Sore feet

I'm pretty sure Holly is also affected by SM although nothing like the boys. She just has some "scratchy" days. Well I have always had trouble trimming the fur between her paws and her nails. She can't STAND her feet touched. She has never yelped just wiggles and pulls her feet away. A few weeks ago she was whimpering and limping. I ended up finding a sticker thorn deep in her paw. Fixed that. Just now she was coming in from outside and screamed out in pain coming up the set of 4 stairs.

I got her inside and she screamed when I touched her paw... Thinking that we had a repeat of last time I felt around for a thorn... nothing... Poor girl was whimpering the whole time I was touching her paw.

Just for the heck of it I thought I would check her other front paw... Again she screamed. Again Nothing in it. She just DOESN'T want me messing with them.

She then got down walking around, no yelping, no whining, no limping...

I picked her up to inspect her paw again and she started whining....

Right now she just walked in the kitchen to get water. No limping no whining...

I hate to pay an emergency Vet bill but I'm very baffled. If she is in pain why is she walking around like nothing?

Touching her back paws causes her to pull them away and wiggle but not whine.

Could this be SM related or something totally different?

Why is it mainly only when I touch them? I'm going to watch her and see for another hour or two. My vet opens at 8 am tomorrow so that would be best for us.

Ideas?

I find some of my Cavaliers are real wimps about their feet and once you have done something that hurts - such as feeling around and then getting out a thorn - they remember this and make a great fuss about having anything done to them. If Holly only yells when you do something to her feet and not when she's putting her full weight on them, I wouldn't think there is much wrong with them. But this is just my experience.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

Sorry I can't help you. It does sound rather strange though doesn't it. Like you I would think she had something stuck in her feet or foot. Hope you find out what is causing her to be like that. Good luck.

I would think that if it was seriously something wrong she would not be able to walk on it without screaming. She is looking at me VERY mad right now like I did it.

It seems to be her front feet more then her back.

I thought I have noticed her energy level lowering a little but I thought it was the high temps we have been having. (We have been hitting high 90's)

She is also struggling to keep a "girlish" figure... well any figure at all. Even with small controlled feedings she is getting a little chunky. (The boys eat 3X what she does and they are lean)

A vet visit may be needed tomorrow regardless... I'll keep everyone posted

Oz is a little like that too. He will yelp loudly and pull his front paws away when I clean him off when he comes in. The others just sit there and hold their paws up for me, but he will try to come in and quickly zip past me so he doesn't have to have his paws cleaned. Like Holly, it is mainly his front paws. I have never found anything wrong with them. He does not have SM, but does have CM documented from an MRI done when he was 11 months old. He had what I thought was an episode of EFS, but wanted to make sure it wasn't SM, particularly since my Riley was so severly affected.

I have just started trying to always sweet-talk him and always kiss him and hold him close to me (he is not a lap-sitter though) while touching his paws and he seems better when I do that. He will still whine though. Maybe it does have to do with the CM. And like Holly - he will then walk - or run away - like nothing had ever happened, without a limp or a care in the world.

Trying to get into the vet today. Whatever it is has gotten worse overnight.

She is now sore everywhere. Her feet, legs & back. Just petting her will cause her to cry out. She wont jump she just yelps every time she tries to get up on the chair (Which is about a foot off the ground). She is eating and drinking water if I take her to them. She is even yelping when I pick her up She wont go potty outside either. Carried her outside and she just sat really still with her head lowered. Her feet are not the main sorce of pain now it's her legs (all 4) and just petting her back! I'm so worried this is a neurological pain. She is okay if I pet her on the head or tummy

Called my vet as soon as they opened and the assistant was going to talk to the vet and call me back. If they can't get me in I'll have to try a new vet.


Both boys are having a flare up this morning despite there meds. Gut feeling is telling me this is something caused by spin/nerve pain possibly set off by our crazy weather changes. Maybe I'm just too worried about CM/SM.

Thinking of you and Holly

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I've learned to listen to my gut feelings. And CM/SM is such a crazy disorder/disease you never know what is going to set it off and what symptom is going to come out of it. I hope you can get Holly in to see your vet soon. If not, is there an emergency vet nearby? What about Flash and Blitz's neurologist? Poor baby. She sounds like she's in such distress. My heart aches for both of you.

