Another Vet Visit for Shadow

Now before you think “oh no, not again!”, let me put your mind at ease. This was more of a consultation visit. Shadow has been eating pretty well since I made those routine changes in December.

And this morning, I was really proud of her. Normally, as soon as we enter an exam room Shadow will curl up in a corner between the bench and the wall.

She did this morning. But while I sat on the bench and entered her weight in my notes on the phone, she found the courage to come out of her hiding place.

 So, I got down on the floor myself and sat next to her while we waited for “Uncle Steve”. When he walked through the door, Shadow stayed put. We both smiled and praised her bravery.


The reason for the visit was her arthritis. On Friday morning while we were playing out in the yard, Shadow started “gimping” and favoring her left front leg. Her nails looked a little long, so I took her up to the vet for a nail trim. When we got home, I took her back outside for more play time. After a few tosses of the ball, she was gimping again. I called the vet and made the appointment for this morning. And got the okay to give her some Tramadol.

My poor girl definitely has arthritis in both wrists and both elbows. It’s not as bad in the right leg as it is in the left one; but we definitely need to manage it as best we can. So, it’s time to get a ramp and start training her to use it. Especially for getting into and out of the car.  We only have three steps to the back door – carpeted – so that’s not a big deal at this point.

I’m thinking I’ll check out Solvit; but if anyone has another brand preference, please let me know so I can check it out. As for supplements, I’m already giving her glucosamine, chondroitin, and the other hip/joint stuff in her current supplements. I need to check out some fatty acid supplements. Any ideas as to good ones that aren’t overly expensive?

13 thoughts on “Another Vet Visit for Shadow”

  1. Jan K says:

    If you get a ramp and need any help training Shadow to it, give me a shout. I wrote a post about it (I think Pamela at Something Wagging did as well). I was surprised with how quickly Sheba took to it. She is usually timid about new things but she learned this pretty quickly. The only time she still gets a bit scared is when I put it up into the car but as long as she can get away from it she’s OK.

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    • My Golden Life says:

      Thanks, Jan! I really do need to get her one. The hard part is going to be getting it to work with the back seat. I know I can get a strap to sort of anchor it to the door; but if I’m alone with her, there’s no way I could use it in a parking lot. 150-odd bucks is a lot of money to spend on something you can’t use where you really need to use it. About the only parking lot around here where I could use it would be at the vet’s office. I could park in the handicap spot, bring her inside, and then move the car to a regular spot. I’m still debating the whole thing in my head.

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    • My Golden Life says:

      Thanks Linda! The good thing is that the pain is infrequent enough and mild enough that the vet doesn’t feel she needs the NSAIDs yet. Thank goodness!

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  4. Tails Around the Ranch says:

    Wish I could wave a magic wand and make sweet Shadow all better. I’ve read that a grain free, raw diet are helpful but be aware of plant ingredients from the nightshade family (including potatoes-not sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers of all varieties, and eggplant) have a tendency to aggravate arthritis. Good luck finding something to help with the inflammation and know I’m sending pawsitive pup healing energy your way! ღ

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  5. BJ Pup (Lynda) says:

    I’ve had a bad experience with Solvit products. i bought the stairs and found they were not stable. They moved on carpet or my hardwood floors every time BJ walked up and down. It was also poorly made. BJ was only 18 lbs. i finally bought foam steps and was very happy with them.

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  6. Donna O. says:

    Sorry to hear that Shadow’s arthritis is acting up. 😦
    We give Phycox with very good results for both Leah and Toby’s arthritis. We are trying it on Medi too, but in addition to her arthritis in both front elbows, she also has calcification of the tendon in her shoulder which is giving her grief, so the Phycox isn’t enough.
    It has glucosomine, turmeric, and fatty acids, among other ingredients, and my vet highly recommends it. It kept Leah off NSAIDs for a few years before she got so bad she needed them too, but she still takes the Phycox as well. The best price I’ve found for it is on Amazon.com
    http://www.amazon.com/Phycox-Canine-Joint-Support-Chews/dp/B0014FTA74

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