Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Some Dogs Just Walk Bow-Legged

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Last Friday Sampson started his physical therapy.  But before he did, we saw the surgeon because the physical therapist isn’t entirely pleased with the way Sampson is using his leg, specifically the way his knee sticks out when he walks.

After watching him walk and examining his knee, the surgeon wasn’t entirely pleased either, BUT he wasn’t too concerned because we aren’t entirely sure how long he’s been having trouble with his knee.  He also said that some dogs recover more quickly than others and some dogs just walk bow-legged.  His exact words were, “He’s a B, not an A+, but a B.”

In two weeks he’s got to go back and have an x-ray of his knee to gage his progress and see how well it is healing.  IF there is a problem with it, we’ll find out then.

In the meantime, we continue with Physical Therapy.  His physical therapy started out with some basic massage and stretches, then she moved on to Cavaletti’s and finally the underwater treadmill.

I didn’t know what a Cavaletti was, but in my mind it’s very similar to the tire exercise you see athlete’s do.   Because of the way the Sampson walks the Cavaletti, he ends up putting his whole weight entirely on his bad leg, if only for a few seconds.  It will help him build up muscle in that leg again and give him some confidence that the leg will not fail him or cause him pain.

The course is set up with about five to six Cavaletti’s set about fourteen to fifteen inches apart.  He’s supposed to do ten Cavalettis, take a break and then do ten more.

I priced Cavaletti’s online and they were about $20 each, so I came up with a plan in my mind as to how to make my own, but it requires a trip to Home Depot, which I’m planning on later today, so in the meantime, I totally improvised with some pairs of shoes and pieces of wood.

The stick is about two to three inches off the floor.

The stick is about two to three inches off the floor.

Phew, someone needs so baby powder in their shoe.

Phew, someone needs some baby powder in their shoe.

 

While I can create Cavaletti’s at home, I cannot recreate the underwater treadmill.  So I did what bloggers do, I took pictures.

 

Hey, do you realize this tank is filling up with water?

Hey, do you realize this tank is filling up with water?

You want me to do WHAT?

You want me to do WHAT?

 

Other than the fact that Sampson kept trying to drink the water, he did quite well.  I’ll work on getting the video up for Thursday’s Barks and Bytes.

And I’ll work on perfecting those Cavaletti’s too. 🙂  Not too bad though, huh?

Life Outside the Gate

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I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with me.  Perhaps it’s my lack of sleep, perhaps it’s exhaustion or stress from dealing with a post surgery Sampson, maybe it’s just blogging burnout but right now I feel like I can’t manage to string two sentences together to make a blog post.

None-the-less I’m going to take my best shot for Thursday’s Barks and Bytes.

Sampson – A post surgery Sampson is exhausting me.  He wants to run, and he’s tired of being confined to a little room, in fact yesterday he made his way down the STAIRS.  If I’d put some thought into it, I would have led him out the garage and back into the yard, BUT in my blind panic, I led him back up the stairs!

I’m still kicking myself and praying he didn’t damage anything.

Since he and I are sleeping on a futon mattress in the office, and he’s pretty bored, he’s taken to waking me up shortly after 3:00 am so I can take him outside where he stands forlornly at the gate staring out into the great outdoors.  I think he’s dreaming of life outside the gate.  Once back inside he seems resigned to his fate and snuggles up with his head under my chin.

He’s also wise to how we are giving him his pills.  He used to take them willingly in a big ball of coconut oil and then that stopped working.   I switched to Ricotta cheese and when that stopped working, I started rolling the Ricotta Cheese in some dried beef liver.  He’s wise to that now too.  Yesterday I started out the day with him spitting pills on my wall.  My comforter was covered in Ricotta, he was covered in Ricotta and when I got in the car I realized I too was covered in Ricotta.

Yesterday we had a great conversation on my Facebook page and Carol Bondy suggested Liverwurst.  I stopped by the grocery store and picked some up (I can use it for training if need be) and last night he took the pills without a problem!  Thank you CAROL!

There were lots of good suggestions, such as peanut butter (which I’m trying to stay away from because of the calories and his limited exercise,) Tripe, Vienna Sausages and would you believe Marshmallows?

On a positive note, Delilah and I have been getting out and enjoying some nicer weather with some half hour walks.  It’s a start.

And because I can, some photos I’ve been wanting to share.

Sampson and me the day after surgery when I picked him up.

Holy Woof, please tell me my hair doesn't really look like that from the back!

Holy Woof, please tell me my hair doesn’t really look like that from the back!

When he first came home we worked super hard to keep the dogs separated.  Let’s face it, Delilah can be a bit of a bull in a china shop.  But the first morning she came in to check on him and it was SO cute.

You gonna be okay Bubba?

You gonna be okay Bubba?

VOTE NOW

Remember that pancake I dehydrated?  Well now is the time to vote.  As of right now, I’m getting my ass soundly handed to me by a BICHON.  WTF?  Please, please for the love of dog, CLICK HERE and vote for #9!

I did mention that it was Thursday’s Barks and Bytes, didn’t I?  The blog hop for pet bloggers and non-pet bloggers and everyone in between!  Hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog.  Grab the badge, add your link and join the fun!

Heart Like a Dog

 

Sampson Update

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There is so much I want to tell you about Sampson’s surgery, but right now I’m so damn tired I just can’t put a decent post together.  I can’t wrap my mind around it and pull it together.

I will just tell you this.  Sampson and I are staying on a futon mattress on the floor in my office.

When will I get out of this room? WHEN?

When will I get out of this room? WHEN?

This is where he’s been spending 97% of his time.  The other 3% is spent on potty breaks outside and five minute leash walks twice a day.   Because we live in a raised ranch, his leash walks are taking place on our deck.   Each walk consists of between 19 to 25 trips back and forth.  After he walks, I ice his leg for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yes that's me walking on my leg.

Yes that’s me walking on my leg.  You can tell he’s not putting full weight on it based on the size of his foot, in comparison to the others.

He also has range of motion exercises that I do with him three times a day.  Today our walks increase to three times per day, my plan is to do his range of motion exercises and then walk him and ice him.

This week I’m working five and a half hour days and when I’m off to work, he has to be in the cone.  We have to make sure he can’t get at that leg.

What the woof did I do to deserve this?

What the woof did I do to deserve this?

The combination of the cone and the confinement is giving him a little bit of stress.  I feel bad for him.  Yesterday when I came home he was panting a lot, and wouldn’t settle down until I sat with him.  Then he calmed down and went to sleep.

Hopefully we can both hang in there until next Wednesday when those staples come out.

Any of you who’ve gone through surgeries with your pets have any suggestions to help keep him calm?  Or make him feel less stressed? This tired Mama would appreciate any suggestions you have.

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