Below is an update regarding Howie’s condition over this past weekend. It was authored by Yavuz, my work colleague whom Howie is staying with while we figure out whats causing him pain in his hind legs and how we are to care for him.
"Last Friday was Howie’s worst day since the onset of this problem. He couldn’t walk more than 5 steps without having to step down in pain. At various points during the day I thought about taking him to the vet for a painkiller shot, and just to have him checked for something new. Experience, however, made me stop, because so far I’ve learnt that the only thing that really happens at an emergency situation is that they make us wait for 2 hours just to tell us he needs to see an orthopedist. In the meantime they are not as gentle as Howie is used to being treated so he comes back home hurting more.
Anyway, I woke up on Saturday at 5 am because Howie jumped up really fast from the bed and started running to the bathroom!!! I followed him there, he was walking like a champ, no limp, no pain, nothing. We fell back asleep again and woke up again at 9 and it was like nothing ever happened to him. He was playful, happy and pain free.
This continued on Sunday, with him almost too lively for his own good. Somebody who’s never known him would definitely not notice anything. He doesn’t like being poked in the right back leg but the reaction is not a yelp like it used to be, he just moves his butt away from you, so you can’t do it. For all I know, it could just be a reflex left behind from having pain over there for the last 2 weeks. He’s eating like it’s going out of style and has rock star poop (for anyone who knows Howie—this is important to point out).
I don’t think Howie’s current problem has been hip dysplasia directly. I know he’s got hip dysplasia but I think Dr Constantino at South Bay was right. His problem was most likely arthritis that formed around the femur and the hip socket and broke off due to something he did. I think he needs to be treated for arthritis and ways to avoid it from happening again should be discussed. Most of it is probably going to be supplements. I also think a lot of MRIs will be taken to see if there’s any arthritis left anywhere. Depending on the results he might also be taken in for palliative surgery to clean up anything that’s been left there."
-Yavuz Kaynar
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