MRI scan for limping?

[grundmum68]

After being seen by 4 different vets and having numerous x-rays under GA, my local practise are at a loss to explain my girl's on-off limp in both front legs. The x-rays showed there's no arthritis or cancer in her legs - phew - and there are no probs with her spine. But despite weeks on painkillers she's not getting any better. Now they're recommending an MRI scan to investigate things further.
It all sounds a bit scary to me, so has anyone had an MRI done on their grey, what did it involve and what did it reveal?

Thanks

[pat]

hi
are you sure that she does not have something in the pads or corns?
if you put the feet in warm water and look for a hard round circle on the pad, this would be a corn, other than that a small pin hole in the pad would indicate that there is something in the pad, from some reason the vets don't seem to realise about corns or something in the pad
pat

[Ian]

Hi there, I can tell you about MRIs, our Sean had one to diagnose a slipped disc in his neck. They're the next step on from the X-ray, higher resolution, much more detail. I think vets are generally reserved about recommending them because they're expensive. Seans MRI cost £600, vs. X-rays around £150ish. Vets with MRI facilities are not that common due to the huge cost of the machines. I had to drive more than 2 hours to Bristol to a vets there, he was one of these guys who takes on the tough cases, like House in the US TV show. Although there is a vets with a scanner near us, I think we were referred to Bristol because of this chaps knowledge, that's the impression I got from our regular vets.

Sean was also x-rayed for a possible spinal issue because his back was sensitive and possible sore, prior to the disc issue. Nothing was found fortunately.

Like you at the moment we are having some challenges with Sean who's going on twelve, he appears to be getting a bit of a kicking from arthritis and his back legs are quite weak, he's on painkillers for it, but although they're taking the edge off, he's still panting quite a bit which is usually a sign he's in pain. Also tonight (for the first time ever) I had blood in his poo, which is never a good sign, so I'll probably be at the vets again tomorrow.

I'd say Pats suggestion is a good one to look for or at least propose to your vets since some Greyhounds are prone to corns, and there's much discussion on the forum here about them and how to get rid of them.

[Ian]

Here's an example of a human MRI image of the neck, as you can see there's lots of detail. It may also be possible to build 3D images with MRI scanners, not sure.

[Ian]

Here's a dog in an MRI scanner...

www.downsvets.co.uk/wp-content/media/MRI-scanner_lg.jpg

And what the full MRI machine looks like...

www.withygrovevets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mri-picture-2.jpg

[suethejam]

Our old boy Blue had an MRI scan as did our old girl Poppy; I think that Lou had one on her knee too (or was that a CT scan) - either way, it's nothing to be worried about as a procedure (other than fainting at the cost!).

I think that the MRI scan gives a more complete picture of the body as it includes soft tissue, so it's more detailed than an x-ray.

If you can afford it then it's worth doing....

[yvonned]

Grundmum you say it's an on/off limp. Cass has a corn and she is ok on carpet and grass but on hard ground she limps at times, also when standing she is adjusting her leg. My vet said she thought it was arthritis, I couldn't see a corn at the time ( even though Cass has had them before) but I can now. Don't know where you are but I think it's something a lot of vets don't recognise because they haven't seen them before.
Yvonne

[grundmum68]

Thanks for all your replies! Actually, the last vet we saw mentioned corns as a possibility. I've had a close look at her paws when they were damp and she may have the beginnings of a couple of corns (not the hard, dead, raised skin that I was expecting, just faint circular 'shadows', plus she has a tiny puncture in one of the pads). I've read all the posts about corns here and it seems that Dr Dan in Uxbridge might be the answer if corns really are the cause of her limping. In the meantime I've asked the vets to have another look at her x-rays and check for anything suspicious in her pads before we go down the Uxbridge or MRI route. I'm reluctant to start treating her feet with acid solutions until we're 100% sure that corns are the cause - the pads I use on my blasted corn eat away at the healthy skin around it and create a crater that generates another corn ).
I like the idea of gently filing her pads and protecting them with beeswax - is this working for those using it? I've also read that vaseline does a similar job. Is there anything else I can do?

[abi]

We're trying the filing and beeswax (Bee Protx) method with Gucci at the moment. No difference yet but it's only been a couple of weeks so we're going to keep going with it. Gucci also wears a Therapaw boot when he's out which makes a massive difference. We're thinking about Daniel Doherty in Uxbridge, too, but it's a bit of a trek! Our vet (the third one we went to and first to diagnose the limp as due to a corn) wasn't hugely keen on surgery and from what I've heard the corn is just as likely to return, so we're trying other methods instead.

[abi]

Just to add to my last post...to begin with, Gucci was limping on his left leg with no obvious corn. However, we noticed a black dot on his pad. This developed into a more obvious corn within a few weeks. Even then, the vet denied that it was a corn and said that it was a scuff mark on his pad. It wasn't until we saw a third vet - who Elaine recommended as he owns a retired greyhound - that we got a corn diagnosis. As Pat mentioned, vets don't seem very quick to diagnose corns for some reason...

[yvonned]

Grandmum I googled "photos of greyhound corns" and a block of about 12 or 15 pictures came up. Cassies corn looks like the 1st one, I think the others have all had some sort of treatment. when I file Cassies it goes white, but then gets dirty and goes dark again.

[Ian]

Vets may be slow to diagnose corns because (I think I'm correct in saying) that other breeds either don't get them, or they're very rare. So I guess it depends whether the vet is aware that corns are fairly common in Greyhounds. Like every job in the world it's about experience, and being able to retain a significant amount of breed specific knowledge, and given the large number of breeds out there that's a fairly tall order. That said at least these days everyone has access to that second brain called the internet for some additional ideas. I've been watching some episodes of All Creatures Great & Small recently, and I noted how they quite often referred to books and magazines for assistance with tougher cases.

[grundmum68]

abi - could you tell me the name of the greyhound-savvy vet that Elaine recommended? We're not far from Elaine's kennels so it may be someone local. While I have every confidence in the vets I've seen, one with specific knowledge of greys would be very reassuring!

yvonned - I've googled the images, too. Some of the corns are gruesome, poor hounds...

I massaged some vaseline into my girlie's pads this afternoon and she looked so blissed out she almost fell asleep (mind you, she's always sleeping anyway!)

[abi]

We don't live very near Elaine so it may be a bit far for you but the recommended practice is Acorn House in Bedford and the vet is Sheldon Middleton.

[gail]

We spent £500 this year on x rays (thank you pet plan) to find out that Ben has a corn. Our vet, who says she is familiar with greyhounds said on 2 occasions that the mark I showed her was not a corn and the limp was a shoulder problem. I blame myself for not being persistant. It does seem true that in a lot of cases an on/off limp is a corn. Dr Daniel spotted it as soon as he saw it, as did the the orthopedic specialist who looked at Bens x rays. daniel has people come in all the time with mri scans and x rays. His words to us were 'lets sort that corn out and see if the shoulder problem clears up!' It did.Total bill £800, Daniels bill £90.Rule out the corn first!!