My poor Bobo has some blisters on his front pads again.  I'm back in worry mode, which admittedly doesn't take much. I'm trying to think positive, but when I see signs this significant, it's hard to. All we did was go for a walk along Coronado boardwalk, where Borias wanted to go fast. I let him for a very short distance. Then the next day, I walked him down to a favorite breakfast joint, just about a mile from my place, and I found how much he had blistered. 

We took a bus home. 

His spinal cord really must be shrinking, from the compression. So more and more his weight shifts forward, putting more stress on his front end. Muscles, joints, and now pads. This is a hard pill to swallow, with such a huge part of our relationship being how he loves to run with me. Is this the end of that? Forever? 

I am ordering some stuff that toughens pads, and protects them. Maybe because he hasn't been doing a lot of "mushing", they've gotten more soft. I doubt it, though. He's walking differently. I'm just so surprised at how little it took to wear them down this time. I'm also looking for booties that aren't as thick as the hiking kind. Something simple he can wear that won't make him trip over them. I can imagine when Summer comes, with the hot pavement, it's going to be more difficult. 

Makes me really have to think about where we go, where I park, and the routes we take. It's so difficult to avoid rougher terrain, like pebbled sidewalks, asphalt and such. It's all over the place. I used to be able to park somewhere, and go running around to the various places we were going to. I'm even having to leave him in the car sometimes, like tonight, getting some stuff at Ikea and Lowes. Feels so strange to be without him. 

It's like a part of me is missing. 

Do I accept this, and learn to adapt...or should I pursue more opinions, do more research on options. Wish I knew the answer. Of course my inclination is to search out an answer. Based on experience with human doctors, I've found that sometimes you don't get the best information. There's many, many of them who practice old, tired methods, that aren't always the most effective. Or even make things worse. 

Perhaps teaching veterinary schools have something new on the horizon. Borias is only eight...such a young eight. So enormously full of life- he wants to be on the go. There just must be an answer out there.