HEalth anxiety for my dog...I know I know..but before you judge...

[crazygirl1]

  please just hear me out. I love her. She's my 8 year old chocolate lab-seen in my picture with her soccer ball. Love her so much. Just had her to the vet about a month ago or so for her check up. Vet couldn't stop smiling at how great she's doing for her age. However she did test positive for Lymes again. We literally just finished that round of doxycyclene at Thanksgiving and boom-yesterday I see she is limping. I walked in the house after work and saw it right away. Thru the night it came & went with varying degrees, sometimes pronounced sometimes faint sometimes I didn't notice it at all. This morning she was still limping but faintly here & there, sometimes more sometimes not....what if its bone cancer??? Yes I googled and that is what I saw, among the usual Lymes and arthritis. Of course the vet is expensive, and I just had her there so it's not like I have much $ left but I"m gonna have to take her in  but the key how long do ya give it to see if it's just a muscle or something making her sore from running?I'm afraid for her.

[sixpack]

one of the dog trainers at the facility I take my dog too is also a certified vet tech.  Another member asked the same question.  Myles told him to keep the dog "quiet" for a couple of days--minimal walks and no rough housing.  Basically let the dog rest.  If the dog is still having troubles, then take to the vet.


regarding Lyme disease.  My dog is inoculated for lyme disease.  So there is a vaccine.  If you dog is so prone to Lyme, then maybe that would be something you should think about.



AND DANG IT YEAH VET'S ARE EXPENSIVE!!  Our Roxxy had a mast cell tumor from her foreleg and a keratinizing cyst from her back paw.  $1026.00

[crazygirl1]

thanks six. I actually did ask about the vaccine after my next door neighbor said she got the vaccine for her dog and her dog got lymes anyway. Vets say its not working -at least around here so its not worth it. So no vaccine. I have her and my yellow lab on k9 advantix to repel the darn ticks. It works but she got the Lymes during a time when I was freaking out about the chemicals in k9 adv. and so I didnt use it then. I occasionally flip. Surprise ...anyway..so ok maybe its not bone ca...? i wonder what the determining factor is with limping-what tells the vet they should do x rays as opposed to treating for arthritis... do you  know what I mean? here i sit at work worrying about her. She is my soulmate. I know there are ppl who laugh at that but this dog was meant for me and at 8 her futures been on my mind alot lately, but after the vet saying how amazing she is for her age I kinda thought well ok maybe it's gonna be a long long time, she is so gray under her chin but boy what a precious girl, and full of life:)
She doesnt seem to be in pain. Even when the limp is pronounced-seems more like "oh my darn leg" kinda thing. But I know dogs hide it well. Still-theres been no crying....maybe there'll be magic and when I get home she'll be fine...

[sixpack]

your neighbor's dog got it anyway?  hmmm interesting.

well Roxxy had the vaccine when we rescued her.  So when it was time to redo her vaccine's, we re-upped.  I also give her the tick and flea stuff.  AND I have a dog shampoo that helps with that too.  Actually got the dog shampoo because it is supposed to "denature" the protein that people are allergic to in their dandruff.  I thought, "yeah, right" but tried it anyway.  My son has an allergy to dogs.  When we first got her, he had some issues going on.  Started using the shampoo and it seems to help.  My son isn't even taking claritin anymore!

don't worry about loving your dog.  We all do.  I know Roxxy and I are practically joined at the hip.     So we hate to think they will die someday OR that they are in any pain.

[crazygirl1]

yes actually a few people I know that frequent our park -they has the vaccine AND got Lymes too. So they feel it's just not working around here.
 Both my dogs had Lymes before too when I used Frontline.
I remember the 1st time Dakota had it it started with a limp that progressed overnight to not even wanting to move off the bed. I had to pick her up and put her on the floor (65 lbs of dog that is resisting.. but boy what you can do when you're scared!) now that was 7 years ago. So I wonder if this Lymes bout could make her limp even though she just finished her meds. Anyway..my HA is carrying over to my dog and so I'm watching the clock until I can get out of here to go see how she is.

[hypomom]

Your baby is beautiful. I miss my yellow lab I had years ago. Don't worry about people judging you. If they do, they've either never had a dog or shouldn't have. I have a 11 year old jack russell right now that I cannot imagine life without!
I don't have any advice o
ther than to call your vet. My vet is very good about answering questions by phone and trying to save me visits. Call and tell them you are a little cash strapped but are worried and ask thier opinion. If you have a good relationship with them, they'll try to save you the $ of a visit if they think its lyme related.

