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

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.....

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.