4th & Possibly Final Prolotherapy???

So last Friday, Izzie went in for her 4^th prolotherapy and a dental. Little did I know how much anesthesia she would be getting and that this would have to be a drop-off rather than a stay and wait, hour and a half thing. Had I known this, I would have brought my laptop for work rather than driving the hour back home so I could get my time in. I knew I wouldn’t be picking her up until the afternoon so I headed home.

They were already impressed with her teeth for an 11-year-old but she needed to get the tartar off and check to make sure there were no other issues, so I said go with it. I got the call to go get her so I headed back up there as quickly as I could. She was wide awake and ready to go. They were especially wowed by the condition of her teeth. Said Izzie did not need any extractions and that her teeth were in very good shape and very healthy, especially for her age. They were impressed! Yay for me getting credit for being a good dog mom. 😊

She said she did some lateral work and Izzie may have more pain so administer the pain meds if needed but also that Izzie may not need another treatment. She said that as the calcification built up, Izzie would do better sooner and have less pain. I made an appointment for the 5^th treatment just in case and we headed home.

Izzie was hungry and ate when she got home. She also starting drinking water and getting the anesthesia out of her system. I did give her pain meds for the night just so that we all could rest comfortably. Saturday, she was still a little timid, maybe from the anesthesia but she was eating and walking on that leg! She also didn’t need any more pain meds. By Sunday, she was completely back to normal showing no favoritism to the leg. We kept the walking light until I felt like she really could do more so the real test came on Tuesday when we took a car ride and then walked the trail. She did it with minimal limping afterward. Seems like any limping she has is arthritis after activity and that may never go away. It’s been great to see her doing so well and to see those beautiful pearly whites (that I now have to brush every day but she lets me)! We really, actually may be done with the treatments. Izzie may be back out running the trails by next summer! 🐺 I know that realistically it will take more time for the joint to build up and stabilize in order for her to return to her amount of normal activity, but we were already hiking 2 miles before this treatment.

So as far as Lillie’s treatments, she is doing super, and we have started to spread them out since she is doing so well. She isn’t falling anymore and she seems to really enjoy her walks and gets very interactive with the smells and sounds more than she did before. The goal now for Lillie is to get the treatments spread out as far as possible to maintain her feeling better and keep her as healthy and comfortable as possible for a 13-year-old baby.💜

It’s been quite the journey so far but I am so grateful for finding our great team of people who’ve helped me and these babies. It’s also been so stressful emotionally and financially, and especially hard at times when there are other things going on in our life that we are dealing with. It gets really hard sometimes...but none of that matters as long as they are okay. I think we are all going to be okay. 😊💜

Prolotherapy #3 and a Lillie Check-up

So for this appointment, Izzie was getting her third prolotherapy treatment and Lillie was getting a wellness check. Izzie did so well this time! She went under quickly and came out of it quickly, too. Lillie got her exam and they found some arthritis in her spine. It seemed like it was from an old injury since it was only in one specific area near her hips. They said she’d be a good candidate for acupuncture and laser therapy, and we could also go ahead and administer herbals. If we did nothing, the pain and weakness would get worse. I told them I’d get back to them. I had to do some research first.

So, as far as Izzie goes, she did so well with this treatment. She did need some pain meds for the night, but she seemed to handle everything much better than before. By Saturday, she was eating and by Sunday, she didn’t need any more pain meds. She did so well! She is still experiencing some limp upon rising from resting in the evenings, but I think that is arthritis. Otherwise, she’s doing really well. 

For Lillie, I racked my brain all weekend trying to remember when she might have been injured or hurt and I didn’t know it. The dogs have always been very rough when playing and running each other over. Maybe it was a small injury that got arthritis and that has progressed over the years with age? I mean, she will be 13 years old in a couple months. There’s just no way to know. Regardless of how or why this happened, I had to make a decision on what path to take. I did some research and decided that we should pursue acupuncture and laser therapy, so I called and made an appointment. We started the following Saturday.

I didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn’t bad at all. Lillie was pretty anxious and nervous and it took some time for her to settle down. All in all, it didn’t take too long, maybe 45 mins, and then we were out the door. She seemed to feel pretty good and active and we headed home. Now after we got home, she crashed. I’m sure all the activity wore her out, and she slept for a while. She seemed pretty tired that evening but by Sunday, she was her perky self again.

