Doggy Stuff

August 26

Tika has sore back hips. Since yesterday she is limping a bit. I told DH tonight that I am calling the vet tomorrow. I just can't imagine being completely dependent on someone and they are ignoring you're chronic pain I just picture myself alone in a bed in a seniors home.

But omg, the vet bill is going to be big. Just to diagnosis it I'm sure will run $500+. Then to treat it I'm really nervous about it. We are so tight on money, not just because we want to do stuff later in life, but simply to survive. I'm just worried they're going to tell me it's in the $2000 range or something like that.

We cannot do that. It would take years to pay it off and there would be no sports or lessons of any kind for our girls. I don't want to have to make a decision to end her life or let her suffer. She's only 5 years. I don't imagine someone would adopt an older dog with health issues.Send some good luck vibes for us.

August 28 - vet appointment

The ligaments in her back knees are both ruptured and she has developed arthritis as her body's way of stabilizing the knees. He said typically they distribute their weight 60% in the front but by the looks of her overdeveloped muscles in front and lack of them in the rear that she's more likely doing 85%. To fix it would need surgery - $3800. Which isn't happening but we can keep her comfortable as long as we can. She's only 5, so she's still too young to say screw it and kill her.

She's going to be on a medication for pain and inflammation and Glucosamine. We're going the cheap route for now, it it isn't working there is a powder that is more expensive than the glucosamine, after that there is a food. We think we're going to a series of 4 weekly shots that is supposed to "kick start" the glucosamine so that she has relief faster than the 8 weeks it takes for the glucosamine to work.

No intense exercise and no stairs. Good thing we have baby gates. And it ended up not too bad for the bill - $185. Ne xrays, just felt her joints. The medication isn't too expensive. Poor doggy, I hope it works fast.

My poor puppy, we walked in the vet and she tried to bolt out the door so I had to drag her in. She lay on the floor and shook like crazy. We had to push her to the examination room and she trembled and panted the whole time.

August 29

I put the medicine on her toast and the other stuff mixed in a bit of peanut butter spread on top and she thinks she's gone to heaven. Peanut butter is her favourite thing in the world.

We went out and bought her the best dog bed we could find - she's been sleeping on layers and layers of blankets on top of foam floor mats. There wasn't much out there, but this one was the thickest and it has a removable cover for washing that no other ones had She loves it We figured since we spent less on the vet than we thought that we'd spend a bit on a damn dog bed for her It's the least we could do.

But we had to reconfigure our entrance since it's the only place she can be in the house. Everything has stairs (babygated again - I just in the last month got rid of those) and the entrance is surrounded by the room with the "new" floor - 2 years and she won't go near it - and the kitchen which she has always been terrified of.We moved the bench into the sittingroom and put the bed in it's place - the only space it fit. She loves the bed, but would rather it be in one of her regular spots (suck it up).

The photo is my favourite of her from 2 years ago. I was 5 months pregnant and had just gotten home from my last day of work before summer vacation. DH and Ava were out so I took the Dog and my camera to the patch of milkweed to take photos of caterpillars and snapped of her as we lay in the overgrown grass just basking in the sun.