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My 9 year old female lab/golden mix has been favoring her left leg, reluctant to put weight on it and "tiptoeing" for about a month. Her ankle and knee xrays are normal. Her left ankle is slightly swollen. She has been on Rimadyl, 2 weeks of antibiotics, joint supplements and fish oil. What would be the next test she should have? What could this be? Her vet does not think it is a CCL tear or hip issue.

My 9 year old female lab/golden mix has been favoring her left leg, reluctant to put weight on it and "tiptoeing" for about a month. Her ankle and knee xrays are normal. Her left ankle is slightly swollen. She has been on Rimadyl, 2 weeks of antibiotics, joint supplements and fish oil. What would be the next test she should have? What could this be? Her vet does not think it is a CCL tear or hip issue.

Updated On August 5th, 2017

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 70 lbs

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hi there and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear Sasha is in pain with her left leg. The left ankle being swollen does not make me think an ACL tear, especially if the xrays and physical examination were normal with the knee joint. However, that being said, sometimes when dogs are worked up and energetic in the clinic setting, it can be difficult to assess the knee joint with them awake. These cases I sedate for the xrays and examine the knee joint further under sedation. This may be something to consider with Sasha if she is not improving. Another possibility that I would want to rule out is Valley Fever. The area that you are in certainly does have Valley Fever present (a fungal infection) and this can cause lameness in animals. I would certainly have a Coccidioidomycosis titer performed with your veterinarian to be on the safe side. This also may be a soft tissue injury such as a strain or sprain and may take some time to heal. If there is no improvement, after the directed course of treatment, I would suggest seeing an orthopedic specialist for a second opinion. A CT scan of the ankle joint may help pinpoint the problem as well and this can be done with most orthopedic specialty clinics. Please do not hesitate to call me with further questions / concerns. My main area of interest is orthopedics and if you would like to discuss this further by phone, I am available by consultation.

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