Saturday found me in the car driving for dog food and leaving a convoluted message on my vet’s voice-mail.
Yes, I’m adding one more thing to my ever growing list of things to have taken care of at Sampson’s dental cleaning.
For those of you keeping score at home that would be
- One dental cleaning
- Removal of one Sebaceous cyst
- Removal of one fatty tumor
- X-rays of his back legs and lower spine
- And one secret procedure I will tell you about AFTER the cleaning
My crazy, incoherent message indicated I wanted x-rays of Sampson’s back end.
So right now you’re thinking, Jeez, she really is the crazy dog lady. And truthfully, I think you might be justified in that thought. I think. You can call me paranoid, over-cautious, and behind my back you probably do call me that crazy dog lady, but guess what?
I’m okay with that. I really am. Because this dog literally saved me from an abyss these last few years and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him healthy and happy as long as possible.
I know you’re probably wondering what tossed me off the deep end thinking Sampson needs x-rays. I’ve been noticing for a while that his back legs shake sometimes. And not just at one particular time. Sometimes they shake when he’s standing, sometimes they shake when he’s squatting and sometimes they shake when he has them up in the air.
In and of itself I suppose it’s to be expected. Except when I posted this picture
Animal Couriers said, “Lovely shot – looks like Sampson is doing a ‘lazy’ sit as we call it.”
I started paying attention and I noticed that Sampson sits that way a LOT, always tucking his left side in under him. Okay, maybe he is just lazy.
Then he fell/slipped. At least four times in the last two weeks. Every time it was that left side.
One time we were walking to the park and he was walking through some leaves, stopped to tinkle and slipped off the curb. It could have been the leaves and him not knowing where the curb was.
One time he slipped and sort of fell on his side (again in leaves) as he was making a turn from the trail to the field.
Last week he was tearing around the house and turned a corner and it seemed like his legs kicked out from underneath him.
One time he attempted to jump on the bed and missed, dropping back to the floor.
Sampson has always been a what I call a lazy jumper. He’d just prefer not to jump. For years getting him into the car entailed him putting his front paws up and waiting for us to lift him. He’d do this when getting on the bed too. And for a while we did lift him (sometimes we still do.)
But now when I’m thinking back, his back legs seem stiff when I lifted him and I’m wondering if I’ve been missing the signs all along?
The guilt is coming. It’s that nagging voice that says, “You should have added the pieces up sooner, what if it’s something bad and you’ve been oblivious to it all along?” “What if you could have been doing something to help him?”
I hate that voice.
Heart Like a Dog Lesson:
Sampson doesn’t hang on to guilt. He feels whatever the occasion calls for and moves on to the next event, he doesn’t let emotion about an event he has not control over consume him. As long as he has his humans by his side he’s happy. I’ve got to learn to enjoy the time I have left, instead of letting guilt cloud our time together.
An x-ray takes no time so why not do it when he’s already under. Hope it’s just the beginnings of arthritis which gets us all in the end 😉
Hope it’s nothing more serious than getting older. (And hope the secret procedure is nothing serious either.)
Guilt is no good. Hope you can take that lesson from Sampson to heart! He certainly wouldn’t want you to feel bad!
I don’t think anyone reading your blog thinks you are a crazy dog lady except in a loving way that we think of ourselves. I always have a list of things to be done while they are asleep for dental procedures.
When I saw that picture of how he was sitting, I wondered about his hips. Are you going to have his hips checked too? That lazy sit is sometimes a sign of hip issues. I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty about. He has been doing fine all these years and if he had needed something sooner, you would have had it checked….I know you. 🙂
Secret procedure huh?
First of all, on your list, can you add spaying my sister Bailie? She will most likely have that done next month and wouldn’t mind sharing an appt. Secondly, hope it isn’t anything serious with the back leg issue. One thing you may want to try is a dog chiropractor. Bailie has gone twice as she had some issues from birth…being in the womb with 14 pups squashes some things so she had them all straightened out. It was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone as an alternative to look into before getting into expensive stuff with pills, surgery, etc.
Why are we as women so awesome at guilt? I hate that. But now you have me thinking about Roxy. She does some of those same things, and she is getting older. Hmmmmm
Sampson is lucky to have such a conscientious Mama looking after him.
But for all he’s doing through at his cleaning, I hope the secret procedure is something fun–like perhaps a piercing? Or a tough doggy tattoo? 🙂
A comprehensive check up will if anything put your mind at ease so there is nothing crazy about that. Have a marvellous Monday.
Best wishes Molly
Oh Jodi, you know we’ve been going thru something similar with Toby, and dare I say it, he seems to be a bit better. We never did get an answer, but I would never hesitate to get x-rays, especially if you are putting him under anyway. I hope the x-rays can put your mind at ease.
