Week 2, Day 2: Snail Saturday

Look what I saw this morning on my walk with Maeby:



Considering how many countries and customs there are in the universe, there has to be a place SOMEWHERE that says snails are a sign of good luck.

So I decided to take this as a good sign of good things to come.

And then Maeby started walking so well on her leg! So thanks Mister Good Luck Snail. I'm glad I moved you off the sidewalk so nobody would step on you.



Her left leg is still a little "bow legged." But it looks a little less so than usual. Also, her knee looked really "wobbly" for awhile when she walked on it. And today it looked less so than usual too. So yaaaaaaay Maeby! Here's to seeing more snails on our walks.

Week 2, Day 1

Maeby wasn't using her leg this morning. At all.

What a way to celebrate 2 weeks.

And it's all my fault! I got a little over zealous yesterday and didn't carry as much of her weight with the sling as I usually do, so she could start putting a little more weight on her leg when she goes up our steps.

I guess it was just too much for her. Now it's like we've gone backwards 3 days.

Sigh.

***

2:30PM: Still no leg usage. WAHHHHHHHHH. I MESSED UP MAEBY.

***

7 PM: HALLELUJAH WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS. She started putting her leg down a little when I got home from work, and used it about 90% of the time when we were outside on her walk. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew. Lesson learned: PATIENCE, YOUNG GRASSHOPPER.

I think we're due for a video update soon.

Week 2

We've officially reached 2 weeks, post-TPLO. HUZZAH!

Time has really flown by. It will soon be 3 months since the boyfriend and I found our sweet Maeby at that Petco adoption fair. And it will be just another short 3.5 months when Maeby can run free like the crazy Whippet girl she is!

Her incision looks SO GOOD TODAY. I'd say, 100% healed. The difference between Monday's photo and today's photo -- just 3 days -- is AMAZING! Those holistic vets weren't kidding when they said a combo of vitamins C + E promotes "speed healing."

Her walking is looking good. I know she's feeling better because she keeps trying to spin and jump around. This is when her ugly ass harness is really coming in handy.


today's photo is brought to you by the letters C and E


in case you forgot how horrible her poor leg looked just 3 days ago

Week 1, Day 6: Hey Good Lookin'

Smearing antibiotic cream every moment I got since the staples came out has done us some good! Maeby had no scabbing this morning, but just to be completely safe I put some more cream on and left her with the lampshade. But come afternoon, Maeby will be freeeeeeeeeeeee and tonight we shall have a e-collar burning party. Yipeeeeeee!




last morning with the lampshade Maeby, I promise!!

Week 1, Day 5: The coast is clear

Brought Maeby to the vet today and got really good news:

It wasn't an infection!! It was just a reaction to the staples. And we're post-op 12 days, so they removed the staples and that was it! Now that they're out, I can see how they were really irritating her leg. It looks almost like she got hives at that bubbly red area to the left.

I've been putting lots of antibiotic cream on it all day today, and keeping the lampshade on her. I guess we'll be using it for a few more days until her incision is completely head.

The other great bit of news we got today is that we got the okay for her to start 5 minute controlled leash walks, twice a day! I was really surprised that we're starting so soon. It's only been 12 days! It's also amazing considering how concerned I was about her not putting weight on her leg 4 days ago. Since Friday, she's been using her leg more and more once I started walking slooooow and making her use it. I also started her on Symphytum 30C, 2 times a day. Today is day 3 of that, and I'm seeing a DRASTIC improvement. You can totally tell the difference when you compare the video below, to the video I posted on Saturday. See, homeopathic remedies are amazing!

Maeby DID have an "oops moment" tonight -- she got up on the couch! She looked so pleased with herself and just didn't want to move. I don't blame her -- before this surgery, she was permanently glued to the thing. Now she stares at me so forlornly from her ex-pen while I sit on it and type away on her blog. Alas, she was exiled back to her pen very quickly, and I don't think any damage was done.


can i pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase go back on the couch???


she's still limping though

Week 1, Day 4: Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

"The top part closest to her knee is nearly healed. A staple has already popped out on its own."

