re: Puzzling Malinois

August 28, 2011

I am the third person to see this dog - not quite sure what is wrong with him. I

am posting this in the hopes of getting some help/ideas/ things to look for -

the owner is getting a little desperate.

This is a summary of the history the owner sent me:

0-18 months - dog does a foundation in agility with no jumping

18 months - saw Dr Gumley for rads. Something was off. Dr G though hips, didn't

love the spacing on one side. He was avoiding jumping from the start of his

jumping foundation.

18-25 months - dog continues to play agility, struggles with motivation in

jumping but loves the rest.

25 months - OFA results " Good " hips, " Normal " elbows. Still struggling with gate

and jumping.

25-28 months - I'm convinced I'm crazy and my dog is fine. Everyone says so.

From this point forward, when you scratch him, you can't get his leg going

(highly unusual for him).

28 months - Do a Salo seminar (6 days) and on day 1 she says " so what's

wrong with your dogs hind end " . (physio/massage) looks at him and does some

laser/massage. He's so sore he was off for 2 days from camp. She treats psoas

using laser for 4 days straight.

28-32 months - does physio weekly with (who initially thinks hind and

psoas but now thinks spinal). Sees Dr Samson (chiro) twice. First time she

thinks he's so broken and adjust him. Second time (2 weeks later - after he's

been off from work and only swimming) she thinks he looks amazing. Grip is off

from agility from 28 months to current. He still walks/runs off leash everyday

and swims 3-7 days per week.

FYI, neutered at 30 months, saw no change.

FYI2, this is a dog with HIGH separation anxiety, without exercise his screw

will come lose and fall out. He will self-mutilate.

The owner sent me videos of him doing agility and of his gait. He drops bars

with his hind end, and will also produce all kinds of avoidance behavior even

on the lowest jumps at one point or another during training or agility camps.

There are instances of this dog running around with a stilted gait in the hind

end ( peg leg looking ) and then he goes back to normal. I have seen him and he

circumducts especially with the right hind.

Radiographs of both stifles show mild joint effusion ( as per a board certified

surgeon ) but both knees are solid. I saw an enthesiophyte in the right hock,

but the surgeon doesn't think it is significant.

The owner will be consulting the surgeon, perhaps do arthroscopy. The surgeon

believes that iliopsoas pain is this dog's only issue.

Would video of his gait help?

Thank you

Nathalie Fortier

nfortierc514@...

August 28, 2011

Hi nathalie,

I would check this guy's LS....It explains the vague hindlimb signs, the

psoas issues, as well as the reluctance to jump and the condition is very common

in the breed. They traditionally present with subtle weakness and difficulty

jumping. Dewey's Practical guide to canine and feline neurology cites

degenerative LS stenosis as a condition for Malinois.

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=169902

Alot of these guys are very focally painful on direct palpation of the

lumbosacral junction. They rarely have radiographic changes at the LS space.

MRI is usually required for diagnosis and may require dynamic views for adequate

visualization. Some require decompression and stabilization. Alternatively

many respond very well to gabapentin. The attached article gives a good

overview but we traditionally see them around the 3-5 age.

, VMD, CCRP

Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group

https://www.VOSM.com

________________________________________

From: VetRehab [VetRehab ] On Behalf Of Nathalie

Fortier [fortier_nathalie@...]

Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:59 PM

To: VetRehab

Subject: re: Puzzling Malinois