Sammie's Surgery
Re: Sammie's Surgery
I'd take it easy on the walks for the first couple weeks. Going out to potty, a few times to his feeding dish, etc, but not much more than that. I'd also suggest using the "towel-sling" directly under his lower abdomen/between his groin if you allow him to walk too far. Remember, he is still painful after surgery...don't let him fool you.
..........Traci
Re: Sammie's Surgery
Glad to hear he is doing so well! But I do agree with Traci about the walking...don't want to undo all the good that has been done! Bisc couldn't walk for several weeks, so we had to carry her outside, and use a sling to support her...a good idea for aiding recovery.
Re: Sammie's Surgery
oh nooo...the onyl walking he will be doing is when he goes out to potty...at least for this first 3 weeks...but she wants us to get him out during the day and support him standing and to massage his muscles...as well as move his legs through the range of motion exercises...
other than that...he will be resting in his crate for 3 weeks...then we go from there to see if he is ready for more...
for some reason, he still is not wanting to eat his food himself, from a bowl, but if I scoop it onto my fingers, he will greedily eat every bit of it that way...so for now...that is what we are doing...but I am not going to spoil him like that forever!!
He went out this morning and went potty...both...so that was good...then I brought him in and we just sat and got warm with him wrapped in my arms again...then we did some floor exercises with the standing supported and I massaged his back and legs a bit...ate and drank, and now he is resting in his crate because I need to find the floor of my front entry hall...my husband left a box of paper trash and so forth from his office to go out to the garbage, but the cats got to it first and decided they would decorate the halls with all the paper they shredded...what fun!
other than that...he will be resting in his crate for 3 weeks...then we go from there to see if he is ready for more...
for some reason, he still is not wanting to eat his food himself, from a bowl, but if I scoop it onto my fingers, he will greedily eat every bit of it that way...so for now...that is what we are doing...but I am not going to spoil him like that forever!!
He went out this morning and went potty...both...so that was good...then I brought him in and we just sat and got warm with him wrapped in my arms again...then we did some floor exercises with the standing supported and I massaged his back and legs a bit...ate and drank, and now he is resting in his crate because I need to find the floor of my front entry hall...my husband left a box of paper trash and so forth from his office to go out to the garbage, but the cats got to it first and decided they would decorate the halls with all the paper they shredded...what fun!
Re: Sammie's Surgery
Sounds like he's recovering extremely well. What a relief it must be to you to have him home and doing so well! 
Just a thought on him wanting to be hand fed. It may hurt him to hang his head over his dish. Even though he's low to the ground, the movement or position is probably still painful, and will be for a while. I know my co-worker who had back surgery about a year ago said she was totally surprised by how many different movements involved positioning the back. She said everything she did was felt in the surgical area, it it was quite painful for several weeks. I'm also sure Sammie enjoys the attention and it makes him happy to have you feed him like that. Indulge him for now - after all he's been through, he deserves a little pampering!!
Just a thought on him wanting to be hand fed. It may hurt him to hang his head over his dish. Even though he's low to the ground, the movement or position is probably still painful, and will be for a while. I know my co-worker who had back surgery about a year ago said she was totally surprised by how many different movements involved positioning the back. She said everything she did was felt in the surgical area, it it was quite painful for several weeks. I'm also sure Sammie enjoys the attention and it makes him happy to have you feed him like that. Indulge him for now - after all he's been through, he deserves a little pampering!!
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~ Josh Billings.
Re: Sammie's Surgery
Karen is correct about the association between the sore back/neck and the feeding dish. You have two choices....hand feed him or hold the dish at his neck level and at an angle...or try to adjust his dish with a raised platform.
..........Traci
Re: Sammie's Surgery
I don't mind hand feeding him...it gives us some one on one time...but I have also been trying to hold the dish more at a comfortalbe level while I scoop it out a fingerful at a time...once in a while he will lick some from the bowl...
