2 Weeks Post 2nd TPLO

The hounds are well these days.

Riley just got his stitches out yesterday and the recovery is going as planned. Many people at the park have been asking for him, fearing the worst, of course. But I just tell him he is recovering from knee surgery and after they offer their sympathies, I tell them in an upbeat tone, "But he's ONLY got 2 knees, so once he recovers, he should be all set!" Some people get it, some people don't. Oh well. (And yes, dogs really have two elbows and two knees)

Work is being done in our attic and I think it is freaking Sabrina out a little bit. For about 2 weeks, people were cutting large holes in our roof and our attic wall to put in a lovely skylight and windows. During this time, a dog-friendly electrician was also here. Entertained by Sabrina's antics, he would stop to play with her here and there. Well, nice electrician guy is gone. Lately, we've had the 65 year old retired Russian man painting our attic. Russian man is a big man but he is a bit nervous about the dogs. Maybe it was the way his body stiffened up when both dogs sat at his feet (most politely I might add) and he tossed the peanut butter cracker he had in his hand across the room. Needless to say, he didn't want to interact much with the dogs and I think that put Sabrina off a little bit. She communicated that quite clearly to us by chewing up 3 more remote controls. *sigh* You'd think we'd find a better place for our remotes, huh?!

Meanwhile, as the attic is being painted and hopefully carpeted soon, the door has remained closed off to all animals (of the furry kind) and they are not happy with this set up. Don't worry guys, we will be unveiling the new "green room" soon! To the dogs, since we have hard wood floors everywhere else in the house, it will be like one big dog bed to them, haha!

Barks and Babies

I attended a 2 hour seminar called, "Barks and Babies" last weekend. It was 2 hours chock full of great training tips and suggestions for running my "pack" more smoothly when the lil non-fur child arrives (aka Lulu).

Here is what we have been working on this week:

1. All dogs must wait at the threshold of an open door. No barreling thru without a command.
(I wish there was a class like this for cats)

2. If the dogs want to follow us from room to room (including the nursery) they are welcome to, but they hang out on their
beds, not under our feet.

3. Dogs may bark once (or twice) when the door bell rings or when someone knocks at the door, then look at me. Gone are the
days of Wroo Wroo Wroo Wrooooooo Wroo symphonies.

4. Treats are no longer dispensed from the kitchen area. If dogs want their treat, they must return to their dog beds for them.

5. Baby sounds will be played at varying volumes from different parts of the house.

6. Dogs may greet us at the door but may not continue to entrap out legs until we fall over to pet them. After greeting, they
return to their beds to wait for when we have a minute to say hello properly to them.

7. While we, human bipeds, are home (key words here), dogs are only allowed on furniture when invited. Once we get off the
furniture, all quadripeds must leave the furniture as well.


I think we're on our way to a very good start. It is amazing what we can still teach our dogs. I was quite skeptical that Riley and Sabrina could learn all these rules, but alas, when you are pack leader (*grin*) much is possible. I will fill you in to let you all know how it's going...

4 Days Post TPLO #2

Riley is doing well. Better than expected actually. There seems to be significantly less bruising and swelling in his leg this time. He is also calmer, as if remembering his ordeal last time and understanding the process of rehabilitation.
Sabrina was of course estatic to see him home. In an amazing act that I can only describe as being compassion, Sabrina greeted him slowly and cautiously, inspecting him from the top of his head to the tip of his tail. She is, right now, curled up on a dog bed with him, snoozing.
Since Riley has been home, we have not asked him to do stairs yet. Which means he can only go out when the Dogfather is around to carry him down the front steps and carry him back up. Perhaps today or tomorrow I will see if I can convince him to do the 8 or so steps. With his leg completely shaven, you can see what a skinny little behind he has and I worry about the amount of muscle atrophy that has already happened over the past few weeks and months.
Riley's appetite has been good. His incision and staples look pretty good. They seem to be itching him today as he whips around to lick his wound when he is moving forward as if something has nipped him from behind. I have continued to ice it whenever I can and for as long as I can stand kneeling on the floor holding the ice pack in place. Not an easy task since I have put on almost 20 pounds!

