Did Fitzgerald's Gatsby have a hitch in his gait? 'Cause I sure do...

Good evening, Old Sports! I'm writing this from my comfy stall today.  Thick bed of shavings, as much hay as I could possibly eat, and nice neighbours (yes, pun intended).

As nice as it is, I'm a little sick of the decor at this point.  24 hours and counting. This time yesterday Spode came out to see me and I was hiding in the shelter.  Spode thought that was pretty unusual, and then I seemed to be walking a tad stiffly, too.  Spode figured mud was to blame since it was a little easier for me to walk properly once I hit the pavement.

Spode forgot about my legs once I got in the barn because my eyes were leaking.  I was crying big fat Gatsby tears, it's true.

I is hurt, Spode!

I stood with my head down and didn't move a muscle with my eyes half closed and slightly loud breathing.  Spode took my temperature (several times, sigh) but I wasn't hot.  If anything I was a bit cold. I just felt terrible.

Anyway, Spode pondered and pondered and asked me a million times what was the matter, but she practically fell to the ground when when she tried to pick up my left hind hoof. I couldn't do it.  I stretched my leg out straight behind me, and then it suddenly snapped forward (I almost knocked my Spode out the first time).  Tried again and it was the same.  Cue panic. Sheesh, and I thought I cried fat tears.  So, Spode contacted the stable manager and asked if she could put me in a stall for the night until the vet could come out in the a.m. She tucked me into bed and I ate my hay quietly.  I was taking funny steps every now and then, but mostly it was just when she tried to pick my hoof up I couldn't physically lift it.  We were both upset by that. The one good thing was I got a second dinner with some bute. Yeah baby! Love bute. 

Spode came back to visit bright and early in the a.m.  I had no more tears and my eyes were bright, but my leg was worse.  Every step was a funny step, and I was dragging it behind me sometimes. We waited and waited for the vet to arrive, though Spode told me that she suspected my stifle was locking. She just wanted the doctor to come and confirm and check that it wasn't something else.  When the vet did finally arrive, Spode took me out of my stall and the vet thought it was stifles right away, too.  He held onto it while I walked to feel what was going on.  Yep.  My patella (new vocab for the day!) is pushing out laterally and the ligaments aren't releasing from the "stand" position.  It hurts a little.  The vet hopes I'll grow out of it, but wants me to rest in the stall for the moment and go for walks up and down hills in the hay fields.  I'll stay in until I see how the walking is making me feel. Hopefully just until tomorrow afternoon or Sunday morning.  If it keeps happening, then I might need surgery.  NOOOOO! 

I went for a walk today though.  First time out in the hay fields (er, except that time I escaped). There was one scary part, but other than that it was all fine.  It actually made me a bit tired.  Already made my leg a little better, I think, but it's still getting stuck. 

Snack time after exercise! 

I was happy enough to go back into my stall after the walk, especially since dinner (yes, with bute!) was waiting for me.  I ate up, downed a bucket of water, and then tipped my dinner bowl into my shavings.  When I flipped it back over, it had shavings in it.  But I didn't realize and thought it was dinner! Spode had to take it away from me to make me stop eating them.  Hey, shush.  I'm tired, okay?

Mmmm, pine. 

Looking forward to two walks tomorrow.  If you see a small Spode leading her 17hh "puppy" by the road, DON'T honk unless you want to see Spode dislocate her shoulder for the 3rd time (she lectured me about pulling on our walk.  Basically Spode took the opportunity to talk the entire time we walked.  Oy. No wonder I'm tired.)  The barn manager was laughing afterwards because she said all she could see when she looked out in the field was my back.  Spode was hidden completely. I'm the biggest great dane you'll ever see...

Until later, Old Sports.

Jay.