10.21.12 Summer is at it again

Arri is doing great.  He is currently on vacation in Cincinnati, visiting Grandma.  In the meantime, Summer, the drama queen, has taken over the duties of having issues requiring medical attention.



Oct 14 - first notice of blotch

On Oct 14, Summer was airing herself out - on her back, all 4 legs flopped open.  In the shaved area on her chest, I notice a red blotch.  I immediately get a closer look and take a picture.  I remember this time and so glad I did.  It looked like a bug bite but not one I have seen before.  I am familiar with the bullseye fly bites.  This one is different.

Oct 16 - the reason we visit the vet

Oct 16 - Summer and Oregon are wrestling in the yard.  Summer ends up on her back and I see the blotch.  It is HUGE - ok, not HUGE but huge.  In two days it has changed quite a bit.  Still red, now swollen and there is a weird white patch in the center.  The paranoid mother in me grabs the phone and makes an appointment with the vet.  We get in that afternoon. Summer is not nearly as excited to be in the exam room as Arri always is.   Dr. Mike enters the exam room stating (in jest) that he is never removing a lump from my dogs again.  Once they have surgery, they just keep coming back for more.  Upon inspection, he feels that Summer has an infected bug bite - probably a spider.  He gets a slide and needle biopsy anyway, just in case.  After all, she did just have a cancer growth removed.  The tests seem normal so the plan is high dose anti-biotics and see if it clears up. 

Oct 21 - I am not so sure the anti-biotics are working.  Maybe it gets worse before it gets better.  I may have to check in with the Dr. tomorrow.


10-8 Summer joined the journey

Summer sporting the shirt from my parents
50th anniversary.  It has been around awhile
as they just celebrated 62 years.
 

Arri has a guest on trhe blog today.  Today we feature Summer.  On Sept 17 or so, I was trimming toenails.  I do this on the floor with the dogs on their back, feet in the air.  They always get good belly rubs during the process.  On this night, I noticed something on Summer's chest/ribcage...between here belly and chest.  What made it interesting was that is was not really a lump.  It looked a bit like a HUGE wart only it was squishy like a blister.  I called the Doc first thing in the morning and we had an appointment for 4 days later. 

Summer just turned 9 in August.  Her personality is very different from Arri.  Particularly when going to the doctor.  Summer is very happy to arrive and will UP at the counter to see the girls.  Ok, the reality is that she is she knows where the treats are and uses 'the look' to get some.  She becomes velcro dog once we enter the exam room.  To get her to relax a little, I have her assume the position and get belly rubs while we wait.  Dr. Mike takes a slide sample from the growth.  It comes back inconclusive however it did appear to have some granular cells...those are bad.  Playing the better safe then sorry game, we schedule surgery for Sept 25.

Once again, I failed to get a photo of the initial growth.  Surgery went well.  Dr. Mike was able to get clean margins in the removal and Summer was zippered up with 13 staples.  Because of the location, it was going to be hard to keep her from irritating it and keeping the incision clean so she was sporting a t-shirt for the next 2 weeks.   On trips to the park, Oregon was not accustomed to being chopped liver next to the 'dog in the t-shirt'.  The kids at the park thought this was a hoot.

We waited for the biopsy results to come back.   and waited.....and waited.   The news was good and bad.  The bad news was that it was a mass cell tumor.  The good news was that is was Grade 1 (lowest) and removed with clean margins.  This means no additional treatment is necessary.  I will have to be diligent in monitoring her for future, unrelated growths.

I now have two cancer survivors in the house.  I can not tell you how important it is to give your dog regular rub downs so you know when something is not right and catch it early. 

How much does a leg of lab weigh?

September 11, 2012

I just realized I haven’t discussed ‘the leg’.   So exactly how much does a leg of lab weigh? I know I was wondering this after surgery.  Our local vet scale weighs on the high side.  Arri had been a consistent 59 lbs.  The oncology scale favors the petite – he was usually 57 lbs.  It could be he was sucking in his gut for the cute oncology doctors.  Regardless of  scale used, it seems to be the same.  Arri’s leg of lab weighed 5 lbs.   Yesterday he weighed 52 lbs at the oncology office and 2 months ago, he was 54 in the vets office.  So now you know. 

