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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sorry not to get back yesterday everyone, but I was too busy trying to get medicine down Holly the I’m Refusing to Eat Dolly to do anything else. We really do appreciate all the drool and good thoughts. Okay -- I took Holly in to the Vet who took one look at how she was semi-walking with her back legs turning in and dragging and flopping, and said oh yes, definitely back problems. They did an x-ray, and it showed that Holly has two vertebrae/discs in her lower back where calcification is occurring. No discs blown out or bulging, thank doG. Holly is what I call my firecracker dog, she may be 12 or 13 but she has always run around like she was much younger. Vet said she probably twisted her back somehow, and because of the degeneration and her age, she’s having problems. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We came home with a muscle relaxer that I can’t remember the name of, Tramadol and Rimadyl. First day she refused to eat so I had to cram the muscle relaxer and Tramadol down her throat. (Rimadyl instructions say with a meal and she wasn’t eating. And why two pain pills?) The amount of Tramadol they said to give was too much, she was in zombieland all day and into the night, so next day I broke it in half and that did better. She finally started eating a little last night. This morning I gave her the muscle relaxer and ˝ of the Rimadyl instead of the Tramadol just to see what would happen, and she has been doing a lot better today. Tramadol is in the refrigerator for emergencies and we are now using the Rimadyl instead, it’s working better for Holly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>She’s not right by any means, but I’m seeing a little improvement every day so far (this is day three). Her back is still a little bit humped up, back legs are working a bit better and she’s a little more stable, but she can’t lift the back feet or legs, so they hang on the pet door and she has to drag them over the lip one at a time unless I’m there to help. Fingers crossed that we continue to see improvement and she gets back close to normal. I don’t imagine that we’ll be doing any more long walks, just short up and down the block ones from now on, but that’s okay. The Vet seemed to think that Holly would be okay with a little luck. I’ll send an update in a few more days. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oh by the way, Sister Gracie has been suffering back and leg problems this year because of very severe arthritis, and wow did the meds from the Vet not help at all. Metacam? So I’ve been giving her some natural/homeopathic stuff, and she is doing better. Not great mind you, but better. Gracie is 14 or 15, so we’re not going to get miracles, but you can tell she is feeling better. Now we have to get the toebones trimmed again. Hers are big and thick and grow really fast, and she has Brudder Elwood’s attitude about toebone sawing. And she can get out of muzzles. So we go to the groomers and pay them, much easier on poor old Mama’s nerves. We were going this week but then Holly went down, and that was that. Maybe Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A question for Dale Rutz – do you think the stuff you give your doggies would help Gracie or Holly? The Triple something or other joint stuff? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Anita Woodrum<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'><a href="mailto:awoodrum@clear.net">awoodrum@clear.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>