Vet says there’s hope

Jan. 4, 2008

Today we took Winston for an x-ray and saw a wonderful vet who says there is hope for Winston to get better.

The day started out dreary. The sky was cloudy with a big rainstorm predicted. Dillon and I had heavy hearts, trying to prepare ourselves for the worst when we met the vet. We weren’t supposed to feed Winston so he could be sedated for the x-ray, so he was also in a gloomy mood. Any day without breakfast is a bad day to Winston.

He cheered up at the prospect of going for a ride -- but for the first time, he couldn’t step up into my car. His front legs went in just fine, but his hind end just stayed plopped on the driveway. The look in his eyes was shock and sorrow.

Dillon came to the rescue, using a towel as a sling under Winston’s belly to lift the dog into the car. Instead of riding on the seat with his nose happily out the window, he rode on the floor of the car, looking forlorn. I rode on the back seat beside him.

Things began looking up as soon as we saw Dr. Beasley. Her smile and warm personality lit up the small exam room.

“He’s having trouble standing up,” I said and summarized his symptoms.

“If only we could give him a new skeleton!” Dr. Beasley exclaimed. Then she got right down on the floor where Winston was sitting and welcomed all of his many dog kisses.

“I was in a wheelchair for four years, and he took care of me the whole time,” I explained.

“Did you do that?” she asked Winston lovingly. She examined him with her hands, then put a stethoscope against his chest to listen. “You have a strong heart,” she told him.

She wanted him to stand up so she could check his hind legs, but he was having too much of a good time on the floor with Dr. Beasley. He wasn’t about to get up.

“Maybe if you moved across the room,” I suggested.

“I have trouble standing up, too!” she laughed.

Where another vet had wanted to redo a painful x-ray to re-confirm the hip dysplasia, Dr. Beasley saw no need. She did a lateral x-ray of his spine that required no sedation at all.

Winston had a triumphant look when he came back from his first x-ray without any sedation. His expression seemed to say, “I like having my picture taken. I know how to do it.”

The vet tech was impressed. “He’s a good patient.”

Dr. Beasley saw reason for optimism in the results. His spine is still basically in good shape, except for a kind of degeneration called “bridging spondylosis” between his L2 and L3 vertebrae. She didn’t see any “bone spurs.”

We thought Adequan injections had helped Winston in the past, but recently another vet had vetoed the idea of trying it again, saying, “I’ve never seen it work.”

In contrast, Dr. Beasley was enthusiastic about the idea. She gave Winston his first injection and said to continue with an injection twice a week for four weeks, then once a month. They cost $37 each.

She had lots of other ideas, too:

An orthopedic sling for lifting his butt.

Doubling the dose of his supplements of glucosamine and chondroitin, continuing MSM, possibly adding fish oil.

Acupuncture. “Acupuncture works really well on dogs with this condition.” She gave us the names and numbers of three practitioners and said they might make house calls.

Doubling his dose of Rimadyl, a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.

Putting an ice pack on his hips after exercise.

Reducing his weight by 10 pounds.

A pet ramp to help him get in and out of the car.

Doing passive range of motion exercises on his hind legs.

Taking him swimming (in warm weather) or getting him to use an underwater treadmill.

I thought a doggie wheelchair might be a possibility, but Dr. Beasley thought I was too pessimistic. “He’s not at that point yet!”

Dillon and I went from feeling like there was nothing we could do to feeling overwhelmed by all the treatment options! It was a good feeling.

“Is there really a chance of improvement?” I asked.

“There’s a chance!” Dr. Beasley affirmed.

I don’t think we can do all of the above, but we will try some of it. Some of these would be useless without Dillon. Winston is way too heavy for me to lift his butt, even with a sling. I sensed the burden of responsibility that Dillon bears because of her physical strength. I give thanks for having her in my life, in my pack.

It started raining as we drove home, and rain tends to make Winston get stiff or start limping. When we got home, Winston was really pathetic: tired, hungry, needing Dillon’s help just to get into the house. I fed him and he curled up on the floor near the heater.

We thought he would stay there all day, but no. As soon as we left the room, he pulled himself up and followed. I took a nap in the bedroom while Winston joined Dillon in her office, grateful to the hero who kept him going.