Happy Dancing

Yesterday was 'follow up day' here in Portie Land. Morgan needed a recheck on her thyroid level and Noah needed a recheck on the dryness level in his eye. So, mid morning we went to visit Dr B. We had a bigger concern that I wanted to discuss with him. Last week Morgan decided to stop eating and her already weak legs were collapsing and making her fall frequently.

First up was Noah. He wasn't actually due for this test until next month because he's only been on the new medicine for two weeks but the doc and I were both too curious to wait two more weeks.

The boy was a little more squirmy than usual on the table. He didn't really want that piece of paper in his eye, but he made it for the full minute plus ten seconds for moving around too much. The results were what we'd been hoping for. Last time his moisture level was only six. This time it was nine. We're aiming for twelve, so we're making progress. Dr B suggested a certain eye drop that we can use as often as we want to make his eyes more comfortable and we'll continue with this medicine twice a day. He's starting to make his own tears again and that's our goal.

Next it was Morgan's turn. Because of her age, we decided on a full senior blood panel to see if something is going on that we're not aware of yet. He checked her mouth for any tooth problems that might make her not want to eat but that seemed OK. Then he checked her legs and we found our problem. The arthritis in her elbows and knees has gotten worse. Her left front elbow actually feels and sounds crunchy. Ouch!!

We waited for the blood report to come back and this morning we had a long chat. Her blood looks remarkable for he age. Her liver enzymes are way down and the only thing out of whack is her triglycerides. Since they were never high before, we'll wait and test again in a couple months. Dr B gave me a couple suggestions for coaxing her to eat and we discussed an exercise plan for her weak legs. If there's no improvement in her stability by Friday, she'll start some injections for pain and we'll look into a drug that can actually promote muscle growth in those weak legs. We've also started her on Melatonin to improve her sleep quality and try to eliminate her nightmares.

Dr B says that for a dog who was close to death at age three, she could now make it to sixteen. I commented that she's looking forward to getting her driver's license. He answered that he'd like to see her get to vote. She's a little confused at times and not moving  too fast, but she's doing amazingly well for her age and her history.

 Yes, we're doing a happy dance here today.