Hey y'all, it's been a while...question about muscle spasms?

[luvmytripod]

Hi gang!

It's been way too long since I've chatted here with you guys or contributed to the forums, but I do lurk occasionally and Jaida and I have never forgotten your support.

That being said, we're back, looking for advice (or at least comiseration!)

Jaida, while having survived her amputation ordeal largely unscathed (although she had some issues with her incision several months after it healed, with lumps needing to be excised, but no biggie in the great scheme of things), occasionally suffers from what I can only surmise are muscle spasms. They tend to go like this: out of the blue, with no warning and almost always when she was either sleeping or lying down, she begins to scream horribly. She lies on her side, her jaw clenches, her eyes get wide, and her muscles in her upper half (shoulder area) seem to tighten up. I throw Metacam down her throat, lift her front end off the ground and support her body with my own, then pat her till she calms. Massage is not welcome; it seems to hurt. She eventually stops hollering, but is very sore afterwards if she tries to walk or stand. It can take days for her to fully recover.

Today (not 20 minutes ago) she had the worst episode yet; her entire body seemed clenched (back legs too), and she actually put her teeth on me (didn't bite) which surprised me, she also urinated and released her anal glands which she'd never done before. The screaming was particularly bad too-it seemed to last a very long time. It took a long time for her body to relax enough for her to roll off her side onto her chest into a more normal "lying down" position. I had to carry her into the house because it hurts too much to stand right now. She's lying quietly on a blanket. I have no idea what brought it on, she was lying on the porch with Kim and I and suddenly she was screaming. Part of me wonders if this isn't a seizure of some kind, but then the pain afterwards in the remaining front leg seems to indicate muscle spasm and not a generalized seizure?

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone has ever seen or heard of this kind of thing in a tripod before, and if so, what they did about it?

Otherwise, Jaida is her usual lovely self and the light of our lives - the perfect dog (warts and all!)

Hope everyone and their furkids are doing well!

Crystal (Jaida's mom)

[Bobbie]

It sounds like a muscle spasm and the vet should be able to give you a drug like Robaxin to help avoid the spasms. Metacam might help some to prevent them but your dog needs a drug that is an anti spasmodic.

[luvmytripod]

Would the robaxin be given all the time? She only has these episodes maybe 2 or 3 times a year so I'd hate to have her on medication unnecessarily. Do you know if there are antispasmodics that can be administered as needed?
(Thanks for the reply!!)

[Bobbie]

If it is very short term no point giving anything. If the episodes last more than a few minutes, it takes about twenty for Robaxin to work so it could be given at the first sign of a spasm. The vet may know of something that acts faster. Or you might try to log the episodes to see if something triggers them, most likely it would be something like pain or being overactive that day, and give it when you think an episode is likely.