just 24 hours to stitches out!

Buddy and I are spending a wonderful morning in the front yard. Buddy is enjoying the grass and I’m enjoying the birds and katydids and other insects singing in the trees. The little cardinal family pecking at the feeder and the bossy squirrels coming around to raid it.

Buddy enjoying the grass this morning
Buddy enjoying the grass this morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we keep the ace bandages on, Buddy completely ignores his stitches. We just have to make it one more day until the stitches are out. So I’m keeping the Ace bandages around him. But I have to re-wrap him a few times a day. This wrapping thing is clearly a skill!

Buddy's new bowl standI also looked at the post with the video about recovery and tried to feed Buddy standing up day before yesterday. Because he is so big, it is a long way to the floor with his food bowl. He would normally have bent down to eat. But now his one leg has trouble bending down. So I made him a food bowl stand. He liked it very much.

But I did notice last night when he was drinking from his water bowl (still on the floor) that his front leg and back legs were trembling. Could that just be because he has been lying down for the most part for two weeks? When his stitches are out can I start walking him around the block to build up his strength?

 

Buddy gets himself into trouble again

Since yesterday was my husband’s day off from work, I left him to watch Buddy while I went to work – a few hours away. Dennis called me at work in the mid-afternoon. Somehow Buddy managed to pull or tear part of his bandage loose. Dennis thought that since Buddy is moving around more that he possibly caught it on some corner of the furniture. I was afraid he had scratched it loose with his back foot.

Dennis wrapped an Ace bandage around it and I called the vet. I told them the bandages had been pulled loose in one place and the stitches were exposed but not damaged. I was in a panic again. Dennis said the Ace wrap would hold the bandages in place until I could get home and get him to the vet today. The vet’s office said that it sounded like it would be ok to wait until today.

So we are back to the vet this morning to get him re-bandaged.

here is Buddy with his Ace bandage reinforcing his gauze bandages watching the cat on the sofa
here is Buddy with his Ace bandage reinforcing his gauze bandages watching the cat on the sofa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part II

We went to the vet and the vet assistant took Buddy in to get his bandages fixed. But they asked the vet and she said that his stitches looked really good and he is having them removed in just two days so she thought we could just leave the bandages off. Hurray!

Here is Buddy at the Vet's office without his bandages looking very good.
Here is Buddy at the Vet’s office without his bandages looking very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I brought him home and brought the other dogs into the living room with us. While I worked around on stuff the dogs napped or watched me…….. until…..

I looked over and Buddy was not only licking at his stitches, he was trying to chew them out!!! So I went right upstairs and got the two Ace Bandages and wrapped him up again. As long as he is wrapped up he isn’t messing with it. See my very bad wrap job  below. I’ll have to probably re-wrap him several times before Thursday.

Buddy with the Ace bandages back on to keep him from messing with his stitches
Buddy with the Ace bandages back on to keep him from messing with his stitches

ramp good for something after all

Our house has several steps at various points to get in. The lowest is just two steps up to the front door. I made a ramp to help Buddy get in and out of the house. But he wanted nothing to do with it. After a great deal of frustration and tears,  someone on the forum here said that this was a common reaction with dogs to freak out about ramps, and the two steps really weren’t a problem – it’s the flight of stairs that he should avoid after surgery.

But I found the ramp does work for something else. Our front yard is raised about a foot from the driveways on either side. I can drive close to the raised yard and run the ramp across into the back door of the car, supported by two long 1X4 planks. And with the anticipation of getting into the car, Buddy has been willing to use it.

This has been a huge help for me to get him into the car from the house and get him out of the car at the house on my own. At the vet’s office I get someone to come out and help me unload and re-load him in the car.

You can see the ramp and planks leaning against the tree in the pictures of Buddy and the cats.

As long as the ramp is going flat across into the car, Buddy will use it
As long as the ramp is going flat across into the car, Buddy will use it

Buddy enjoys the yard

About a week after his surgery, it was a beautiful day so I put an old rug out in the front yard and let him lie out there while I worked on my laptop next to him. Two of the cats decided to come visit him. Sweetpea, the little black and white one started flirting and playing with him. It was a very good day – his red doll, the outdoors, a friend to watch and Mommy sitting close by.

Buddy enjoys the yard and his kitty friend - his red doll is close by.
Buddy enjoys the yard and his kitty friend – his red doll is close by.
Buddy checking to be sure I'm still there.
Buddy checking to be sure I’m still there.
Buddy is enjoying watching Sweetpea's antics
Buddy is enjoying watching Sweetpea’s antics
Pumpkin, the orange cat wants to join the group but isn't so sure about the front end of Buddy - so he stays at the back end.
Pumpkin, the orange cat wants to join the group but isn’t so sure about the front end of Buddy – so he stays at the back end.

Back to the vet

Buddy had a check back with the vet 5 days after surgery to have his incision examined and his bandages changed. Then two days later I was concerned that he was coughing and the vet told me to bring him in. She listened to his lungs which sounded ok. She said he was probably vocalizing from discomfort – like we do when we try to stand up with stiff muscles. Then we were back at the vet today (two days after that) for his next visit to have his bandages changed and the incision examined.

Here is Buddy at the vet. He doesn’t want to be there. You see in picture 3 he wants out of the room. He’s tired of this vet office. I totally don’t blame him for that

Mommy do we really have to be here AGAIN?
Mommy do we really have to be here AGAIN?
Really Ma, can't we go home now? I don't like it here.
Really Ma, can’t we go home now? I don’t like it here.
OK, see this door? I want to go out this door
OK, see this door? I want to go out this door

surgery isn’t fun for anyone

Buddy was really punky when he got home after his surgery. He wouldn’t eat and wold barely drink. For several days we couldn’t get him to eat his dinner at all. He would eat his meds and dog biscuits, but no dinner. Then the vet suggested we add canned cat food to his dog food to add moisture to his diet and also make his food more exciting. He totally went for that and now gobbles down his dinner mixed with half a can of cat food! He’s also drinking better — with a little encouragement!

Buddy, as a Golden always wants to be near us - preferably in our lap. Here he is huddled up against the sofa where I sit with him during the day and sleep next to him at night.
Buddy, as a Golden always wants to be near us – preferably in our lap. Here he is huddled up against the sofa where I sit with him during the day and sleep next to him at night.

Buddy leaves his old life

Buddy is a Golden so he always has to be carrying something around in his mouth. When we come home he can’t just run to the gate like the other dogs to greet us. He has to pick up something to bring to us.

Even though he now has only 3 legs, Buddy still has to have his toys with him.

Buddy before this adventure when he had four legs - and a ball and duck in his mouth
Buddy before this adventure when he had four legs – and a ball and duck in his mouth
Buddy in his first days home not feeling so good but has his red doll next to him and the blue one on his bed behind him.
Buddy in his first days home not feeling so good but has his red stuffed doll next to him and the blue one on his bed behind him.