Re: Sammie's Surgery
I am sitting here watching Sammie sleep, and I am wondering if this back problem had been going on for some time, but he never let on until this last couple of weeks...nothing...ever...that anything was wrong...
but to see him now...sleeping comfortably on his side beside me here on the couch, his face looks so much different than it did even when we got him...and to rub my hands over him...he just feels different...looser...more relaxed...before, he always felt firm...so now I am wondering if he was alwyas tense, to protect his back, but we just thought that it was firm becuase of muscles and the way he was built...poor guy...he never let on at all that anything could have been wrong before...I am really feeling bad for not knowing anything was wrong sooner...
but to see him now...sleeping comfortably on his side beside me here on the couch, his face looks so much different than it did even when we got him...and to rub my hands over him...he just feels different...looser...more relaxed...before, he always felt firm...so now I am wondering if he was alwyas tense, to protect his back, but we just thought that it was firm becuase of muscles and the way he was built...poor guy...he never let on at all that anything could have been wrong before...I am really feeling bad for not knowing anything was wrong sooner...
Re: Sammie's Surgery
Sammie is going crate crazy...he is really not liking it in there...I can let him out when we are in the living room, and he loves to lay on the couch beside us...but if he is in it, he whines and carries on awful...two more weeks at least though...
He is getting along better every day...today I had him outside to go potty and when he was done, he turned and wanted to go up the stairs himself...and when I would not let him, he wanted to jump up with his legs on mine, so I just picked him up before he could do anything else...
We came inside and did some therapy...standing with his legs under him where they belong and massaging his muscles...and when I was finished and opened the crate door, he looked over his shoulder and took of running across the living room...he only got about 3 or 4 steps when I got him and picked him up...
I am impressed and very happy with his progress, but I know it still takes time for things to heal inside, and it is too soon for him to do much walking, so we are still keeping that to a minimum when going outside...
He will be thrilled to death when the surgeon gives us release to go on 10-15 minute walks down the road...if the snow is gone by then...
He is also eating his dry kibble again...I leave a small dish with some in his crate for him, and he still gets canned IAMS as well...and tonight I mixed the kibble and canned and he ate almost all of it out of the dish...propped on a pillow for easier access...
Anyways...that is about it for now...
He is getting along better every day...today I had him outside to go potty and when he was done, he turned and wanted to go up the stairs himself...and when I would not let him, he wanted to jump up with his legs on mine, so I just picked him up before he could do anything else...
We came inside and did some therapy...standing with his legs under him where they belong and massaging his muscles...and when I was finished and opened the crate door, he looked over his shoulder and took of running across the living room...he only got about 3 or 4 steps when I got him and picked him up...
I am impressed and very happy with his progress, but I know it still takes time for things to heal inside, and it is too soon for him to do much walking, so we are still keeping that to a minimum when going outside...
He will be thrilled to death when the surgeon gives us release to go on 10-15 minute walks down the road...if the snow is gone by then...
He is also eating his dry kibble again...I leave a small dish with some in his crate for him, and he still gets canned IAMS as well...and tonight I mixed the kibble and canned and he ate almost all of it out of the dish...propped on a pillow for easier access...
Anyways...that is about it for now...
Re: Sammie's Surgery
It will be a feat to keep him from getting too rambunctious....if you have the time, do allow him to sit with you, etc...maybe even put down a fluffy blanket at your feet so he can get used to laying on it, and learning that's his "resting" area...put a favorite toy on the blanket, hopefully he'll keep from wanting to run around.
..........Traci
Re: Sammie's Surgery
Yes, it is going to be hard to keep him from going stir crazy in there...I do let him out when I am sitting here on the couch, and he loves to lay beside me, or between me and my husband if he is also on the couch...we are going to build a set of steps this weekend that he will be able to use once he is able to do so...but if he sees them in the meantime, he will be used to them when we get ready to start teaching him to use them to get on and off the couch...
a blanket or pillow on the floor is a good idea too...he has one in the crate, so I can just take that same one when he is out and put it on the floor...
I have been also giving him one of those teeth cleaning chew toys to have in his crate, and he loves that...so I try to make sure he has a toy or two or something to chew on in there...
He also did something else yesterday and today...very slowly he was scratching at his ear with his right hind foot...his right side was the more paralyzed side...
a blanket or pillow on the floor is a good idea too...he has one in the crate, so I can just take that same one when he is out and put it on the floor...
I have been also giving him one of those teeth cleaning chew toys to have in his crate, and he loves that...so I try to make sure he has a toy or two or something to chew on in there...
He also did something else yesterday and today...very slowly he was scratching at his ear with his right hind foot...his right side was the more paralyzed side...