I've learned to listen to my gut feelings

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Sorry Holly is in such distress, as I'm sure your are too. I can't offer any advice on the sore feet or SM/CM, but I do agree with listening with my gut feelings. My vet always tells me to listen with your "mommy instinct". Good luck and let us know how Holly is doing.

All my SM dogs have hated to have their feet touched.

I'm sorry but I think she needs to be checked out as soon as possible

Well good news... kinda.

My vet seems pretty sure that it is a slipped disk instead of CM/SM related. There is a spot in the middle of her back that is hot to the touch and very sore. You put pressure there and she yelps.

I'm hoping that is all it is. Sent her home on a Muscle Relaxer and Rimadyl. She already seems to be feeling a little better. Walking around with her head up again and her tail waggin' a little.

If she is not improving then we are gonna have to make the drive to get the MRI done sooner then I was expecting.

Glad to hear Molly is doing better and it wasn't CM/SM pain (not that a slipped disc isn't bad enough).
On the subject of foot pain. I know Jack literally freaks out (as if I am trying to cut his leg off) when I try to cut his nails or trim the fur between the pads. He has been like that since I got him as a puppy (he has CM). I now have a second person hold treats and let him nibble at them while I cut one nail at a time. It takes a while and Jack ends up with quite a few treats by the time I finish.

Please keep us updated on Holly's progress. Thinking of you both.

U have been going through a lot lately, havent you? Holding u and holly and the gang in my prayers hoping for the best outcome... U r such a good mom!

Glad to read that her symptoms don't seem to be as serious as they could have been. Hope that the meds work and she will be back to her normal self soon. :flwr:

I'm so glad she's feeling better and I hope this fixes her up.

When Oliver had disc problems (before his surgery) Rimadyl was not effective for his pain. He either needed Metacam or prednisone. The prednisone was only for a very short period of time to get him over his worst bout of pain, but it always did the trick, until nothing did and then came the MRI and the cervical disc surgery when he was 9 years old. But he was like a new dog after that - and has been pain free.

I hope the Rimadyl works for Holly. If not, keep trying. There are other things that might work better for her. Poor baby. AT least she's wagging her tail now and holding her head up.

Sorry to hear this but glad you know what is going on and treatment is under way - hope HOlly will be a lot better soon.

So sad to hear that both the boys are having a rough time too - you really are going through the mill right now

Well my computer is down at the moment but I had to get on to say Holly is nearly normal! Supposed to keep her from jumping but she is walking around like normal No more yelping and she is back to enjoying here chewies. Both boys are over there bad day too so the house is back to normal today! Thankfully!
Thanks for all the support!


Love my cavaliers,
How do you know that they need surgery? Does it become a chronic problem? Hoping this was just a one time thing!

Oliver had years of off and on again pain which continuously seemed to get worse with each bout. He was started on Rimadyl which really didn't work, then on Metacam which worked for a while, then when he wouldn't even get out of the crate to eat or potty he was put on prednisone for a week which worked. The last time he was in pain, even the prednisone didn't work. He was in pain most of the time, so he just didn't move. He had had x-rays of his hips and part of his spine before and it was thought that the problem was in his hips, but during the last bad pain spell, the neurologist decided to do a full MRI to make sure it wasn't SM. No SM luckily but it determined that it was his cervical spine that was causing him so much pain. Since he had already been on pain meds and prednisone for over a month with no improvement, I opted for cervical disc decompression. The day after he came home from the hospital he wanted to jump on the furniture. It was so nice to see him act so much younger than the 9 year old dog that he was! Every once in a while he'll let out a little yelp if he jumps on something too high, but that could now be his hips getting worse also. He is also 10+ years old. I keep Metacam in the house and just give a dose periodically (which his orthodpedic vet said is fine to do).

So, yes, it was a chronic problem for years progressively getting worse with each bout before surgery was needed. And it was very obvious when surgery was needed. Hope this helps - and I hope that Holly's problem is very different from Oliver's and that somehow she just strained her back and it is just a one time thing. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for that. I'm so happy she's feeling better - and the boys too.