That's what I wrote yesterday.

Maeby, why are you making me eat my words???

I woke up this morning to see the top of the incision all nasty and red and inflamed. She had her ecollar on all night, and I swear she didn't do any licking yesterday. So what's going on?

Is she getting an infection on the inside? Is this an early warning sign? Is it just possible that she DID lick yesterday when I wasn't looking? Am I going to be a paranoid freak like this for the next 14.5 weeks? GAHHHHHHHH!

She ended her antibiotics on Friday -- so is it possible that she got an infection now that she's not on them?

I gave her some Arnica this morning. I hope that helps.

***

Saw it at lunch. Looks the same. Maaaaaybe a little less red?

We're going to go see the surgeon tomorrow morning for a looksie. I HOPE TO GOD ITS NOTHING SERIOUS.

By the end of all this, I hope Maeby has a wonderfully healed leg. And I hope I don't have a headful of grey hair.

Week 1, Day 3: My saving graces

always use an e-collar!

Look at the gunky scabby stuff in her incision. And compare this to the staple shot a few entries below. :( The good news is, its still healing nicely. The top part closest to her knee is nearly healed. A staple has already popped out on its own.

I try not to use the e-collar as much as possible when I'm home. But I can't babysit Maeby all day -- I have dishes to wash! Carpets to vaccuum! Blogs to update! So I dedicate this entry to the things that have made my life and Maeby's bearable, while she still has these darn staples in her leg.

I don't want her to become a fatty lumpkins by the end of this, so I've been trying to feed her digestible, healthy, and low fat snacks. Here are some of the things I've found to be particularly useful and succesful at keeping Maeby preoccupied for a few hours.



A: BULLY STICKS Yeah yeah yeah, they're bull penises. But dogs LOVE THEM. They are 100% digestible, unlike rawhide, and they can chew for hours and hours. The downside is they're pretty expensive -- I've been getting them for $3.99 on sale. Someone on the orthodogs list told me they're cheaper on ebay.

B: BEEF TENDON Again, another 100% digestible treat. The only problem I found with this one, is that it gets soft REALLY fast. You really have to keep an eye on your dog with this one, because the soft bits can hang all the way down their throat while they try to get to the dry end. I saw Maeby do this and my jaw fell to the ground! The other problem with this is that it stays soggy for a long, long time. I ended up finally throwing one in the oven until it dried up again. It's cheaper than Bully Sticks though.

C: BUSY BUDDY TWIST N TREAT: I just bought this for her today, and it's the best $10 I've spent on her so far!!! I originally went to the pet store to buy her a Buster Cube, but I read they're really hard to use. I literally sat on the floor with the instructions trying to figure out how to get out the cylinder in the middle for cleaning. And I couldn't do it!! The Twist N Treat screws open and closed, and you can control how big the hole for the treats to fall out is. I filled it with Maeby's kibble and she had such a blast with it. (See video below) This is SOOOO MUCH BETTER than the Buster Cube, and CHEAPER.

D: CHARLEE BEAR TREATS: These are all natural, and very inexpensive doggie treats. The best part is, they're smaller than kibble bits. So they're great for training (Maeby has learned a few new tricks in her ex-pen with these!) and you can alo use them in the Twist N Treat. And each bit is only 3 calories so you don't have to worry about your dog getting too many calories.

E: KONG If you don't own a Kong toy by now, I highly recommend you leave your house right now and get one. I LOVE THESE THINGS. I've been filling mine lately with a GOOD QUALITY, plain, nonfat yogurt mixed with a tad of peanut butter (3:1 ratio of yogurt: peanut butter, because PB is very fattening) and also squishing in half a dog biscuit inside. It takes her forever to eat through one of these. But I've also added frozen can food, frozen 100% pumpkin, etc. The great thing about Charlee Bears is you can use just one to cover the hole at the bottom of the Kong, so you don't have to worry about melting stuff getting everywhere.

I forgot to include marrow bones in the photo. But they're great too. Keeps Maeby occupied for hours, and gets all the tartar off her teeth. I give them frozen, just one a week because the marrow inside has a ton of fat and calories. Just make sure you get them in a size that's appropriate for your pup.


maeby the pig

Week 1, Day 2

I think the lampshade is bothering Maeby's ears.