One Less in the Pierce Household

Did I forget to mention that we have found the Ming-a-Ling a new home? It seems it may be a good forever home for our little devilish girl! Although our original trial home option did not work out, a new one cropped up unexpectedly. Ming went to her new home while we were away on vacation in Maine. Since then, we have gotten updates that she is doing well. She has been described as one active kitty who is literally "bouncing off the walls" and has "lots of energy!" That's my Ming-a-Ling! And that is music to my ears. That sounds like she is being herself and I hope that means she is happy being the queen of her own castle. She gets to sleep on her new mommy's bed and is allowed to stay up all night to play with her toys whenever she wants to! We plan to go to visit her. Perhaps we will have to bring Sabrina to visit as they must miss each other. Will let you know when that happens.
As for our household, there is such peace and balance in the home now. Ming-a-Ling always had a way of stirring everything and everybody up. I miss the little imp, but knowing she has a new place to call home, I don't miss her too much. At least I can go see her if I want to!

So Far So Good

Dr. Trout called me in the early afternoon today. It was such a relief to hear his voice and confirm that Riley was already out of surgery and recovering. The best news is that the meniscus cartilage was not damaged so I can anticipate Riley's recovery to be very similar to his last one. Tonight he stays at the hospital where he continues to come off the anesthesia. He got an epidural that lasts 18 hours! On top of that, he gets pain killers. Tomorrow morning, Dr. Trout will check up on him and call me to let me know how he looks. By the end of the work day tomorrow, I get to go bring my baby boy home.
I had a quick pep talk with Riley this morning. I told him he was going to go to sleep and wake up with a bad boo boo on his leg but that I would be there to make him feel better. And that I would be right there to help him feel better for the next few weeks. And that soon he would be feeling great and his leg would be all better to run and roll in the snow. I told him what a good boy he is and gave him lots of hugs and kisses. No tears this time. I know he will be OK.

Preparing for TPLO #2

Last Tuesday, I took Riley to see the orthopedic surgeon at Angell Memorial. It was comforting to see a familiar face and yet, how unfortunate to have to bring Riley to see him again. But I felt we could not be in better hands. Dr. Trout performed Riley's left knee surgery in October of last year, 2006. Today, you would never know he's had an injury in that knee. Every other vet that has examined him has commented on the minimal scarring and amazing recovery in that knee. Because of Dr. Trout's great work, Riley was able to enjoy a fun filled winter, spring, and hopefully will be able to enjoy many many more seasons to come. Unfortunately, Riley's right knee could not keep up with his spirit. And it is clear to us that we need Dr. Trout's expertise once again.

Next Wednesday, we drop Riley off to be prepped for surgery. He will stay the night and come home on Thursday. I am 100 times calmer than I was last time around. I have no concerns about the surgery, just a bit worried about Riley being under anesthesia and the amount of pain he will have to endure. I plan to stay up the night with him as I did the first time around. We anticipate a longer recovery period if Riley has torn the meniscus cartilage between his joints. Plus, this injury seems to be worse than the first one. I expect the surgeon to tell me that his ligaments are completely torn as well as the meniscus.

In preparation of this surgery, there wasn't much to do. I sent him to the groomers yesterday to shave down his legs and some of his tail. Last time, Riley came home with some foul smelling mats around his leg that I could not clean out. Probably a combination of blood, iodine, and maybe even fecal matter. His paws were also trimmed to ensure maximum traction when he returns home. I do not know how else to prepare him for the pain he will have to endure. But hopefully, this will be the end of his orthopedic pains and he will be able to run and romp with his sister for years to come.

Home Sweet Home - and Back to the Big Bed

Happy Labor Day and sorry to all that have to labor on this day. We are having a beautiful weekend in New England and my family (furkids and us) are very happy to be back home. We just returned from a two week vacation on Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine. Although the house we rented was just like a home away from home, nothing beats coming home to sleep in the Big Bed. :D

We rented the Moosehead Hideaway last winter over X-mas and loved it so much we went back this summer for two weeks. We invited some friends and family up to join us and that was part of what made it such a fantastic vacation.

Dogfather said to me our last night there while watching the sunset at Lily Bay, "This was the best two weeks I've ever had."

Everyday was fun, relaxing and filled every atom in my body with happiness. What could be better than 14 days without e-mail, without a watch on, without any worries, eating whenever you're hungry and sleeping whenever you are tired, and having your dogs with you? It was the best.

