Male Sheltie Front Leg Limp

Question
I did a search via Yahoo! with the subject of "Sheltie Front Leg Limp" and was directed to this site and the answer you gave to Sue on 05/22/06 regarding her subject inquiry of "Limping."  My husband and I have an affectionate, easygoing, 16-month old, male Sheltie.  We adopted him from breeders in August 2006.

(We also adopted a female Sheltie in March 2006 that is a few months older.  We fall under the "you can't have just one" Sheltie profile!  They get along wonderfully and are very playful / rambunctious with each other.)

Approximately 12/01/06, our male Sheltie began limping, front leg.  We thought that maybe it was an injury, developed from his playtime, or was due to the manner in which he sleeps (no inhibitions! Leg falls asleep?) since he seems to only limp when he slows down.  No limp is evident when he plays or runs, only after waking up or walking around.  We brought him to our vet, and he did not exhibit any pain, even though the leg, paw, shoulder, etc. were examined and 'manipulated.'  He was prescribed Deramaxx, and it was deduced that he may have a soft tissue injury (bruising, tear, etc.).

After a few days, I decided to call our vet since he did not show improvement with the low dose anti-inflammatory prescription and toning down his activity significantly (no stairs, romping, etc.).  Our vet then prescribed Rimadyl, and I was told that if the problem continued over the weekend I would need to bring him in and leave him for the day.

After not seeing any improvement, I brought him in the following Monday to leave him for the day.  Our vet watched him, took an X-ray, and conducted a Lyme test.  Again, he did not exhibit any pain; nothing showed on the X-ray; and his Lyme test was negative.  He was taken off the Rimadyl since it doesn't seem to be aiding him, and it was deduced that it's probably still a soft tissue injury and not a disease.

He was then brought home, and the limp appeared worse in the evening.  (We know this is probably due to our vet having to 'manipulate' the limb during the thorough examination.)  It's now Friday, and we have been limiting his activity and see hardly any improvement.  Any input on your part would be very appreciated, as we adore him and we're so worried about him. Our vet has an excellent reputation, and we believe is one of the best in our area, but this is so frustrating.  We love both our Shelties very much and want to provide them with the best care possible.  Is this a case of "time heals all wounds," even our hobbling Sheltie?!  Thank you!  

Answer
Hi Lora,

I am so glad to hear that your pup does not have Lyme disease.  Please ask your vet if the Lyme test covers other tick diseases as well?  

I remind you I have zero medical training, but I have these thoughts:

It is not impossible but it is unusual for a pup to have this kind of injury.  It would seem more likely to have happened in an older dog rather than a young nimble herding dog like a Sheltie.  I too still question the injury idea after so long of showing symptoms.

I don't see where your vet has tried to treat for tick borne disease with medication (I think it is acyclovir(???)).  While  the test was negative, it would be a good elimination for that type problem since the anti-inflammatory did not seem to help.  

I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone that comes to me with these vet related questions: You aren't yet satisfied with the response.  It would not be bad to seek a second opinion.  Get with your vet on the tick disease drug treatment anyway and see what happens.  If after a few days on a tick disease drug there is no change, get a second opinion.

I hope this helps!
Dave