Glacier
08-27-2004, 07:00 PM
I took Goldie into the vet today to get her thyroid checked and an overall check-up. My vet doesn't think her thyroid is really the problem, but we did the blood tests anyway. Won't have the results until Wednesday as the sample has to be sent to Saskatchewan to be tested. She does need to loose some weight, which I already knew and have been working on.
Dr. Kim, who I completely trust, thinks that Goldie may be in pain. Her front legs are deformed--almost curved and I thought that would be the source of any pain for her. I was wrong! She showed no pain when he manipulated her front legs. Dr, Kim says she has amazing muscle development in her front quaters so the muscle may well be compensating for the bone and joint problem.
When he did her back left leg, no problems. He could pull it straight back, the joint moved easily and she didn't resist. With her right hip, she screamed when he got to about 60 degrees. Goldie doesn't scream, she's a pretty quiet dog. So either she has hip dysplasia or an old injury that was never treated properly. I don't know her history before she was brought to the shelter, but she had clearly been abused. An old injury wouldn't suprise me.
For treatment, she is going to have a massive dose of anti-inflammatories for a week. If she perks up and starts to move more, that will mean it's the pain in her hip that makes her less active. Then she can stay on some kind of pain relief on a long term basis. We didn't do x-rays today, but might in the near future.
Dr. Kim figures that regardless of why she hurts, she has adapted to it. She's likely been in pain for most of her life and just learned to live with it. She doesn't jump because she knows that would hurt, her gait is funny because it limits her pain. Goldie seems to be happy. She plays with some of the other dogs (she's fussy about her buddies), she eats well (a little too well), she sleeps fine, doesn't limp or favor that leg. She just does what she has to in order to limit the pain that the hip joint causes her.
I feel like a lousy owner for missing this for so long, but I can't respond to what they don't show me! I just had a long chat with Goldie (yes, I'm nuts) and told her that she has to tell me it hurts and then I can fix it!!
Dr. Kim, who I completely trust, thinks that Goldie may be in pain. Her front legs are deformed--almost curved and I thought that would be the source of any pain for her. I was wrong! She showed no pain when he manipulated her front legs. Dr, Kim says she has amazing muscle development in her front quaters so the muscle may well be compensating for the bone and joint problem.
When he did her back left leg, no problems. He could pull it straight back, the joint moved easily and she didn't resist. With her right hip, she screamed when he got to about 60 degrees. Goldie doesn't scream, she's a pretty quiet dog. So either she has hip dysplasia or an old injury that was never treated properly. I don't know her history before she was brought to the shelter, but she had clearly been abused. An old injury wouldn't suprise me.
For treatment, she is going to have a massive dose of anti-inflammatories for a week. If she perks up and starts to move more, that will mean it's the pain in her hip that makes her less active. Then she can stay on some kind of pain relief on a long term basis. We didn't do x-rays today, but might in the near future.
Dr. Kim figures that regardless of why she hurts, she has adapted to it. She's likely been in pain for most of her life and just learned to live with it. She doesn't jump because she knows that would hurt, her gait is funny because it limits her pain. Goldie seems to be happy. She plays with some of the other dogs (she's fussy about her buddies), she eats well (a little too well), she sleeps fine, doesn't limp or favor that leg. She just does what she has to in order to limit the pain that the hip joint causes her.
I feel like a lousy owner for missing this for so long, but I can't respond to what they don't show me! I just had a long chat with Goldie (yes, I'm nuts) and told her that she has to tell me it hurts and then I can fix it!!