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Trembling

skye

My 6 yr old dog trembles in her rear legs and back. It doesnt seem to cause her any discomfort - more irrating to her. - and doesnt prevent her from any activity. Vet not concerned keeps trying to prescribe steroids which I dont want to put her on. I think it feels like some sort of trapped nerve in her back - any advice?

• Jennifer Kolb says:

  January 29th, 2009 at 12:22 PM

  First of all, congratulations are in order to you for not rushing into treating an illness with steroids.  Without the ability to do a thorough exam on your dog personally, I can only suggest the possible presence of osteoarthritis.  Since she's 6 yrs old, and without knowing her history of previous traumas (hit by car? dog fight? etc) to that area, I'd be inclined to suggest it's in the early stages of this disease.  I'd concentrate on examining the hips and knees thoroughly and evaluating range of motion of them.  Any decreased range of motion or pain elicited would confirm the presence of OSA or osteoarthritis.

  Second, if she hasn't had any routine bloodwork done, I'd recommend this as well.  Certain conditions such as anemia, electrolyte abnormalities (Addison's disease), hypothyroidism, and a few others would present with weakness in the hind legs.  Barring a normal physical exam and normal bloodwork results, I'd be inclined to lean toward treatment with any of the drugs in the NSAID's group (Non-Steroidal Antiinflammatories) such as Deramaxx or Previcox.  A one month trial would be a good idea to evaluate response to pain treatment.  If you haven't had any xrays done, now's a good time.  Evaluate hips and knees thoroughly.  Hope this helped.

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  Red Bank Animal Hospital in Chattanooga, TN is a full service companion animal hospital. Since 1985, it has been our commitment to provide quality veterinary care throughout the life of your pet. Our services and facilities are designed to assist in routine preventive care for young, healthy pets; early detection and treatment of disease as your pet ages; and complete medical and surgical care as necessary during his or her lifetime. Our doctors- Dr. Chuck Conley, Dr. Michael Wilke, and Dr. Jennifer Kolb are the top veterinarians in the field of small animal medicine in our area. Our hospital serves companion animal needs in the Chattanooga and surrounding areas. We treat small animals- dogs, cats, ferrets, and small mammals (gerbils, mice, hamsters). And we understand the special role your pet plays in your family and we are dedicated to becoming your partner in your pet's health care. We treat every pet as we would our own. Our goal is to practice the highest quality medicine and surgery with compassion and an emphasis on client education. Our entire healthcare team is committed to providing personal attention to the unique concerns of each individual pet owner.