It keeps getting better

Yesterday was Friday September 25th. 12 days since Buddy’s surgery. We got up, fed him his breakfast and took him out to pee. He still needs a little bit of help getting up with the sling in the am but hey, we all need a little help in the morning sometimes! I got ready for work and came downstairs to find him panting. NO shaking which is great. So, I scratched my head and thought, well, maybe he might like to go for anther potty break before I leave. His usual routine was to go out first thing in the morning and then for a short walk before I head to work. I haven’t done that since surgery. I got him up and out the door with his sling but dropped it once he was feeling stable. Bless my soul, he wandered off a few steps, peed, hopped around the front yard a bit and did his doggy business! OMG! He turned around, hopped up the lawn, into the doorway , into the house, hopped over to his bed and flopped down. And looked up at me with a very proud face. (or maybe it was relief) OMG.

I came home from work around noon and decided to let him out back even though it was a bit gloomy out. He usually hates gloomy days and prefers to stay inside but when you’ve been staring at couches all day, I imagine a gloomy day can suddenly be glorious. Once agin, I went out back to see how he was doing and couldn’t find him. I looked over our back deck to find him happily hopping around, checking out the yard and heading underneath the back deck for a rest. 45 minutes later it  started to sprinkle. I tried telling him it was time to go inside, by the look he gave me, he was clearly telling me NO it wasn’t. It took a while but I coaxed him out from underneath the deck and got him to head into the house through the garage. My youngest came home from high school to find me trying to get him up and over the step into the house. Buddy was tired. Half of him was in the house and the other half was in the garage. So we hoisted him up with his sling and got him over to his bed to rest. It was a good afternoon regardless.

That night we decided to order takeout. I went upstairs to check my emails on the computer for a bit while Steve went out to get our food. 5 minutes later I heard clunking around. Puzzled, I came downstairs to find that Buddy had gotten up from his bed and was trying to hop around in the front hallway! This was the first time that he had gotten up independently to go check out the house. He’ll flop around his bed a bit but he never gets up from that room. His exploration only lasted a few minutes, but WOW. Steve came home and we decided to see if we could get him to go stand at his new elevated food bowls to eat. He’s a little spooked by it. It’s new and the shiny silver bowls weird him out. I put his old bowls in the new bowls to make him feel more comfortable. (We had tried getting him used to it before surgery and he didn’t like it then either.) I think a larger rug underneath might help. He was hungry (seriously, I think you can get a hungry dog to do anything when chicken is involved) and hesitantly decided to try it. He got about 1/2 his food down and hopped away back to his bed. We cheered him on for trying. He was tired and this was new. I brought his bowl over to him so that he could polish off the rest of his food.

It was another great day filled with newness. It helps to write about it to remind myself of the great steps he’s taking because I worry. He pant’s randomly sometimes. Does he need more pain medicine? Is he getting to much? Does he have that phantom limb thing going on that I hear about? Did the cancer go to his lungs? The chest xray said all clear. He’s not likely to develop cancer in his lungs in 2 weeks. Why does he pant like that? His back legs still get a little shaky. His tummy seems rumbly after drinking water. Is he getting enough food? I don’t want to over feed him because he has to loose weight. The vet approved of his diet. Maybe I need to talk to her about that. All of this stuff goes through my head before I go to sleep. I must remember to celebrate all the great improvements instead of obsessing over what could go wrong. And I need to remember to place it in God’s hands. He’s helped us through this thus far. God is good. Life is good. Buddy improves everyday. Not bad for a 13 year old puppy.

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “It keeps getting better”

  1. I am enjoying reading your story. My dog, Coco, is scheduled for amputation next Thursday. She is nine or ten (a rescue we have had for three years), and I am nervous about the weeks after surgery. Your story is inspirational – thanks for sharing!

  2. You say “not bad”, I say FABULOUS ! Every dog recovers differently, and I’d say Buddy is figuring it out just fine. It really is amazing how little things can make us so happy. Keep it up Buddy, there’s a whole new world out there for you!

    Paula and Nitro

  3. Not bad at all! Way to go Buddy! Keep it up!! We are three weeks post amp and our Max is back. He’s out of pain and loving life again. You’ll be there soon too!

    1. Ohh! Thats awesome! YAY MAX!! Its so good to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! He’s getting there!

  4. Not bad at all for a thirteen year young puppy….or for any dog this early in recovery!!!

    Lots and lots of victories in this blog!! I’m glad you are chronicling his recovery so you can see the improvements. And duri g recovery, little improvements are HUGE VICTORIES to be celebrated!!

    My Happy Hannah stayed in pain meds at some level well into her third week. Not sure what Buddy is on right now, but the pa ting could show he’s still hurting some. Are his doses given consistetly?

    As far as eating, it’s really great that Buddy has a good appetite. I know it’s important he drop a few pounds, but for another week or so I’d feed him anything he wants while he’s recovering. Besides, being a tripawd is really hard work! It can be pretty exhausting at first!!

    This jiurney makes us crazy with worry at first. And no, he hasnt “developed” anything in two weeks time! And he’s not going to! So don’t let the worrying interfere with your time together! Buddy is doing splendidly well…especially for a senior pup, this early in recovery and after major surgery, all while adjusting to three legs!!

    I love that Buddy has the will to try! And he got up on his own and sent exploring on his own!!! HUGE VICTORIES!!!

    I feed my Happy Hannah in her bed for a couple of weeks. Probably more so because I just loved spoiling her and making her life fun and easy!

    You are doing a beautiful job of caring for Buddy. The love is so deepp…so touching.

    Cheering for ya’ Buddy!

    Love to all!

    Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

    1. He gets his pains meds consistently. I am pretty careful about that. I had a hospital stay where they got behind in my pain meds and it was a nightmare. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone!! He’s been licking his groin a lot. I thought it was seasonal allergies but now I am thinking its a yeast infection. UGH! I am sure its adding to his occasional discomfort. My guess is that he will be on the pain meds for another week. Its hard work during the day!
      Thank you for cheering him on! 🙂

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