Honourary Lab Achilles check in
Thought I would check in with our ACDx Achilles’ latest.
He’s probably at least 14, possibly (though unlikely) as old as 18. He’s perhaps one of the last pups around from the original Lab Board way back in 2005.
You may recall that last November our vet diagnosed upper and lower lumbar trouble, and recommended 37mg Deramaxx 1x daily to manage the discomfort.
We recently saw that he is less easy in his movements, being more stiff and less willing to move around so I scheduled a vet visit.
Our vet evaluated Achilles and observed that he was indeed uncomfortable. Her recommendation was that, instead of increasing the Deramaxx dose or going with Metacam, to try gabapentin. So we are trying 100 mg gabapentin 2x daily to complement the Deramaxx. After only few days I feel certain Chili dog is more comfortable.
At this stage I believe helping Chili Dog be comfortable is more important than extending his life. Achilles still wants to eat, wants to drink, wants to go for car rides even if they end at the vet. Though he sleeps a lot, when he’s awake Is interested in what’s going on. After he takes a dump he runs and takes a big jump onto the deck. So I think life is still OK for him.