Doctors and Bed Beard

I'm happy to report that Fig is going to be just fine!  He spent yesterday at Dr. Sams Clinic in Marin County, who my vet said is one of the best Veterinary Orthopedic Surgeons in the country.   The clinic was very large and clean and the staff was super friendly.  Obviously they fell in love with Fig instantly.   Who could resist this adorable, Bed Beardy face? Dr. Sams explained to me that in many small, mixed breeds - particularly ones like Shih Tzu and Dachshund - the 2 parallel bones in the forearm can grow to different lengths, which can cause a kind of friction in the joints.  He believes that the problem is actually in Fig's right elbow, and although he did not see any bone spurs, there's a possibility it could be caused by something like that.  For the next 6 weeks, we'll treat Fig with a daily regimen of Metacam (basically ibproufen for dogs), Fish Oil and Glucosomine (which we've been doing since Christmas) and some restricted activity.  He is ok to go to the park, beach and long walks, we just need to make sure he is not jumping on and off the couch or bed or going up and down stairs.  That's lots of carrying my little puppy around, but I'm hoping he'll feel better after this treatment.  If it does not work, there are some additional steps we can take, but we're going to take it one day at a time. Fig was absolutely exhausted after his long day of being poked and prodded.  He fell fast asleep as soon as we got into the car. I'm hoping it's a nice weekend so that I can take Fig to the park or beach for the first time since January.  Happy Friday everyone!

3 Responses to “Doctors and Bed Beard”

1. Andy says:

   March 11, 2011 at 10:00 am

   Glad to hear the little guy is OK!

   Reply
2. Courtney Cantwell says:

   March 11, 2011 at 11:09 am

   Oh this is such great news! Thanks for keeping us updated on Fig’s progress. Give him a big kiss for us:)

   Reply
3. Jordan says:

   March 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm

   I’m so happy Figgy is OK! This scared me!

   Reply