We may have gotten real lucky with Copper on this. Neurologist can see on the xrays what may be discospondylitis. He also found that Copper IS reactive to hard pressure. I wasn't pressing hard enough.
Looks like an infection!!! Antibiotics!! That might be all he needs!!! If so, it will be fairly long term antiobiotics, maybe 6 weeks. We still have to try to isolate the infection too, so we go to the regular vet for sterile urine sample asap (copper had none to give today after being fasted and then peeing in the parking lot when we got there). And they're doing blood work too. One possibility is brucellosis, even though Copper was neutered 12 years ago, it apparently can be picked up in other ways besides *beep*.
We'll get the infection cleared up and then see if there's other things going on, he's not out of the woods yet. Hopefully a lot can be done at my regular vet's, the neurologist is 60 miles away.
In other news, on the way to out the vets, I stopped at the bank where I keep my niece's college account. She's now 11. Many of you who were on Acme at the time I lost hubby contributed quite a chunk of it. I've added to it since, most recently half the proceeds of selling his truck (the other half went into his 9 year old half sister's trust fund). There's 3 grand in there now. This morning I moved it out of a custodial savings account and into a moderate investment account that will do much better.
The investment banker lady has a 2 year old blue merle (dapple)long haired dachsie, and had no objection at all to me bringing Copper today when I asked on the phone before I left. I was fighting an extremely tight schedule today. Last time I tried to bring a dog in there several years ago, I was asked to leave, no dogs allowed. It was right after I lost nick, and I had a tantrum "then put a sign on the door!" - I was not sane at the time at all. But it was fine today, she really loves dogs. Copper bumped nose first into a vice president who held out his hand to be sniffed. "Oh yeah, he doesn't see well", and I had to be very careful with him about all the see-through panels in the place. I showed the banker lady about Copper's back, and to keep an eye out for anything like this in her dachsie since they get back problems so often. She was quite interested.
He was a very good boy with such a busy day!
Update on Copper, and attn former Acmeites..msg
Update on Copper, and attn former Acmeites..msg
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend:and inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
-- Groucho Marx
-- Groucho Marx
Re: Update on Copper, and attn former Acmeites..msg
its amazing how a person can be judged by their attitude toward a dog...most grouches (sp) or unhappy people shy awa from dogs or let it be known that they are not dog people....i see this in the hospital when the people bring around the therapy dogs....even people who don't like them find them much better than the sickness they have...they really warm up to a dog lying across their chest or aching for a ear scratching.....