Grace Goes to the Vet

Grace Ellen

I know, I know - I can hear you all saying, "Grace lives with a vet, why would she need to see go some place to see one?" Well, as much as this pains me to say, I don't know everything, and I can't diagnose everything I see. [I know - you are all stunned by this confession, aren't you?] Plus, when it comes to my own pets, I am not always objective.

Grace, my beloved 8 1/2 year old Rottweiller has been lame for over two months now. It started about mid-November, as an occasional and subtle little gimpy step, so mild that I said to myself, "Did she just limp?" At first, I wasn't even sure what leg it was on, but by Thanksgiving, I had narrowed it down to her right rear leg.

At first, I did what any good pet owner would do: I ignored it. "Maybe it will go away," I rationalized. "After all, it isn't too bad, and she and Holly do some crazy things as they run around the back yard. Maybe she just pulled something. Maybe it will go away."

As the lameness became more pronounced, I could no longer take the head-in-the-sand approach. She was definitely painful in her right stifle (knee.) I started her on Rimadyl, an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug) like Advil for people, but I delayed X-raying her.

You see, in veterinary medicine there is a saying: "Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) is found AWAY from the elbow and AROUND the knee." And, in my dogs, my first thought is never "muscle sprain," but "Cancer." I didn't want a diagnosis of cancer before Christmas, especially just after the 20th anniversary of my father's death from lung cancer.

Finally, finally, finally I X-rayed her knee, hips, pelvis, and lower back. Other than some arthritis in her lower back, a normal finding for an older large breed dog, I couldn't find anything wrong. I changed her pain meds and waited. And waited. And waited.

She didn't get any better. Drastic measures were called for. I needed help.

Right before I left for my trip to Florida, I couldn't stand it any more. I called the Cincinnati Animal Referral and Emergency (CARE) Center for an appointment with Dr. Steven Schrader, veterinary surgeon and orthopedist extraordinaire. I felt like telling the receptionist, "My dog has been lame for 2 months. I need to make an appointment this week," but I didn't.

The CARE Center is a 24 hour emergency service, and they also have specialists for surgery, cardiology, oncology, neurology and internal medicine who see patients on a referral basis.

Charlie Harper mural in the entry hall at the CARE Center

Our appointment was today. We arrived a little before 10am to check in. "Have you been here before?" "Yes." "Are your phone numbers and address correct?" "Yes." "Who is your regular vet?" "I am." "oh."

the waiting room at the CARE Center. They have 10 exam rooms!
See the guy in the blue shirt? That's who we're waiting for.

Dr. Schrader is the vet I took Grace to last year, when she had severe pain from a mass on her rib cage which I was certain was cancer. He touched her and miraculously healed her. I was hoping for another miracle today, but he told me he could only do one miracle per century.

His exam revealed a cruciate ligament rupture. I was: a) Relieved it wasn't cancer. b) Embarrassed to have missed the diagnosis, since it is the most common cause of stifle lameness in a dog, and c) Stunned to realize he was talking about taking her to surgery. As in today.

Grace waits patiently for her vet appointment.

So, I signed the forms and gave them my credit card and left the hospital without my dog. As I type, it is 5:30pm and I still haven't heard from the hospital. To say I'm nervous would be an understatement. I have every confidence in Dr. S., but still ....

Isn't that a face to inspire trust? And Gracie loves him, too.

Every vet should sit in the client's chair at least once, to experience what it is like from the other side of the table. With Grace, I have been in that chair three times. I think that's enough.

Updates later, with a discussion of cruciate ligament rupture and photos.

Pray for Grace.

> Update: 9pm. I decided to keep my plans to go to pottery tonight, instead of sitting around, worrying. Dr. S. called while I was on my way there. Grace is doing fine, despite having some heart irregularity during surgery. She was still pretty stoned on hydromorphone, a pain killer, when he called. (And the dentist told me to take ibuprofen for my aching tooth. How come dogs get all the good drugs?) She'll spend the night in the CARE Center's ICU, and I will pick her up some time tomorrow.

Thanks for all the good thoughts you sent our way. I can feel the love!