Older GSD with leg "twinge" and sore ear (related?)...

[bonster]

Hi - I hope someone might have a clue about this. I'm back in the UK for a while, and my fathers lovely GSD-X (mainly GSD) is now quite long in the tooth, a bit heavy but a lovely old friend ... I'll post some pictures of her with Bonnie soon.
She's had a sore ear for a while (raw inner, being treated) and her back right leg (same side as the sore ear) either seems to twinge/spasm or drag at times...
(the 'bad' leg is also the one she's used to scratch that ear, its a kind of nervous twitch she shows sometimes...)
Some days she's worse than others - she can and will still run sometimes, and loves it - but avoids jumping (e.g. into the car).
I wonder if it could be a nerve rather than a hip/joint problem - as sometimes stroking around the sore ear can send the bad leg wild - into a kind of uncontrolled shake (they are on the same side) for a few seconds or sometimes longer... I'm not sure if it can be stiff joint with reaction like this?
I hope we get her sorted out soon - its hard to see her like this... I will be trying a different vet as the one he's tried was pretty uninterested in the leg/lack of 'bounce' and put it down to getting older... we think she's about 9 or 10... (was a rescue, so unsure)
Any tips or experiences most welcome... and if there are problems like this which have to be lived with how can they be made more bearable?

 

[bonster]

Update on this one -- it does seem like a nerve reaction, and one ear in particular was developing an infection on top of being raw according to the new guy.
She's got some stronger 'ear medicine' (some kind of spray ointment) which seems to be doing the job - and has had an anti-inflamatory jab, and seems a lot better the last few days. She is older and generally slowing down... but seems a lot less irritated with the new medicines taking effect... thank goodness.

Anyone had similar???

Also to help with the unable-to-jump-into-the-car situation - I just made a fold-up ramp to save my folks having to pick her up!

 

[IlUvMyAnImAlZ05]

My dog is having the same problems.

I guess i'm the only one that is responding to this. Usually more people have so many replys for each topic. I guess this problem is not well known. I put a post on soemthing liek this my dogs ear is raw and scaly and he keeps itching it. I put something up and nobody responded. Neither did anybody resopnd to this one. That is weird. I have been waiting for this to go away i am going to get him to the vet. Not to be rude but how much was the med.? I want to know so i can be prepared.
Thanks,
~!~Mandy~!~

 

[Renee750il]

Bonster, it sounds like the new vet has a better handle on things and is more observant! Your first post nailed it. Once you get the ear cleared up I'll bet the leg will start getting better. You might suggest to your Dad that he add some tidbits of good lean beef to her diet to get more B vitamins into her. B vitamins will help those nerves heal, and they absorb best and are most useful from a food source (like raw beef - just be sure to freeze it and thaw it first!). If he'll give her the beef for treats at intervals during the day she'll have a steady supply of Bs to work on those irritated nerves.

 

[bonster]

Thanks Renee - I'll do that. Its good to see her improving already.
IlUvMyAnImAlZ05 - guessing you are in the US? you might not be able to compare, it will depend on what your dog needs of course, but here to even see the vet was £20 (about $40) and the medication - a jab and the ointment, was about another £30 ($60-odd) - I'm in the UK right now and its an expensive country.