We’ve recently had a diagnosis of elbow dysplasia for our sweet Weston. Go ahead, google the term, the first description is horrible, “Elbow dysplasia is a common cause of front-leg lameness in large-breed dogs.” OK, don’t google it.
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Weston has had a weird gate and a bit of a limp at times for as long as we can remember. It started so very slightly and we’d ask each other, “do you see a limp?” Her obedience instructor was the one that called it out, and made it real. She saw us walking down the walkway and thought, there is something wrong with Weston.
We’ve since had a few rounds of x-rays, have a plan to deal with it, (involving someone losing a bit of weight =) and are managing it.
The thing is, Weston doesn’t speak English. She hasn’t heard this diagnosis, she only knows that she feels some pain some times, but the main thing on her mind is whatever she is doing right at that minute. Swimming, sunning herself, playing with the soccerball, digging another hole in the garden. She hasn’t changed one bit.
She doesn’t spend time worrying about how this may affect her some day. She is just happy, active, sweet, saucy, naughty and completely in the moment. I am choosing to take her approach. We could let this affect the way we interact with her, but there is no way I am keeping this dog from the joys of her daily swim, or from running down the beach, or having her afternoons in the back yard chasing fantails.
She’s going to set the pace – she continues to teach me!