A Good Walk

Bailey and I are making progress (although I'm afraid to say this out loud, for fear of jinxing it).

We've started taking two 5-minute walks around the yard a day, with many "Walk! No, I said WALK!" phrases interjected in them. She's putting weight on her surgery leg, although she often tries to adjust her stride to make it easier on her (she starts "pacing", where the two right legs go up together and then the two left legs)... when she does this, I attempt to slow her down so she is forced to walk correctly.

It's getting easier for her each day and I can usually tell when she's reached her limit when she starts holding her surgery leg up and hopping every few strides. I have high hopes for a normal and active summer ahead for her.

For those out there who also enjoy photography AND dogs (how can you go wrong with that combination?), here is a link to a photo journal/book someone put together while going for walks with his dog out in the country (and he did all this in 30 days!)... enjoy!

Musings On Photography: Done

A Good Walk by Paul Butzi (direct link to the PDF)

Benadryl and its Doggie Benefits

Bailey is now 9 days into her CCL post-op recovery and she's doing well. As part of the healing process though, her incision has started bothering her... it's getting itchy. I thought about trying some kind of hydro-cortisone cream, but was worried she'd ingest it through licking and I didn't want to interfere with the healing of the incision either. I also considered just leaving on her BiteNot collar to prevent her from trying to scratch it, but I didn't want to leave it on her 24/7. And while I prefer not to give her drugs if I don't have to, I eventually decided it would be a good idea to at least try giving her Benadryl (based on the recommendations from my trusty Yahoo Orthodogs group).

I researched this for awhile, to make sure there weren't any possible serious side effects (I couldn't find any) and to make sure I gave her the correct dosage for her size. The generally accepted dosage (found on various veterinarian sites) was 1-2 mg per pound, twice daily. Bailey is around 62 pounds, so I decided to start with 2 pills twice a day to see how she did, knowing that I could up the dosage if needed. Thankfully, it seems to be doing the trick. I'm sure she's much happier without being so itchy and I'm relieved to have found an easy solution.

As an added benefit (at least in how it pertains to keeping her quiet during her recovery), it also has a calming and sedative effect. She's sleeping through the night and her restlessness has tapered down quite a bit. If giving her the Benadryl can help us get through the next 8-10 weeks without her reinjuring herself, it will be worth it.

I Cooked For My Dog

Yes, it's true. Many people may not think this is a big deal, but for me... trust me, it is. I rarely cook for myself. Why then would I do such a thing? Good question.

After Bailey's surgery this week, I knew she may not have much of an appetite. I also knew that the anesthesia and pain meds can affect the digestive system and make it difficult for things to pass through. Plus, Bailey has always had a sensitive digestive system... one thing ingested that's out of the ordinary could send her into a few days of diarrhea easily (ask me how I know). AND, last but not least, her pain meds needed to be taken with food. My goal was to get food in her stomach that would be easily digestible and entice her to eat even if she didn't really feel like it.

Here is the result:

Sure looks appetizing, doesn't it? Well luckily for me, to Bailey it did. It was very simple (even a non-cook like me was able to accomplish it). Ingredients: cooked ground chicken (beef or turkey would work just as well), plain white boiled rice, a few scoops of canned pumpkin (not the pie mix, just pumpkin), and some chicken broth for extra flavor. Mix it all together and that's it. I just stuck it in the frig and made enough to last until I got her converted back to her regular food.

You may be wondering about the pumpkin... well, I discovered through numerous online tips (many through the awesome Orthodogs Yahoo group I belong to) that pumpkin is great for digestive issues with dogs. If things aren't moving, it will help them move along. If they're moving too well, it can help with that also. I was a little worried that Bailey might turn her nose up at the pumpkin (she's not a normal "wolf down anything edible" labrador), but she didn't. And without getting into any of the unpleasant details, let's just say it worked great.

The Day After Surgery

Well, it's the day after Bailey came home from her CCL repair surgery. Poor girl looks miserable (and I'm sure she is). Last night was rough. She definitely had some bad pain for awhile that even the morphine and percodan couldn't mask. I felt awful for her.

Some good news - the vet said her x-rays were great! She has awesome hips and her knees show no sign of arthritis. All bodes well for a successful recovery for her. Her ligament had been completed severed (ok, his words were that it looked like it exploded... ugh), but there was no damage at all to her meniscus. I'm relieved that she's over this first hurdle.

Today she's been quiet and dozing off and on. Since she (and I) only had a few hours sleep last night, I'm glad to see her resting now. She has a lot of difficulty maneuvering around, which is understandable. Lying down and getting back up is quite an ordeal for her. Taking her out for bathroom breaks has been challenging. I keep her on the leash both outside and in the house, to keep her from moving around too much.

Here is a closer view of the surgical site on her leg... the first photo is right after I got her home from surgery. The second photo was taken today and it already is showing some improvement with the level of swelling and redness. Those staples look painful.