As soon as I take it off, she rubs her ears with her paws. That's not a good sign! I think her ears touching the plastic, and the moisture of her breath getting trapped in the cone might be giving her an ear infection. This seems to be a problem with other dogs on the orthodogs list too.

I mixed a couple drops of tea tree oil with water and cleaned her ears out with a cotton pad. Hope that keeps her from getting a full blown ear infection.

Her TPLO leg seems to be doing really well. She loves stretching it out, and she's even scratched her head with the leg. She also lay down with the leg behind her, "frog style" today.

As far as her walking, she's putting more weight on it. The sloooooooow, slooooow walking is really making her use the leg. I wouldn't do this if it seemed like her leg hurt her, but based on her comfort with stretching it out and laying on it, I think she's not putting weight on the leg because she just doesn't really try to.

It's not 100% down, but it's not just her toes tapping the ground either. About half of her paw is touching the ground and bearing weight. This is a HUUUUUUUGE IMPROVEMENT from even just a few days ago!! (See video below!)


it doesn't bother her to extend her leg backwards.



By the way, her toes on her TPLO leg were starting to curl in. Someone on the orthodogs list mentioned massaging the foot and extending the toes, as it would help the dog walk better. I've been doing that for the last 2 days, and it's really made a difference.

Post-op Week 1, Day 1: Finally some progress!

Maeby started putting a little more weight on her leg last night during our final walk, but this morning she was holding it up again.

I know this is probably normal, but I was hoping Maeby would be one of those dogs that made crazy amazing progress. I guess I'm just a little disappointed.

***

I spoke with Maeby's vet tech TM around lunch time and told her that Maeby was only slightly touching her toe to the ground when she was standing still. TM said that she should be toe touching by now, and suggested that I walk really. really. slooooooooow with her to make her actually walk with her toe touching the ground. If you walk fast, she says, they'll just walk with 3 legs because that's the easier thing to do.

So I did it. AND HUZZAH! Maeby actually was walking and putting some weight on her toe! I am so excited!! I imagine this is how it must feel to witness your baby's first step. WEEEEEE!

I normally let her wander around her recovery room after our walks, but now that she's putting some weight on her knee, she'll be going right back into her ex-pen. YAY MAEBY!

Post-op Day 7: I'm too soft

I thought I'd give Maeby a break from the lampshade last night while we were sleeping. She wears the darn thing all day when I'm at work! How cruel to leave it on another 8 hours through the night, right?

WRONG.

I did put her leg through a piece of fishnet stocking. Silly me thought it would stay on all night. We woke up this morning to stocking off and 2 places on her incision looking pretty inflamed. Her leg is definitely bothering her more today. She's holding it up a little more and there's less toe touching going on.

(5 minutes later)

I just checked it again. It looks pretty bad right now. There's actually a little bit of bleeding going on. I can't even take a picture of it. She won't let me. I dabbed it with a warm paper towel, dabbed on a teeny bit of antibiotic cream, and gave her 4 arnica balls.

How did we end up HERE, TODAY, after yesterday's beautiful photo?

BECAUSE I TOOK THE E-COLLAR OFF.

So let that be a lesson to you, dear TPLO friend: DON'T BE A SOFTIE. LEAVE THE E-COLLAR ON. ITS ONLY FOR 10 DAYS!!

***

Went home for lunch. The incision looks SO MUCH BETTER. Thank heavens for homeopathic remedies.

Post-op Day 6

looking good. they say puckering in the middle is normal.

Maeby's starting to put her toe slightly to the ground when she stands. There's zero weight bearing when she's walking though.

Tried taking a video of her walking today. It pretty much sucks. But you can see how she's still hopping around.




The above video isn't TPLO related, but its AMAZING! Watch it!!

Post-op Day 5: e-collar HELL

By 11PM last night, I was wiped out from Maeby's shaking scare and ready to go to bed.