Nothing wrong with being cautious…hes under anyway…so why not. When luke was getting neuteted ….my vet asked if i wanted hip exrays….luke was young…not showing any problems…so i said no. I always regretted that decision. He doesnt…knock on wood…thank god and all the rest…show any symptons…but it would have been mind easing to know
I hope you are ok Sampson. When do you get your pictures of you hip? I’ll cross my paws that everything is ok.
Wags,
Ranger
All will be well.
If there were a problem earlier, you would have noticed it earlier. You’re a good dog mom like that.
Better to be smart than sorry. Good luck.
I hope it’s nothing serious! Definitely keep us posted. Try not to beat yourself up too much (although, I admit… I’m totally the kettle here after I obsessed for AGES about not testing Emmett’s thyroid sooner). If it had been a real problem, you would’ve noticed sooner. Definitely follow Sampson’s guilt-free example. 🙂
We have seen Perfectly FINE Puppies sit that way. It is good to have it checked out… just to ease your mind. There are MANY reasons for Slipping and or a Stumble here and there. It is probably just one of those situations where several things just Happened to occur in a short time.
I don’t think you’re crazy at all. Everything is being done at one time under one anesthesia. The cyst and fatty tumor may be fine now, but you never know what can happen. The cleaning is a must. So the only extra are x-rays and the secret one. You might as well checking out the shaking.
I may have to have x-rays for BJ and at 14 he has to be under for them.
Good luck.
Our 13 year old beagle Kobi has very similar symptoms. He has had x-rays and nothing was found wrong. Our vet feels it is just old age, but we keep an eye on him for worsening, and there hasn’t been any. Guilt is a familiar emotion to me when it comes to my pets…..it’s so difficult to notice every subtle change in them…and where’s the line between running to the vet for every little thing (done that), and waiting things out a bit and wishing we hadn’t (done that too)?
I think a lot of us out here are crazy dog ladies, and we’re ok with it too. We all do the best that we can. I hope all goes well with Sampson. That appointment is soon, I hope? Sometimes just having the answers is better than the worrying.
Poor Sampson. That leg really does sound concerning. It’s a good thing he has you to check it out for him. I hope all goes well and that it is just a simple fix.
I have never had the privilege of having a senior dog, but I have had an ill dog that I moved heaven and earth for and made many crazed calls to the vet clinic about. Hope it all works out for you.
Nothing wrong with being cautious and checking things out. Tell them to palpate his knees to while under. Many times one thinks there is a hip problem and really it’s a ACL problem in the knees. I do hope all is ok and perhaps he is just getting older. I thought of him all day today when we did a dental on a 98# yellow lab (not that he is that big) just being a male and having a dental done made me think of handsome Sampson. Hope all goes well.
I hope the secret procedure is you will be collecting his sperm to clone him! He has ALWAYS been made of complete and utter AWESOMENESS! Love that boy!
You aren’t crazy – I’d have all that stuff done too. Hey – as long as he’s under – why not kill all those birds with one stone?
You are proactive…not crazy! And it is great to see that Sampson has taught you a great life lesson! Taylor taught the same lesson to me! And I think you just described one the many advantages of being a pet blogger: you can get feedback from other dog parents that can directly help improve the lives of your pets. We are very lucky! 🙂
Why is it so very easy to beat yourself up? I know it is easier said then done but don’t be too hard on yourself, often it takes a fresh pair of eyes looking at something for the first time.
I will keep everything crossed for him, and you let us know how it goes!
Crazy? Hardly! Guilty? Not that either! You’re a great dog mama, Jodi. Take yourself off that hook!
Wait a minute here … being a crazy dog lady doesn’t automatically mean you feel guilty or worried or paranoid; it just means you’re crazy about dogs, especially your own, and want to do what’s best for the dogs in your life.
As for all the things on your list? You know I would do the same name thing. Better to get peace of mind. If Sampson’s problem is arthritis,or even a mild case of hip dysplasia, it CAN be managed. Callie has suffered with it from time to time over her 9 years; but she has learned to “tell” me when she needs a play break, even when she wants to keep playing. She does well on Rimadyl, and we do blood work at least every year to be sure nothing has changed.
I agree with your lesson! But I totally understand how you have this list as well. I’m with you – why not just check it out so you know? I’ve been there too, once I get a thought in my head, I start realizing so many things that could support my theory. Duke sometimes jumps and misses the bed or couch too. It sounds more like your love for him is coming through than any guilt. You love him & want to get it checked out and I don’t think there is any harm in that. In fact, I think it is a great idea!