Our big ol' Great Pyrenees, Sammy (or as I sometimes call him, Singapore Sammy -- you pulp fans get the reference), had surgery today to repair the knee that he blew out a couple of weeks ago when he was running up and down the fence barking at another dog. He's still pretty groggy, and we're looking at a couple of months of recuperation and rehabilitation, but right now the signs are all good. He's a pretty laid-back dog to start with, so maybe keeping him from being too active won't be a problem. And he doesn't seem to hate the cone, which is good. Any time our other dogs had to wear a cone, they gave us trouble about it.
Between dropping him off early at the vet, worrying about him all day, and then picking him up late this afternoon, I didn't write a blasted thing today. But yesterday was a decent day, a chapter and a half, and I'm sure I'll get some done tomorrow. I'd like to wrap up the book I'm working on this weekend, and I still have a decent shot at that.
8 comments:
My girl had that operation last year. For the first month I used a support—sling—around her body to take some of the pressure off her leg. We did that for about a month. She was more able to bear her own weight then. For three months I kept her on a leash to be certain she would not bolt for a squirrel.
The fentanyl patch the vet put on her made her incontinent as well as totally zonked.
She has done well since those four months of rehabilitation. I don’t believe I walked her enough during the aftermath. Plus my poor girl now has a hairless hind leg.
I hope Sammy’s rehab goes well.
James, I'm glad to hear Sammy seems to be doing well. It's amazing how animals can become so important to us.
My grandson recently found a stray, half-starved kitten and brought it home. It turned out the kitten had been abandoned by deadbeat neighbors who moved in the middle of the night. Besides being half-starved, the kitten had a large growth on its side which looked like a tumor. It turned out to be a large hernia that had popped out through a broken rib. About $1200 later, my daughter had a new four-legged member of the family and the kitten, named Sprout, has bonded with everyone in the family. Without the operation Sprout would have had a very short, very painful life. As I said, its amazing how animals can become so important to us.
Rick,
We have a good sling and it really does help. Also a very small fenced-in area in the yard so he can be outside for short periods of time without having to be on a leash. I'm glad your girl is doing well.
Jerry,
I would have done the same thing with Sprout.
Here's hoping Singapore Sammy is back raising hell on the high plains of east Texas soon. Just not with quite so much vigor.
(I'm always worried Bud's gonna do that, the way he lunges through the high snow.)
Dogs are family. Full stop. Here's hoping Sammy has a quick and full recovery without too much discomfort.
Sammy and I appreciate the good wishes. For the time being, Livia is letting me use what's normally her desk, so I'm able to sit here and turn out pages on the current manuscript while he's sleeping peacefully about three feet away from me.
Get healed and well soon, Sammy!
Keep us posted, please.
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