Play Bow

You never know what's around the corner.




It was August 13. One moment the girls were in the yard enjoying themselves. Lucie caught Addie's eye. Addie responded with a play bow and began to run. After 3 steps Addie yelped and limped over to me not wanted to place any weight on her back left left. And that was it.

A quick call to our vet describing what had happened and he felt she had torn her ACL. We started with rest but after a few days there was absolutely no improvement, I couldn't watch her suffer. Our vet, Dr. Johnson examined her, confirming her ACL was torn. Due to her excellent health, he recommended TPLO surgery. Although expensive, it would give her back the use of her leg. The first available appointment with the surgeon, Caleb Vaughan D.V.M. is August 31.

Thinking back over the last year, here and there Addie started having issues with her back legs. When it first started, Addie simply got up from laying down and had trouble walking with her back legs, more prominent on her left leg I believe. It would improve by the next day. After the second time it happened, I took her to our vet who did an exam and x-rays. All looked awesome considering she is 10 now. He had thought that it was simply the beginning of a lower back issue. We believe that these little episodes were the ACL tearing a little bit at a time until the complete tear in August.

The same surgeon who did Hailey's knee surgery, Dr. Vaughan is going to do Addie's surgery as well. He is the best. I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for the appointment and witness her suffering. I hate that feeling of helplessness when there is absolutely nothing you can do to help the situation. Confinement and Rimadyl is all I can do.