Information on plt?

hi, my dog has had ongoing problems with his back legs being very weak since he was about 7months old, after countless examinations x.rays etc the vet couldnt find anything that could be causing a problem and said to keep excersise to a minimum (easier said than done with a very hyperactive puppy!) and if hes ever uncomfortable anti-inflamitorys and painkillers, iv also been giving him glucosamine, chondrotin, msm and omega3 supplements and on the whole hes been pretty good.
hes now 1.5 yrs old and he woke me up crying the other nite and i came downstairs to find him dragging his back legs behind him. i decided it was time for a second oppinion and took him straight to another vets, they did the whole x.rays, neurological examination again and again couldnt find anything wrong other than limited feeling to his back paws and the end of his tail, anyway they put him on plt and within a day he was back jumping around again which is fab! but im worried about the side effects these tabs could have on such a young dog also hes started peeing on his bed and doesnt seem to realise hes doing it, i phoned the vets as hes never done this before and they seem to think its all connected to the nervs rather than side effects of the tablets, but she didnt want to change the dose of the tablets as she wasnt the vet that originally saw him. so i have an appointment to go back and see the original vet on monday but i just wondering what other peoples oppinions were? such a young dog shouldnt have to go through this!

Whats PLT? Poor Dally

Im certainly no vet but given the fact he has limited feeling in paws and tail, leads me to think he has a spinal or spinal nerve problem. he really needs to be seen by a specialist, Id not exercise him at all untill I found out what the real issue it.

PLT means Prednoleucatropin. Its a steroid based anti-inflammatory/pain killer, and a strong one. The fact he responds to steroid could well mean he has a spine problem and whatever inflammation is there is helped by the steroids.

Crikey, the full monty then! i would keep him as quiet as poss as although he may 'feel' better him being a loon could cause more damage in the meantime

def seek specialist referral x

Poor boy.

My BCx bitch has a twisted spine, and after trying all the non-steroid based ones - we have settled her on PLT.

She was on a fairly massive dose (2 tabs a day) for a 14kg dog. But she was in a state. I have now got her down to 1/2 tab once a day. She also had Hydro and sees a chiropractor on a regular basis.

However - she is 10 (this started when she was . I had her back and forth for X-rays to find out what was wrong - we focused a lot on her leg (as she was walking on 3) and it turned out to be her spine. I did have to take her to Peter Attenborough at Exeter. The other option for Tass was Spinal surgery, which (at her age) I was not willing to put her through.

I have decided that although her life span may be reduced by being on the tablets, she is having a good and (relatively) pain free life, being able to run and play and go on the long walks I do.

I do not know what I would do with a youngster - but I would certainly be getting a referral to a specialist.

Sadly Tassle was no insured, so It did cost me a fair bit - bu was certainly worth it to know what was wrong and get her on the right track.
Good luck with your choice.

thanks all, the way im thinking at the moment is id rather him have a shorter good life than a longer painfull one! its not fair on him not being able to run around when thats all he wants to do, he is just soo hyper! well the morning his legs had completely gone my hubby put a towel round his middle to hold him up so he could go out to to his buisiness and as soon as the door was open he was dragging my other half round the garden, trying to run even tho he had no back leggs!

i have looked into a specialist/hydrotheripy/accupuncture but they are just so far away from me (i live in a very rural area) my vets is 8miles away and we cant even get half way there without alfie being sick and getting so stressed out! he would do more damage to himself taking him on a long journey

i just want him to have the longest, painless, happyest life i can give him !

Have you looked for a chiropractor? I was lucky that My vets do acupuncture, but unfortunately Tassle was so stressed by the vets that it was a big failure. But I know how you feel, I had to travel 30 miles for the Hydro - there is only one in Cornwall!

I would work on getting him settled in the car (ginger - feeding him in there making it nice etc) It will open many more avenues for therapy for him.

Please forgive this harsh reply. You asked for advice, your dog obviously has a very serious neurological/spinal/nerve problem that NEEDS specialist attention. Regardless of where you choose to live, he deserves to be treated by the people who can help him, he shouldnt have to suffer because of it. Your dog may well be able to live a full, pain free and active life with the correct diagnosis and treatment, please do not leave him without, its not fair and totally wrong.

Your dog sounds like it has a very serious neurological/spinal problem....I'd get it to a vet who knows what they're talking about if I were you.

As for the PLT, my dog has been taking it (for a serious neurological/spinal and EXtremely painful condition)....as has already been stated, it is Prednoleucotropin, the steroid element (prednosone) is only @ 1mg per 200mg tab I think, anyway the steroid content is very minimal, he's been getting 400mg daily for the last year or so, last few months he's been getting 200mg of tramadol on top...he's a gsd.

When you mention about your dog being hyper....if he is anything like mine, when my guy gets more hyper I attribute it to the pain as he's looking to channel and distract more intensely....maybe something for you to think about.