browser life

We took Chip to the vet on Saturday because he was limping so badly from his hip dysplasia. He has also gotten stuck on the stairs, unable to climb up. He even growled at me one day when I was trying to comfort him because he was in so much pain.

The vet took x-rays; compared to the ones taken a year ago, they are about the same. This is cool because it means he has not deteriorated further, yet uncool because it is pretty obvious that he needs surgery that we can't do. So we switched him to a new anti-inflammatory and are bumping up his Tramadol by half.

While we were there, I happened to mention that in the past few weeks, Chip has been bumping into me (to the point where he causes bruises) and/or stationary objects when he turns around, that he doesn't quite clear the edges of doorways, like he's not sure exactly where his head is. I thought it might be because his back legs were so stiff and that maybe he was in so much pain that his judgment was clouded. But then the vet asked if his appetite was off, and it turns out he's lost three pounds, which is a lot for a dog who hasn't been put on a diet.

She checked his eyes, and he does have the beginnings of cataracts, but she wasn't sure that was the complete explanation for why he crashed right into the wall the morning of the appointment. She asked if the bumps on Chip's head, which we had been told were calcium deposits, had always been so large. I admitted they did seem bigger, but I wasn't sure how much they might have changed since they were last checked out.

So we did x-rays on Chip's head, and they looked like elephant man! Compared to the x-rays from November, those two lumps have probably tripled in size. How could I not have realized that??

The vet then became suspicious that those bumps might be interfering with Chip's vision or perhaps even pressing on his brain. If nothing else, they are heavy enough to cause Chip to walk with his head down, which would probably lead to him crashing into things. It might even be possible that Chip has a tumor of some sort.

Unfortunately, no one at this vet's office has ever seen anything quite like this, so they need to consult with some specialists. So his x-rays have been sent to a university to see if they can help us figure out what we're dealing with here. And because there is only so much an x-ray can reveal, if the specialists think his eyes or brain might be affected, Chip will likely need an MRI or CT scan.

So here we were thinking Chip's biggest problem was his hip dysplasia, and it might be something that a month ago didn't seem to be bothering him at all. Even if those lumps are just calcium deposits, I doubt there is much we can do about them. Which leads to the question: how much has Chip's quality of life been affected?

Unfortunately, dogs can't tell us in words when enough is enough. But I would hate to decide prematurely that Chip is done with this world. How can you tell when to try to keep a dog going and when to stop?

For now, the meds seem to be helping with his hips, and we aren't letting Chip downstairs unless Dan is home to carry him back up. But on Sunday, Chip couldn't see a rabbit in his own backyard even after I pointed it out to him. The poor pup is only 10 years old.

Wish I knew the right thing to do.