September 10, 2012 - check up time

Summer has been too busy for me and so Arri has not had many adventures lately.  We have not been to the beach in weeks.  Partly because of schedule but also there have been many rip current warnings this year.  So Arri has been doing his duty, guarding the bakery while I work.  He has given up on the idea of going up the stairs.  He waits until someone is willing to give him a butt lift.  He has us trained so well.  He is back to many trips to the park and gets around just fine. 

Two months ago, we went to the vet for annual vaccines. He got a good report with the exception of the beginning of cataracts.   Dr. Mike must have high hopes for Arri.  He gave him the 3 yr rabies. Ok, I think I can handle 3 more years with this boy, because he is not allowed to expire before the rabies shot.

On a side note, I was excited to meet Logan in August. We were at the NCR graduation. Logan is a CCI Skilled Companion who lost a front leg to cancer. He has recuperated and continues to work. I think that is so awesome. Mom, Ann, was helpful during the whole process, giving me some heads-up on what I might expect. Having someone who has been through it and not hide the ugly parts helped me.

It has been just under 4 months since the amputation and the tri-pod look already seems like old news.  He did have his first pool accident last week.  His back leg slipped and he wiped out.  He was a bit stunned but recovered quickly.

Glamis and Arri with Oregon hiding from the camera

Today Arri returned to the oncologist for a recheck and precautionary x-rays and ultrasound. This was his first visit since surgery.  He always greeted the girls at check-in with an ‘UP’.  He wanted to do it so bad but he couldn’t.   There does not appear to be any issues, this is just to make sure nothing is going on undetected.  I have been a little concerned about his breathing.  He tends to breathe heavier more often than he used to but then, if I had to hop everywhere I went, I would breathe heavy also.  In fact, I would I would find a comfy spot and plant myself.

The Dr. came back with good news – NO ISSUES.  X-rays are clean, ultrasound is good.  They also did blood work.  His liver enzymes are high but they were high last time.  Essentially, there was no change, which is good.  Oregon went with on this visit.  He was bored silly but really enjoyed all the treats.  It’s sibling guilt.  No one can give Arri a treat without giving Oregon a treat.

We will return for more x-rays and ultrasound in January.  For now we sit back, enjoy life. 

 

July 13, 2012: just keep swimming...

Another trip to the beach.  The water is perfect.  I am still waiting on Arri’s life vest.  It will probably come today. (yes, it did)  Summer comes along on this trip.  She likes the lake a little better than the pool.  Arri is back to his old swimming self.   He doesn’t go as deep as he used to but he won’t get out of the water.  He swims out, heads back to shore, swims out, heads back to shore….For some reason he wants to head North.  So that is the way we go. I don’t know why he is so insistent on going that way.  I got a great water walking resistance workout trying to keep up with him – still holding the harness to keep his rear afloat.  He must have swam a good 45 minutes.  When it was time to go, he gave me the most pathetic look.  He stood at the edge of the water, head drooped.  Summer and I started walking to the car.  Arri didn’t move.  ¾ of the way to the car, Arri had moved about 10 feet.  I dry Summer off and load her into the car.  I turn to see what the boy is doing.  He is about halfway up the slope, slowly making his way.  He is tired. 

I don't want to go home.

do we have to go??

Wait for me!!!  I'm hopping as fast as I can.

july 8, 2012: Braving the waves

It took a few days but we did get back to the beach.  Sadly, conditions were not as good.  There were 2 – 3 foot waves.  I brought Summer along this trip.  The two dogs played in the surf but I would not let them swim.  Arri did a great job maintaining his balance when the waves hit him.

Arri's technique is to let the wave hit him

Summer attacks the wave





Never mind the waves, lets roll in the sand.

July 7, 2012: Arri does the stairs

Hooray for Arri!!!!!!!!!! He made it up the stairs by himself!  Yes, I left him in the basement again.  I was headed back, honest.  He is so impatient.  I could hear him breathing.  When I saw him, he was two steps from the top.  He was winded and don’t think he will try it again for a few days but he did it. His monster of a little brother - Oregon - was teasing him by running and up down them repeatedly while he struggled.

I was so wrong when I thought he would not try the stairs again soon.  Two hours later, he did it again.  This time I helped him up the last two steps.  (July 15, 2012 – he hasn’t done the stairs since)

July 5, 2012: Arri does a new trick

Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, never met Arri. He has adapted to 3 legs so incredibly well.  Today he did something I have been trying to get him to do for 13 years.  We have had an incredible hot spell lately.  I dragged out the dog pool nearly killing myself in the process.  Some tall person put it on the upper shelf of the shed and then filled it with snow shovels.  Thankfully I got out of the way without getting hit.  As I am dragging it across the lawn, Summer jumps in.  No water, she just lays in the dry pool.  So that is where it is going to go today.  This was Oregon’s first experience so he amused everyone while the pool was filling. 

