Keep safe!

Keep safe!
You are responsible for your own safety and that of your dog. The walks listed in this blog are not detailed guides. Plan your route! Click the landrover image for safety advice from Bowland Pennine MRT.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

2 weeks after cruciate surgery

Two weeks gone and all is going well.  We went to our local vets today for the stitches to be removed.  The wound is healing well, just a little fluid near the top of the stitching so it's a bit puffy. No need for any antibiotics though and touch wood that will be our last visit to the vets before the 4 week checkup back at Rutland Referrals.

Recovery appears to be going well. He walks with hardly any limp and is completely weight bearing on his leg. It also looks far stronger now and I worry slightly less when we are out on our short lead walks.

The comfy cone is still on when unsupervised. We learned last time round that taking it off as soon as the stitches were out wasn't a good idea. We will be more cautious this time.

The only issue we have is a very spoiled dog who is so used to company after being with one of us forgetting much 24/7 for the past month.  Today we were both back at work, so he was alone for 3 hours or so. The pet cam showed at least an hour of barking and whining before he settled down.  Hopefully he will soon get used to being on his own a bit!

Hopefully there will be little more to post before our next milestone at 4 weeks post op. So far it seems much easier than last time. Hope it stays that way.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

One week after cruciate surgery

Well, that's a happily uneventful week, so different to last year. So good that there is not much to to be honest. He remains in his pen unless we go in to garden or for one of his short 10 minute walks. He is pretty needy and has learned quickly to whine and bark for attention, of which he gets lots!  He easts nornally, even taking his antibiotics without a struggle. His poo (dog owners understand the need to say this) has been regular and normal after the first 3 days. He sleeps well, even with his comfy cone on, and yesterday I gave him his usual bed back. It has soft sides so a little more tricky to climb on to.

Stitches look ok. No weeping from the wound. I just need to watch it though after the slight problem last year. He walks well, a slight limp sometimes, and bears weight on it almost all the time he is standing.

My stint of supervising comes to an end tomorrow and back to work on Friday. Happily my better half takes over for a few days so he will have had 2 weeks of full time company. We'll probably leave him for an hour or so over the weekend just to start getting him used to being on his own a little again. All being well, vets on Monday night to have the stitches out.


Saturday, March 18, 2017

Dog Cruciate Surgery - Day 3

We are now 3 days after Finney's cruciate surgery.  All good so far.  I dropped him off at Rutlamd Referrals in St Helens on Wednesday morning and he was operated on the same day.  Once again, with the TTA procedure which proved so good on his other leg last year.  Leaving him was, as with last year, all a bit of a blur, but he was happy to go off with the veterinary nurse, and we were equally happy to get the call late afternoon that he had been stable throughout, was waking up and would soon be back on the ward.

The next day I arranged to collect him late afternoon.  He hadn't been quite as good early morning in their view, very quiet, but that isn't unusual for him. It was obviously great to see him, although I think he was so high on Methadone he probably didn't really know what was going on, and we drove carefully back to Preston with him crying (as with last year) all the way.

What was so different to last year was the first night at home.  If you read the blog you'll know neither he or I got any real sleep that first night or the second.  He slept through until about 5am this time which was fantastic.  I think the difference was the Comfy Cone we bought last year.  It has made a massive difference.  He wears it happily night and day, unlike the standard plastic lampshades which must be so uncomfortable to wear.  I would recommend that any dog owner gets a Comfy Cone, before you need it!

He was pretty much bearing weight on his leg the day after surgery, although clearly uncomfortable.  Yesterday was a little better, and we managed 3 very short walks (about 5 minutes). Today, 3 days after surgery, he is better still and we did 10 minutes, which is what we will do 3 times a day for the next 4 weeks.

So, a much better experience for all of us so far, although it's early days yet!


Sunday, March 12, 2017

Another torn cruciate

Those that have already experienced their dog tearing a cruciate will no doubt, like us, he acutely aware that there is a high probability the other leg will go within 18 months.  That said, as time goes on and you reach some kind of near normality with off lead walks, hills and beaches you do tend to think that it might not happen!

And so it was, near the start of a week long holiday in Cornwall, that we were strolling along the beach at Marazion when the dog jumped up at me and his leg gave way. Second time round you know in your heart what has happened, although you might give it a little time in the wildly optimistic hope it is just a sprain. At first he did appear to put a little weight on it, but by the next day his leg was clearly not working and the classic toe touching of a cruciate injury was obvious.

Our holiday home was a dream, with an amazing view over Porthtowan beach.  On the down side, there were 30 or so steps up to the car park; no place for an injured Sprimger!  We paid a visit to St Clement Vets in St Agnes, who were lovely and gave him some pain relief for the long trip home, before packing our bags and suffering the 7 hour trip back up North.

Our vets, Riverbank in Preston will no doubt be a second home in the coming weeks. Surgery is booked for Wednesday, back at Rutland House in St Helens.  The pen and mats are back down.  The prospect (certainty) of some sleepless nights is ahead.  All being well though we will be back out on enjoyable walks in the summer!