Day 8 and a huge milestone
So, I know that I shouldn’t compare Fionn’s recovery to another dog’s journey, but I can’t help but wish he was one of the many dogs that were back into their normal, albeit less energetic, routines sometime during the first week. I just want my Fionn back with the smiling face and wagging tail!
It took him until 1 am to go outside again. He just peed, but it was a good one. Still a bit strong smelling, probably due to not drinking enough. I bring him water throughout the day, but I’ll have to increase it. He is on antibiotics. The same ones they would give him for a bladder infection, so I don’t think it’s that. He’s just painful and doesn’t want to move. He has started whining when he gets up so I am massaging, doing some stretching exercises and icing his incision. After he peed, he laid on the concrete so I left him there. It was pretty warm and he had cover (there is a storm coming) so I decided not to worry and finally go to bed. Of course, not worrying included getting up at 2 am and checking on him :). Still sleeping. Now for the GOOD NEWS.
#1- I slept for 5 straight hours! Apparently quite soundly as attested in #2
#2- I was woken by the sound of a cat fight outside my window. Sounded like my daughter’s cat was involved so I leaped out of bed and heard her come in through the dog door. I went into the kitchen and almost fell over Fionn! Yes, Finny was sleeping on the rug in the kitchen having obviously managed the dog door all by himself sometime during the night! I didn’t even hear him and I always hear the dog door flap (the cat has been known to bring live bunnies into the house through the dog door at night). This is how happy I was! 
He got up pretty readily for some breakfast, but whined when he stood up. Took a minute for him to get into eating. After he was done and still upright, I did some massage to his hips and pulled on his tail to stretch his spine. I downloaded both the ebooks on Tripawds, “3 Legs and a Spare” and “Loving life on 3 legs”. Both immensely useful. Loving Life has some rehab suggestions that can be done at home. It’s not likely that I will be able to afford taking him to rehab therapy so I will do what I can at home.
He’s been a bit more active. Getting up and moving into different rooms. Hasn’t wanted to go outside again. He pooped sometime after I checked on him at 2 am, so that’s good. I really want to get him back into our regular schedule before I go back to work next week. I take him out pretty early, about 6:30 am, for a short walk and potty before I go to work. At least I know he can maneuver through the dog door now which is a relief!
I have discovered Fionn will do almost anything for bits of roasted chicken! I’m using it as part game (drop pieces on the floor so he has to walk to it and bend down to eat it) and to bribe him into going where I want him to go. It got him back outside for a pee without having to wait 12 (or 27!) hrs between trips. I’m quickly running out of chicken as he has learned to say NOPE unless there is chicken involved- oops. I tried the “hide the food under a cup” game for “mental stimulation”. I got a blank stare. Took the cup off and he ate it. I suspect I am the one being trained here.
My daughter came to visit last night which usually results in some animation, but not tonight. He was laying flat out with ice on his incision. I’m not even sure he cracked an eye. She even brought him the greasiest, meatiest knuckle bone she could find and he ignored it. Bones were his everything so that is dismaying! He got up later and was more animated for her. We both got a glimpse of the “old” Fionn so I know he is improving albeit slowly. We got him outside to pee and poop around 10 pm so I had hopes of a night without getting up. He even got up on the couch! He looked like he wanted to and I heard her say I don’t think so and then he was UP in a flash. He’s big so it’s not a huge jump by any means. He got some practice walking on an uneven surface as he tried to position himself the way he prefers- with one leg and his head on the arm. He kept trying to scoot his butt and wiggle around, but never quite managed it so he just curled up in the corner.
Getting down concerns me. He got on the couch on day 2 I think and got stuck. I had to slide him off butt first. Tonight, he ended up sitting up and leaning on the back for awhile. Not sure if he wanted down and couldn’t figure it out, or if it felt good to be supported in a position other than laying down. I wanted to go to bed and I didn’t want him getting off the couch unsupervised, so we encouraged him and he got his front leg off and I helped his back end. I don’t know if it was something I did or what, but he YELPED and cried when we got him down :(. Ugh, it’s a horrible sound. He laid in the living room for a bit and then came into my room where he usually sleeps at night. He was restless and kept re positioning and was panting. I had given him an extra tramadol so I assumed that was the reason for the panting. Let’s hope he settles and has a full night’s sleep (and me too!).
