Unexpected things

Reilly's had a good day, mostly.  He didn't have a single accident in the house today.  He has had no desire (or opportunity!) to eat his poo.  He's waiting at the door to get permission to go out, even if the unruly big dogs are pushing past him to go out. 

He got new, bigger socks today, and while I was at it, toddler T-shirts!  I have wanted something for him to wear other than his harness, to keep him used to having things on his body.  He'll eventually need to wear a work harness and packs.  I don't want to go to the expense of buying vests for him as he's growing so rapidly.  That would be foolish.  But when I bought the socks, I saw the T-shirts and picked up a pack.  I tried one on him today.  He pulled at it once, and I told him to leave it alone.  He decided it was okay, and even sleep-worthy!

 A sleeping baby of any species is adorable!

Reilly is also making sure he gets some time on the sofa. (Okay, the loveseat. We refer to it as a sofa, since we don't have a sofa.) He's trying to get up on his own, but can't manage it yet. And of course, I don't want him jumping down, as he could hurt himself. So, I sit with him for a bit. I did it this morning, and had a couple other jealous doggies come join us. Chris grabbed the camera. He's better about remembering the camera than I am.

Murphy is a lap dog, in case you didn't know. Jake just wants to put his head in your lap, not all of him. Reilly loves the leather. That's fine, as long as the way to his heart isn't through his stomach.

Okay...the vet visit. Sigh. It's not panosteitis. It's Carpus valgus. It is a different growth deformity. Simply put, the two bones in his foreleg, the radius and ulna, are growing a different rates. This is causing him to shift to stepping on his toes instead of his foot, and at the same time rotate his feet outward at the wrist. The pain he's been having and the limping are from the weird pressure. Try walking on the outside of the ball of your foot on your tippy-toes and see how long until it hurts. This is another common growth problem in large and giant breed dogs. They just grow so fast. Those two bones need to even out and be the same length by the end of his growth phase. And not get so far apart that they cause joint damage in the meantime.

So, what does it mean for Reilly? Chances are, it'll catch back up to itself before the growth plates close. If not, he may need splints or even surgery to repair his forelegs. The odds are in his favor. If he evens back up on his own, he'll be sound. If he doesn't and he needs repair, he may not. So, he'll get checked again at his next vaccination visit, on the 11th. At the rate he's growing, something will be able to be seen then. We may wait a bit more, but likely take xrays to see how far he is from growth plate closure. If need be, Doc will refer me to a veterinary orthopedist. Doc is optimistic. I will do my best to be so as well. We can't tell now what's going to happen.

Reilly has been sleeping all evening, and just woke up, so I haven't gotten pictures of the angle of his wrists yet. I'll try to get them tomorrow, and post them so you can see.

Meg and Reilly