One week ampuversary!
So, despite the fact that I’m in California and it only got down to 50 degrees or so AND there was no wind or weather, I STILL got up every few hours to check on my boy. He moved around during the night, I think he peed more, but no more poop. At one point, when he was on the concrete, he seemed cold to me (shivering) so I tried to get him up but no go. I laid a jacket on him and went back to bed. I can’t lift or force a dog this big and he clearly was capable of moving so I just had to assume he was fine. I got up at 8 and he had moved and knocked the jacket off. He was on his incision though which makes it harder for him to get up. I knew he had to be stiff and in pain. He was about 12 hrs past his last pain meds and 24 hrs since his gabapentin. I’ll see how he does on just 400mg of gaba a day. I managed to convince him to get up with cat food and he followed me upstairs. He did whine a bit on the first step. Not a yelp though so it may have just been stiffness. He is navigating the stairs alone so that is an improvement. He ate a big breakfast, had his meds and is, of course, sleeping again. I have high hopes to get him outside for a trip to the grassy spot today. It is going to rain tomorrow so it may be our last chance for a bit. I also need to go to the store, so I’ll take him for a ride. He seems depressed so that may cheer him up. Our local store closed so I have to drive about 20 min. A little wind in his face should perk him up!
It took more cat food to convince him that a trip to the grass was a good idea. I sear, if left to his own devices, he would never get up! It’s become a bad cycle of “It doesn’t hurt if I don’t move” to “gosh it hurts when I do move therefore I’m not going to”. I’m sure he’s stiff and sore so I have been massaging him. So. once I got him down the ramp, he peed on his favorite bush and then booked it to the grass. Had a few poops (the cat food and lack of pumpkin has taken its toll I think. More pumpkin!) and then tried to roll, but he went down on his incision side :(. Whined a bit, looked sad and just laid there. Here’s a video!
Literally pooped out and forced to deal with the attentions from our cat who followed us. She is determined to be his friend and is taking full advantage of the fact that he can’t get away from her as easily as before! We hung out here for a bit and there was no sign of him getting up so I went back to my house, got my truck and drove as close to him as I could. He looked dead from the street, but by the time I came around and opened the door, he was standing and wagging his tail :). I put on his leash and he RAN to the truck. I had to run to keep up! He loads pretty easily and seemed so happy to go for a ride. When I got back in the truck after shopping however, he suddenly let out a huge yelp/howl. He hadn’t moved, I hadn’t started the truck- there was seemingly no reason for it. It was awful :(. He stopped and settled and slept all the way home. Phantom limb pain?? My neighbor is an amputee and she says it comes on out of the blue, no warning, and is excruciating. She doesn’t get it much anymore, but it was terrible right after surgery. Getting him out of the truck at home was challenging. I had to get more cat food to get him to stand up and another neighbor’s help to get his sling on. Unfortunately, the sling is not quite big enough to fit around him and velcro in place. It would be easier if it just stayed in place for times like this. Once he can wear his harness it will be much easier. He growled at my neighbor when she tried to encourage him from behind. Only the second time he has ever growled and a definite warning shot. I think he was afraid of her pushing him forward on his one leg. I basically had to drag him out and lift him bodily to the ground. He hopped quickly up the ramp and into the house where he is now napping once again.
We’ve been home from the store for about 6 hrs now and he has moved twice. I did get him to eat, but I had to bring the raised feeder over to him after he stood up. If I try to put his leash on, he just lays back down. He got up and went to the front door, but by the time I got over there, he laid back down. Ugh! He’s whining when he moves so I’m guessing he is sore? I decided to give him a second gabapentin tonight because of the noise he made in the truck. We are still at 100mg tramadol every 8 hrs. I’m trying not to increase that since he is still so sleepy. Hopefully I can get him outside before bedtime and we both can sleep all night!
