Stupid Hip Dysplasia

Okay guys, I have some not-so-great news. A little while ago I had to take a trip to the vet. After slipping on the last little bit of ice outside I started limping and after that I started walking funny. Mom thinks it looks like a partial paralysis. So off to the vets we went – I love going there!

Here I’m on the table and have just gotten a shot that makes me sleepy. But first it makes me sick, so Mom had to wipe up vomit from the table and floor.

Then I fell asleep. Mom was a bit upset – she asked if it was really necessary for me to have this shot and the vet said it was impossible without it. As it turns out it would have been easier if I had been awake. So – extra monies, extra sickies and extra trouble. Yeah!

This is the new collar I got for my birthday btw!

There is my x-ray.. Mom didn’t dare go in there and take a proper picture of it, hee hee.. The x-rays showed that I have a medium degree of hip dysplasia with calcifications plus a little calcifications between two vertebrae. The vet thought that was why I am walking funny – that it hurts and that I try to compensate. But I’ve told Mom it doesn’t really hurt at all, just if we walk a little too far (I’m only allowed to walk a little to do my business and sniff some pee-mails, no long walkies). And, although the calcifications are probably the reason why a fairly small accident made me walk this way, we’re thinking it might be something neurological as well. But the vet man might be right. Mom tends to be skeptical after a few cases of misdiagnoses in the past, but that doesn’t mean they’re always wrong! He prescribed Metacam, which is a NSAID (non steroid anti-inflammatory drug) – so we’re thinking that IF my funny walk is due to inflammation – swelling – causing pressure on some of the nerves to my hind legs this anti-inflammatory drug might still help. But – if we see no improvement we’ll get a second opinion.

I hope the drugs work, or that we find a new one that does. It’s a little boring to only get short walkies. But at least I’ll soon have a little brudder to keep me company. He won’t be able to take long walkies since he’s a baby, so we can walk together.

Kisses,
B