# dog can't jump into truck



## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

I have an 8-yr-old border collie and springer spaniel mix (my vet thinks). Lucy has always been like a puppy despite her age and loves to jump and go for walks and dances ecstatically when very happy, like when going for walks. Her favorite activity is running so she has a run at least once a day and usually more. 
Last week I had to leave her for a week at some friends to take care of my sister's animals (Lucy and one of their female dogs hate each other). The friends love her, and she them, and she got good care. I picked her up Thursday night and took her for a walk that night, twice on Friday, and twice on Saturday, and she was normal in every way.
Suddenly, on Sunday, she could not jump into the truck as usual to go for a walk. I had to lift her up. But she walked completely normally. Same today. She cannot get up the steps to come into the trailer where we live, but there is no limping or favoring of her legs at all, no evidence of pain. Her appetite is as usual. She does not have the puppy enthusiasm as normal and doesn't run as she loves to do, but seems otherwise healthy and happy. In any other dog her age, she would appear totally normal, but she isn't normal for her. She simply can't jump into the truck, get up the steps, and is barely able to jump on to the bed. She will go for walks, but she doesn't get crazily ecstatic when I mention a walk, the way she normally does.
She CAN jump out of the truck or go DOWN the steps, although she hesitated a little today.
Everything else I've read discusses loss of function in the legs that can be obviously seen, like dragging a leg, limping, shakiness, pain, etc., but no obvious problems with those. She doesn't seem tender when I feel her legs.
I have a Veterinarian's appointment for her tomorrow, but I'm wondering what ideas you might have now, as I'm quite worried.

Other factors:
Lucy is an epileptic but does not have frequent seizures...about once every four to six months.
I have not seen her have a bowel movement in the last few days, although she may have had. She usually has one on our walks. 
A few weeks ago, I had to put out mouse poison (D-Con) because the mice were taking over and avoiding all traps (about three different types). She cannot get to this poison and has had no interest in mice, dead or alive. I dispose of them when I find them. I don't think she has eaten any mice.
She has had no ticks.
She has lipedemia on her chest that is growing quite large but does not seem to bother her.
The friends she stayed with for a week were unable to take her for daily walks because of their age and health, but they had a big yard for her to run around in and played ball with her.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Sorry to hear that your dog is not feeling well. You are wise to take her to the vet, the symptoms could be caused by so many things. Let us know what the vet says.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

I agree. hind end weakness can be caused by anything from diabetes to hip dysplacia. she should see a vet.


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## whimsy (Aug 19, 2007)

I would have the hips and back checked by the vet. The dog obviously knows that jumping in the truck will cause it pain. The lipedemia might be spreadin on the inside and interfering with jumping also . One for the vet to make sure nothing serious is going on.


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

The vet said it was spinal neuritis and gave her some shots, including vitamin E, and said if she is not better by Thursday she should come back.
What he did NOT say was what caused the neuritis. Does anyone know? I haven't been able to find answers on the web.

BTW, the vet said that vitamin E given as a shot had quick results, but as a pill it had no effect. He didn't know why.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Trauma, twisting the wrong way, (basically she pinched a nerve which caused inflammation.) My husband had a herniated disc, his surgeon told him that he could have done it just by sneezing! Let us know if she is improving.


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

Thank you. She is under the trailer today and refusing to come out even to take walks, so she must be hurting. If she doesn't come out tomorrow, I'll go in after her. I know she is alert and otherwise looking okay, but I don't know how her legs are.

Well, she did just come in and there seems to be little change. Guess back to the vet tomorrow.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Sorry to hear that she is still not feeling well. Just one more question does she play frisbee?


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

No, no frizbee, but she plays ball just as strenuously and it often involves the same kind of twisting. I have not played ball with her since coming back, and usually I throw right at her so she doesn't have to twist too much, but the other people might have, and maybe this was a delayed reaction. My suspicion is that she just jumped out of the truck wrong on Saturday.
Lucy is so wild sometimes that it is surprising she hasn't injured herself before. When the door to the truck opens, for instance, she is out of there like a rocket without any brakes at all, and all her play is the same. She has landed wrong once or twice before but not with any harm at the time, apparently. She's an 8-yr-old always acting like a puppy, which may not always be the best thing for middle-aged bones, though she loves it.
Today she still can't go up the steps (just two small steps into the trailer) although she had a little playfulness and danced some on her back legs, I really can't tell how much if any she is improving. She still does not seem to have any pain. I wonder if we should go back to the vet today as he requested or wait a few days to see if she has improved. On Social Security, money is also unfortunately a factor as far as waiting to see is concerned, but I don't want her to end up permanently disabled because I didn't get her treatment in time either. I know that you can't tell some things without x-rays, which she hasn't had yet.
I also can't tell if she has developed a belief that she can't get up the stairs or into the truck anymore and simply won't try because of that. If that is true, it may take her a few days to see that she can do it. That type of thing has happened before in other areas where her self confidence is temporarily shaken.
Thanks for your concern. Any advice is appreciated.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Please do the follow up visit with your vet. Sometimes a dog will start to feel better but, the injury is still healing. If she is too active she can re-injure herself thus taking longer to heal. If you do not have the funds to take her to the vet at least call and update your vet on how her condition is.


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

I talked to him and now have an appointment next Tuesday. I was concerned about that too. I think your advice is good, and I do feel better having talked to him.


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## heidiann (Feb 3, 2008)

Is she on medications for the seizures?

Our aussie mix is epileptic and has problems jumping up onto the bed and into my husband's truck, but it only started after we added potassium bromide to control his seizures.


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

No, she isn't on medication because they arn't too frequent, and they are also less severe than they first were when they do happen. I'm surprised by the possible effects of the potassium bromide, because that was recommended to me by friends if she did need to go on medication and I researched it some on the web, and it sounded mmany times better than phenobarb with no reported side effects. Do you think it could have been coincidental that the back leg weakness happened at the same time? I do hope that isn't an unreported side effect. 
Do you have any kind of emergency medication if your dog should have multiple seizures at home? I'm wondering about that, because by the time you knew the dog was in real trouble, it would be too late to get her to a vet even if one were quickly available.
Lucy went up the two steps to the trailer today without difficulty, the first time since Sunday, so that's hopeful. She still isn't jumping up into the truck, which is a higher jump. I don't know if she can't yet or just thinks she can't...she didn't actually try. I'll let her decide when she can. She also hadn't wanted to go for walks for a few days, but she was all ready to go today.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

lawhite said:


> Do you have any kind of emergency medication if your dog should have multiple seizures at home? I'm wondering about that, because by the time you knew the dog was in real trouble, it would be too late to get her to a vet even if one were quickly available.


I believe there was discussion of this on another thread, and I guess you can use liquid valium (used intranasally, rectally, etc.). Of course you'll have to ask your vet to prescribe the Valium and tell you how to use it.


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## lawhite (Apr 22, 2008)

Thanks, Willowy.


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