My Hannah Girl

Hannah is our thirteen year old labragirl. She's my heart dog.

This morning Hannah was not at all well.

• She did not come out of the bedroom with me and Emma, her golden retriever sibling, this morning. I had to call her. Normally both girls are anxious to go downstairs to get their breakfast and to have a potty break, in that order. Very unusual.
• She went to the rug at the back door while I got the girls their breakfast. Normally both dogs are right there "supervising" while I get their breakfast. Very unusual.
• She did not really want her breakfast. VERY UNUSUAL. Emma ate hers, went outside and then Hannah took another 15 minutes to eat. I wanted her to get it down in case the Zubrin might help her. I let her out the front door because there are fewer steps for potty break. When does it ever take a lab 15 minutes to eat breakfast?!
• Hannah was pacing pacing pacing pacing pacing and walking kind of funny (holding her rear legs wide) and then she lays down (like the Sphinx, not on her side), then more pacing and so on.
  
• When I went to give her a Be Good for Daddy Treat (no, they are not spoiled) before leaving for work, she did not want to come to me (five steps at most) off the rug by the back door to get her treat. Since when to labs not want treats? When I leaned forward to make it easier, she grabbed it and dropped it and it seemed like she couldn't see it right.
• DH, said that Hannah tossed and turned all night (I sleep through anything).
• Last night Hannah was 100% Hannah. She is the one who wanted playtime, not her younger sister. When I went to bed, she jumped up on her own (about half the time she asks for an assist). This seems to be something that happened overnight.
• She seems more confused/worried than in pain. I mean, when I looked into her eyes that's what I saw. DH said that she looked "overwhelmed."
  

DH brought her to the vet and her blood pressure was "sky high." It has since returned to high-normal. Her left rear continues to be weak. Her reflexes are "in the normal range." The plan as of noon today was to add Tramadol to the Zubrin that she is taking (pain management). If she does not improve, referral to vet school.

Hannah's vet had a phone consult with a neurologist at the vet school. He said that it sounded like Hannah has old dog vestibular. She has all of the symptoms except the eye rolling but he said that the vet school gets a lot of referrals due to cases that lack the eye rolling. He would like to wait two weeks before seeing her because it should stabilize if that is the case. Our vet wants us to call her every other day.

Note: The photos were taken this evening.