The Puppy Paradox

The difficult thing to negotiate is that these medicines don't cure any of Emily's problems. They have various ways of alleviating the pain which is great, however, without pain she is without self-regulation. She moves too fast, sees dimes to turn on and never wants the fun to end. The result it a lot of stumbling, a fair amoung of outright falling and continuous surprise on her part.

I spoke to the vet yesterday and put on my listening brain. It kept trying to skip ahead to solution brain and I kept pulling the reins hard. Analysis was, it seems, out of the question in the moment. Kidney levels were perfectly normal. Liver levels were high - no specifics. Inflammation levels were negligibly high. 10,600 is high normal and Emily is at 10,650. The doc agreed that if the appetite enhancer was making Em anxious it could and should be stopped. She wanted to know if the pooch would eat her own food if fed it by hand. I didn't know but promised to investigate. We agreed to continue the Vetprofen alone and speak again on Monday.

It was more than an hour later that my analytical brain stepped to the podium. Vetprofen is for inflammation. Inflammation levels are almost completely normal. The only things the vet expressed as being outside of correct margins were the liver levels.

I think the vet is trying to let me know that my dog's legs are fine but her liver is failing.

I'll ask tomorrow. I don't know much about non-emergent liver failure or even if such a thing exists at the non-emergent level. I don't understand why my dog has so much trouble with her back legs if her inflammation levels aren't a concern. I don't know if it's encouraging that Emily will eat anything, including her regular kibble, from my hand. I do at least seem to be ready with more appropriate questions now, though.

My solution brain is already far ahead, asking for the name of hte holistic vet that helped Cameron so much and planning a trip to see Phil for vitamins and elixirs and encouragement. Surely I won't be the first person to dissolve into tears in his little store alcove. It is ridiculously human to have so many solutions when I don't yet truly have a grasp on the problem.