Yesterday, my dog (a female American Cocker Spaniel) got hurt somehow when chasing our cat, and we had though she dislocated her hip, since she had difficulty using her hips/hind legs afterwards. Today, we took her to the vet.

Turns out, the news is worse. She has a ruptured disk in her spine, and there is major swelling on her spinal chord, giving her nerve damage. This, probably combined with the pain of the injury itself, means she is effectively partially paralyzed from the waist down, and we don't know if she'll be able to recover.

In a week, we will see how much she's healed. If her condition improves, then we'll work with her until she gets better (we have experience with special-needs pets). If her paralysis gets worse and she loses bowel and/or bladder control, then we're most likely going to have her put down. In the meantime, we'll be giving her anti-swelling meds and working with her until we see any changes in either direction (we should see some improvement or worsening within seven days).

I've been depressed the last week or so, and when I'm finally better, all this happens. This is the last kind of a bullshit I need on my plate right now.