Tag Archive | tplo surgery

Pupdate

Duncan had his two-week checkup yesterday and it was all good news. The vet was delighted with his incision and how he’s progressing. He was given permission to have a little more walking time, just a few minutes at a time when we go outside, but it’s a start. She said we could stop using the cone but if he started licking it, we’d have to go back to using it. Well, I got all excited thinking I’d be able to sleep in my own bed.

Alas, it was not meant to be. We all noticed him trying to lick the incision several times during the evening, so I stayed downstairs with him again last night. Sure, I could put the cone on him and sleep upstairs, but I don’t want to do that to him. I can’t imagine trying to sleep wearing that huge plastic cone. But hopefully just a few more days and he’ll be more trustworthy, and tonight I’ll switch off with the husband and take a turn sleeping in a real bed again.

Grace vomited again yesterday, after her first bout two weeks ago. She’s in good spirits otherwise, still has an appetite, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’ve reduced the food I’m giving her and I’m keeping an eye on her, so cross your fingers that it’s nothing big and just passes on its own.

There’s not much knitting going on right now. I’m working through lunches at work so I’ve got a little flexibility to be home. And since I’m not sleeping well, I’m so tired in the evenings that I don’t have a lot of creative energy. But I have a three day weekend ahead of me, so look for knitting progress soon!

Happy Friday, friends!

Take your meds, kids

Jan9

Pro tip: when you’re dealing with a stressful situation and all your routines are out of whack, it’s best not to forget to take your anti-depressants for several days. OOF yes that was me. I remembered last night, and honestly, I wasn’t doing too bad without it but jumping back in is making today a little rough. Or maybe today just isn’t a great day. I could feel my nerves on edge so I took the time to set up a new gate this morning.

Crate training has been stressful for both me and Duncan; he doesn’t want to go in it, and was starting to avoid going into the dining room because that’s where the crate is. I don’t want to have to fight with him every morning when I have to go back to work, so I’m trying Plan B. We have a small nook in our kitchen, which is where he used to sleep anyway, so I put a bed back there and gated it, and I’m hoping that will be a good crate alternative. When I’m not around, I’ll put the cone back on him and close the other kitchen gates too, as a precaution.

This way I have a safe place to put him when I need a break or want to make lunch. It really is just like having a newborn again, and how sometimes you need to just put the baby in the crib and walk away for a few minutes, knowing they’re safe.

That’s all I got, guys. I’m off to play with yarn and drink tea.

Sock It To Me Monday

Jan6

With much of my weekend spent lounging on a mattress with Duncan, I have a finished sock to share today! This is my Yarn Geek sock, with accents from leftovers.

The next one will have the accents reversed, just for fun! And to spice things up, I switched the rib pattern to 7×1. Wild, right?? This yarn isn’t silky soft, but it feels thick and durable, and I’m guessing they’ll wear really well. I cast on the second sock last night and I’m looking forward to having a new pair of socks…partly because all my handknit socks are dirty and I haven’t had a chance to wash them! I might have to make an exception and put them in the washer this time.

Yesterday I got a break from dog-sitting and took the boy to Half Price Books, where I found Amy Herzog’s Ultimate Sweater Book. It says it’s a guide for “adventurous knitters”, and I don’t think I’m there yet but I aspire to be! And after that, the husband was still happy to chill with Duncan, so I got time to wash and block my lastest FOs.

The break was lovely because now I’m back on the mattress. The husband and the girl are at work and the boy is hoping to go visit the girlfriend, so it’s all me today. Don’t worry, I’ll make the boy give me a break before he leaves! And I did manage to get Duncan in the crate this morning while I had breakfast, just to get him used to it. He looked sad and pathetic but was very calm and resigned. He didn’t whine or paw at the door or bark. So I’m cautiously optimistic, and my next step will be to put him in there and then go upstairs for a while and see how he does without a person around. Overall, managing his recovery has gone more smoothly than I was expecting. Here’s hoping it stays that way even after I have to go back to work!

Not great news

Dec28

Duncan had his x-rays and it turns out he’s torn a ligament in his knee, the cranial cruciate ligament. He will have to have surgery next week and then there will be a minimum 8-week recovery period with limited movement. Starting immediately, he’s not supposed to go up or down stairs, jump on anything, or roughhouse with the other dogs. This is not going to be fun.

Since the backyard is down a long flight of steep stairs, we bought a ramp for the front stairs, and he has to go out on a leash to do his business. It took him a few tries to get used to the ramp, but he’s still not used to not being able to go outside whenever he wants.

He was pretty needy last night, probably thanks to some soreness after the exam, and pushed down the kitchen gate to come upstairs at 4:30 in the morning. I came down, let him out a couple of times, dozed a little, gave him some breakfast and another potty break, and when my back was turned cleaning up the poo I’d tracked in, he hopped up on the couch. And now he’s feeling a little better and is bored and restless and we’re struggling to keep him calm.

A friend who’s been through this said they put a mattress downstairs so they could lie down with the dog and sleep there overnight during the first week after surgery, so we’re going to try that. And I’m guessing I’ll need to take a few days off work for that first week or so.

The silver lining is that it’s not hip dysplasia or something long-term and debilitating that we can’t fix. But it’s going to be a long two or three months, and there’s a good chance he’ll end up rupturing the other knee at some point. Basically, I’m overwhelmed and tired. I have knitting to share but that’ll be another day. Hope your weekend is going better than mine!