It looked like Soldier lost his spirit by Thursday evening. He kept looking at me: Why he can't I get up, go for a walk, poo properly, pee properly (sorry, but he ended up sitting in his own, you know what...) it was really awful. The vet appointment was for Friday and I had almost given up hope, so I cried and cried.....
I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom with him since he has to be separated from Samson and I don't want him to be alone. Yesterday morning Soldier woke me up. He was standing up, he was wagging his tail, he wanted to go outside, and once there, he lifted his leg to pee. A miracle, indeed.
We took him to the vet and walked him in front of the doctor on the grass outside. When the vet tried to examine him, Soldier tried to bite him. Soldier just does not like men, except for his Daddy. Based on what the vet saw, Soldier has a slipped disk. Surgery, at $6,000 and up is out of the question for us. And it may or may not be successful. So we decided on the other option: treating him with medicines.
Since we were in town, we stopped by the grocery store. I made the mistake of staying in the Jeep with Soldier, letting my husband loose inside the store. That, plus the fact that our town was under snowstorm warning, which makes everyone come out to stock up, a simple picking up some French bread turned into a lengthy visit. Soldier sat on his bad right leg and when we came home, he couldn't stand up. You can see in both pictures how his leg gets folded underneath him.
This morning, he was able to get up and go outside to pee. Had some problems with that right leg slipping underneath him and not being able to stand up. It's sickening the way it looks when that happens. I saw the paw of his right hind leg turned completely backwards once.
Now he's on: anti-inflammatory medicine, pain pills as needed, and muscle relaxants. Then I have sedatives for vet visits. I know I don't have to ask you to send good thoughts for Soldier. And Terry, I will send you my address. Thank you so much for offering to send the harness. I know it will help a lot. It is so amazing to me to have met so many good people and made such good friends here. Thanks again.