 The dogs played and splashed, bobbed for tennis balls and dog kibble.  Now that there was water in the pool, Princess Summer would not go in.  

 It was close to 100 degrees.  The dogs were hanging out in the grass when Arri stepped hopped into the pool and laid down.  Yes, this was his new trick.  He has never laid down in the pool.  Not on command, not for bribes, he would not do it.  It seems like such a silly thing to celebrate.  I just never understood how a dog could love swimming so much but refuse to lay down in 4 inches of water.   I guess it just wasn’t hot enough. 

July 2, 2012 first tripawd swim

Yesterday I decided that this morning, Arri was going to the beach.  I would like to do hydro therapy to get Arri's strength up but there is no facility within a reasonable distance.  We also do not have a pool.  If I could figure out how to get one and use it as a tax write off......So we do the closest option available.  We head to Lake Michigan....only 2 miles away. 

6:45 am....load up the car.   We go early in the morning when no one is there - primarily because it is illegal.  Yes, there are a few dog beaches around - but they are not exactly accessable to a disabled dog.  Most of them are at least a 1/4 mile walk to get to the 'legal' beach and that always involves going over a dune.  Arri is doing great in his recovery but I would like him to be able to walk tomorrow.  The beach we went to is very small considering it is on Lake Michigan.  It is boarderd on one end with huge property saving boulders - no beach in front  of them to walk around and the other end is a huge property saving wall.  So essentially, we are in a small cove - kind of.

The sky is hazy and it is 68 degrees.  We did not get any storms like those on the other side of the pond or those and hour south of us.   The water is almost like glass.   Perfect for swimming.   Arri stops to sniff and pee on his way to the water.  Not near the water drive he used to have.  I guess he has learned that the water isn't going anywhere, he can linger in the sand a bit.  Despite the calm water, he is hesitant. 

Thankfully, it is a nice slope into the water and not a drop off.  Depending on currents, you could have a sudden drop instead.  The water is also nice and clear today. 

Arri does some swimming on his own but it is obvious that the missing leg makes staying afloat difficult.  It takes a lot more work.  I came prepared to swim with him so I put the sling under him and hold up his rear.  He tried to go out deeper but he seemed to know his limits and would turn around to get the sand under his feet.  If I pick up a life vest for him, I imagine he will try to swim to Chicago once again.  No crazy dog running today but he chased down some smells, rolled in the sand and had a lot of fun.  I made him quit before he was ready because I do want him to be able to move tomorrow.  If the weather holds and no storms reach us, we may just do it again tomorrow.

June 25, 2012: Grace is not his middle name

Arri does the outside steps -- all by himself.  His middle name is not Grace.  He was very excited to be going to the park so he stumbled just a bit.

We did get some exciting news from Cath last week.  Cath is a breeder/caretaker for Canine Companions.  Her current litter was assigned the letter 'D'.   If you are new to CCI, all pups in a litter are named with the same letter.  Cath submitted the name 'Darri' in honor of all that Arri has been going through and has shared with others.  I was honored to learn that the name was accepted.  Darri is a female lab/golden cross.  I don't know what region she will be in but I look forward to following her training.

Juen 25, 2012: One month Ampu-versary

On June 21, Arri celebrated his 1 month Ampu-versary!!!!   He is doing great.  His fur is growing in nicely.  His one issue that remains is jumping or going up stairs.  Most likely, this will be difficult for the rest of his life.  I think that would be the one disadvantage to amputation at such an old age.  He was already losing muscle mass in his rump as part of the aging process.  He has been able to jump on the ‘dog’ sofa outside the bakery but I noticed in the last week or so that he doesn’t even try anymore.  If he wants up, he stands in front of it and waits for a bit.  If I am not checking to see how he is doing, lays down on the dog bed, not bothering with the sofa.  There is still a gleam in his eye to jump on the bed but it is higher than the sofa, so he doesn’t even try.  Arri does try to jump in the van but he can’t do it so we have to be quick to give him a butt up if he jumps before we were ready.  The other day, I once again, left him alone in the basement too long.  When I went to the stairs, he was half way up and holding position.  It was clear he was no going any further without help.  One more step and he would have fallen backwards.  I helped him the rest of the way.  We are getting pretty good at co-ordination.  He handles bare floors fine if he is being normal but when he gets excited, he is like a deer on ice.  Once he falls, he won’t try to get up.  He will lay there until you help him up and walk with him.