Maeby had on her lampshade style e-collar and slept for a few minutes... but the second the lights went off, she started thrashing all over her x-pen. I put the lights back on, and made the pen smaller, but she was all bug eyed and wouldn't relax. I gave her Rescue Remedy, but she still stayed anxious. She started to shake and breathe very erratically. I thought maybe it was an effect of the F-patch still wearing off, but the minute I took the collar off, she stopped.

I tried putting on her pro-collar (even though it doesn't do a darn thing bc her neck and nose are so long!) and the same thing happened. Crazy breathing, bugged out eyes. I eventually got one of those "baseball tshirts," the ones with the 3/4 sleeves and stuck her leg in one sleeve, and cut the end of a pair of old fishnet stockings I have and covered the tshirt with that. I slept DIRECTLY next to her crate with the door open and lights on, so I could monitor if she started licking, or if my t-shirt concoction came off.

I pretty much woke up EVERY HOUR until about 5am. It kept coming off, or she'd start licking. I was so tired, I tried the lampshade again, and yes, she flipped out again in her quiet, scary way. So finally I put EACH LEG in a sleeve, pushed her tail through the head hole,pulled the rest of the shirt up around her bottom, and tied the excess up with a rubber band.

We slept peacefully until around 7:30. And when we woke up, it was still on! Hallelujah!

Too bad the minute she stood up to eat, it slipped right off. It was my first day back at work today, so I HAD to leave her at home with something.

I decided to play tough mommy and left her home with the lampshade. She wasn't as panicky about it when I left for work this morning, but I was still worried. I wasn't sure how I'd find her when I came home for lunch. Shredded doggie bed? Ex-pen on the other side of the room? Or, God forbid, Maeby laying motionless??

SHE WAS FINE! That little drama queen. She just really really hates the darned lampshade, but will survive. There are a lot of other collars that seem better, like the soft-collar (looks like a big disk) or flexible e-collar (like the lampshade, but made out of fabric) but by the time I get a new one, her staples will be out.

I bought some Impatiens over my lunch break, and am giving that along with the Rescue Remedy now. (of course, with lots of love and treats too!)

I also have to add that the people on the orthodogs list are WONDERFUL. I left a frantic post this morning about my horrible experience last night, and people were so incredibly thoughtful and supportive, offering funny stories and alternative ideas. Apparently, panicking is QUITE NORMAL. And though it may seem impossible, the dog will grow accustomed to the e-collar and will stop acting crazy after a few days. Someone on the list now is experiencing what can happen if you give in: Her dog kept licking the incision, it wouldn't heal properly, stiches kept popping open, and now the dog has a horrible infection that needs to be treated with additional antibiotics. THANKFULLY, it's a relatively benign strain of bacteria! Moral of this story: DON'T GIVE INTO YOUR PANICKING DOG! Try Rescue Remedy, Benedryl, lots of treats, ANYTHING. But that incision really needs to heal properly otherwise you're in for so much more trouble later.


my (not so brilliant) idea

Post-op Day 4

Maeby isn't acting as happy as she normally is today. It's worrying me a little. Is she already getting depressed from the confinement??

She's putting a little weight on the Pink Stump today, but alternates between bearing weight and slightly holding it up.

The leg with the morphine patch on it has also been shaking/quivering a little bit when she's sleeping, everytime she inhales. It's off and on. I called the hospital about it, and they said her leg is probably just annoyed by it but to still leave it on. I can't wait to get that thing off her tomorrow. Good riddance to that and the Pink Stump!

***

Ok, so this afternoon around 4:30, the leg shake/quiver evolved into a WHOLE BODY shake/quiver every time she inhaled. It kept getting worse and I couldn't get a hold of her surgeon, so I rushed her over to the hospital ASAP. She kept shaking during the whole car ride too, which freaked me out even more. Her surgeon was in surgery, so another random vet took a look at Maeby and said that it was probably due to the fentanyl (?) patch. Eventually he took her in the back, and he and Maeby's surgeon removed that along with her bandage.

When they brought her back to me, I was really surprised at how good her leg looked!! The Robert Jones bandage + arnica must have really worked, because her swelling is nearly non-existent. The bottom of the leg looks a little red from probably razor burn. She is holding the leg up A LOT, but started toe touching ever so slightly today.

