Sick Basenji

[Bullet]

I'm new at this but have a very big concern with our 8 year old Basenji. We just brought him back from the vet after a full body x-ray to try and determine why Ben is in so much pain. We had to take him in for emergency treatment last evening as he appeared to be in so much pain we couldn't stand to see him suffering. They cannot find any bone or joint issues but he keeps crying out in pain. He does this when he walks, sits goes to the bathroom etc. Even if he brushes up against you he yells out in pain. The only conclusion was he might have a pinched nerve and we are trying to manage his pain with medication. The sounds he makes are so painful to hear and you know he is hurting so very badly and you can see the pain in his face.
We took him in last week and he is due for his teeth to be cleaned this Friday. We also have him on an antibiotic as he has a tooth that appears to be infected. Has anyone ever had their Basenji do this and any idea if the problem could be related to an infected tooth?

[Duke]

How sad for you and Bullet. I know there are people on the forums who may be able to advise you. I don't have such experience, but I'm sending healing vibes your way in hopes for a speedy solution and relief for Bullet.

[nomrbddgs]

My Shadow had a long history of walking very funny-he had gotton to the point of being very miserable-doing nothing but laying around, going outside to potty only when he had to, nipping at the other dogs. It got to the point where I was seriously considering putting him down because of this. And he was only four but had deteriorated to the point where I couldn't see him in pain much longer. The vets took all kinds of tests, and x-rays but could find nothing. I don't believe in long term pain medication-it can become addictive and has other unpleasant side effect. lvoss has dogs from the same breeder and very kindly found me a chiroproctor in my area. I took him to the chiropractor who diagnosed him with a pinched nerve also, as well as TMJ in is jaw and his whole body was off including his rib cage and legs. She isn't sure where it is, but she did manipulate him-once per week to start then started scaling down. Shadow would be laying down and just yelp in pain-without even moving. In the past month I've taken him racing and more recently on a long trip to Winnipeg in a crate. He has been doing beautifully. No more pain! Except in my butt. He is now getting into all kinds of trouble. I still have to take him once a month, but it's worth it. Please, if this is what you think it is, try a chiropractor. All my friends in the B world were VERY skeptical. Now they are considering this for some of their older dogs as they have seen the change in Shadow. Let me know how things go.

Arlene

[MaxBooBooBear]

Before trying a chiropractor, I would have his spine x-rayed–was that part of the full body x-rays? My Max went through this (and I know how upsetting it is when they're in pain, and you can't do anything). Sometimes there are problems with the spine that a chiropractor can make worse. I would check with my regular vet first. Max had compressed discs in his spine. Fortunately, the episodes were sporadic. My vet told me that often when a dog is in pain, and there's no obvious reason why--it could be a problem with the spine. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[seko]

My 7 years old was yelping a lot, and I couldn't find out why, with the X-ray the vet saw a problem with his vertebraes, 2 had collapse and it was very painfull for him. He was on painkillers for 2 months and still has tablets to prevent arthritis, and he is not in pain anymore even if not able to run as fast as before.

[dmcarty]

x-ray spine - take action based on that and consider accupuncture to control pain - yup accupuncture, Chiropractic and canine massage can do a lot to relieve pain just make sure there is no specific medical condition - but even then I still would opt to try it - most have enough certifications that they will not try any treatment that would be detrimental.

[dash]

i have seen this in beagles. It is called beagle pain. They rarely move. I agree that a chiropractor could help. I know she has helped me.

[nomrbddgs]

My point is try alternatives to vets-you've gone the vet route and they have not found anything. They couldn't find anything in Shadow either-and I had many, MANY different people look at him to try to find something, anything that could help him. Vets don't always have the answers. I'm lucky-Lisa found me a great chiropractor that has studied in various countries and continues to upgrade. I don't believe that she would have touched him if she hadn't felt that something was wrong with him that she couldn't fix. It's like your own doctor if you don't trust them don't go to them.

[Bullet]

An update on Ben's condition. He had his teeth cleaned this morning and the vet had to remove several teeth. A large tooth in the back of the mouth had a cavity that went all the way to the root. He never lost his appetite during the whole ordeal or seemed to have any sensetivity of his mouth. I hope this is the end of the suffering he was going through. He was a rescue dog so we don't have the previous owners records as to dental care he had in the past. You can be sure he will be monitored from here on out for any sign of tooth decay or tarter build up. Thanks to everyone who replyed to my inquiry on Basenji health.