If Arri is not the first one outside, he will not get a spot on the bench.

Today was his first post-surgery bath.   Much, much over due.  Stinky dog.  I was nervous about the slippery shower floor.  Arri’s solution – lean against the wall.  It made access difficult but he didn’t slip.  The best part was drying time.  He seemed to know he would slip if he did his normal post bath crazies so he just laid down on the pile of towels – rolling around.  I was able to get him dry without soaking the rest of the bathroom/closet for the first time – ever.

June 12, 2012: Not quite the end of the journey....

Last week, we received the wonderful news that Arri is cancer free.  The lymph node came back negative for cancer.  With that declaration, I can say, Arri’s 'Journey with Cancer' is over.  We will go back to the oncologist in 3 months to get x-rays and ultrasounds to make sure nothing new has popped up.  I am sure I will occasionally have a story to tell or photo to share. 

Thank you for all your support and kind words during this whole ordeal.  We are very blessed to be a part of such a caring and supportive extended family.  While each person’s journey with cancer will be different, I hope Arri’s story helped someone or may help someone in the future.  Telling his story helped get me through it. 

Sniffs, wags and woofs……until the next story.

Arri and Dee

June 9, 2012 19 days post surgery

The Arri stories will be few and far between now.  My boy is still making impressive progress.  He goes to the park every day and though he can only handle 10% distance of his past trips; he is doing a little more each day.  Many stairs in a row are still a challenge for him.  He can do the outside landscape steps on his own.  Some days he likes a boost up the first 5 steps as they are almost normal steps. The rest are longer so he can get his whole body on the step before doing the next one.   With just a little help, he can do the 5 steps up to the deck.  We have also tried the inside staircase.  One day last week, Arri lost patience with me.  I left him down stairs and told him just wait, I’ll be back in a minute or 5.  Well, the phone rang and it took me a little longer.  By the time I hung up, I heard the thumping.  I raced to the stairs and there was my boy, sliding backwards.  At that point he was 3 from the bottom.  Based on toenail marks in the carpet, he may have done 6 steps on his own before his back leg collapsed.  I put him in a down and sat with him, massaging his leg and back.  Arri has been having muscle spasms lately,  the more exertion, the more spasms.  Well, he was spazzing.  I quick went upstairs and heated up a pad to lay over his side and kept on rubbing.  It took about 20 minutes but he finally relaxed and settled down.

At this point, he is trying to jump more.  He can get on the basement ‘dog’ sofa on his own but still likes a little assistance.  I suspect he just likes me to grab his tush.  When I help him without a sling, I put my hand behind his good leg, where the feathers would be if he had them.  I let him attempt the jump with my hand staying in contact with the leg.  When I feel his leg go off the ground, I catch his rump as it starts to fall back and lift it the rest of the way.  He just doesn’t have enough strength in the one leg yet.  He still can’t jump on the bed and refuses to use the ramp.  He also really doesn’t like being lifted so most nights he is on the floor. 

Arri has become more of a momma’s boy than in the past.  He won’t always go out with the other dogs if I am not going out also.  If I stand up and go to the door, he is right there – most of the time.  Tonight I tried to take Oregon for a walk to do some training.  Oregon was leashed and not so willing to go but Arri busted right through the door.  He knew he was going to be left behind.  Ok, so our walk is going to be much shorter.  We went three houses down with Arri stopping, starting, sniffing, peeing….more pauses to rest up but he was moving much faster than me when he was moving.  I made him turn around at the 3^rd house because I wasn’t prepared with the sling or harness.  He gave me a little attitude but decided home was good.  He had already been to the park and it was a warm day.  I don’t need any more sick puppies.  Two dogs with broken digestive systems is more than enough.

May 28, 2012: One week post amputation means a trip to the park

It doesn't get any better than this - a trip to the park!

Happy Memorial Day!   Arri celebrated his one week Ampuversary by taking a trip to the park.  Nothing is going to hold this dog back.

The bruising is getting much, much better.

May 27, 2012: Arri's first excursion

Every day Arri is moving with more comfort and grace.  I think once we get back to taking walks, I will have to be jogging.  I never walked fast enough for him and his balance is better the faster he goes.  I read about this happening and so far, Arri is proving it to be true.