Now along with all this, I had stopped giving her the CBD oil and had switched the glucosamine and chondroitin that she had been on to one that Izzie was on to make it easier when feeding them. We had noticed that in the few weeks she had been off these, she seemed much slower and panting more often, so much so that I had commented several times on how I wondered if she must be in some pain. Now I know that was probably the case. So since our visit, we have put her back on the CBD oil and a really good glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM supplement along with the herbals they gave us. 

They also showed us how and where to massage the muscles that were all wrapped up along the spine where the arthritis is. After massaging the area myself, I could feel the muscles loosen up. Heat application was another thing we need to do to help those muscles. I’m using a pit pack for heat and it works like magic. After applying for about 20 mins, those muscles just release and relax. It’s really good for her. The only times now that we see her having any stiffness or a slower time getting up is when there is some bad weather in the area. Otherwise, she is happy and playful and getting around nicely. She’s not loving the herbals in her food, but we have to give them time to see if they are helpful.

Her second treatment went even better. She relaxed much more and seemed to really get comfy. She seemed a little more tired after the second time, but she’s been fine otherwise.

I went on a hike this past weekend, a longer, harder hike, and I couldn’t take them with me, and it was really hard going without them. Now, I probably wouldn’t have taken them anyway because of all the other dogs, but now it’s more of a fact than a choice. I don’t know if they will be able to do that kind of hiking again or not, and it kills me that they may not. It’s a reinforcing fact in my life that I’m trying to accept and it gets harder and harder each time I have to go anywhere without them. I’m not good with change and this type of change is not one that I have found a way to deal with yet, and may never be able to deal with. This is not a change any of us pet parents want in our life. Unfortunately, it is inevitable, but that’s not something I’ll ever be able to accept. I’m sad about every single day. However, yesterday was a really good day and gave me some hope.

I’ve been walking them on shorter, more frequent walks, which was advised for us to do and it seems okay, but neither of them loves walking in the neighborhood, which is much easier for the shorter walks rather than loading them in the car and driving to the trail. I more recently started them on the trails again, and each time, walked a little more distance and just kept an eye on Lillie during and afterward. She’s done really well so far, and so yesterday, we took our longest hike to date since before their treatments. We did 2 miles and maybe it’s the cooler weather, but they both did really well. Lillie seemed to really enjoy it and of course, Izzie did. Izzie did have some limping afterward so she may not be quite ready yet, but we will ask at our next appointment since we are 6 months into the healing process. Lillie didn’t have any issues keeping up and no pain after. We did the heating pad just in case.

Lillie will go for her third appointment tomorrow, and then I think they will start spreading them out to maybe 14 days and then probably once a month since she is doing so well. Izzie is due for her fourth appointment in a couple weeks so the appointments will coincide again. Izzie is getting teeth cleaning as well so we will see how that goes. I’ve been brushing their teeth every night, which they really hate, but it is helping. 

I was hoping Izzie would only need three treatments but we know she will need at least four now, probably five. I think she healed so much from the first one to the second one that we all were super optimistic and hopeful. Seems like she has fallen off some since then though. Not getting worse but just kind of plateaued. 

All of the things I’m dealing with has taken a bit of a toll on me and I no longer sleep as well as I used to. I have a hard time being away from home now because I want to spend as much time as possible doing things with them while we still have time and mobility. It’s kind of become an obsession for me. I don’t know how else to describe it. I feel like I’m existing, but not living. I’d like to get past this but just not sure how. Anyone have any advice?

Prolotherapy - On to the 2nd treatment...

So, here I am, sitting at a coffee shop, a good one that I was happy to find with familiar coffee that I love. I dropped Izzie off at her prolotherapy appointment this morning. It wasn't supposed to be a drop-off though. I made the appointment five weeks ago, so six weeks since her last treatment. I called yesterday to confirm because I didn't get their usual reminder call, and they didn't have me in the system...so they worked us in. I typically don't like these types of situations. I take that back - I really loathe these situations because I am not there to protect my baby and be there when she wakes up. I want to meet with the vet beforehand and ask all my questions and be comfortable with what we're doing and mostly just be there. I didn't sleep last night because of this situation. I'm tired and stressed and anxious - and then I also had to leave her.

So, I found this coffee shop that serves great coffee that I actually love and have bought elsewhere, which was a great piece of familiarity out here in an area that I am not familiar with. A couple of hours until pick-up...