Unfortunately on the fourth day of our trip, Riley blew out his right knee entirely. We had been managing a partial ligament tear on this knee for almost 3 months now. A little too much excitement on vacation was enough to tear the remaining ligaments. It was heartbreaking but my boy pulled through so bravely. 24 hours post injury, he was up and running again, only on 3 legs. It is quite amazing how adaptive he was. He was a fast dog on 3 legs! We were lucky to be staying just down the road from the local vet and I found this small town vet to be open-minded, kind, and much more holistic than I can say for most of Boston's vets. Although we puchased a bottle of Rimadyl to last us the entire two weeks, I was able to manage Riley's injury by just icing it and and giving him Arnica. Yay!

We have a ton of wonderful photos which I will try to post soon. Mostly photos of Riley, Sabrina, and the fur friends that came up to visit. I will post them soon. Stay tuned!

More Green Stuff

More green stuff has been erupting from my fur babies these days. In the form of eye goop. It's kinda gross.

It started out with Sabrina with a little yellow discharge. I would wipe them clean in hopes that her immune system would naturally clear things up. But last Sunday's swim in a pond in Athol resulted in bright lime green goop emerging from her eyes. Very goopy stuff. She has those lower eyelids that kinda bow outwards, so I'm sure she "caught" lots of yucky stuff from the pond.

Well, in the past two days, Riley has caught the eye goop. His is still yellow and not quite as flourescent, but goopy just the same.

In the past, I have used an antibiotic ointment, Terramycin.

This was the same stuff my mom used to use in our eyes when we had eye infections or red eye from swimming in the pool. But the discount pet store near us that used to sell it over the counter is no longer there. Oh no! And more vets require an office visit and prescription to get the stuff.

But all turns out well when I turn to a holistic practitioner and she points me in the direction of homeopathic treatments as well as a great over the counter homeopathic eye drop.

For the green goop, she told me to use remedy #1. For yellow goop, remedy #2. And the drops are preventative for the future, such as our upcoming vacation to Moosehead Lake.

It's the second day now and Sabrina's green is now yellow and much less goopy. Riley's is pretty much cleared up! I have to say, even I was impressed. Here is the over the counter eye drops that you can purchased from Whole Foods. In fact, I even used it this morning in my own eyes as they were a bit ithcy and it was great!



I am more than thrilled that I now have a new, cheaper option for treating eye infections. A closer look at Terramycin reveals that it is a petroleum-based product. So bleah, less of that in my eye, or their eyes, the better!

Meeting Brodie

I went to visit a co-worker at her home in Marblehead today. She has a new Berner baby, just 4 months old. He's over 40 pounds already!
It was pure joy to hold a ball of fluffy Bernerfur in my arms, bury my nose into the fuzz, and breath in a deep breath of puppy breath. Whom can resist that?!

Piles of Green Sh*t

Came home Tuesday afternoon to some peculiar looking piles of green poop on the kitchen rug.

What the *#*#$@%#*$??!!!

There were three good sized piles. And it was clearly poop. I had a hunch it was Sabrina. If Riley ever has an accident in the house, he so graciously poops as close to the door as possible, on a small, washable rug.

No, no. This must be Sabrina's work.

I go to pick up the green piles and am surprised how dry they are. They barely leave any marks behind on the rug. Good thing. I spot clean the rug. I did not try to do a close examination of the poop. Pregnancy instincts tell me to stay clear of anything smelly like that.

I let Sabrina out and two more piles of green poop come out of her. She confirms that she is the culprit. But now I am totally stumped. What in the world did she eat? She usually grazes on grass but there is NO WAY she ate THIS much grass!

I wonder about the three large green peppers I bought the other day. But no, I cooked those up and ate them. Hmmmm....

I go back in and check my Bamboo Palm tree. It's still intact. No gnawed off branches or leaves.

Whatever. I have a date with a girlfriend from out of town. I return Sabrina to the house and head out.

And hour later my phone rings. It is the Dogfather. I answer.

"What are these piles of green SH*T on the rug?!!"

HUH? I guess she had more to expel. I have no idea and am totally baffled by this mystery. Did she eat a green blanket?
When I get home the Dogfather reveals the shredded ziploc bag that once contained a pound of organic wheat grass pills.

AHA! Now that makes sense. My Sabrina turned into a horse for a day and sh*t like a horse for the day.

Nice, Sabrina. Nice.