Today is Arri’s first outing since surgery.  We are going to (his) grandma’s house.  He loves grandmas.  There are dog treats, soap and tissues in the trash.  Tim lifted him out of the van and Arri headed straight for the door – making a brief pit stop to water the hosta.  Sorry mom. 

 In all the excitement, he forgot that going up steps are a challenge.  Grandpa opened the door and Arri hopped right in.  Unfortunately for him, there were no carpets.  The inside is undergoing a fresh coat of paint so all area rugs have been rolled up.  There was a little slipping but that didn’t stop him from exploring.   

From there we went to Uncle Dwight’s to drop off some cupcakes and say hello to everyone.  We didn’t take the dogs inside (Oregon was with) but chatted in the yard.  Arri roamed around and peed on stuff.  Oregon met cousin Maggie – a Saint Bernard.  He didn’t seem as impressed as the other pups have been.

We left to go home, driving past Grandma’s and saw Uncle Darryl and family were visiting.  We had to stop and say hello.  (Grandma and Dwight only live a block apart)  By now you may have figured out that I am just driving around showing off Arri.  Oddly enough, seeing him on the move is a lot more convincing that he is doing great than just telling people.

While we were out and about, I noticed a swelling on Arri’s thigh; a couple of inches above the incision.  It feels squishy, like fluid build -up.  Naturally, it is a holiday weekend and no one will be at the doctors tomorrow.  I will keep an eye on it and hope is goes away on its own.

May 26, 2012: day 5 in (poor quality) photo

 Sorry - professional videographer I am not.  I will stick with cake decorating.  The images are out of focus and jumpy but you get the idea of the incredible progress Arri is making. This is only 5days after amputation.

Starting to run

Starting the long walk around the house after finding his way downstairs but not being able to climb back up.

 

Starting to show real interest in playing

Just chillin' after a long walk around the house

Dinner time!!!

May 26, 2012: honest, it has only been 5 days since amputation

I had to drag Arri off the bed because he didn’t want to get up.  Then he didn’t want to go out so he missed the first opportunity.   He is mobile enough now that when he needs to go out he can go to the door.  I offer 50 times a day and he will take me up on maybe 3 of them.  After breakfast, he needed to go out.  The step out intimidated him again but once past that he hopped to the grass and peed.  His travels this morning were a bit like the kids in the Family Circus comic.    He hopped to the driveway and traveled ¾ of the way down, cut into the grass to toilet.  Hop to the middle of the yard to sniff and mark over where Summer peed.  More hopping away from the house to toilet again and finally he was done.  He ran to come back inside.  His gait was much smoother the faster he went.  I was so disappointed that I didn’t have the camera to record his first run.  While he may have felt much lighter, he was quite tired and breathing hard.  He hesitated going up the steps but I put the sling under to give him a confidence boost.  I think he is starting to understand that the sling means his leg won’t collapse if he tried to jump.

So it is Saturday and it is wedding season.  That means I am making a number of trips from the bakery up to the garage.  I moved the baby gate out of the way so that I don’t drop any cakes while going up steps and moving a gate while carrying a cake.  At one point, I stayed down stairs but did not put the gate back up.  The next thing  I see is Arri’s face at the bakery doorway.  To say I was stunned is an understatement.  Completely ignoring Doctors orders, he went down 14 steps.  I never heard any crashing or thumping so he must have been somewhat graceful in doing so.  My next thought was how on earth am I going to get him back upstairs?  We will have to go out the bakery door and around the house.  A fairly long walk compared to what he has been doing, but the ground is a gradual slope back up to the first floor.   He tries to jump up on his sofa so he can assume guard duty but misses.  His back leg gives out.  So I lift him up and he settles in until he hears me say “all done, I quit for the day’.  That is his signal that we leaving the basement for the day.  If I don’t say it, he will just stay on the sofa waiting for me to come back downstairs and go back to work.  Arri has to stop and rest twice on the walk around the house.  The last time, I put the sling under him as he was breathing hard and getting tired.  Or so I thought.  As soon as the sling was under him, he started moving so fast I had to jog to keep up with him. 