I'm really glad I rushed her to the vet, because the gals on the orthodogs group did some research while I was gone. It turns out that fentanyl patches can cause respiratory problems, which is perhaps why Maeby was shaking while she inhaled. THANK GOD I GOT THAT THING REMOVED TONIGHT. I should have just gone with my gut and taken it off yesterday!



swelling so far is little to non-exsistent


she's so mad at me, she looks like a little devil dog

The incision area is crazy. It looks really good -- no fluids or puss or blood -- but wow, she literally has staples in her leg holding the incision together. It's my first time seeing that.

I knew keeping her from licking it would be tough (she's a major nibbler!) so on went the dreaded lampshade. We tried the pro-collar thing (the soft inflatable kind) and her shnoz is just too long for it to work. That's too bad, because SHE HATES the cone. She sulked for a bit until I took it off and kept her mouth busy with a bully stick. And we have to do this for 10 more days!!! MEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Post-op Day 3

It's only been 3 days and she's already sick of me playing paparazzi


I've only had Maeby for about 2 and 1/2 months now, but in that time I've heard her bark maaaaaaybe.... 4 times? 5? She's just a really quiet gal. She really doesn't whine either. We think she may be part Whippet, and that breed is generally a very quiet, un-vocal dog.

Well, I think that's going to start changing pretty soon. We started Day 3 with her whining this morning because she wanted me to wake up. Which I'm actually happy about, because now she can at least tell me she needs something!

She's putting weight on The Pink Stump now, and is actually walking on it. It's a little akward, because with all the stuffing and bandaging, it's longer than her leg should be. But she still tries walking on it nonetheless. And weight bearing is good, right?

I found out the bandage is called a Robert Jones bandage, and is used to reduce swelling. I'm so curious to see what her leg is like underneath. All that Arnica she's getting is supposed to reduce pain, inflammation, bruising, and swelling. Will her leg look like a mess when they take the bandage off? I HOPE the Arnica is doing something!!!

She is definitely feeling really great today. She wants to spend more time on her feet, exploring the living room and following me and the BF around. She also wants to spend more time outside. I'm not sure what I should be doing with her right now on her walks. She has a really short attention span and gets distracted by EVERYTHING. She will be on the verge of pooping, and if something catches her attention, she'll focus on that and forget she has to poop! This naturally results in more time spent outdoors than I feel she should be. She's not running or even walking fast, just spending a lot of time sniffing around. Is this bad?? Because Maeby ALWAYS has needed time to sniff around before she does her business.

I felt a little guilty pre-surgery because some ladies on the orthodogs list seem to take weeks off to be with their furry babies after surgery. Maeby's surgery was on Thursday, and I only took off Friday and Monday. But at the rate she's going... I wonder if I could go into work on Monday. I probably won't, just so I can stay home and be with her. But I don't think it would be the end of the world if I went in.

****

So I posted on orthodogs regarding how much walking on carpet Maeby is allowed to do and I got a wonderful response: (thank you deej_612!)

Grace, I'm thrilled that Maeby is doing so well! My dog Blue had a
TPLO, and I don't remember how heavy Maeby is, but for the next 8
weeks it's standard that she is on best rest and is not to walk even
in the x-pen. If she is pacing in the xpen then it is too big for
her and she might fair better in a crate. When Blue refused to lay
down in his xpen, I threw a sheet over the top so that it covered the
sides except for the bottom 6-8 inches and so he had to lay down to
see out, and that really helped. In two days he learned to lay and I
didn't need the sheet anymore.

Maeby really needs to be laying down to let her bones knit back
together, and up and around the implant to support it, especially if
she is over 63 pounds and I'm sorry I don't recall her weight. But
too much walking will slow down the healing and risk shattering the
leg, esp. if she combines that walking with bouncing, climbing,
running or steps.

