Well the vet seems to think that it’s not Lyme Disease which I deem to be a good thing. Ayla was totally nutty while there and definitely not lethargic so I guess she was just sleepy before…or she was in some pain from her paw/shoulder and that was why she didn’t want to chase the ball.

The vet did an examination of Ayla’s front right paw and shoulder, testing the joints and bending her leg around. Although Ayla didn’t really want to sit still through the procedure she never pulled away or showed signs that she was in pain. The vet feels that she may have just injured herself playing or running around and if she is having any pain it would also explain a slight loss in appetite.

The vet gave Ayla a shot which she didn’t like at all. Apparently the injection burns a bit as it goes into the system and Ayla was going crazy in the office. She wouldn’t even let the vet finish giving her the other two-thirds of the shot. She acted as if she tried to kill her and was even sitting in my lap in the end.

The vet gave us Phen-Pred tablets (Phenylbutazon-Prednisolon). Phenylbutazone is a non hormonal, nonsteroidal compound possessing anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic actions. Prednisolone is a synthetic glucocorticoid used as antiinflammatory or immunosuppressive agent. Glucocorticoids are adrenocortical steroids and cause profound and varied metabolic effects. In addition, they modify the body’s immune responses to diverse stimuli.

Ayla needs to take three pills, twice daily, and is not supposed to do any jumping, running or major activity. The vet actually told me to keep her on the leash at all times until the pills run out (4.5 days) which means Ayla will not be sleeping outside for a while unless she’s on the leash and she also won’t be doing much hanging out in the courtyard. Thankfully if you secure her somewhere she will usually just sleep and she generally sleeps quite a bit during the day anyway…but she is not going to be thrilled about all this I’m guessing.

I also asked the vet about the dry spot on her right hind foot. She indicated that it looks like it could have been where a tick bit her or something else happened and the skin and fur just started growing funky. It sounded a bit like an ingrown hair to me but isn’t something that can be popped out and apparently it doesn’t hurt her because the vet squeezed it and Ayla didn’t react…unlike with the injection!

So now we wait and see how she heals. If she is still limping when the pills are finished we go back to the vet and she will probably do x-rays or at the very least sedate Ayla so that she can fully examine her hips and joints without doggo going crazy. We appreciate everyone keeping your fingers and paws crossed as well as praying and sending positive thoughts for Ayla that she recovers from this quickly and there isn’t anything else to investigate later next week!!