my 8 1 /2 year old min pin (stiff neck)

Question
Since 8/22/09 my female min pin (8 pounds) neck stiffens (cant move neck to side or up she starts whining) occassionally for about an hour or 1/2 sometimes she picks her right paw lightly . not sure what it could be. I was told to do an MRI which I cannot afford because xray won't get a better view. If possible can you advise me what to do.  

I was in a website where you responded to a lady by the name of Jessica's min pin who had the same problem if possible what was the dog results in she contact you.

Thank you so much!!!!

Answer

Hi Vivian,

I've answered almost 4000 AllExpert questions, I'm sorry but I don't recall my response to Jessica. Whatever problem her dog was having doesn't mean your dog is having the same problem. This is a really poor way of providing your dog with the care she needs because there is more than one condition which could cause the symptoms you've been seeing. The range of possible problems can go from a herniated disc or some other spinal cord problem, to a growth, or arthritis. Treatments will vary depending on what the cause of stiff neck is.

I would advise you to talk to your veterinarian about working out a payment schedule, to help you better afford the MRI. Without a proper diagnosis there isn't a way to know what is going on. You certainly can't guess about what the problem might be.

There are two special credit cards you could apply for, which are especially for paying off medical bills (including veterinary care) these are:
Care Credit at:  http://www.carecredit.com  and  Citi Healthcard at:  http://www.healthcard.citicards.com . There are also some charities for helping pet owners afford medical care.  You'd have to apply for these funds. Read the application process at the following sites:

http://www.help-a-pet.org/

http://www.thepetfund.com/

http://www.angels4animals.org/

You could also contact your local Humane Society or animal shelter to see if they know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs programs in your area.

Sorry I couldn't be more of a help.
Best of luck,

Patti