Also as she has a pressure bandage, be sure to check the paw to make
sure it is as warm as the paw on her good leg, as the swelling can
cut off circulation and that is dire if left unchecked. Standing too
much affords gravity to worsen the swelling. Ideally Maeby should be
laying on her side and when she does with the surgical leg on top,
then slip a folded towel or pillow or something under it to elevate
it so that it is parallel to the floor, to lessen swelling and so
ease pain.

JMHO; best wishes!!! Oh, almost forgot your specific question: Blue
was prescribed 3 walks a day for 2 minutes each for the first 8
weeks. Because Blue is in the habit of going out to pee at will
several times a day, and because Blue seemed anxious with the
schedule, I got the ortho's okay to raise that to 5 potty breaks a
day, 2-5 min each depending just on if he had to pooh.

The ortho was very strict about 8 weeks bed rest (crate rest), the
crate could not be large enough for him to walk around (no bigger
than 4x4 for a 96 pound dog with an ecollar), etc. The xpen ended up
being 4x4 and Blue couldn't fit in the crate with the ecollar, so I
had to go with the xpen, but with the 6 inch thick ortho bed, it was
too squishy for him to pace as all he could do was curl up in the
central dent of the nest of his bed anyway, or stand (which was not
allowed, and he got to where he only stood when he had to pee so that
became his signal to go outside), but not walk around.

Take care.

So I tried draping a sheet over her ex-pen, and she's already laying down more. WHEW!

***

Okay, so I talked to a surgeon at the hospital, and she said it's okay if Maeby walks around the house on carpet, as long as she's not running/jumping/playing, and not in a situation where she can slip. I'm sure with heavier dogs, they would need more bed rest, but Maeby is only 40 pounds. So the instructions above are probably more applicable to bigger, heavier dogs.

Under house arrest...

...and freaking myself out because I don't have anything else to do besides stare at Maeby sleeping peacefully and read about TPLO's gone horribly wrong.

God, I hope Maeby comes out of this okay. And I hope she'll stay healthy in the long run...

She's still doing really well. The BF and I think maybe she's pretty tolerant to discomfort and pain, due to her pelvic/hip injuries. I suppose a surgery (albiet very invasive one!) treated with opiates and painkillers is nothing compared to running around Mexico after being hit by a car (so we think). My poor Maeby. She's such a trooper. Her happy happy spirit, despite everything she's currently going through (and been through!) really touches my heart. I hope she understands how deeply Vin and I love her.

PS: HALLELUJAH, SHE POOPED TODAY!!!!

Post-op Day 2

The Pink Stump in all it's glory

We made it through our first night post-op.

The BF and I kept waking up every few hours, because everytime Maeby shifted positions in her ex-pen she would groan. I gave her some flower remedies and belly rubs throughout the night and eventually took her out for her walk at 6AM.

Her appetite definitely has NOT gone away! She's been gobbling up her food like a madwoman. Ground turkey, brown rice, grated carrots, fresh apple bits, some yogurt... sounds so gourmet!

She's doing much better going up and down the 15 steps to my apartment. THOSE DAMN 15 steps! Maeby's life (and mine) would be so much easier right now if we didn't have any stairs. It's just so unfortunate. We got her one of those fleece lined belly slings to support her weight. Yesterday, she cried out anytime excess weight was put on The Pink Stump. This morning, she's definitely gotten the hang of things. I know things are only going to keep getting better.

Thankfully, she's doing really well and I have the support of the orthodogs Yahoo group. Because NOBODY CAME TO TALK TO ME OR GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS when they released Maeby yesterday. The receptionist said TM (Maeby's vet tech) was in a procedure and would call me later to see how she was doing. Now, nearly 24 hours later, i have yet to receive a phone call. I can't help but feel so incredibly disappointed in this. It's like they just don't care or something. Which is so weird, because prior to the surgery TM was SO helpful and good at answering any of my questions or calling me back. It surprises me so much that she would be so negligent at this point.

Like I said, thank God Maeby is doing fine. I truly believe all the flower and homeopathic remedies are helping her along.

She's baaaaaack.

Maeby hiiiiiiigh as a kite!


My wonderful boyfriend drove to LA from San Diego this morning to pick Maeby up with me.

