Handsome Stewie

December is Arthritis Awareness Month and I wanted to tell my story, so let’s start at the beginning.

I am a Southern “gentle dog” originally from Atlanta. I was transported to the Kent Shelter in Riverhead at 12 weeks old. A week later, Katie came in to the shelter with her family. I was jumping up and down, saying in dog speak, “Pick me, Pick me!” and they did. It was my luck day.

My family keeps me active with tons of hugs, kisses, adventures, and just being silly. There is always someone around to snuggle with except when everyone goes to school or work. They leave me with the cat who does not want to play with me and just ignores me. So, I take a morning nap and then in the afternoon I watch for the bus to come down the block or car to pull in the driveway. I am so happy when my family comes home.

One day, my mom noticed that I was having trouble getting up and limped a lot. Oh man, every bone in my body hurt and I was so achy. Mom was growing concerned because I was sleeping a bit more and looked kind of sad. Mom decided to bring me to see Dr. Galvis to find out why I was not feeling well. I love going to the hospital because everyone says hello and they give me cookies!

Dr. Galvis examined me and then asked the technicians to run some blood work and take a few x-rays. To mom’s dismay, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease from a tick bite. As a result of my x-rays, Dr. Galvis also noted that I have hip dysplasia with some arthritis. First, Dr. Galvis treated me for Lyme disease to help me feel better. My mom gave me medication for a few weeks and within a short time, I was on my way to recovery.

Now that the Lyme disease was better, it was time to manage my hip dysplasia and arthritis. I found out that hip dysplasia means the ball and socket joint in my hip are not formed correctly and it was inherited from my parents. Dr. Galvis prescribed medication for pain management and some joint supplements. Mom watches my weight because she knows that only a few extra pounds can aggravate my hips and arthritis.

I visit the hospital for regular exams and blood work for continued prevention and maintenance. Thanks to the care of my loving family, Dr. Galvis and her team, I am one happy dog that is feeling like myself again.