It’s always something | Arthritis Information

My faithful, loyal buddy Charlie (golden retriever) has been limping around all week. I was hoping it would resolve itself considering how expensive a trip to the vet always is. It wasn't getting any better so I took him in today (cha ching) and vet says it's either soft tissue damage from some sort of injury, or it's a joint disorder that is common to GR's around Charlie's age called OCD. It requires surgery at 1300.00. So now Charlie's taking NSAID's for a couple of weeks. If it's better then it was just an injury. If not, than it's the other and I just don't know how I will pay for something like that. Especially after having to replace the hot water heater last week. Whenever you think you're going to be ahead.....BAM. Why does it always go like that?

Sorry to hear about Charlie's injury. Our dog did something similar on New Year's Day with added screaming her head off non-stop which scared the bejeebers out of us. Being a holiday, we had to take her to an animal trauma center- serious cha-ching! They gave her pain meds (she was still yiping) which she promptly vomited. They gave her a barfy med, more pain meds, and something to drug her so they could do x-rays. They said she tore a ligament, but our vet said probably not since she was putting weight on it that evening when he called to check on her. He told us to keep her down for two weeks and gave her anti-inflams too. She got better, but it has happened twice since Jan 1. Our vet says her knee is popping in and out of socket and needs to have surgery.... I guess there's never a good time for that. We are putting it off for the time being. Keeping her down was the hardest part because we have two other dogs and she is still a puppy (2yrs. old)

We have a very sick kitty so we've been to the vet numerous times over the last month. She needs to be put down :( but hubby is fighting it. Monday we have another appt for her. All but one of our pets have been rescues and our vet has taken care of all of them. I think if you have good relationship, they will let you make payments. We havent had to yet, But soon, I think...

Aww, I'm sorry about your cat Deb. That's so hard to put down your old friend, even when it's for the best.

Hopefully my dog won't need the surgery, but I guess if he does, we'll figure something out. We always do.

you didnt mention how old Charlie is. Is he a jumper? That makes it harder to rest him... Best of luck!Charlie's just a young'n, almost 2. He doesn't really jusmp on people, but I've seen him take a few flying leaps from the stairs, seen him wipe out a time or two, too. He's fot a lot of happy puupy energy. You know all about that, huh?

We had surgery on our dog (a shephard mix) a few years back, and did not get a second opinion. Comet was 12+ years old at the time, and our vet pretty much insured us that it would correct an arthritic deformity on one of her front legs, which would help her walk and get up and down better. We went with the surgery (which cost us a bundle) but she never really recovered from the surgery and we had to have her put down a couple of months later. It was so heartbreaking, and I felt TERRIBLE for putting her through a surgery that probably never had a chance for success because of her advanced age.

Hopefully that isn't the case with Charlie, and he'll respond to the NSAID'S and be back to normal soon!

Linncn what medication did they give you for Charlie? Rimadyl? Metacam? Hopefully it's just simple injury that will heal on it's own with the meds and rest. The best thing you can do at this point is to restrict his activity the best you can. Leash walk him if you can instead of letting him go out in the yard on his own. If you have a crate and he doesn't stress over it, it's best to crate him while you are away from home to restrict his activity while unsupervised. If he seems painful you can also rotate cool and warm compresses in the area. I hope this helps. Deb is right about your vet working with you if you've built a relationship with them. I work for a large animal hospital and although we don't offer payments on a regular basis we will work with our clients when need be. We love your pets as much as you do and want to help them or we wouldn't do what we do.

Deb, I'm sorry to hear about your fur baby troubles and sorry to hear that it is almost time to let your kitty go. Letting go is always the hardest part of loving them.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Pet Insurance, it can be really good if you get it when they are young. You do have to pay at the vet but they reimburse you pretty quick and they have quite a few plans to chose from. It covers a portion of the yearly vaccines, flea and heartworm meds etc... and is really great for major treatments. I'd be happy to help any of you with information if interested.

Give those fur babies a big smooch, take care & good luck!

Peace & Love...Neasy

Gale I just read your post about Comet...I'm so sorry, that's just awful. It's never a bad idea to get a second opinion when a doctor is talking surgery. Unfortunately and I hate to say this but it's true...there are doctors out there that do surgery when it's not in the best interest of the pet because it is BIG MONEY. There are also some that don't fully explain the options or explain what really could or couldn't happen. I found myself a little angry that at 12 years old you were offered surgery. I know I don't know the whole story and perhaps that was the best option but putting a 12 year old large breed dog under anesthesia and performing surgery is a huge decision. I'm really sorry you had to go through that.