After Izzie's first treatment, she had some pain, which we managed with pain meds for two days, and then she settled down some. Then after about the sixth day, she was perfectly normal again. We had been limiting her and watching her carefully and then one night, about five days after treatment, she ran after a deer in our backyard, and I just knew she had undone everything we had worked towards and probably injured the leg. Instead, I think because she is a big baby, it gave her the confidence she needed to know it was ok to use that leg again. Or maybe it worked out some inflammation - who knows. Regardless, she went from there, doing very well and feeling good, no limping, no pain, putting weight on the leg again. It was great! We're like, "Hey, this really works!" And it does, but don't be fooled that your pet is completely healed.

We decided to take them (Lillie and Izzie) for a ride in the car over to the trail because they love it so much. Where we used to live, the trail was across the street and there was no car ride. Cons of living in a neighborhood? It's a car ride to the nearest trail. So, we put them in the car, and this was about 4 weeks after treatment, and Izzie starts limping again and it just got worse over the past week and a half. It had to be balancing in the car during the ride and some of the getting in and out but she was obviously in pain and limping a lot. Or could it have been the length between treatments? It would be six weeks since she had been. We started limiting her again and could tell she was feeling a bit better so we just did that until we got in today for her appointment. I asked about this when I dropped her off in case I didn't get the chance to see the doc after because we essentially don't have an appointment. They said it was too much activity rather than the length between treatments which makes me feel somewhat better because we can limit her no problem and the treatments are working.

The good thing is that after going through the first treatment, I now know what to expect and how to manage her pain. It is true that knowledge is power. Patience and waiting, however, is a whole different monster.

Update: When I went to pick Izzie up, they told me that they were very impressed with her healing. They said they did some extra lateral work this time and that it "hurts like hell" but it also reduces treatment time so she may only need 3 instead of 5 treatments. That would be great, but apparently it does hurt like hell. I thought I knew how to manage her pain - I was wrong. The night after and the next morning were hard. She was in an enormous amount of pain, would not drink anything and certainly is not eating. I've had to give her extra pain meds this time, which I don't like doing for fear of hurting her liver. She actually perked up a little the next day, but then went back down again on Sunday. I think with the extra work they did, she is in more pain and it may take a little longer for her to bounce back this time. However, when she does, I am sure she will be like new. Can't stand seeing her like this so I hope that happens really soon!

Cruciate Ligament Injury: Surgery or not?

SO, it's been a while and here we are. While Lillie, Izzie and I have been burning up the trails, Izzie suffered a cruciate ligament injury. However, we did not know it was an injury, to begin with.  At first, it was diagnosed as just arthritis. As it progressed and did not show signs of healing, I had to...for myself of course ;) ...go and get x-rays to be sure there in actuality was no injury. I was told there was cruciate ligament injury and she would need surgery. It's a partial tear, not a full blown knee so that's why there are no real noticeable signs, like toe-touching or severe limping. I researched the surgery and we felt like, as active as Izzie is, it may be what she needed. As the thought of surgery loomed and she actualy started getitng better with restriction, diet and supplemtnets, I couldn't fathom the thought of her going under and haveing her bones cut and plated when she's on the healing side of things. Plus, it was going to cost $3200-3600...ridiculous. I mean, the money doesn't matter because, in the long run, I'll do whatever it takes.

At first, we thought surgery was the best option for Izzie because every time she felt better, she'd start hopping around and kicking and then the limping started again. We were so worried she'd tear the whole thing. She's so active and loves to be active outside and they told us she'd be like new so we thought it was the best option. But after about a week of diet, restriction, and supplements, she seemed to be getting better. My vet didn't suggest surgery as well. My vet is the one who diagnosed arthritis. My vet doesn't have an x-ray machine so I went elsewhere to get x-rays and they started the process with specialists to suggest surgery. It's been a long month and a lot of struggling with decisions. Here I am watching her get better and I'm supposed to send her into this surgery where they cut her bone and plate it and she's under heavy anesthesia? Really?! I can't put a healthy dog, my dog at almost 11 years old through something like that...no way!!! So the more I research, the more I find out that healing with diet, restriction, and supplements for a partial tear, even a full-blown tear, have happened but it just takes a ton of restriction and a very long time and...a lot of tough love but I'm like, "I CAN DO THIS!!!"

With this more natural healing in mind, I start stockpiling supplements and homeopathic remedies to help the healing process. While researching homeopathic avenues, I'm reading about holistic medicine as well. Now, this would have been my first option and I did look into it in the beginning but as far as I knew, we had no options for holistic veterinary medicine in our area. I did consider driving wherever for holistic help but there was nowhere at all close. While reading about holistic treatments, specifically Prolotherapy for partial tears, I come across a holistic vet in Traveler's Rest. I had no idea she existed! I was ecstatic because even though we wanted to treat her naturally and let her heal, we felt we needed a little help and guidance/direction. I called and made an appointment. Had I known she was there, I'd have been seeing her many years ago. Our appointment was yesterday.