We went around 10:30am to get her and wow, was she was a sorry sight to see! Bright pink bandage wrapped all around her leg, a huge e-collar, and gauze criss-crossing all around her upper body to keep the e-collar in place. People kept looking at her and clucking their tongues. I reassured them that it really looked a lot worse than it was. And it was SO GOOD TO SEE HER!!!

Despite it all, she's still her happy old self. The tail has ceased to stop wagging, and she's been giving us kisses. She panted like crazy in the car ride home, and I got really worried that she was starting to feel a lot of pain. But she peed a river once we let her out of the car so all is well (so far!) Now I know she pants when she needs to pee.

I immediately gave her some Arnica and RR when we got home. She ate some ground tukey, brown rice, and yogurt. Is gnawing on a carrot stick now. And is generally just being really good in her x-pen. The Pink Stump, as I'll refer to her stifle from now on, is making it difficult for her to change positions. She's started to groan a little bit when she does so. She's also started to nibble a little on the Pink Stump. We bought her a pro-collar, those inflatable things you put around the dog's neck to keep from biting. IT DOES NOT DO A THING. Maybe it's because she has such a long snout, I don't know? But she can still reach the Pink Stump and now I'll have to think of something else to use before I go to work on Tuesday.

Just gave her some flower remedies dropped onto small pieces of dog biscuit, and she gobbled those babies up. Little does she know that they're helping to make her feel better.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

one of my most favorite pictures of Maeby!


I dropped Maeby off this morning at 8AM.

I gave her a dose of RR and Arnica dissolved in water before we left. Also gave her a few drops of RR again before the Vet Tech came to take her away. I keep imagining her in a kennel, feeling very alone and terrified. I hope to God that RR is keeping her less anxious. They also let me leave her with my T-shirt and her favorite toy. I hope that's calming her a little too.

Maeby is such a happy-go-lucky gal. She doesn't act any different when we go to the vet -- still has a bounce in her walk, still wags her tail like it's a metronome. She got a little freaked out when the Vet Tech came to put on a name collar and hospital leash, but got happy again when she saw that I was following them. It wasn't until she realized that I wasn't walking behind her as the VT lead Maeby to the kennel area. Poor girl kept looking at me with a very confused, bewildered look on her face.

And that's when the waterworks started.

I guess when you're crying and sniffling back snot, Maeby sounds like Baby. Because that's the chart the receptionist kept looking for when I went to pay my down payment.

God bless Starbucks and Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I nursed on a venti all morning.

I'm just waiting now for that phone call -- the call that says everything went great, that nothing weird was going on inside her joint. I must keep thinking positive thoughts.

Tonight will be my first night in 2 months without that goober. Dear God, please keep my little Maeby safe and healthy.


***

4:30PM

I just got a call from Dr. Owen. She said Maeby's surgery went great. Gosh, I feel like 1,000 pounds have been lifted from my shoulders. I don't know why I was worried about so many things. Like, the anesthesia. Or that maybe her injury was worse than we originally thought. Thankfully, Maeby is doing well!!! I can go pick her up tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see her.

I asked about the potential of her other knee rupturing. Dr. Owen said her guess is that this first injury was linked more to her other injuries, and not due to the way her leg bones are. THANK GOD. How the heck would I raise enough money to get a second TPLO?

And now, our journey is just beginning.....

Supplements, Vitamins, and Pills, Oh My

Things Maeby has been receiving since Sunday 3/11:

• 2 Milk Thistle caplets a day (1 morning, 1 night)
• 1 Super Joint Enhancer cap (1/2 morning, 1/2 night)
• Fresh carrots, apples
• 1T yogurt

Things to give night before surgery 3/15 AM:
• 4 pellets Arnica
• 4 drops Rescue Remedy


Things to give Friday 3/16 AM (POST SURGERY):

IN FOOD
• Vitamin E, 100 IU 1x a day
• Vitamin C, 250mg, 2x a day
• 1 Milk Thistle caplet, 2x a day (Days 1-3 Post Surgery)

IMMEDIATELY AFTER FOOD
• 1/2 Super Joint Enhancer cap, 1x a day

1 HOUR AFTER FOOD
• 4 pellets Arnica (Days 1-4 post Surgery), 4x a day
• 4 drops Rescue Remedy, Skeletal Support, Physical Recovery, and Pain Relief, given 2 minutes apart, AT LEAST 4x a day


I need a calender or something to keep track of all this stuff!!!

tomorrow is maeby's big day.

