Saw the specialist!

Diary of the day? Yay! Thanks, Dogster!

We just got back from seeing the specialist. As it turns out, Kail's problem, though she does have hip dysplasia, is not her hips. The major problem is her knees. The cranial cruciate ligament, what would be called the ACL in humans according to the vet, in both her knees are torn.

The vet believes, because of her age, that she was born with them defective and that they weren't torn through exercise or something like that. Kail has discoid lupus, which can cause joint pain, and because of this, the veterinarian does not want to do surgery on her right now - she'll still have trouble. He wants me to watch for her lifting one leg. If/when that happens, he wants to see her again and surgery may be an option then.

For now, she needs to be kept thin, and be kept from running (she can walk as much as she wants). She's a hyper pup, I'm not sure how she's going to handle this!

Update

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while.
Kail is doing well. She has been diagnosed with discoid lupus, nothing too serious; she just needs to have ointment put on her nose every other day for the rest of her life, easy fix! I am taking her to see a specialist on Friday to find out what needs to be done for her hip dysplasia. So, maybe I'll have something more to post then!

Woohoo!

Kail graduated last night! She passed her beginner obedience class with a score of 187 out of 200 on her last test (it was scored like a novice obedience trial, I guess? I don't know much about these things, haha.) I'm very proud of her! She's come a very long way :)
I think we're going to work toward getting her CGC now!

Update

Kail is doing well! I think the joint supplements are helping. She doesn't slip and slide around the house as much anymore, and even the "bunny hop" kind of run she does has improved. She had needed pain medicine for a few days when she was getting used to going out and exercising, but she hasn't needed any for a while.
:)

Poor girl...

We went to the vet today for her first visit (with me, anyway). I had some concerns about her back legs, as she slips and slides around on them and walks / stands a bit funny ... Well, the vet agreed that there was some issue with her back end and recommended we do x-rays. So... my poor girl has hip dysplasia. :(

They said it wasn't the worse case they've seen, but sent us home with some pain pills and the recommendation that we keep her active but pay attention to how she feels.

Poor girl.. but you're home now, Kail, and I'm gonna take care of you.

Welcome to the family!

I saw a picture of a cute doggy at the SPCA last night... (I'd been checking a lot since my Khloe passed away ... Miss him a ton) This morning, we got there right at 10 am, just as they opened, and not an hour later we were coming home with our new pup, Kail.
Welcome to the family, sweetie.