2010-06-18

Hurting Right Quad

Bailey saw Dr. Julia Tomlinson today on the recommendation of many, many friends.  It's taken us a while to get there due to a few reasons but boy am I glad we finally went.  Dr. Julia was wonderfully competent and clearly understood dog behavior.  She took the time to let Bailey get used to the room before even entering herself.  After she entered, we chatted for a couple minutes as Bailey sniffed her and got to know her.  She read our check in sheet and took care when working with Bailey's feet... oh, and she had dehydrated liver for her.  Despite manipulating and poking and prodding Bailey for quite a while, my dog was relaxed, and in turn I was very at ease with the whole thing.

I was most impressed by her ability to find things that I clearly didn't tell her (because she didn't want to cloud her judgement).  Measuring Bailey's right shoulder abduction at 30cm, when left was at 20cm, prompted a question about possible trauma.  She made me recall that Bailey had dislocated her right shoulder as a young dog (we were playing frisbee, she lied down in front of me, I stepped on her foot as I threw and she leaped up to get it... it was NOT pretty and I'm sure quite painful, but it went back in on it's own in a matter of seconds).  I don't think I've even told the vet about it, because it seemed so insignificant.  It went back in, right?  Obviously there was lasting trauma.  She was even able to show me some changes on the x-ray.

I have a list of exercises to work on with Bailey (I lured/shaped a bow today... she doesn't have one apparently, but is learning pretty quickly) and a list of restrictions.  She's still coming to Ohio with me (she HAS to) but she won't get to participate in anything, other than being a massage dog.

My dog has a hurt right quad, and hurts in a lot of other areas due to compensating.

2 comments:

Laura and The Corgi, Toller, & Duck said...

glad you went and got some answers! Hopefully Bailey will be feeling better soon.

Megan said...

I'm very glad we went too... except for the fact that I want to bring Buzz to her now too! They have a specific thing FOR senior/arthritic dogs!

We recheck in two weeks (she wanted one, but I'll be in Ohio) and go from there. Then I'll see about getting Buzz in.