DO NOT FAT SHAME MY DOG!!!!
So Ardala had some adventures with the vet this weekend. A sturdy corgi-mix with a sweet disposition, Ardala's probably around 10 years old by now. Her annual physical revealed a small amount of arthritis, but nothing atypical for a dog of her age, and her acid reflux is a known problem, treated by giving her doses of pepcid at the change of seasons and anytime our schedule gets wacky. She's been good.
But this last week she stopped eating. We thought she was just getting picky, and that as in the past, she'd snap out of it. It became increasingly more difficult to even get high-value treats like turkey in her food-hole. Then she started whining and crying non-stop, waking us in the middle of the night, even going so far as to sleep in my room, which she hasn't done since I got the new bed. We made a vet appointment, expecting maybe she had some tooth or gum problems. Turns out, not so much. Xrays were ordered, a urinalysis was done (there was another peeing-inside incident) and $400 later we got the dx: pancreatitis and nerve damage. The pancreatitis it turns out commonly accompanies acid reflux. We should have given her pepcid every day, not just "as needed". The nerve damage in her back hind leg is due to some moderate arthritis in her sacrum, which when inflamed can cause pain in the hip area, and numbness in the leg. The vet demonstrated this by lifting Ardala's right leg slightly and bending the paw backwards. Ardala's reflex was to flex the foot back forward. The left foot was a different story; the vet folded it backwards and Ardala didn't even seem to notice. She even let it sit on the table for awhile (I have no idea if she put weight on it). It explained her occasional little hop, her knock-kneed pivots, and her gimpyness. Her digestive irritation kept her from eating, and her arthritis pain kept her up and crying all that time. Poor puppy!
The treatment's not too complicated though: Pepcid and Metacam every day, adding Glucosamine when the bland diet is done, and switching to a lower fat food. While the vet informed us that both her regular food and her treats were high quality, we found her food manufacturer made a slightly lower fat kibble, so we stopped by the pet boutique to pick up the supplements and new kibble - without Ardala in tow (getting an arthritic dog in and out of a coupe is hard work). While chatting with the cashier, who had been a vet tech and was going to veterinary school, we mentioned that our pup had some arthritis. He brightened up and dispensed some free advice:
"You know, losing weight is really good for arthritis! It helps their joints!"
You don't say?
Do you see my dog here?
Do you have any idea how much this invisible dog, who is at home, weighs?
Are you the vet and vet tech who examined her this morning and commented on how fit she was, and how shiny her coat is?
Is starving a dog, as I would have to do to get her to the same emaciated size she was when we adopted her, more pleasant than a little arthritis pain?
If she weighed the same as a min-pin, would her arthritis go away?
Do whippets never get arthritis?
Why does this sound so much like every other doctor discussion I've had in the last 10 years. "I seem to be having problems with..." "HAVE YOU TRIED LOSING WEIGHT? WANT A LAP BAND? HOW ABOUT AN EXPERIMENTAL INJECTIBLE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE?"
Is it only California, or is this the new trend in medical care for both quadrupeds and bi-peds across the nation? What about exotics? Anyone encouraged to put their corn snake on a treadmill? Provide low-fat crickets for their aging tarantula?
And finally, is the proper response to this sort of insolence perhaps something along the lines of "Fuck you very much"? Because if not, it's going to be from now on.
But this last week she stopped eating. We thought she was just getting picky, and that as in the past, she'd snap out of it. It became increasingly more difficult to even get high-value treats like turkey in her food-hole. Then she started whining and crying non-stop, waking us in the middle of the night, even going so far as to sleep in my room, which she hasn't done since I got the new bed. We made a vet appointment, expecting maybe she had some tooth or gum problems. Turns out, not so much. Xrays were ordered, a urinalysis was done (there was another peeing-inside incident) and $400 later we got the dx: pancreatitis and nerve damage. The pancreatitis it turns out commonly accompanies acid reflux. We should have given her pepcid every day, not just "as needed". The nerve damage in her back hind leg is due to some moderate arthritis in her sacrum, which when inflamed can cause pain in the hip area, and numbness in the leg. The vet demonstrated this by lifting Ardala's right leg slightly and bending the paw backwards. Ardala's reflex was to flex the foot back forward. The left foot was a different story; the vet folded it backwards and Ardala didn't even seem to notice. She even let it sit on the table for awhile (I have no idea if she put weight on it). It explained her occasional little hop, her knock-kneed pivots, and her gimpyness. Her digestive irritation kept her from eating, and her arthritis pain kept her up and crying all that time. Poor puppy!
The treatment's not too complicated though: Pepcid and Metacam every day, adding Glucosamine when the bland diet is done, and switching to a lower fat food. While the vet informed us that both her regular food and her treats were high quality, we found her food manufacturer made a slightly lower fat kibble, so we stopped by the pet boutique to pick up the supplements and new kibble - without Ardala in tow (getting an arthritic dog in and out of a coupe is hard work). While chatting with the cashier, who had been a vet tech and was going to veterinary school, we mentioned that our pup had some arthritis. He brightened up and dispensed some free advice:
"You know, losing weight is really good for arthritis! It helps their joints!"
You don't say?
Do you see my dog here?
Do you have any idea how much this invisible dog, who is at home, weighs?
Are you the vet and vet tech who examined her this morning and commented on how fit she was, and how shiny her coat is?
Is starving a dog, as I would have to do to get her to the same emaciated size she was when we adopted her, more pleasant than a little arthritis pain?
If she weighed the same as a min-pin, would her arthritis go away?
Do whippets never get arthritis?
Why does this sound so much like every other doctor discussion I've had in the last 10 years. "I seem to be having problems with..." "HAVE YOU TRIED LOSING WEIGHT? WANT A LAP BAND? HOW ABOUT AN EXPERIMENTAL INJECTIBLE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE?"
Is it only California, or is this the new trend in medical care for both quadrupeds and bi-peds across the nation? What about exotics? Anyone encouraged to put their corn snake on a treadmill? Provide low-fat crickets for their aging tarantula?
And finally, is the proper response to this sort of insolence perhaps something along the lines of "Fuck you very much"? Because if not, it's going to be from now on.