dogs also, but is almost always coupled with vomiting of greenish yellow bile. I have never seen a dog with pancreatitis that didn't vomit. They are in tremendous pain and might not want to walk, but they generally don't pack one leg. So that sounds a bit far off to me.
However, you need to get him tested for Lyme's and then if that is negative your vet needs to look a lot deeper than she is.
I hope you find the cause soon Steve. Please keep me updated if you do.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He hasn't thrown up any bile  I live in daytona beach fl.The reason I brought up the micro chip is because it was implanted between his shoulder blades just a thought.He kind of rocks back and forth to get up and usually once outside he can move around decent sometimes he lifts the affected leg and usually falls down at least once before getting his coordination.So you are saying for his frame his weight should be 11 pounds??If this is a tick are the immune to the k9 advantix that I have on him?At this point I have exhausted all ideas and I thank you for your help and input!

Answer
A Mini Schnauzer should not weight more than 12-15 lbs tops. They should be no less than 12" and no more than 14" tall.
A standard one tops out around 35-50 for a big dog.So 11 lbs is a bit light, I was wrong about that.

Most ticks find ways around collars and spot on topicals. I am not saying he has it, but he sure has some of the symptoms of it. It's just one more thing to investigate.

If all else fails call the nearest Veterinary teaching university near you and ask them if they have had any cases like his.
There are many strange CNS (central nervous system) illnesses that dogs can get. Tick paralysis, spinal illnesses, paralysis of unknown origins, etc.

Better to get him tested than not know for sure.If you find out I hope you will let me know. You could also re-post this to one of the veterinarians in here. Maybe they might have some other ideas.