[crazygirl1]

thanks hypomom.
I guess I will have to do that..I'll 1st see how she is when I get home and then call the vet to see if they'll talk over the phone. Just praying she's ok...

[jessica92]

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have a cat named Scamper and I have had her for almost 6 years now. I understand how you feel because I love my cat so much, and I would be extremely depressed if anything happened to her. I sometimes worry about her health too (it can be hard to bring her to the vet because she HATES cages and being taken outside), but I know that it's just my anxiety. The only problem she's ever had is fleas, but those are under control now due to vet brand flea medication.

[crazygirl1]

NO MORE LIMPING!!! I think she must have just hurt herself bolting after the deer. thank GOD!!!! I got her more salmon oil and glucosamine yesterday too, 2 things that are sooo great for dogs health so we seem to be back to normal. I cant tell you how thankful I am for that!!

[WyattsMomma]

Maybe this will help you. I was a vet assistant for 5 yrs. Dogs, as they age, have bone loss just as humans who age. Your vet could possibly do x rays to rule out cancer, but logically, I would think it is just early stage arthritis, if not just the lymes alone. Let her rest for a few days (so long and she eats, pees and poos fine) and see how she does. If she is still limping take her back. Arthritis is easily treated in pets, and is bound to happen as she ages.

[WyattsMomma]

Just saw your newest update. Great news! :)

[jessica92]

Awesome news! I am glad your dog is okay.

[Turner1298]

Oh my gosh! No judgement here. My Sadey Boy is one of our children. I worry obsessively about him. Getting loose, getting hurt, not eating enough, bloating. If he seems to have excess gas I stay up all night and pat his belly, checking him, etc.

Our last lab we lost to a drowning after she had a seizure. She also had alzheimer's. My emergency vet hospital knows me well.

Bottom line~if it's someone you love and cherish, they are worth obsessing over. At least in my hypo addled brain!

[Robin Marie 11]

Hey, I just wanted to add to the chorus of people here saying not to feel ashamed...for anyone who loves their pet, their health anxiety only naturally gets projected onto their pet, especially as pets cannot talk back and explain what hurts and what doesn't. Makes total sense.

My dog also has a habit of coming down with weird symptoms which are neither life threatening nor identifiable. One time he had a mysterious rash on his leg for a month that I was afraid was never going to go away, he was in the cone for weeks, poor thing. The vet for the life of her could not identify what it was. I just sighed and thought....like mother like pup.

[crazygirl1]

Thanks everyone..Turner I am so very sorry for your loss...
update...she recovered fine from that episode. Now she's on meds for diarrhea with mucous & blood even after starting her on a bland diet. I took her in Saturday morning and the vet was soooo awesome:) He fully understood when I said she was shaking and stuff because she was feeding off my nervous ( for her ) energy. He thinks its a virus maybe, nothing serious at all adn sent us home with medicine adn a warm smile. She is doing better so far, no pooping at all since she's in this medicine now and still getting her bland diet. he said pooping should resume in a few days so for now I don't' have to feel sick waiting for her to poop to see what it's like. lol Thanking God she's doing better so far.

[LindaRK]

One of our dogs is a regular contractor of Lyme's, too (along with my husband).  Initially, he got the vaccine, but still contracted the disease, despite also using Frontline equivalent and tick collar.  The vaccine is a joke.  We don't vaccinate any of our dogs for Lyme's anymore.  Best thing to do is spray around the perimeter of your property - where we live, the tick is from the local deer.  We try to keep them at bay so the ticks aren't where the dogs hang out.  Even so, just going from the house to the fenced corrals across the yard, one of them manages to always pick up a tick!!! ARGGGHHH!!!

Just like people antibiotics - dogs get diarrhea from them, too.  We actually give our dogs probiotics when they receive antibiotics and it prevents the diarrhea.  Amazing, huh?  Just like people.

[crazygirl1]

omg..so this is day 10 I've got her on the metronidazole. Still cooking chicken & rice for her (boiling) and she pooped last night and STILL not as firm as the vet said he'd like. No blood but I think there was still a little bit of mucous, if so it's better than before though so I guess she's improving. It's so scary, for ppl with HA anyway...I'll see what the weekend  brings. I just hope it's like the vet said, nothing big, just something small and easily taken care of. I thought I'd have her back on her regular food by now...