Peace & Love...Neasy

((((hugs)))) to everyone with fur baby problems. Yeah those Goldens tend to have those problems. We have a Lab mix that we watch very carefully for the same thing. Hopefully Charlie just has a boo-boo. Keep us informed!!!

Thanks, I sure will. Neasy, he's taking Metacam. He hasn't had x-rays yet because the vet said with his size and the area to be x-rayed he'd have to be anesthetized. He doesn't want to do that if it isn't necessary. SO, if in 2 weeks he has not gotten better, x-rays will be the next step. I will definitly try the compresses, thanks for the advice.

Brisen...so sorry about Comet. Pets, you just love them so much, it's such an incredible loss when they're gone. I had a Border Collie before Charlie and he got bloat during the night. We didn't know it. I got up in the morning just in time to see him go into a seizure and when it was over, he was gone. That was 2 years ago and I still miss that dog. He was my good friend. I guess you feel just the same way about Comet.

Linda

(((((((Hugs)))))))) to all the fur critters and their owners. We've had a sick kitty for the last 6 months and he's just stabilized. I know what all of you are going through. Take care. Lindy

Yes Linda. We will always miss Comet, as she was the best friend and companion anyone could ask for. Our grief was so strong at first, we didn't think we'd get another dog for quite a while, or even at all.

Fortunately, our daughter gave us a beagle puppy for Christmas, about a month after we had to put Comet down. Although there is never a way to replace one dog in your heart with another, Molly has soooo warmed our hearts and has truly been the gift that just keeps on giving.

We will NEVER forget our Comet though, and in fact, we have her ashes in a cedar box on top of a bookcase. Guess that is just our way of staying connected with her memory.

Here's a picture of our new memory maker, aka Molly. :)

Linda,

How's Charlie doing? I'm glad to hear they gave him Metacam. It's a good pain medication/anti inflamatory and easier on the kidney's than Rimadyl. I hope he's doing better and won't need the x-rays. Keep us updated.

Peace & Love...Neasy

Sorry to hear about your troubles.We have a golden retriever and she is showing signs of back leg problems ( she is 10) me and her limp along together

Linda

So sorry to hear bout your pup. I have Goldens too. My Daisy Head Mayzie had to be put down last Nov. after suffering w/ a giant belly tumor for months. Anyway, unless you have doggie insurance, even pain meds are crazy expensive. I gave Daisy 2 baby asprin, sometimes 3 every day. It made a difference to be sure. Hope she starts feeling better soon. Look at that face!!!!! Oh man she is cute!!!I had a cat I just loved to bits and he was diabetic and had bad teeth so he
needed a lot of dental work and was probably the most expensive cat ever
(and also the most cuddly sweetest!). Once Eli Lilly decided to discontinue
the insulin he was on and I had to board him at the vets for 4 days while
they monitored him on his new insulin to see if it was okay and it was really
expensive (I had to do that a bunch of times but this particular time I felt Eli
Lilly should have to pay as the cat wasn't even sick!).

My point is if I ever get another pet I am definatly getting pet health
insurance.

Good luck with your beloved dog. They really rely on us. Also, check if your
vet has a subsidy program for people in financial problems.I wish I had it. My son' girl was just elling me the other day, before Charlie's leg went, that she was getting it for her little Corgi. I think it'd be too late for me now, I would imagine they want a check-up before they'll insure you. I'm thinkin' a possible 1300.00 surgery would disqualify us.

Linncn...Does Charlie have any other pre-existing conditions? As far as the pet insurance they do penalize you for pre-existing conditions. Other than that it's based on the age of your pet and what plan you want to go with. If Charlie has been in good health other than this one incident...the pet insurance might work out for you. Here are two I'm familiar with if you want to take a look and don't hesitate to ask your veterinarian about insurance. We have seminars where the people from the pet insurance companies come and talk to us and explain how the policies work.

www.petinsurance.com

www.petcareinsurance.com

Peace & Love...Neasy

Linda, I too feel your pain. We spent an hour in the Vets office on Sat. My Dutch shepherd has some lumps that have spred, and we are waiting on the results. I hope to hear something about it on WED. Kodi is 10, an old but sweet puppy, who is one of the best parts of my life. I definitely know what you are feeling.