Today, we took Charley in to the vet to get more thyroid meds and because he has been limping periodically on his front leg. We were actually relieved that it was his front leg and not his back leg because we knew hip dysplacia was common in goldens- especially with his weight. Until we got to the vet that is...
The good: Charley got weighed and he has lost a total of (drum roll please) over51 pounds! He nows weighs 117lbs! Woohoo! Only 17 more lbs. to go! He is so much more active, looks great, and is FULL of life! I asked Aaron why he didn't help me lose 51 lbs. He said he would, but he would have to cut my food back to 2 cups a day as well... I declined.
The bad: While we were relieved Charley didn't have hip dysplacia, we were saddened to find out he has elbow dysplacia. Who knew dogs had elbows!!?? Apparently Aaron did. The vet took an xray of his elbow, and it showed that the elbow joint never connected the way it was supposed to. Given his young age, 6 years, the vet said it was just the way he was born, and that his large size probably just added to the problem. Now that he's much more active, it is flaring up because he's using his legs more. So in addition to the twice daily thyroid pills, he will take a twice daily anti-inflamatory drug to help the swelling go down. The free dog now costs more than a purebred puppy with its papers. Irony... Isn't that how it always is?
The Ugly: Charley's condition is treatable only to help him cope with it, but it will worsen and can not be cured. He will have to have surgery in the future. Of course it is with an orthopedic surgeon in LA! I can't imagine how much that will cost- and it will only make the situation tolerable for Charley, not fix it permantly. While right now, he will periodically limp and feel pain, it will continue to worsen, and eventually he will limp all the time.
I went home and cried. I know we've only had Charley since February, and we have Molly too, but Charley is the dog that you always wanted. He's the "man's best friend" dog. He's a great dog! I know he's not dying tomorrow, and that all dogs are mortal, but this makes it a little too soon for me to deal with.
To top it off, while we were waiting for Charley to have his xray, this man came in with his poodle. They sat side by side, very stoic- even the dog. He signed a paper, and they took the dog from him to be put down. I cried right then and there for that poor man. He looked terrible, but he was brave and didn't cry. It was just too much- too real.
No one told me when we got our pets that one day they would die!
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