Yearly Check-Up

Today Callie and I took a trip to the vet for her yearly check-up and to get a few vaccinations.  Clinique Veterinaire Journet is right around the corner - literally a block and a half away.  Even though it's only mid-September it was quite breezy outside, and with the clouds it felt much cooler than 65 degrees.  I noticed that Callie's limp seemed more pronounced than usual as we made our way to the vet; she seemed to pick up her left foot and carry it every other step or so, effectively hopping down the sidewalk.  Callie is only four years old, but I have definitely noticed her symptoms worsening in the two years since we moved to Montreal.

Dr. Journet told me that Callie weighs 5.8 lbs., has excellent teeth, and is surprisingly well behaved when receiving shots!  (Today she didn't even squeak.)  She cried a little when he inspected her back legs, but she is really a darling girl and puts up with a lot.  I wasn't surprised when he asked me if she limped, but I was distressed when he pushed for an x-ray.  Sure enough, the film came back with some scary results.

The circles in the image are around Callie's kneecaps.  Ideally they should be centered on the bones, instead of sitting so far out to the side.  Also, those lower bones should be much straighter than they are!  Basically, this x-ray shows that both of Callie's knees are severely dislocated, and the vet said he couldn't even pop the left one back into place.  No wonder our "little bear" has been limping!

Here is a link to an article that I think explains the problem pretty well.  It's on a website for bichon frises, but I think it applies to pomapoos as well!

Patella Luxation

Dr. Journet has given us a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, and our next step will be a consultation with him.  A disorder like this has a few possible treatments, but all of them sound pretty intense.  I don't know when we will be able to take Callie for the consultation, but hopefully she will stay relatively comfortable in the meantime.  She has been sluggish all afternoon, but I'm sure she'll be her playful self again by morning!