Clifford is now hopping around Struan Farm on three legs. Don't worry, he's not in pain. He just blew out a ligament in a back knee barrelling around the Pet Paddock a week or so ago, chasing a mob of wild turkeys. John saw the chase and said it was a major run with jumps over fallen trees, etc. He tried to call him off but Clifford just wouldn't listen, he was in the zone. John held me off a trip to the vet for several days, thinking Clifford had either gotten a chestnut burr in his paw or broken a toe perhaps. But seems it's a bit more than that.
The vet advises that he ruptured a ligament in his knee. And when a dog is 13 years old (91 years in people terms) they don't operate to repair that, even if he's in great shape for his age and still behaving like an adolescent. He's taking short term anti-inflammatories to get things to calm down, then will be on a monthly anti-inflammatory for the rest of this life. He's been resting and has started to put a bit of weight back on that leg. But he'll never be entirely right and we need to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid to harm himself further. Like chase rabbits/possums/turkeys/cats/geese (pick your target), or go flying off a retaining wall into the paddock a la super dog. That will be easier said than done. He certainly can't jump up into the car by himself now, has to be lifted up.
So yes, we've all got our aches and pains now here at Struan Farm. We're doing our best not to moan (okay, maybe not John...), and I'm doing my best to look after everyone..
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