Today the going rate for honesty is $95. That's how much I paid for this exchange at the vet's office:
"Your total is $145."
"That's all?"
"Yep, $145."
"Including the x-ray?"
"Oh! ... Your total is $240."
I'm cheap enough to feel a twinge at spending $95 more than I had to, but not dishonest enough to regret correcting their mistake. Cole Park has been really good to Thirteen and they deserve to be paid for their work. Especially something like an x-ray, where they have material costs to cover.
So we have some answers on Thirteen. I thought she had hip dysplasia, but her hips are actually fine. What she has is three vertebrae compressed together & pressing against the spinal column. Today she failed a neurological test that she had passed a month ago: one at a time, Dr. Pagel turned a back foot under so the top of the foot was on the ground and the toes pointed back. A month ago she immediately turned the foot right-side up, but today she just stood there. That means that she's losing her sense of where her feet are and what they're doing. (She still turns her front feet up right away.)
The pressure in the spinal column is affecting the sciatic nerve, and causing pain in her back and hip. I guess this is why she's gotten so aggressive about wanting us to scratch her back and stomach all the time; it must make her feel better. Also she's chewed a big bald spot over the right hip which is probably the location of the pain.
I feel strangely relieved. It's not good news, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. (I was fearing something along the lines of bone cancer in her leg.) The worst case scenario is that she'll eventually become totally paralyzed in the back half of her body. Dr. Pagel said that was a possibility, but she didn't sound like it was the probable outcome. Since Thirteen seems to be worse when it's cold, she may even get somewhat better in the spring.
Because of her age she isn't a candidate for surgery. So our treatment options are mainly limited to reducing the pain. we're increasing the acupuncture to once a week, and Dr. Pagel showed me how to massage her back. She's at a good weight now, 42.5 pounds, and we're going to cut her food back a bit and try to keep her from gaining any more. The lighter she is, the less pressure on her spine. Also I'm going to start exercising her to try and build up muscle strength. We're going to start small, walking down the length of the yard and back. If necessary we can put her on prednisone, but we're going to try to avoid that because of the side effects.
I seriously reccomend taking Thirteen to a chiropractor. I know a lot of people who have gone this route with dogs who have had similar issues, and they have all said that the you can almost see the dog's relief. I've taken Lucy a few times--first when she had some sort of mystery injury (which chiropractic seemed to help). My verterinary chiropractor is in North Durham. The cost is very reasonable, IMO.
You could also schedule a consultation at VetHab in Raleigh--they have worked wonders with some friend's dogs (one of their tools is chiropractic, but they have lots of others). They should be able to help Thirteen feel more comfortable.
That's really good to know that chiropractic is effective for situations like this. Dr. Pagel mentioned it last time I was there & I'll definitely follow up on it. What is VetHab?
VetHab is a veterinary rehabilitation practice in Raleigh (near Briar Creek, so it's not too far): http://www.vethab.com/Home/index.php
Or if you just want a chiropractor, Dr. Elizabeth Engel here in Durham is who I go to (she's a vet at North Paw Animal Hospital but she does the doggy chiropractic out of her home). Chris Graham has also taken his dog Lizzie to her and I think he was very happy with the results.