bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind legs

Post any other problems here that do not fit into the categories above.
Post Reply
aleech1029
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:07 am

bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind legs

Post by aleech1029 »

I have a high energy dog (Rat Terrier) that has been diagnosed with ataxia and or a neurological condition that causes lack of coordination (spastic movements etc) and some loss of control over urinary and bowel functions. This has been a relatively easy condition for us to live with however now she is having severe spasms specifically with her hind legs that case her to be stiff and her legs to 'scrape out from under' her hips and kick back - she is constantly trying to stay on her feet by 'humping up her back'...as a result her pads are constantly bleeding and are all beat up. I have tried to wrap them but the wraps quickly wear out and get wet/poopy etc - this causes other ulcerated sores on her feet and doesn't seem to be all that sanitary. I recently bought boots (NeoPaws) that help with some traction but they as well get wet and are rubbing other areas of her feet raw - and with the spasticity, its hard to get them to stay on and in position...I'm at a loss at finding a solution that will work long term and not cause other infections/sores on her feet. Poor thing, I can't imagine this sort of discomfort for some time to come so I'm looking for suggestions or ideas :)

aleech1029 & Gracie (Denver, CO)
User avatar
CarolC
Moderator
Posts: 13698
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:00 pm
Contact:

Re: bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind leg

Post by CarolC »

Hi aleech1029,

I understand what you mean by the spasticity. When my dog was recovering from her spinal injury, she went through a period when she would extend/stiffen both hind legs and kick them straight back in unison, like a mule kick. She would do it when I first touched her tummy to express her, and she would do it when I tried to put her in her wheelchair (which because of the configuration of that particular wheelchair made it hard to get her in). I also could not keep her toes in the support loops that were on the wheelchair, that were supposed to hold her back paws up off the ground, because when we started walking she would straighten her legs and her feet would shoot down through the ankle loops and her toes would be dragging the ground. We had problems with rubbing the tops of her knuckles raw, and even more with wearing her toenails down. And they wouldn't be dragging lightly, they'd be dragging hard. It reminded me of striking a match on concrete. I looked into those glue-on nail caps for her claws, but finally decided they would not last, she would need metal nail caps (!) Anyway, we never totally found the solution, and eventually as she healed the problem went away.

One product I found that stayed on her slender legs when others would not was Pro-Active Paws. They are dog boots that come clear up the leg and fasten with velcro. They make them for dogs that drag their paws and dogs that drag their claws. They put an extra layer on the top of the boot where the wear occurs. They have some that are waterproof now, I don't think ours were. I will give you the link to look at. Again, I am not sure this is the solution for you. I'm not actually sure what the solution is. I would like to say that I ordered back in 2003 and at that time, the service was absolutely excellent. I emailed them on Christmas Eve, they began sewing the boots while my check was in the mail going overseas (they are in Ireland) and the boots arrived January 17.

http://www.dogbootsactive.com/dogpag/dogboots.htm

I've never heard of this condition described before in a dog. Was it diagnosed by a specialist or the family vet, or did they have a specific name for it? Since it sounds like it is progressing, I would just want to be sure there isn't something that can be done to treat it? There are medications for humans with spasticity, I don't know how effective they are. I wonder if a referral to a specialist might help, if your dog hasn't already been seen. The world is full of medical conditions I've never heard of. :oops:

The other thing is, you are in the best city in America for pet orthotics and prosthetics. Your dog might qualify for a consult with Orthopets. Perhaps they can look at how your dog walks and make some boots that will really be ideal, maybe molded thermoplastic custom fitted to her foot so it wouldn't rub, or something like that?

http://www.orthopets.com/

And my last thought is, if you do find some boots that work well, you can make them last longer by putting a layer of duct tape on the wear area. Let her wear through the tape, then put a new layer of tape on. That way she is not wearing through the expensive gear.

:slant:
User avatar
critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14362
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind leg

Post by critters »

It sounds a bit like CH (cerebellar hypoplasia) to me; it's critter cerebral palsy. My Baby has plenty of spasticity; the others not so much. Meez is more ataxic with his. You might consider a hard-shell splint for protection, since they're MUCH more durable. I haven't a clue whether a custom splint or a standard one would be necessary for such a case, but it might depend on the amount of spasticity and/or contractures.
User avatar
critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14362
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind leg

Post by critters »

Oh, and I might add that spinal cord injury can have spasticity and ataxia follow, but splints can help there, too.
aleech1029
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:07 am

Re: bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind leg

Post by aleech1029 »

Thank you so much for the posts - in fact I have mentioned to several people (including my vet) that this is very much like cerebral palsy - AND when I adopted her the story was that in fact she had been stepped on as a puppy - I have the original x-rays from when she was relinquished to the shelter and that's the premise I went on for a LONG time - just recently in the past year we saw a new neurologist who insisted this was a neurological disorder and not the result of injury (regardless of the xrays) - either way we have done really well and had only 1 other episode of severe spasticity but it lasted a much shorter period of time - we are going on 6+ weeks with this episode and Gracie is having a much more difficult time (unable to lay down, unable to hold still, weight loss from the continued muscle spasms etc) - she is in good spirits and eating and wanting to run with my other dogs, things are just more of a challenge - do you have recommendations for leg splints? the previous response directed me to a website for paw protectors that go up higher on the leg - the boots I most recently bought are rubbing raw other parts of her paw - I suppose it will be trial and error to find out what will work for us - and of course we are doing acupuncture to try to get some sort of relief - any relief :)
User avatar
critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14362
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: bleeding paws - ataxia and severe spasticity in hind leg

Post by critters »

Umm, injuries can CAUSE neurological disorders! If parts are in reasonably normal alignments, the HP splints are very high quality. http://www.handicappedpets.com/walkin-w ... plint.html We have a set of these. There are also other varieties (shorter, longer, mid-leg, etc.).

Frankly, very few vets can tell the difference between brain damage and spinal cord injury in critters. Most recently, a little one I have now was decreed to have spinal cord injury (has brain damage) and brachial plexus injury (has broken shoulder blade). This was 2 vets. The 4th found the fracture.

I wonder if muscle relaxers would be an option here? I know humans with SCI who use them. Admittedly, we aren't sure whether your baby is brain damaged or SCI, but maybe relaxers would "fix" it either way?
Post Reply