[Dailydrool] Amelia's legs

[Beverly Szaton]

Here is my suggestion, based on Nigel and on Mitchell as well. It is just
my opinion based on my experience and what little knowledge I have picked
up working for the Vet.

RUN do not walk. To your Vet for xrays of her spine. You are not looking
for breakage you are looking for damage. I am absolutely shocked that the
ER Vet did not suggest a review by an Orthopedic specialist. This is how
dogs go down in the rear and your window for surgical intervention if it is
needed, is very slim.

I am not trying to frighten you. I noticed one day that Nigel wasn't acting
right. I took him in. One back foot was slow to right itself. It is called
conscious propreoception. It means there is a delay between the brain and
the nerve delivering the message.
Altho I saw the slowness in the response and altho I have been through it
before and altho I worked over 20 yrs at the Vets, I did not heed the
warning. And that's what it was. (This was not my regular Vet: he would
never have missed that.) A warning that all was not well in the spine. He
went home on meds. The next morning he could not walk.
We did medical intervention and it did not work. The time frame for surgery
was past.

My rule (one of them.) is that whenever a Basset limps, staggers, seems
weak, has slow conscious propreoception ( a test you can do by flipping the
foot upside down: the dog should INSTANTLY pick it up and put it down
correctly.Any lag is significant.) he goes in for comprehensive xrays of
the back, neck and hips as well as bloodwork. Period. No exceptions. Even
if I saw him trip over a step the day before, he goes in.
Mitchell, by the way, came back nicely with medication and rest.
Nigel did not.

MomPerson to Nigel, Llewis, Conley and Doc
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