One of Arri’s favorite things is to go to the park.  Arri is grounded from the park until the incision is healed and he is confidently moving around the yard.   When I ask him if he wants to go, I get no reaction.  He knows I am not the one who takes him.  When Tim says it, Arri runs to the door to the garage.  The trips are only 15 minutes or so but that is more than he can handle right now.  The other day, I explained to him  that he needed to be moving in the yard better before he can go back to the park.  I think that is why he is running now.  He wants to be ungrounded.

He is moving so quick now, I can’t get the video camera up in time.  Stinker.  After dinner, he successfully managed the stairs down and up (with a little sling support)  His bruising is looking better.  It is starting to get lighter and change colors.  I was very surprised to see he is bruised all up his rib cage to his front legs.  It doesn’t show in pictures because that part isn’t shaved. 

Arri is lying on his left side more.  This gives me a chance to massage his right rear leg.  It is getting more use so I imagine it gets tired and sore.  I know mine would.  I am also massaging his back often.  From what I have read, to balance himself, Arri will move the back leg to be more centered with the body.  Doing this will change how the muscles position with the spine.  There may be some back soreness from the new muscle work.

Oh, and Arri’s Rough Wear harness came today!  Now to get it fit.  I knew this would be the tough part.  He doesn’t want to stand while I figure out the right fit.

You know you do too much mail order when you see the Fed Ex truck pull into the neighborhood and you and your husband both say, I bet it stops here……and it does.

May 25, 2012; a quiet day

Arri can now get out of the house, going down one step.  He still does not have the strength to bounce his back end up the step.  So today we threw Arri a curve ball.  To make the step outside easier on him, Tim picked up some large landscape tiles.  We turned the single large (9”) step into 2.5 shallow steps.  I never would have guessed this would have made life so difficult for Arri.   Now, he doesn’t seem to be able to go down but he can go up.  The blocks are light grey so maybe the color is throwing off his depth perception.  Oh well.  We will get it figured out eventually.   As quickly as he is adjusting, he will be fine tomorrow.

May 24, 2012: Post amputation day 3

My eyes are brimming with tears of pride at my boy.  He is just incredible. 

Let’s back up a bit.  Remember that ban of sleeping on the bed.  Yeah, well, toss it out the window.  I climbed into bed and Arri started pacing and bobbing his head.  He wanted to jump and it was just a matter of time before he tried.  Yes, I caved.  I lifted him up onto the bed.  I figured, if a single step intimidated him, he would not try to jump off the bed.  I felt him shift a few times but he stayed with me. 

The first moment of pride:  I pulled Arri to the edge of the bed and let his front legs slide off – similar to getting him out of the van.  I stabilized the back while he managed the front.  As he stepped forward, I guided the back leg down.  From there, Arri needed no help.  He barreled through the house to the front door.  I got there before him and opened it.  No hesitation what so ever.  He went down the step to the grass, peed, turned around and headed back to the door.  He waited for me at the door.  Going up still requires a little ‘leg up’.  I put the sling under his belly and wait.  When he is ready, he puts his front legs on the step while I support and lift the back and he steps forward.  Once his back leg is on the carpet, I drop the sling and he goes where he wants.

Today might be interesting now that Arri is growing in confidence and ability.  Tim worked night shift so he gets home at 6 am and goes to bed.  Typically, Arri will eat, toilet and go back to bed with Tim.  The problem is that he will jump on and off the bed during the day to check on me.  I get out of the shower to find Tim had lifted Arri up onto the bed.  Ok, we will just roll reverse, I will check on Arri today.  Into the office to play some games before heading downstairs to the dungeon – I mean bakery.  After 5 minutes, Tim comes in and says – ‘so much for him not jumping’.   Here is a moment of pride, terror and a few new grey hairs.  I say – ‘you helped him right?’  Tim:  ‘no, he didn’t give me time, he just jumped’.  Tim said he didn’t fall or stumble but landed, got his balance and kept hopping.  Good grief.  I can not believe I was ever even slightly worried about how Arri would respond to amputation.  This dog is a NUT.

I am going to have to baby gate the stairs to the basement.  I suspect he will try to come visit me in the bakery today.

The bruising is worse still.  Arri is bruised in areas I had no idea would get bruised.  It is like it is traveling up his belly.  I did send photos to the doctor to make sure this was normal and I was told yes.  All is well and to keep using the dry hot packs.

Youknow you are REALLY a dog person when you take photos of your dog's nether regions and post them on facebook without a second thought. My mom is probably rolling her eyes and wondering why I don't have girl dogs : )

May 23, 2012: Post amputation day 2

Some things I left out from yesterday.

