Update on Amos

Many of you have inquired about Amos health since our last trip to the vet for his unexplained limping. Well, the good news is that he does not have Lyme disease. Blood test #2 revealed that he had no evidence of exposure to the virus in his system. So no antibiotics.

However, I told the vet that I wasn't leaving without a new plan of action. I didn't think the acupuncture was working miracles and while the dog is not suffering--he eats, sleeps, barks, wags his tail and is always so genuinely pleasant that it breaks my heart even more when he cannot walk more than a few steps without limping noticeably.

I guess I made my case because all of sudden I had two prescriptions: one to use for five days while weaning him off the baby aspirin and the second, Rimadyl, to start on Saturday, which I did.

The great news was that Amos had absolutely no side effects from aspirin withdrawal--the transition pills were pain killers and he was great on those. No limping, in fact, and we went for a couple of long walks. I started the Rimadyl on Saturday as directed with one pain killer until it kicks in.

Yesterday Amos seemed like his old self. We went for a long walk and although he did limp every once in a while, he also walked really briskly, chased geese (with me on the other end of the leash) and made it much farther than I probably should have gone. Last night he was limping slightly so I am going to rest him today, but no pain killer last night, just the Rimadyl before bed.

It's probably too soon to tell if the new drug is working at full capacity, but let's just say that I'm on the verge of crafting an Ode to Rimadyl. It just may have given me back my dog!

FYI, the VPI pet insurance claims are trickling back in and elbow displasia, which is technically what the vet thought Amos had at one point, is NOT covered in my policy because it is a structural deformity. I called to check. I submitted the last form with the diagnosis "lameness" so we'll see what happens. They did cover the first round of x-rays to determine the diagnosis of elbow displasia but not the second since I gave the same diagnosis. So far, the only acupunctures that were covered were the ones for which I wrote arthritis as the diagnosis, not elbow displasia. I have the option of resubmitting everything with his vet records so the case is not closed just yet.