It was not a pretty dog picture; we ventured up the hill back in November to see if we were dealing with hip problems, knee problems, or what not. Big loves going up to the vet. He jumps in the car so excited, but turning the first corner he realizes we only ever drive him to the vet and begins whimpering and putting his slobbery head on our shoulders. The vet pokes and prods him which he just loves but will not sit still or lie down the correct way because new best friend, laying on the floor, let's play a game! Without sedating him, she suggested that it might have been a torque that will just need rest and medicine.
The medicine got us through two weeks and we put him on no backyard playing and just easy walking. No dice. Big hobbled his way sadly through Christmas and New Years looking mighty morose because we weren't taking the ball out everytime! Sorry, buddy, you attack the ball like it is going to get stolen, everytime. Seriously, how do you not realize that only you are fetching that ball and just jog easy every once in a while?
We went back to FAC to meet a different vet thinking for sure our problem was a hip problem because he didn't fuss when his knee was fiddled with. Well he didn't fuss because he is a dog and generally they don't fuss, but the problem after watching him walk and sedating him to palpate him was a knee problem. This was a mild relief because I would assume hips are more problematic and more expensive and trickier to take care of. We heard with great detail the couple of optional procedures we had to choose from. We decided on the more pricey one that will hopefully have better long term results over one that would have to be redone in a few years. However with incoming family, including a new very interesting human being, we decided to wait for the surgery until this first week of February.
That has come and gone and we are now at day four of post-op recovery. Taking him up there Wednesday morning was a stress-fest because of the timing, the whining in the car, and the state of the vet's being renovated office. Big was first disappointed in only the way labs can display disappointment on their epically sad faces. I didn't not give him breakfast post morning outing. Then I didn't go away and let him return to his office when Pete got on the going-away clothes and left. I then took him in the car to the place that stole his balls where he never gets to meet all the other people or dogs. He has the strength of a bear when he wants to meet someone or something. He will not sit when he has decided to go visit them and I couldn't sign my name on the paper or leave my number without first wrangling him repeatedly. A vet or office assistant came and said here I'll get him and in his haste to go see all the people, I didn't get the touching good bye I had planned in my head. Sigh. I already felt like a crappy dog-mom for letting him get hurt in this manner, now I was worse for not getting to pat his head and say good bye.
Everything went well with the procedure. He is now made of titanium so our Darth Vader dog is ready to resume his dog dominance of ball fetching in about 4-6 months. He came through the door at the vet with his usual move-it-ness but on three legs. His naked leg and missing back patch only add to the sad appearance he is naturally inclined to show. He pulled the poor vet tech down the icy ramp outside the office before getting in my car and crying the whole way home. However, he did not eat the two ortho beds I got for our living room and his crate; we shall chalk that up to maturity perhaps? He has a couple more days then we start seeing if he can put down his leg with pressure for short increments (a minute-so this will be like dog planking with a foot). He loves taking his medicine and by loves I mean he tries to spit it back out and so we have to drop them in and squeeze his face until he swallows. The most stressful moments are getting him outside and back inside and watching him want to leap into the feet of stupid snow in the yard. Come on dog, just pick so we can get back inside for more laying around! It's February, that is what this month is good for.
