Tuesday, August 14, 2012

I'll Have What She's Having!

It was a rough start to the week here at Chez CC. I woke up Monday morning to a dog, running partner, general companion whose back-end was non-functioning.

As in ... my dog Blue couldn't walk.

Her hindquarters were completely "dead." She couldn't get up. She couldn't stand if I helped her up.

Her hips had clearly given out and it made for a horrible morning for all involved.

Long story short, my husband and I made a torturous trip to the vet to put her down.

And then, in the examination room, she stood up. Wobbly and hurting, but she stood up, right as the vet walked in, syringe at the ready.

Never underestimate spunk and determination.

New medicine in hand and miracle in pondering, we headed home. And the short burst of standing-up energy disappeared again. She was back to unable to move.

Until 2 a.m. this morning, that is. It was then that she woke me up to go outside. Standing up, in my bedroom. She was also ready to walk/run with me this morning, meeting me at the back door, tail wagging. I explained it to her, though I'm not sure she understood.

"Blue, you can't go with me. At least not for a while. Don't you remember yesterday when you couldn't stand up? Your hips are bad. Really bad. You have to take some time off."

So, I left her at home. And could hear her barking in protest for more than a quarter mile.

Tonight, she's acting like her old self. In fact, she doesn't seem remotely bothered by the wringer she put us through.

I don't know what's in that new pain med, but I'm considering swallowing a couple myself.


2 comments:

marthamac said...

I am curious as to what the meds are. We have a dog with the same symptoms. I am so happy for you that Blue is okay...what an emotional roller coaster for you.

Miss Daisy said...

She's been on Rimadyl for a long time. I've messed with the dosage. She's eligible for 1.25 pills per day, but I have been able to give her as little as a half pill if she's not walking with me. When she is walking with me and I notice her getting stiff, I up it to a whole one per day.

On Monday, the vet gave us Tramadol. Where the Rimadyl is an anti-inflammatory (for arthritis), the Tramadol is a pain reliever.

She seems to be completely "fine" in the hip department. Her eyes are bright and her tail wags. She's still not eating her dog food.

Of course, softie that I am, I scrambled her up a few eggs tonight and tossed them on top of her dog food. She scarfed those right up, leaving the kibble alone.

Something tells me I've got "Sucka" written on my forehead, visible only to dogs. She knows I'm feeling SOOO guilty for a)taking her running and b)thinking the fat lady was singing.