My good news is my bad news today. The good and bad news is that because bear bait started limping last week, and because this is her third limping episode and because these episodes don't occur in a pattern the astronomically overproced veterinary orthopedist finally made some headway into her problem. Today they extracted some fluid from her joints, all of which made her cry out in sad heart breaking doggy screams when pressed, and at least one joint fluid showed obvious signs of infection. Poor bear bait is on three medicines tonight. She is on a heavy duty pain killer, an anti biotic and an anti inflammatory. Hopefully when her lab results come back it shows that she is on the correct antibiotic for what she has brewing in there. I don't want to waste any of her time with the wrong medicine. I feel completely guilty that in retrospect there were signs, like her overly excessive barking of the past couple of months, and also she cried when I was brushing her and I went to brush the area around her shoulders. I feel kind of bad. She's probably been hurting for a long time now.
I was thankful to the regular old vet, who sent me back to the vet orthopedist, who reassured me that I did not hurt her by walking too much. (We've walking more lately because of the beautiful spring weather) or taking her to the beach (she started to limp on the beach last week, I thought maybe she had cut her foot on a shell. The beaches here are very sharp shell covered)
In the mean time they don't want me to walk her at all for the next two weeks. I can tell you that they are going to have to provide more pain killers for her if they think she is going to lie around the house for two whole weeks. This is going to be as torrturous for her as the pain. This girl loves to be on the go and I love to be on the go with her.
There is one woman who lost her dog last winter who still shows up at the fields and still walks with the other dog owners. Sometimes I wonder if I might show up once bear bait is gone. Nine is freaking ancient for a flat coated retriever, and I guess a part of me knew she hasn't been feeling well for a while. But what I am asking myself now is wether or not I can go up the fields and leave bear bait at home! I do love walking, and I do want to keep on with my running. Yeah, I will be there without her.
Speaking of running, I got a massage yesterday because I am trying very hard to find someone who can relieve my own pain, which is shoulder and upper arm from when I slipped on the ice and ended up hanging myself from the seat belt by my wrist last winter. My shoulder never recovered and I don't feel like going to the chiro I've been using here. Too rough. So I opted for acupuncture instead and driving home from acupuncture yesterday I decided to stop in at new massage parlor that looks more like a head shop or a chinese food take out place from the outside because someone recommended it to me and it was a fabulous massage. This woman worked my hips and holy hell they were tight, but this morning when I ran (I'm off schedule) I could feel the improvement, so massages might be in my future. Luckily when you look like you might be selling porn in the back room your massages end up being pretty reasonably priced.
I've been grain free since Saturday because the guy who I am going to for acupuncture is actually a naturopath and he is putting the pressure on me to clean up my diet. No time like the present. (I don't ever say, that is totally not my saying) I know that I can't keep putting it off forever. It's only been four days but between the inflammation that has begun to subside and the five pounds of water retention the scale says I lost I am already feeling quite relieved. This time around I have to keep it up. I can't continue to abuse my body with stuff that isn't even food.
Comments