Our First Baby

We took Stanley to the vet this morning because he was more or less losing control of his hind legs, and tucking his rear end under when he tried to walk. The vet said that he has some kind of spinal injury (they don't know exactly what, but possibly something like  slipped disc), and that in dogs this can be caused by something as simple as slipping on ice or jumping off a couch. The X-ray didn't show anything, but apparently it often doesn't for these kinds of injuries. The vet prescribed an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant. Sometimes these kinds of things heal themselves with rest over several days or weeks, but other times they require surgery (and at least according to Internet, can sometimes lead to paralysis.)

It's very sad and scary to see him like this. But he's not whimpering and for the most part doesn't seem to be in obvious pain, though he can't really stand up on his own (especially on slippery surfaces like the kitchen floor or hardwoods), which I'm sure is frustrating for him, since he's used to running around all over the place and following us wherever we go.

We're going to go back to the vet tomorrow and get some "doggie Valium", since he sometimes seems to be a little agitated (again, I think because he wants to get up and move but really can't, and shouldn't) -- so a little sedation will probably help the healing process. We're also going to ask again about steriods to reduce any swelling he might be having that could be putting pressure on his spinal nerves.

Oh, and as for the rest of our day, we had to have the furnace people come out because the furnace was leaking. We took James to the pediatrician for his vaccinations and Synagis, but discovered that he has a rash all down his chest and tummy only after we got home (although our babysitter said she saw it this morning, so it's not a reaction to the shots). And Mike's on a deadline for work and I had to give the final exam for my class and turn in class grades this evening. So, we're pretty much exhausted.

We were supposed to leave for the Charleston leg of our trip tomorrow, but we're postponing to see how Stanley's doing. (He's coming with us, but if his condition gets worse, we'd rather be here than on the road.) I think it's the right decision, but I'm really disappointed to miss out the plans we'd made for our visit with Erin and Isaac.

On the bright side, one of Mattie's new words is "wreath." Very seasonal!  (Another is "pepper" for his toy green pepper.)