Vet visit 29th August

After a good night’s sleep, even though she got me up at 12.35 desperate for a wee and performed as soon as I opened the gate, we were up early.
I walked Maggie round the block before breakfast and she was moving much better, though still a little stiff.
As I settled down to my cereal and morning cuppa I felt like the wicked witch as those brown soulful eyes pleaded with me for something to eat.
Our appointment was 11am, so we allowed ourselves time to walk around the picnic area on the way so that Maggie could do any business.
With plenty of time to spare on arrival, we let Maggie have a sniff round the grounds and the vet came out to watch her movement. It was the lady vet we’ve seen before, and we had a good chat as she examined her on the table. She was very thorough and gentle, manipulating the limbs just as her colleague had done yesterday. There is still some good movement in her back legs, and it is her left elbow that is causing the main problem, though there is the beginnings of arthritis in both shoulders.

Basically, the vet was unhappy to put her under for  X-rays which would only tell us what we already know. We talked about treatments available, including injections into the joints which would encourage tissue growth, but she explained this was usually better for dogs younger than Maggie as the regenerative process would be more successful. It was also a little on the expensive side, but one thing we do like about this vets surgery is that they put the animal first, not profit.
We talked about NSaids such as the metacam we are using now that is working, and  supplements like glucosomine which we are also giving her daily.
As what we are doing is giving her relief, we are to continue with the metacam for the next five days, walk her at her pace to exercise the joints, and keep on with the glucosomine.
When that ceases to work, then they can give her steroids.
Our concern has always been the side effects that long term use of metacam or the similar loxicam which is now preferred can have on her kidneys. We have agreed that they will do a blood test in 6 months to check that, and if necessary every 6 months depending on how often we have to use it.
The total bill was a modest £15 as we already have the necessary medication.
Had we gone to the other vet (they who could do nothing about the lump in her mouth which this vet removed and there has been no reoccurance) , we would have been more than £200 worse off as they would have charged us £38 for the consultant appointment yesterday, £150 – £180 for the X rays, and a further consultancy charge today.

We went into town for some lunch, sharing it of course with Maggie for being such a good girl,  then came home and gave her breakfast with her glucosomine and metacam dose in it and a generous grating of cheese.
We’ve had another walk since and her movements are definitely more fluid, but she does stiffen up after resting, just like we do.
If we have any more concerns though, we’re to phone the vet and they’ll have another look at her.

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