Lameness Update

OK so Ella’s PREVIOUS vet got even lamer today. Dumbfounded that I didn't hear from him yesterday, I didn’t receive any call from anyone at all until 12:30pm this afternoon. He left a message. Had the nerve to use the ol’ “Um, I didn’t feel my beeper vibrate in my pocket and just got your message.” excuse. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? Are you a guy giving me an obligatory call back after a few dates when you really just want to blow me off (hypothetically. That’s never happened of course), or are you my veterinarian? Anyway, I called his office, had them fax me Ella’s records, and that’s the last I will ever speak of Dr. Lamo.

Moving on…tonight I took Ella to see Dr. Jackson at the Center for Veterinary Care on E. 75th Street. SO MUCH BETTER! She doesn’t see any evidence that it’s broken or fractured, although Ella did not like her manipulating either of her front elbows very much (in all fairness, if Dr. Jackson were pressing that hard on my elbows, I wouldn’t much like it either). But Ella really didn't have much of a reaction to any of the other horrifying positions in which Dr. Jackson maneuvered her legs. She suggested it would be good to get her elbows x-rayed when she gets spayed just to make sure they look ok and are in alignment. Of course I’m already nervous about her joints so that didn’t help my anxiety level much, but she recommended it really more as a precaution than because she has any evidence of a problem. Because of course immediately after Ella was done glaring about the elbow exam, she got up and RAN up and down the hallway – not exactly the behavior of a pup with bad elbows!

So anyway, back to the here and now…Dr. Jackson prescribed her an anti-inflammatory (Metacam) and advised continued exercise restriction for the next week or so. If Ella gets better, fabulous – then it was probably just a sprain. If she doesn’t, then we have to get some x-rays and go from there. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a little more rest and time will heal all wounds.

Of course, restricting Ella’s exercise is easier said than done. And I think that Metacam was actually liquid speed because it gave her the zoomies like nobody’s business. Her adrenaline was pumping so hard she was running like she was on fire, jumping up and down off of the couch, and even up onto my bed (which she’s normally not yet able to get up on). And all this jumping is not exactly what the good doctor prescribed! I had to literally lie on top of her when she got on the bed just to stop her and make sure she didn’t try to leap off like Super Puppy! (I swear all she was missing was the cape) Ahh, well. I think that anti-inflammatory just had her feeling like her old self again…spry and ready to go!

Reminds me of the good old days when she was running me ragged 3 hours a day in Central Park. Speaking of, here’s a clip of us on the day she was injured (before the injury, obviously)…hopefully I’ll be complaining about all that excessive physical activity again very soon…



P.S. Ella is now 26-and-a-half pounds!!! Holy cow! Dr. Jackson says she’s going to be a ‘big girl’. How did this happen? She had such tiny paws when she was 8 weeks old! Oh well, might have to get rid of some furniture to make room for her in my apartment, but we’ll figure out how to make it work…