Good news: Reef's joints, bones, and teeth all look great for a dog his age. Bad news: x-rays are not cheap. With the recent cold snaps, Reef has been wearing fleece booties to keep his paws warm on our daily walks. Naturally he hates them. So when it warmed up enough for a booty-less walk the other day, Reef went berserk in the snow and ran full speed down our back road. A few hours later his age caught up with him. He did not want to put much weight on his hind legs and refused to climb any stairs. I think it might be the first time I've heard him whimper...ever. Well except for that one time I slammed his tail in the car door. Long story short I took him to the vet and he gave a strong reaction to pressure being applied to his lower spine - he nearly bit the vet's head off. X-rays revealed very little-to-no arthritis growth or signs of a torn tendon, but did show a possible swelling of the disk between the L7 (lumbar) vertebra and the sacrum (the space just after the fifth vertebra from the left of frame). Hopefully with rest and some anti-inflammatory pills he and I can avoid the next step, an expensive visit to the MRI.
Unknown X-ray machine, ISO-I'm not sure, f/ doesn't apply, probably happened really fast.
Poor Beef. Just like that time when he cut his paw running like a maniac in the snow. For whatever its worth, he was always mopey and lethargic whenever you weren't home when we lived at Bonn/Wedemeyer. Hope he heels quick. Being bed ridden is no fun, regardless if you're man or dog.
ReplyDeleteSending our love to Reefernoogan! Sorry to hear the news. Classic for him to have excitement beyond his years...most of us are the same way. xoxo -rach
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