A speedbump on life's road

I like to say I don't choose favorites between my dogs, but how could I help but favor my birthday pup, Chica, who loves to chase balls, cuddles up with us in bed, and follows me around like a shadow? Our other dog, Sofia, is 13 and acts very much like the crochety little old lady she is. She "vants to be alone." But she's sturdy and healthy, which, it turns out, Chica is not.

We got Chica on my birthday three years ago and never regretted it, even now when things are getting complicated.


We first noticed the limp when we took the dogs to the Soggy Peso on the beach about a month ago. As we headed back to the car, Chica was freewheeling , her left hind leg (driver's side, the Capt called it) not hitting the sand. We figured she stepped on something sharp and looked for a cut but the paw was undamaged. The only unusual occurrence at the beach was her encounter with a baby mastiff that sent her into a fit of hysterical barking, but we never saw any physical contact between them.

Fast forward a month. She's still limping even though she otherwise behaves normally. Still wants to chase balls, doesn't seem to be in pain. The local vet X-rayed her and said she might have what's called a luxated patella, a condition not uncommon in small dogs. The patella is a tiny crescent-shaped bone attached to the inner socket of the fibula, and Chica's has become dislocated, causing discomfort when the knee is in use. He sent us to a high-tech vet in Obregon (over an hour's drive) for a more informed opinion. We drove there yesterday.

Dr. Hiram in Obregon looked over the ex-ray, manipulated the leg and told us she not only has a luxated patella in the knee but some problem there that he can't see in the X-ray. Plus there's a malformation in the ball-shaped top of the femur where it meets hip socket. He could operate on the hip, but first we should consult a orthopedic specialist he knows in Nogales about the knee.


He also said an MRI scan would give us a better view of the knee problem, and we might have to find a veterinary hospital in the States for that. He added that the right leg wasn't normal either. My heart sank.

Back home, the Capt researched veterinary MRI resources and found one in New Hampshire for $1,295. We're getting to that discussion pet owners always have. Our funds are limited, and there's no question that we have to draw the line somewhere in determining how much we can afford to spend on pet health care. So far we've agreed on one thing: we'd take her for treatment anywhere in Mexico...Guadalajara, Mexico City, even Yucatan...rather than using a vet in the U.S.


Without knowing the knee issue, we don't know if it will get worse or continue as is. There's no swelling, and she doesn't put her weight on it, which makes us wonder if it will remain the same.  I'm guessing the supportive tendons and muscles in the right leg could develop more to compensate, maybe enough to make up for its less-than-perfect state. Or is that wishful thinking?


We see three-legged dogs and free-wheelers all over Mexico,  most functioning normally. Last week I saw one happily chasing a frisbee on the beach, keeping up remarkably with her four-legged playmates.  If we were Mexican the decision would probably be to leave her alone. Avoid the MRIs, the surgeries, the endless vet appointments. Be grateful it's not worse.


But we'll take her to the doctor in Nogales before making a decision, and keep the door open to possible solutions. And keep throwing the ball for her.