The incision is roughly 9 inches long.  His bruising got worse as the day progressed.  I am hoping my ineptitude with the sling did not cause even more.

I am looking forward to getting Arri’s harness.  He can wear it all day and I can grab on when he needs help.  I don’t have to chase around with the sling.  I think sometimes he sees me coming and thinks ‘drat, why won’t she leave me alone’.  We have only been doing this for a day and he is already giving me that look.

I was warned that it will be a rough couple of nights.  Honestly, I think Summer was worse on Sunday but last night was not fabulous.  Arri sleeps on the bed with me.  He is not allowed to jump right now and even if I lift him up there, he will not wait for me to lift him off so he is banned from the big bed.  This led to some pacing on his part.  In the end, I moved to the floor but by midnight, he still couldn’t settle in so I climbed back in bed where it was warm.  I bought him a nice bed that is similar to the mattress but he would not sleep on it. Oregon loves it.  Sigh

At 3:30 I woke up to the sound of licking.  I really hate that sound.  It will wake me up every time. It doesn’t matter what body part is being cleaned.  Arri was in the doorway licking in the vicinity of the wound.  I started the ‘do you need to go out?’ game and he gave me the blank stare with a slight wiggle of the tail.  After 5 minutes of this game, I crawled out of my warm, snuggly bed to see what the issue was.  The answer?  No he didn’t need to go out but I needed to get the carpet cleaner going.  I guess a treat of canned dog food wasn’t a treat at all.  At least it smelled better than Summer barf…if you can believe that. 

A  little after 4 am, I made everyone go out.  If I had to be awake so did they.  They happily took care of business.  The single step in and out of the house is still kicking our butt.  Arri made it to the grass without stopping and was ready to turn around and get back inside.  We are having some issues with the other dogs in the house blocking the way. 

Arri ended up in the inflatable e-collar after licking last night.  He looks miserable.  He did have a little bloody discharge this morning but it has dried up.

I have taken the day off work, mostly.  No baking.  Just paperwork and phone calls.  Since Arri likes to hang with me in the office, it works out well.  Today is such a beautiful day that we take a book and sit in the yard enjoying the sun and breeze.  The ulterior motive is to get him to go to the bathroom.  He has been having toxic gas releases all day but nothing solid.  Yesterday we were celebrating poop, today we are begging for it.

He is really moving much quicker.  He tires after only a few feet but that is pretty amazing.  I purchased a few more carpet runners this morning and now he can confidently  maneuver around the whole upstairs on non-skid floor. 

Tim was on duty while I went to the grocery store.  Arri barked and greeted me at the door as though nothing was different….until Oregon pushed him over.

The bulk of the drugs are out of his system.  His eyes are bright and when I sat to tell him a story, his ears perked up and his head cocked from side to side as though truly interested. It was a story about a 3 legged dog that barked at the door to go outside to potty.  Arri thought I was telling a fairytale.  His old self is back.

6:00 pm.  Time to get Arri outside to toilet.  I had to force him to stand and prod him to the door but once he got moving, he didn’t hesitate.  I didn’t have to do anything to get him down the step.  Wow.  Let’s hope that wasn’t a one time try.

I was right.  Arri is a lefty.  He keeps trying to lay on the missing leg.  Tonight he managed it.  Once in position, it must be ok, but he is going to hurt when he tries to get up.

May 23, 2012: Day 2 post amputation in photos

Busted for licking

The bruising is much worse today

Relaxing in the sun

Only the second day after amputation

Did someone say dinner???

May 22, 2012: Amputation day 1

9am, taking Oregon for his vaccine and getting Glamis weighed.  We are celebrating!!!  Glamis is now just 2lbs away from his goal weight.  Nine months ago, G weighed 109 lbs.  Today he was 82.3.  On the way home from the vet, we get the call from the surgeon that Arri can come home.  We arrange pick up for 12:30.

When I arrive, they put me in the comfort room.  We go over the surgery, medication, restrictions and post surgical care.  Arri will get Tramadol and Deramaxx for pain.  He has no stapes or sutures.  I am to watch for swelling and discharge.  There is some bruising.  I am to use a hot pack (dry heat) on the incision about every 6 hours. Considering the significance of the surgery, there is very little I need to do but let him rest and heal.   In answer to my question about the lymph node, it was sent for biopsy as a precaution.  That is a load of worry off my shoulders.  Time to bring Arri in.

