Mumble has now been on his "limited activity" restrictions for healing of his shoulder & elbow sprain for two weeks (today is Day 15 to be exact), and we've now gone back for our check up with Dr. Shane.
First, I have to start by acknowledging the emotional difficulty of this particular week. It was two years ago this week that I lost Padfoot, and while that is emotionally heart-wrenching for me in general, the stress of thinking about Mumble having any health problems that could be serious on this particular week was not easy for me to deal with. Not a day goes by that I don't miss Padfoot, as much as I love Mumble and am grateful to have him in my life. The thought that I could ever prematurely lose him as well is terrifying, even if that fear is not totally based in rational thought. So I didn't love the fact that we had a vet appointment scheduled for this particular week, and sat in the vet's office today petrified of what she could possibly come back and tell me.
In general, this week was a little easier than last week, however, in terms of Mumble's healing process. The positive impact of having the walk at the beach with Chopper and Mandy over the weekend appeared to have some lasting affects, so while I still had concerns about his loss of appetite and he still had times where he resisted going for a walk, in general I saw an improvement in his overall demeanor. The instances of visible "limping" were extremely rare, so he seemed to also be improving greatly in terms of his physical injury.
I was hopeful going into the appointment with Dr. Shane that Mumble would be given the "all clear" to return back to normal, but such was not the case. Although with the medications, he is improving and his pain is managed, the orthopedic exam still showed signs of tension in the shoulder and elbow, evidencing the sprain/injured joints.
Dr. Shane therefore continued to advise limited activity levels, although modified to start to allow for some increases in a careful, planned manner. Walks are still OK. Additionally, he is permitted to go back to doing some agility activities, although without the A-Frame, the weave poles, or any "sharp turns." Which leaves (I guess) low level jumps, the dog walk, and the table? It's not much but at least he'll have something! We can do this no more than one time per week. As to daycare, a full day would still be too much for him, as would multiple daycare visits per week. Thus, she said he was allowed to do "half-days" a couple of times per week. I don't exactly know how that will work out with my work schedule, but I guess we'll figure something out.
As to medications, Dr. Shane believes Mumble will need to be on the Glucosamine supplements for the rest of his life. I've actually done a lot of research / reading on these supplements, and I believe that this will have a positive impact on his health and well-being going forward, so I am OK with this being a permanent addition to his health supplements. He will no longer take the Traumeel (the homeopathic anti-inflammatory) on a regular basis. Instead, he will only take it "as needed" if he shows any limping or signs of pain without it.
The prognosis? The vet still believes Mumble will ultimately heal and be back to normal, but she wants to reevaluate him in one month. This type of injury, she explained, could lead to the onset of arthritis in those joints if not treated. Thus, if he is still not healed after another 4 weeks, she will do X-Rays and we will decide whether or not surgery is the appropriate treatment option. She stressed that for a very active dog like Mumble, surgery could be the most appropriate thing if he is not healing so that he is not limited by arthritis and joint issues on a long term basis.
Overall, it was overwhelming, but I still feel like we are on the right path and doing the right things, and that ultimately Mumble will get better, hopefully without surgery. I'm thankful that this issue is something we can treat and deal with, and not something potentially life-threatening. I am also thankful for everyone's well-wishes, support, etc during the past few weeks about this!
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