Advice needed-yellow lab with leg problem!

[77horses]

We have a 2 year old yellow lab(English style) named Dawson.

He is so sweet and friendly(although he was a trouble maker as a puppy...that's how his middle name was decided to be Marley LOL)

But anyway, he got Lyme disease from a deer tick last year and was immediately treated for it. But while he was treated for it, it seemed to affect one of his hind legs(since lyme disease can cause arthritis symptoms, such as sore joints, etc.) we gave him medicine from the vet, but it didn't help at all. So after a few months of trying the lyme disease meds, the vet decided to put him on pain killer meds instead. After a few months of using them, it made absolutely no difference. At first we thought that it was just caused by lyme disease that he had(like after-affects), but that usually wears off if you catch the lyme disease in time. So now we think that it may be related to some long term injury that he got somehow a year ago. It could be a joint injury or maybe a tissue injury. We want to have an X-Ray done on him, but that will cost up to $300.

PLUS, if there is some injury with his joints of tissue on his leg or hip, he would have o have surgery, which would cost even more.

It's been over a year since Dawson started to lift his hind leg, and he still is doing it. When he walks he is very careful not to use the sore hind leg as much as his other legs, and usually at the end of the day he walks around with that hind leg lifted up (probably because all the walking, running, playing, etc. he does makes it more sore). In fact he has lately had trouble getting up the stairs.

Any thoughts or advice?
Thanks!

 

[KellyHM]

He could have hurt it, but he also could have permanent damage from the lyme disease. Even if you get rid of the disease it doesn't correct the damage done by it. If you've tried pain killers then the next step would be to have the x-rays done.

ETA: If he's only 2 years old you really need to do it so he can live a full life.

 

[ChickenToes]

If it's only the one leg that is constantly hurting him, I doubt it's arthritis or soreness. It's could be a bone/joint injury that didn't heal correctly, or lasting damage from the Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the only thing to do is take him to a vet and have the X-ray done. Call ahead of time and see if you can work out a payment schedule instead of having to pay the whole bill at once.

Good luck!

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Possibly could be a luxating patella too. Do you have a veterinary college near you? they are teaching hospitals & have senior vet professors overseeing students to give them hands-on experience. Most of them do not charge nearly as much as a regular vet clinic.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
That could be it...I'm doing some research on that now. Although I read that it mostly occurs in smaller breeds(such as poodles, dachshunds, etc.)

 

[Up-the-Creek]

My mother has a yellow labrador that when she was around 2 she had a problem with one of her back legs. She would carry it around and not put no pressure on it,..so they took her to the vet and had an x-ray done and it was a small bone in her leg that had basically came out of the socket. The socket had wore out. They did surgery and fixed it, but they told her more than likely it would happen again. Labradors are prone to this supposedly according to her vet. It has been almost two years and she is still doing okay with it.