Now, in all my research on Prolotherapy, there's no way I could have been prepared for yesterday. I had no idea what to expect. While acupuncture was an option, it was less likely that it would do the job since Izzie is a bigger girl and she was putting a ton of weight on her other leg, which may eventually cause issues in that leg as well. She obviously suggested Prolotherapy. She mentioned that Prolotherapy will also help arthritis that Izzie already has. A win/win, right? We were looking at 3-5 treatments at 3-5 weeks apart. We don't know the extent of that yet until we see how Izzie does with this first one. Then the vet will decide what the schedule will look like. I'm so glad I scheduled this on a Friday afternoon so I have the weekend to stay close to her and watch her. And I am grateful for a great job and the flexibility to do this as it takes an hour to get to the vet's office and we have to be there for a few hours and then an hour drive home. It makes for a long day, but like I said, I had no idea what to expect.

They had to administer a little anesthesia to keep her still for the procedure. I didn't want this but it has to be done. They administer the least amount possible but I was later told that Izzie is a "heavyweight" and they had to give her a little more to settle her down. The procedure only took about 20 minutes or so. That was it. It was quick. I was told I'd be there for a while but little did I know, it wasn't because of the procedure but because I had to get her woke up from the sedation. They move me to a smaller room and carry her in and there she is, all laid out, tongue out, eyes open and no movement. I've never seen her like this. It was frightening and saddening all at once. It was scary and it was hard. Now, I had to go to a new dentist the day before, and I hate going to the dentist, much less a new one. And I thought that was scary and hard. This was 10 times worse. A hundred times worse. This was my baby. They told me that we had to wait for her to start waking up and stimulation all over her body would help. So I start petting and rubbing her and talking to her. She moved her tongue and moved her ears and I knew she heard me. So I just kept it going. Eventually, she started this whining, this awful whining and I got scared. Why was she whining? Was she in pain? Was she just scared? What was happening? This was where I started to lose it. At different points in time, someone would walk in and check on us. I asked if this was normal and of course, they said yes so I just kept it going. I straightened up and kept my composure. I kept talking and stimulating and eventually, she started coming out of it about an hour later. It was tough. She finally woke up enough to get her in the car and get her home.

Now they had mentioned she may or may not have pain and gave us Tramadol if she did. It was most likely that she would have pain the first and second treatment but we were hoping for the best. Even though we gave her a pain pill last night, we didn't sleep because she didn't sleep. She did eat dinner and go out before bed but through the night, she paced and panted and whined so I couldn't sleep either. I considered making a place to sleep in the floor beside her so that I could be near and comfort her so maybe she'd settle down but I decided against it because I wanted to keep the routine as normal as possible, and I seriously needed some sleep. This morning she did eat breakfast and go out like normal and after the prescribed 12 hours, I gave another pain pill because she was obviously in a lot of pain. She was panting heavily and not putting any weight on the foot at all. After some time, I realized the pill wasn't really helping. Maybe she is a heavyweight and needed more. I called the vet to ask because she was visibly very uncomfortable and the vet had mentioned that we did not want that. After talking with the vet, she said that she had hoped Izzie would have responded a little better but she had also done a little more with the joint to help for future healing. She said give Izzie another pill and two would help but three would be too much, make her dopey. So I gave her an additional pill and she has been much more settled and relaxed now and seems to be resting more comfortably.

After a little more research, I read that the first procedure takes about 24-48 hours for the pain to subside so hopefully we are getting toward the end of the pain and she'll start being in the recovery stage. Some things I read also mentioned that because she is older and this was the first treatment that this all is pretty normal, but it has been hard to watch her be in so much pain. I feel like I've let her down, especially if this doesn't work. While it is much less expensive than surgery, we will consider surgery if we have to as a last resort. Hopefully, this is our salvation. I just have to keep reminding myself that this is a much better option than surgery. It's hard, very hard just watching her lay around and feel bad. But we now have a little hope in full recovery and much better quality of life, and as she starts healing and feeling better, the optimism will definitely come much easier. One day at a time right now and just remembering to breathe deeply. Wish us luck with our journey and for a speedy recovery for my sweet Izzie.