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What a difference a month makes!

Posted in Post-op | 6 Comments »

I celebrated my one-month ampuversary on August 10th. I just know that Mommy and Daddy couldn’t be prouder of me! Weeks two to four brought dramatic changes for this Tripawd, and I am excited to share!


My hair is growing back.

Those itchy sutures and staples are gone.

Car rides don’t require a sling.

I’m not in pain! Now only taking Gabapentin 300mg and Carprofen 62.5mg with my breakfast and dinner.
My little brother is getting pushy again. He must know I feel better!

I roam the whole yard, and sometimes ask to go outside just so I can lounge in the sun!

I’ve started standing up for rides! My balance is better than ever!

I went for my first real walk in the park, and yes, I can run! 


Becoming a tripawd has really given me a second chance to feel young again! All that hard work and struggling my family went through has been worth it. I can’t wait to see what my future will bring!

Ups and downs of week one

Posted in Post-op | 5 Comments »

Post-op Day 2

I started to feel like myself again. Mommy had slept in my bed with me, so I woke her up bright and early for a potty outing. After that, she took off my dressing, cleaned my incision, and put me in this spiffy compression shirt! It’s made just for forelimb tripawds like me, and helped keep swelling down while stopping me from sneaking any licks! 

Oh! Did you spy stinky Phineas lurking in his crate? He was none too pleased that I woke him up at 5am. 😈

Anyway, later on I ventured outside to relax on my new lawn! Daddy’s working on a better one, but this did just fine for me! It was nice to enjoy the sun again.

Later in the day, I started feeling really sore, panting and yelping more and more because I just could NOT get comfy. Also, the more I moved around, I started having vomit kind of slosh out of my mouth. I wasn’t feeling sick, and didn’t throw up, but I felt like every time I hopped around, the liquid would hop with me! With a quick call to the vet, we learned that the buprenorphine I got on day 1 sometimes relaxes the muscle that keeps my stomach closed off, causing something similar to “acid reflux”. For that, I started taking Prevacid. For my pain, I was allowed to have my gabapentin (300mg) every 8 hours, plus a little extra carprofen (62.5mg every 12 hours) and Tylenol 325mg every 12 hours. This suited me quite well! I ended the night with a sloppy bowl of chicken, rice, and bone broth, and a blob of pumpkin for dessert. Now that’s the life!


Post-op Day 3

Day 3 was much better in the pain and reflux department. My incision was looking great, with just some mild bruising.

Yep, things were feeling much better! I got myself up on the couch and spent all day lounging.

I felt like a real life Tripawd warrior!


Post-op Day 4

I was feeling pretty good, but Mommy and Daddy were totally freaked out by this big red area!

I knew I was fine, but I didn’t tell them because it was a good excuse to go for a ride!

When I got to the vet’s, I took a HUGE poop and then ran all the way down the hall to the exam room by myself! The staff were so proud of me, and rightfully so! The vet figured out that the big blotchy spot was just a bruise, with blood pooling there because of how I like to lay down.

With a clean bill of health, we headed home! There I tried on my Ruffwear booties for the first time since surgery, and I spent some time wandering around with Phineas.


Post-op Day 5

I got the sweetest card in the mail from Spirit Jerry and fam! They sent me this sweet bandanna, too! Being a Tripawd has its perks. 😃


Post-op Day 6

I went all the way up the hill just to poop and pee in Mommy’s garden! Spiky plants beware: this Tripawd is armed!


Post-op Day 7

My belly bruising went away! And my hair started to grow back!

I was feeling devious, so I stole my old bed back from Phineas when nobody was looking. Just ’cause I got a new one doesn’t mean he should get this one!

His window view is pretty nice, anyway! Here I was watching Daddy coming down the driveway.

I was even feeling up to surveillance duty! When the construction guys came around, I kept my eye on them! Really, I was hoping they’d come visit and bring me treats. They did not.

Overall, my first week went better than expected! I graduated from my Prilosec and antibiotic by day 7. I was still sore and tired, but who can blame a guy? Mommy was able to go back to work, and with Daddy as support I was able to start eating out in the kitchen, move around the house freely, and go potties on my normal routine (and that’s the best!)

Tripawd Life Begins

Posted in Post-op | 6 Comments »

Here’s what happened during my first 24+ hours as a Tripawd! Honestly, I don’t remember a lot of it!

Surgery day:

I was SNOWED! Mommy and Daddy say I stayed overnight with the vet, but that they visited me for snuggles and to leave one of Daddy’s shirts so I’d feel more at home. Psh, I couldn’t even keep my tongue in my mouth, let alone care what was happening!

Post-op Day 1:

I stood up on my own when I heard it was time to go home, but these awesome vet techs escorted me in style since it would be a long walk! Clearly, I was still feeling a little loopy…

I left the hospital with a vet-wrapped bandage to keep everything secure. Mommy held me in place for the car ride with my nifty sling! Boy, was I happy to snuggle again! Daddy even stopped at Starbucks so I could have a cup of icy water. Mmm!

I had a nice pee when I got home! Daddy tried to help me walk, but I was feeling confident…

Just needed some water along the way!

I refused to stay off the couch, despite numerous warnings that I might get stuck. Admittedly, I did get stuck, but we all worked it out. A little ice helped me feel better!

Daddy brought me a special dinner in my bed! I ate two whole cans of wet food! My new bowl hadn’t arrived yet so he fed me from Roxbury’s extra dish… I think she got confused, because as soon as I took a break she stole the rest!

After dinner, Mommy changed my dressing. She used sterile saline and gauze to pat it clean, and then put a diaper on me all funny. She said it would catch any extra drainage, but I wasn’t a fan. (Mommy reports that the yellow on the bandage is furazone.)

By nighttime, I was feeling really tired but just couldn’t get comfortable. I tried cuddling with Daddy in bed, and in my bed, and couldn’t make it happen. I’d peed a ton, pooped once, and yelped a few times. I was panting a lot, wide-eyed, and felt kind of lost and confused. Mommy and Daddy took shifts with me (mostly Daddy!) because I didn’t sleep all night.

In total on my first day and night home, I had gabapentin 300mg q12h, carprofen 50mg q12h, an antibiotic in the evening, and two doses of subcutaneous buprenorphine. In hindsight, I think the buprenorphine made me a bit crazy, because by the time it started to wear off the next day, I felt like a new dog…

 

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