Senior dog on pain meds

from Dec. 17, 2007

We took Winston to the vet who prescribed Rimadyl for his arthritis pain and hip dysplasia. We started Winston on Rimadyl on Saturday night, Dec. 15 -- half a pill instead of a whole one because I think they tend to make the doses too high. He certainly seemed to be feeling less pain. It was great when he got up to be petted when I woke up. But not so great at dinnertime when he overdid.

Our usual routine is for me to go out in the backyard with him and be a cheerleader while he runs around the edge of the yard 6 times: “Go, go, go! All the way! One more time! Last time! Let’s go eat!”

The vet had told me not to make him run anymore, but just to walk him. For the last month or so he didn’t run no matter how much I cheered, but it did encourage him to walk around the yard. Loaded with pain meds, Winston WANTED to run. Without any encouragement from me, he dashed around the yard 4 times. The sound of his footsteps was off, like two legs and a stump. He must have been running with his 2 hind feet together. He came in and ate really fast. He had a crazed look in his eye as he stumbled some on his hind legs. Perhaps he was thinking, “My legs don’t hurt, but they don’t work, either.”

He rested few minutes, then heard me chopping a tomato and came for a handout as he often does. I held a piece out for him. He always takes it gently, but for the first time ever he snapped at me, biting down on my fingers til it hurt as he took the treat. I’ve never felt afraid of Winston until then. I scolded him and he didn’t even look guilty, just dazed.

After he rested an hour he seemed back to normal -- that is, the new normal of slow, stiff movement. But I didn’t feel normal inside. It upset me to think that Winston’s running days may be over. “Winston has to get used to the fact that he’s crippled -- and so do we,” Andre said.

I’m not used to it and I haven’t given up yet. I had nightmares about it and I kept hearing the disturbing sound of his offbeat footsteps in my dreams.