Maeby loves the park

i'm scared out of my mind. this is a pretty crazy surgery -- bone sawing, metal plates, screws.

so please keep maeby, vin and i in your thoughts tomorrow. i really hope everything is textbook and goes smoothly.

i know some people think i'm completely crazy for doing all this. others tell me they don't think they'd be able to go through it. but you know what? i believe in my heart you would or could if in my situation.

since the moment vin and i found maeby, she instantly bonded with us and trusted us. the weekend we adopted her, people we ran into at the park marveled at how happy and comfortable she was with us, and were surprised to learn that we only had Maeby for 1 day. she came into our lives so that we could take care of her, not so that we could abandon her because she needs medical attention.

maeby is the dog i've wanted my entire life, but never had. she's so smart, obedient, and sweet. her personality can light up a room. she deserves such a good life, and i hope this surgery can allow her to have one.

anyways, thank you everyone for being so incredibly supportive. the most amazing thing is that many of those who have been so empathetic arent even animal lovers!!! it just goes to show that we are surrounded by really good people.

I've become my worst nightmare

I've turned into that crazy dog owner, the one who makes vet hospital staff cringe everytime she calls or comes into the office.

OK, maybe it's not so bad. But I keep calling my surgeon's assistant with a million questions. She's extremely quick to call me back, and patient when giving answers. But honestly, sometimes I question her answers. She told me to give a hot compress for the first few days of an injury, and cold compress afterwards. Isn't that completely backwards??

And yesterday, when answering a question, she called me honey.

"Should I stop my glucosamine supplements before surgery?" I asked.

"HONEY, Maeby will be on those supplements for the rest of her life with the condition she's in."

That's not the question I asked! I asked if I should stop those supplements because some may have an adverse affect on the system during surgery. Honey in the context of her answer sounded so... so... PATRONIZING.

Thus, my feeling that she must think I'm THAT crazy dog owner.

So like I said, I've become my worst nightmare.

Maeby's Surgery is in 2 days

Maeby's surgery is on Thursday, so I spent Sunday running errands to get ready.

Treats, bones, carpet runners, yogurt, pumpkin filling, marrow bones, a harness. I've been looking into herbs and homeopathic remedies to help her recovery process along as well. I've been giving her Milk Thistle with each meal, along with fresh ingredients in her food like apples, carrots, and ground turkey meat. She's been going #2 very regularly, and it's been a good consistency! I thought it would be soft due to the new food and M.T but nope!

I swear, she's got a stomach of steel. I guess when you're trying to make it on the mean streets of Mexico, you gotta learn to eat anything.

She's been keeping quiet in her x-pen since her full tear last Monday, and she's been so good about it. She's used to sitting next to me on the couch, and now she lays quietly on her bed and stares at me, but quietly. I usually end up going into the x-pen and sitting with her head in my lap. She's such a good, good girl.

I'm going to give her Rescue Remedy before her surgery and after. I've been taking some, and I really do think it's calming my nerves. If I think too much about the surgery, it really starts to freak me out. I tried some during one of said freakouts, and it actually helped. I think I'll be using this a lot this week.

Well, off to work. Only 2 more days of spending time with my Maeby until all the craziness begins.


***

8PM

Bought some more floral essences for Maeby today, after speaking to a woman named Polly who makes the Pet Essence line of floral essences for pets. So far I have Physical Recovery, Pain Relief, and Skeletal Support. I'll give her these along with Rescue Remedy, Arnica 30C, and another homeopathic herb that's good for skeletal support as well. SO MUCH FREAKIN STUFF. I just hope it makes her comfortable and helps her healing.

She's chewing on her first marrow bone and she LOVES IT! Hope it cleans the tartar off her teeth too.