Gida has, most likely, a congenital, skeletal issue in her back. So says a vet, x-rays, and the pity-inducing way she moves and stands sometimes. When it’s a mild ouch, it seems like she just pauses her gait mid-stride — almost like we caught her doing something bad. At her worst, she painstakingly lumbers like an AT-AT in Star Wars. They said painkillers would help, and they did. They still do, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly.

I indicated I was a tad testy about painkillers for the dog. Something about the organic chicken she now eats plus bonus drugs didn’t add up. But some combination of these new things seemed to work. She jumps and gets excited (“vicious”) when the doorbell rings. Furthermore, at least two other dog owners told us painkillers greatly improved their twilighting pets’ quality of life.

Is it like “these vitamins really boosted my energy or “this crack is really tasty, can I have some more like NOW?” Is it like waiting until the end of your life to eat chocolate and cookies for dinner every night? I am still considering the answers to these questions. Call me cynical, but I’m unsure the opinion of a vet who prescribed the pills is necessarily the only one I should trust. The opinion of these dog-having friends counts, and so does yours.

If anyone else has experience with doggie painkillers, I’m curious to know what you think. So far, I’m starting to accept them as a new part of Gida’s life: when they work, they seem to do the trick.

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