If it’s not one thing, it’s another. With Dante it’s either the Chiari related pain, his IBD or both. This can be tiring.
It was about this time last year when he first got so bad that a visit to the emergency vet led us to his nuerologist. At that time, two weeks of a muscle relaxer and Tramadol seemed to get him past it.
His pain is pretty well controlled by the Nuerontin but I notice that his back legs sometimes give out when he’s galloping up the stairs from the backyard.
His IBD is also flaring which is probably as a result of his discomfort. So he’s on Budesonide again and that is making him very hungry and very thirsty. On Monday it is 21 days on Budesonide so I will try him off it and see how it goes.
It has been suggested that heat and humidity exacerbate SM. I believe this to be true because we’ve had a lot of that around here that’s for sure. The truth will only come with time as we go through a couple of years with the weather cycles.
I can tell he has some discomfort also because he doesn’t really ever get fully relaxed (which usually means laying on his back with his legs wide open and front paws up taking a nap.
In comparison to some other stories I’ve read he’s relatively o.k though so I shouldn’t complain.
He can be motivated to big action however as evidenced by his protective exhibition when we had a coyote in our yard about a week ago.
I must admit that I do wish there was some period of time where he had nothing bothering him, not pain or bum.
Hope all you other SM dog parents out there are doing o.k.
