Pingo is home from the vet and already acting a little more frisky. Her x-rays are perfectly normal. Her hips look great, her spine is perfect. No sign of athritis, degeneration or other major problems. Not even the athritis that would possibly be expected in an 8 year old dog. She has the hips of a 4 year old according to Dr. Rick! Her ACL is intact and she has full range of motion in all her legs.

Dr. Rick says she is simply prone to soft tissue injuries, just like some people are. Pingo holds her back feet turned out a little bit. That may put some extra pressure on muscles deep in her legs. I broke my elbow years ago and as a result my arm has an odd angle in it. I am very prone to wrist injuries due to that angle. Pingo is pretty much the same--funny angle, prone to problems.

Treatment is for symptoms only, rest and Metacam. He gave me a huge bottle of Metacam so she won't have to come back in again, unless something is worse obviously. She hates truck rides and really hates the clinic so the less she has to go the better.

He said she can continue to pull if she wants to. I never force my dogs to pull. Well, you can't really make a dog pull, but if mine don't come over to get their harnesses on, I don't go get them. They come by choice or not at all. Everyone has been off work status since late April anyway and won't pull again until mid-July at the earliest. I might try a new style of harness on her that will change the angle she pulls at. Or she might just be a couch potato--whatever works for her!