on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:55:52 GMT, elegy
wrote:

or maybe it's no big deal and i'm overreacting.

second opinion time? am i being a hypochondriac? just plain nuts?

(sorry this was so long. i'm just very frustrated right now, and
really not feeling heard. if i were a client and not a
coworker/employee i'd feel more able to be pushy and demand my
concerns be addressed, but as it is, that's really hard for me.)

I don't think you are overreacting. She is in pain, you are both
frustrated, and you need a course of treatment that works.

Did you pay for the evaluation from your the ortho at your practice? If
not, then being pushy about it probably isn't an option IMO. I'd get a
second opinion, but take the xrays and any other test results with you.
If you did pay, I'd raise my concerns again and discuss this further.

My own experience with soft tissue injuries leads me to believe that Luce
simply hasn't had time to properly heal. I'm sure that's not the answer
you are looking for, but all of my ligament injuries took ages to get
better. Typical course of treatment for humans is a few days of RICE
(rest/ibuprofen/compression/elevation) and then add PT while continuing
the RICE.

I don't know how these types of injuries are treated in dogs, but I'd ask
about specific things you can do with Luce that will aid in her recovery.
Perhaps icing and wrapping her knee is something you should be doing,
too, every few hours as well as right before and right after any
activity--but I'm just guessing based on my personal injuries (and I've
had a ton). The tough thing about knees is that non weight bearing
exercises are best initially. Is there a pool you where you could take
her swimming?

--
Lynne