Next follow-up vet visit

Mom and Dad picked me up from the vet today. I stayed there overnight while they went to the shore. I'm still a special needs puppy with my bum leg, so I stayed where they would respect doctor's orders. No better place than with the doc!
The good news is that I can start going for short walks! Up to 3 times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time. Maybe, I won't drive mom and dad nuts with my pent up energy. Mom also said something about her finally getting a few pounds off since she wasn't walking me, but I don't know what pounds are. Oh well! If it makes her happy, I hope it happens.
The bad news is that I still have to take medicine for pain, I can't run and I can't jump! Where's the fun in that?!!! I guess beggers can't be choosers.
I can't wait for the sun to go down so I can go for a walkie! Finally!

Well, I gotta rest up so I'm in top form for it!

The Indy Saga

Well, things have been NUTS!!!

Indy was doing OK. On Sunday, she was starting to act more lethargic and was reluctant to eat. We took her temp then and it was normal. So we decided to wait and see.

We then got distracted from her issues when I was suddenly diagnosed with an infected, impacted wisdom tooth on Tuesday, that had to be surgically removed Wednesday. I was in too much pain to even notice that she was getting worse.

Wednesday night I was well enough to spend some time with her and knew something was wrong. She turned her head away from everything I offered, she would even growl a little if we bothered her too much. I took her temp again and it was 104. Since she was already on antibiotics, it had to be serious.
Our vet was closed, so we rushed her to a hospital in DE. They ended up taking off her cast. Her surgery site didn't show any outward signs of infection, but the cast's ridges on the inside, had made 4 or 5 small open wounds on her leg about 2 inches above her paw. She seemed relieved just to have it off.
That doctor changed her antibiotic and added another pain pill in addition to the one she was taking. She said that there were some other tests they could do, but she was stable enough to wait until Thursday morning for a follow-up with our vet. I got the antibiotic in her,but the other 2, not a chance. Her appetite was too poor to put it in a treat and she's been so grumpy with us(no one else-she MUST hate us by now) we were too afraid that she would bite us if we tried to open her mouth and shove it down her throat.
She seemed a little better Thursday morning. We had to drop her off at our vet's office so they could do bloodwork.

It turned out that she had a reaction to the tape used in her cast. Apparently, she was twisting her leg in the cast because of the irritation and cutting her leg on the cast from the inside. It's not her knee. Her temp had dropped while at the office. She's on 2 antibiotics now and 2 pain meds and has to be on a bland diet.

She would just refuse to eat.I tried 3 variations of chicken and rice-chicken breast and rice I made myself, and 2 different kinds of canned food, but she won't eat it. Her lack of appetite has made it nearly impossible to give her her medication. I've tried everything: pill pockets, peanut butter, cheese, hot dogs, kong paste, baby food, turkey. I did introduce her to yogurt and managed to hide one drug in it and she ate that. She also is able to figure out immediately when I'm slipping her meds in something and then refuses that food the next time I offer it to her.

I've been at my wits end because not only does she refuse to eat, but the amount of medication I'm able to get into her is declining. In her present state of mind, prying her mouth open to give pills is not a good idea. I also tried the tube thingy that is supposed to shoot pills to the back of their throat(joke and a half-she was royally p.o.'d after that fiasco). I'm also wasting more pills than I'm getting into her with all of these attempts to hide them and they get ruined.

She finally ate a little chicken cat food this morning and her yogurt with her 1 med hidden in it. She finally ate a convincing amount of food tonight. After we got home from yet one more shopping trip to try and find things to tempt her, she had her 1st bowel movement in several days. Since she wasn't eating, she didn't have to, but I'm thinking the yogurt got her stomach reved up again. After that she ate 2 small helpings of raw extra-lean ground beef!

She would have eaten more I think, but the doc said to keep the meals small but frequent. I'm still only able to get one drug in her, but it's one of the most important ones. I'm not going to sweat the pain meds since she's resting comfortably and getting around pretty well without any complaints. I think the original plan was to stop them Monday anyway. Her cast is off, so her abrasions and tape reaction sites that caused her fever to begin with, are healing up nicely.

The Un-Fun has Begun

Well, tomorrow's it. ACL surgery day. My daddy started freaking out a few hours ago and getting cold feet about doing it. I'm freaking out because I haven't been allowed to eat since 8:30 this morning and I stopped getting water at 8:30 tonight. Mom is trying to mentally prepare herself to get through tomorrow first, then tomorrow night without me home and finally, my long recovery.
Guess she better get the Xanax ready!

6 Days Until Surgery

Not much going on.
Just hanging out and taking it easy until "the operation".
Keeping me calm has been battle that mom is losing so far. Since I only stop for treats, I've been getting my fair share and don't want my dinner. I think mom is worrying about my waistline. I haven't seen a treat since I spit out and turned up my nose at the treats I got when I did potty outside this morning(I forgot that the kitchen is NOT my personal toilet-so it's back to basics at least until surgery day). What was she thinking, giving me that slop this morning? Doesn't she know that I am a princess? Besides, I'm in for a rough time soon. Where's my Prime Rib?

Anywhooo! I am drowsy for a change and want a nap. At 91 degrees outside right now, what else can a spoiled puppy do but nap in some air conditioning? Ciaooooooooo!

Bad News

Well, her ACL is torn as well as damage to the meniscus. Her ACL in her right leg is also in the beginning stages of weakening. She is having surgery on 7/21. It will be about 2300 dollars.

We have no idea how this recovery is going to go. I'm so afraid she will mess up her leg after the operation. It all seems so complicated. We don't know how we're going to do it.

We just set up her crate in our dining room. She hasn't been using it for almost a month, but the vet said no stairs for 12 weeks and total crate rest, so we should get her back into the habit of using it.

We are also baffled as to how to keep her calm until her operation. one wrong move and she could totally destroy what's left of her meniscus before he can try to salvage any of it. She just wants to run and play.

It's all so overwhelming. I feel so bad for her. Her whole world will come to a screeching halt and she will have no idea why.

Indy's ACL?

We had to drop Indy off at the vet at 8:30 this morning. She had to be knocked out so the vet could check her ACL.

She's had a history of pano and had an ACL inflammation due to the pano last August. At her physical on Tuesday, he checked her knee and A. she didn't like it at all, B. her knee popped which led us to C. the possibility that her ACL is torn.

The office had already called by the time we got home. We have a consultation w/ the vet at 3:30 to go over his findings. I'm terrified she'll need surgery. Of course, her insurance won't cover it and w/both of us being teachers we are BROKE right now, but she is our baby and what are credit cards for? I just have to look at it this way, at least if she needs it and we get it done now, we will be home all day while she recovers and she should be in pretty good shape when we go back to school. Keep her in your thoughts.