I hear his toenails on the tile and it makes me smile.  When he enters the room, there is no excitement to see me, no tail wags.  The boy is stoned.  Unaware I am in the room.  He lays on the carpet and I get a look at the wound.  I can't explain what I was picturing but reality is different from what I thought.  Not nearly the bruising she prepared me for.  I thought it would be worse.  There was also less leg than I expected.  I pictured a good portion of the thigh remaining.    Maybe when the fur grows back it will look more like I thought.  Speaking of fur, he has an interesting hair cut.  We just sit for a bit absorbing the change.  Doing all the research and preparing myself for the moment has helped tremendously.  When I see him it is more like seeing someone with long hair chop it off into a pixie.  It is different and will take some getting used to. 

Next is the hard part; getting him to the car.  I don’t know how to use the sling yet.  Yes it is basic but how much pressure is too much.  He is not excited for the walk.  He could care less if we ever make it to the car.  I can’t be in front of him luring him while holding the sling in a good place.  So we hop once or twice and sit.  Hop and sit.  We get to the van and I just stare at the opening.  This is going to be interesting.  I can lift him but he does not like that, never has.  If I put his front legs in, his back is really too weak to hop.  At this point I am not sure how I did it but either way, he was in. 

The trip home was quiet.  No crying, panting, coughing.  It was nice not to be stressed the whole trip home.  We stopped one time and I pulled Arri out of the van.  I pulled his front legs to the edge and let him slide forward.   Now, you have to understand that I drag my dogs from the time they are little puppies.  They will lay on the floor and I will grab two legs and spin them around.  This usually happens during toe nail trimming.  If I am taking photos and I want them in a certain place, I will drag them there.  It is easier than trying to get him to move 4 inches.  They trust me in doing this and never fight it.  While he was sliding I lifted on the sling and handled the back end.  It wasn’t graceful but it did the trick.  A couple of hops with help to the grass and I dropped the sling.  He sat, then stood and took 3 hops and peed.  I was so excited.  A little rest and back into the van.

When we arrived home, I parked right at the edge of the grass so Arri would have a soft spot to land.  His confidence is shaky so we do a lot of stop and start.  He moved around a bit and peed again.  Since it was dog dinner time, we tried to encourage him into the house.  He just stood.  I let him take it at his pace.  Next thing I know, he is hopping away from the house.  He goes about 15 feet and squats to poop.  That about knocked my socks off.  He did it with no assistance.  Ok, I know it isn’t a miracle.  It is just that most literature talks about constipation and concerns about toileting.  In going through all this, I should know that Arri plays by his own rules.

We introduce the other dogs one at a time.  Tim had laid out the carpet remnant on the kitchen tile for traction.  Arri is just laying there.  First up is Glamis.  He comes pouncing out in happiness, gives Arri and sniff and moves on.  Next up is Summer.  Her reaction is fairly similar.  Finally it is Oregon.  He pounces on Arri’s head and starts licking his face.  Then he works his way back to the incision and gets a little too nosey.  Arri does not complain but I make him back off.  That went well.

Dinner is a special treat of canned food.  The doctors said this was not necessary but I could if I wanted.  I wanted, so I did.  I put the food between his feet and let him eat laying down.  By next week, he will be at the elevated food bowl again.

I can tell he wants to move but is unsure of himself.  At the same time, he doesn’t like the sling too much.  He is doing a bit of grunting like there is discomfort.  I just need to wait him out.  He will relax when he is ready.  He moves himself in front of the door to watch out the window.  Summer and Oregon go outside but he does not want to.  When Summer comes back in the house, she steps right on Arri’s incision.  I about died.  She found herself 5 feet away from Arri and wasn’t sure how she got there.  I know how but I’m not telling.

Arri was finally motivated to go out.  It is a bit of a walk from the front door to the grass so he toileted as soon as he reached the grass.  While he rested up, Summer and Oregon wrestled in the yard.  Getting in and out of the doorway is difficult.  We will figure it out with more practice. 

At this point I think we are in for the night.  I leave Arri to rest in the living room and go into the office to play on the computer.  About 4 minutes later, I hear him.  He is working his way down the hall (need to buy a temporary runner).  He loses his footing ¾ of the way to me. I let him lay for a few minutes but I know he can’t get up.  The floor is wood and too slippery to get his back leg up.  I grab his front legs and drag him to the carpet.  He gets his legs under him and finishes up the walk to where he wants to plant himself for a while.