# Nerve damage in the back?



## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I didn't want to hyjack the patella and hardwood thread... but this is sort of related.

Wilson's knees are fine, the vet said his knees are solid and have 0 slipping. But since our whole house is now hardwood and tile, with only 1 area rug in the living room, one in the family room, one in our bedroom, and 1 in the kitchen I have noticed something odd with Wilson. When I brush him, scratch him, or pet him on his back his skin sort of crawls. I hope that makes sense as I am not sure how else to describe it. I have also noticed he chews on one area near his left hip, almost like it tickles. This has me worried that he has some nerve damage. I think it might be from him always running and slipping- sometimes he tries to change directions and it's like his back half gets infront of his front half! 

I can't leave runners down all the time because he will pee on them- so two weeks ago I started laying a runner down just during play times- I have it so it goes from the area rug in the basement family room to the carpeted landing- so when I throw his ball he can run on that rug instead of slipping on the tile. 

Has anyone else experienced this? Do you think it is nerve damage? What do yu think I should do? Should I be worried? Could it be something more?


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

hmmm, I'm not sure. I have hardwood everywhere and Sparkey is slipping all the time







He slips less when his nails are short. so I think it's good to keep them short. That's another thing I have to learn to cut his nails myself. but really I don't think they can damage themselves that easily but I don't know. sometimes he looks like he is ice skating on the floor.


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## KimKarr (Feb 4, 2006)

I don't know about the chewing on his hip part -- but Noelle's skin does that creepy/crawly thing when I scratch down her back with my fingernails. I don't think that nerve damage at all. I call it "The All Overs". Real technical term, huh?


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

It's REALLY important to keep the hair trimmed off the pads of their feet, especially when they spend time on wood or slick flooring. Those pads help grip the floor. You can actually buy pad grip cream that helps the pads become less prone to slipping. If I find the link for it I will post. 



Here it is: Paw Wax Protector


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## lorraine (Jun 24, 2006)

Hi Deanna
Pip gets a bit "squirmy" when I scratch his back and he's on carpetted floors.








On the other hand, Daisy comes over "all unnecessary" when I scratch her back and starts to scratch her tummy with one (or other) of her back legs. I call that "the sexies" - another technical term.









But you may (or, probably, may not) have seen the comments of my Malt's breeder, on the Long Hair thread - see post #4. 

Just keep an eye on your babes and speak to your vet if you are at all worried.


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## bek74 (Jun 26, 2006)

No advise here, just hope all is fine.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

> It's REALLY important to keep the hair trimmed off the pads of their feet, especially when they spend time on wood or slick flooring. Those pads help grip the floor. You can actually buy pad grip cream that helps the pads become less prone to slipping. If I find the link for it I will post.
> 
> 
> 
> Here it is: Paw Wax Protector[/B]



Thanks everyone. I do keep their pads trimmed down. Molly seems to be scared of the tile in the basement- it is very slippy slidey. When we first brought her home she went tearing around the corner, slipped, her feet went straight up and the poor thing bonked her head so hard I could hear it across the room. 

Thanks for the link I will look into it!

The reason the skin crawl bothered me was because he never did it before, and if I even lightly touch his back he does that, and seems to make him move in a jerky way. I have to take Molly in for her 1 yr check up and boosters in January so I will ask the vet. I just had Wilson there for his shots, and I forgot to mention it! D'oh!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

He could have back or hip pain. He should be examined by a vet. Maltese and most small dogs are prone to back injuries (particularly intervertebral disc disease), likely because of the jumping many of them do. Slippery floors can certainly be a contributing factor as well. If your dog is regularly slipping, a rug or mat needs to be down or gait the dog in a safe part of the house (I have one dog gaited in the upstairs only as it is all carpeted. He's only allowed downstairs with supervision).


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## Pindar (May 4, 2006)

Pindar has back problems as well. his skin does curl up like that when I touch him too but I don't think he's in pain. 

My vet told me that the dog slipping on the tile floors is related to his back problems. It seem to be true because he never had a problem with the tile until he had the back/leg problems. Vet said that it takes alot of work for a dog to walk on any slippery type floors so with any problems to the back or legs could cause him to be slipping on it.

I bought these rubber fllor mats and placed them as a path on all my tile. Pindar now only walks on those to get from the den to the kitchen, living room, do the bedrooms. It has really helped him. Makes the house look horrible but anything for him.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Thank you for all the replies.

I took Wilson to the vet on Friday. She took X-rays, and thankfully didn't find anything. She thinks the twitching and the biting around his hip/lower back could be from a pinched nerve. If you have ever had one you know how it can feel like an annoying tingle/itch. She has suggested we try to limit his jumping- I am not sure how to do that but I will try! She also thought the wax Brit suggested might help with the slipping. So I have ordered that. 

The vet also gave us an anti-inflammatory that should help diminish the small amount of swelling she found in that area he is always chewing, which should cause the pinched nerve to be released.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I wanted to give an update. 

In January the vet gave us an anti-inflammatory to use for 14 days, and told me to try to get Wilson to lose the 1.5 lbs of "baby" weight- the weight he put on after we got Molly.

Since then, I have been exercising Wilson more, he only gets one dog biscuit at night his other treats are carrots or some other type of veggie. And I have been very careful about not leaving Molly's food bowl down once she has finished (I am pretty sure thats where the weight gain came from). In the last 2 weeks I noticed he is no longer doing the skin crawly thing when I touch his back and he is no longer chewing that one spot around his hip. 

I took him to the vet yesterday evening and he has lost 1 lbs since Jan 3!







Just a half pound to go and he will be back to his svelte 7.5 lbs. She felt around his hip/back area and said the swelling is gone and she thinks we might have caught it soon enough that there will be no permanent damage!!!


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## snowballsmom (Mar 3, 2006)

WooHoo! Good news!









Bev & Snowball


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