Sweet Serena with the Surgeon

Today was our long-awaited vet visit with the specialist. I was hoping for a quick and easy answer, a quick and easy surgery, and then recovery and a long life of happy ever afters. I should know better. I do know better, but hope springs eternal.

Serena in the back of the van on the way to
the vet today.

His initial assessment was that there was nothing on the x-rays to explain why she should be as lame as she is on that leg. More x-rays were taken, focusing on the shoulder, which he said is very swollen. Still nothing really obvious, except a couple areas of bone loss. Possibilities include an infection in the shoulder, or cancer.

She was so good about the treatment and handling that he was able to extract a sample of the fluid from the shoulder joint. It has been sent off for a battery of tests and cultures. Maybe some answers from some of the tests by Friday. We came home with an antibiotic and more pain meds. Best case scenario would be a prompt improvement from the antibiotics. If not, she'll probably need a CT scan. If there's cancer, there's possible treatments, amputation, or doing nothing, but I'm not even looking across that bridge until we are upon it.

He said that for now to let her do whatever she wants in terms of activity, and believe me, that's what I'm doing.