They don't come cheap...!
It's ok, Henry is fine (despite his best efforts with the electric fencing at work). However, on a trip to the beach last weekend I noticed him walking strangely after swimming (goose stepping is the best way I can describe it) so when the time came for his regular MOT with the vet it was very much on my mind. Henry has mild hip dysplasia, or at least so I was told when rehoming him, so I do get a bit obsessive about his legs at times. And since we're in the Healthy Pet Club regular checkups are included, so this was the perfect opportunity to mention it and get some advice.
The good news is his hips are ok, he has a good range of movement and is in no pain. The bad news is that he needs more muscle on his back end. The embarrassing Nazi re-enactment was caused by the cold water giving him cramp and nothing more sinister. However the vet did suggest hydrotherapy... and therein lies the issue.
I would love to be able to take Henry for this, but at £20-odd a session with two sessions a week needed to begin with it's just not an option. Insurance won't cover this as it's a pre-existing condition, so we are a bit stuck. The plan is therefore to try and build muscle in other (free!) ways, and get the vet to look again when he has his boosters in 6 months time. In the meantime, he'll just have to swim in the duckpond like all the other dogs!
Finally - here are one or two pics from the beach:
