Doctor Doctor Give Me The News

For the past few months, my pit bull Lainey has been having some issues with one of her back legs.  She will limp for a couple days, then refuse to walk on it for a day, limp for a couple more days and then she is fine.  It seems to happen every couple of weeks...in that same order...limp for 2 days, refuse to put weight on it for 1 day, then limp for 2 more days.  We have had her to the vet a couple times to have it looked at, but they have been unable to diagnose the problem without putting her under and doing some x-rays. We are sent home with some pain killers/anti-inflammatory meds and bed rest.

Do you have any idea what it is like to have an active puppy put on bed rest?  It is miserable to say the least.  We are unable to take our nightly walks, our weekend hikes, no running/jumping of any kind, no doggy daycare and the worst...having to go out for potty breaks on a leash instead of having free roam of the backyard.

We have been doing a lot of mental exercises to tire her out, but it just isn't the same as doing physical activities.

The logical answer is to just have her put under with anesthesia and let them do the x-ray, but I just hate the idea of having to do that.  She was put under with anesthesia when she was spayed and she didn't react very well when she was "coming out" from her slumber.  I just hate to do that to her again without trying other non-conventional routes first.

Today we are going to see a specialist who will do some chiropractic work and acupuncture on her.  This doctor comes highly recommended and I'm looking forward to see what she has to say about our situation.

I know it won't be an immediate cure, but I'm hoping this is a great alternative to the idea of needing x-rays and possibly surgery.  Chiropractic/acupuncture therapy is supposed to have great benefits for dogs experiencing muscle and/or joint pain.  I will let you know my thoughts after our session today.

Have any of you tried alternative methods for your pets?