Via D for Dog, Colleen Swift asked:
My little Jack Russell has, what appears to be a fluid swelling on his hind right leg around the ‘knuckle’ bone. It has a squelchy feel to it, not a lumpy feel. It doesn’t appear to be bothering him. Normally he wouldn’t hesitate to raise his leg if something was irritating him. Could it be arthritis? Is there anything I could be doing for him?
My answer:
This sounds quite unusual and could be one of several things. If the fluid swelling is actually closely associated with the joint then it suggests that it is likely to be an accumulation of joint fluid. If this is the case then the most common reason for this would be some form of inflammation or irritation to the joint which could be down to osteo-arthritis, or possibly a joint injection (septic arthritis). I think this does need attention from your vet, who would be able to investigate in several ways including potentially drawing some of the fluid out of the swelling with the needle and analysing it, and also considering an x ray to see if there are any boney changes in the joint that could be causing the swelling.
Ask me a question at http://www.dfordog.co.uk/ask_the_vet.htm
