It takes a special person to bring a dog into your home and make them part of your family. Bella was not a "planned" child. From the moment Bella was brought into our home, it was official... she was HOME and part of the family. My life is completely wonderful with Bella part of it. She is my side kick. If something doesn't include Bella, then I am worried about when I can get home to spend time with her. She has completely stolen my heart....
The last few weeks Bella has not been quite right in her hind end. She has been lame and favoring her left hind leg. Doing what I do for a living you always think the worst... TORN ACL! I had Bella sedated to clean her teeth and check her hips and knees. Nothing appeared on the x-rays to be wrong, however when you are looking for ACL tear it doesn't really show on x-rays. ( because you are looking at bone) So I was keeping an eye on her, giving her high does of her supplements. This past weekend everything seemed great... Bella had a swim date in the swimming pool with her Best Friend Lily and she seemed fine through out the afternoon. That evening Bella was painfully lame in the left hind and was non weight bearing. Her knee was painful to the touch. Some T.L.C., pain medications and rest were in her future.
Bella seems to be doing well with her combination of medications, supplements and rest. She doesn't quite understand why she can't play with Lily much, or jump in the pool, which breaks my heart. She is the best patient and I will give her the best care possible. Dr. Garrett and Dr. Zimmerman are working with me to provide her with comfort. It is a strong possibility that Bella will under go ACL surgery in the near future. Dave and I have discussed everything and want the extreme BEST care for our furry daughter. I will be calling for consult with orthopedic surgeon this week to set something up as soon as possible. Surgery and post surgical care are extremely expensive. I will keep all of her fans in the "loop." For now please keep your fingers and paws crossed for her and for her family. If Bella needs to proceed with surgery, I am going to have wrist bands made to donate money towards her expenses. For now Bella has been placed on the " INJURED RESERVED" list.
