When your running buddy has bad hips

Mr. Miles has bad hips.  And has had them most of his life, according to the vet.  Below is an iPhone photo of the x-ray.  Most concerning is the leg on the left, which is Brinkley's right hind leg.  If you look closely, there is no real ball or socket.  All the fuzziness that is where a ball and a socket would be is arthritis/hip dysplasia.  The bright light on the right side/left leg is unfortunately a reflection or something from taking the picture.  The left leg has a more visible leg neck, ball, and socket at the hip but with considerable visible fuzzy arthritis surrounding it all.





The vet was shocked to hear that Brinkley has been running 10-12 miles a week with the right hip in the condition it is.  She said that he probably compensates for it and tolerates it stoically, given that he loves to run with me.  However, she did say we should stop doing long runs and lower the amount of shorter runs we do together.  I'd lie if I said I didn't tear up.  My heart broke a little when she said that.

She did say that as long as he is willing we could do some shorter runs.  And I've been given some doggy aspirin, Rimadyl, to give him post-run, walk, or hike to help with any pain he may have.  She also suggested getting a glucosamine like supplement, Dasuquin, to help lube his joints a little and ease arthritic aches.  Supposedly, it's cheaper to order online so for today, I was just sent home with the Rimadyl.  And his ear wash and ear medicine.

The x-rays, sedative, two shots, pain reliever, ear wash, and ear medicine cost me $355.  While I'm sad and feeling incredibly bad for Brink, I'm somewhat relieved that it wasn't a torn ligament, which most often leads to a $2000+ surgery.  Brink is no where near an old and haggardly dog.  However, we will need to keep a closer watch on how much he exerts himself and manage his pain.  It was well worth the money spent to know exactly what is ailing him so that we can take the right steps to make his quality of life the best we can.

Brinkley was partially sedated for the x-ray so he's pretty mellow right now.  While standing at the front desk to check out he appeared to be drunk, slightly swaying and staring at one thing in hopes of keeping his world from spinning.  He's now sleeping on his doggy bed.

I could use a sedative myself.  It's been an emotionally draining day.