Saturday night the dog was trotting back across the front yard - after successfully chasing off the neighbor's cat - when she yipped and began limping. The next morning she wasn't any better (not putting any weight at all on her hind leg) so we took her in to the emergency vet. (Why must they always do these things on the weekend??) It would seem she has torn her "cruciate ligament" (like an ACL in a human). We have a vet consult tomorrow to see what we are up against. It sounds expensive and not a great outcome, at this point. Like, surgery in the $1,500 - $3,000 range.... and may not be a total cure..... and more likely than not, she'll pop the one on the other leg in a couple years... Why? WHY??? Do I not have enough to worry about right now? Cripes. She's only 8 years old; not a pup, but not old, either. I've been researching on the web.... now I'm on one of those "information overloads".... "surgery is the only option" "surgery often doesn't help"' "without surgery they'll get serious arthritis" "no matter what, they seem to get arthritis" And on and on it goes, even to the dangers of the anti-inflammitories she's now on... There are even 3 - 4 types of surgery for this, and everyone has their opinion as to the best one........ And I can't tell you how fun it is to lift her 100lb. self into the back of my full-size SUV.... then of course, all the other thoughts are swirling around in my head.... Will I have to get a new, lower car? Will we have to rent a ground-floor apartment when we move? Can she ever go on off-leash walks again? Will we have to buy a little doggie ramp so she can get on off the bed? I am a mess, totally. Today, we just hucked school, and we went to a movie then out to lunch. Because my brain needed some time off.
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