Eleven Weeks Post Op

As I report the progress of Little Buddy after his hip dysplasia surgery, dog trainer George Hobson comments: "Buddy is soon going to become so remarkable as to be unremarkable because of his normal appearance."

His shaved hair has grown back, his hind legs are straight and strong, he can jump up (not sure that is a plus???), and he runs with wild abandon. What a wonderful outcome of an anguished decision and a scary early post-op period.

Buddy has watched with interest news reports on the TV stations here of a young puppy thrown from a car and badly injured. There is a $5,000 reward for information leading to capture of the culprit. No such reward back in Missouri for the person who cast Little Buddy into the ditch a year ago. But I am blessed to be the one who found him as I have been able to give him a good life. He is, as my little neighbor says, "one happy dog."

Buddy's Big Adventure

Buddy made his first trip to the coast and saw the Pacific for the first time. He went along with my son on his trip to pick up my daughter after her 26-mile bike ride, "Reach the Beach," a fund-raiser event. It was the first time Buddy has gone solo on a trip as he has shadowed Princess most of his life. And he has not traveled far without me.

He was a bit leery of the waves, but loved running on the sand. It was smooth and hard packed as the tide ebbed and gave him a new surface to test his legs. He did not bunny hop until the very end of the day when he was very tired.

He got a nose nip from a crab and met many other dogs and people. A big adventure for the little fellow. My son was very proud of his behavior and enjoyed watching his joyful discovery of the ocean.

Buddy's Backside

Check out those strong, nicely placed back legs!

Doggie Dash

A two mile Fun Run/Walk to benefit the Oregon Humane Society. Windy and I took both dogs, donned our snappy new tee shirts, and set off on the path alongside the Willamette River in downtown Portland. She ran the two miles with Princess Dark Star, and I walked with Little Buddy. It took .6 miles to get to the starting line, so Buddy and I dropped out after we hit 2.2 miles which was a short bit before the finish line.

The little guy just loved all the excitement and butt sniffing. He began to tire at the very end and his back legs got a little wobbly. But considering he couldn't even stand up two months ago, this is an amazing day. We got bags of treats and coupons. Princess "swam" in several of the larger water troughs put out for drinking. No contests this time like in Kansas City, so the guys did not get to sing their rendition of "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow." And to think they practiced all week.

May 9, 2006 Two Months Later

Eight weeks after his surgery, Little Buddy returned to visit Dr. Ost and be evaluated re his recovery progress. Very positive all around and she is satisfied that he is coming along on schedule and ready to be released. No more visits necessary! He demonstrated walking, running, and going up and down the steps.

The only problem is his weight. He has a prodigious appetite and has beefed up to 73.9 lbs. This is not the most desirable weight and we will work to trim him down a bit to under 70 lbs. To do that, I have to give him smaller scoops of the j/d diet, but continue the twice a day feedings. No additional meds are needed.

We will also continue our daily walks and increase speed, distance and difficulty of terrain. As soon as the weather gets comfortable, we will add swimming. Much as he loved the therapy sessions, they are no longer mandatory and so we will take a break from that until I am back from my trips.

Buddy also had his annual immunizations so they will be up to date when we board him in July. He and Princess will stay together in a double kennel with a 20′ run. I scoped out several places and chose one that has been in business for 46 years. I think the owner will provide excellent care and the place is spotless with an acre-size exercise area.

This is not the end of our journey with Buddy’s hips, but certainly a milestone has been reached. Weekly updates will continue. Thanks for your interest.

Week Eight Post Op

May 4, 2006

After all the effort I put in to get my big Black Lab to NOT jump up, with OFF becoming the mantra of the house, I am now encouraging Little Buddy to jump. I hold a treat just a bit above his head and he has to lift his front legs off the floor to reach it. He is giving it his best shot and each day he goes a little higher. I will know rehab is complete when I have to start using the OFF command for him as well.

It is only Thursday and we don’t see the vet until next Monday. He is out of his meds, the Metacam liquid that I squirt on his food each morning. The 100 ml lasted this long. Not sure what we will do henceforth.

Last night the cat was in his chair and he stood there and gave him the evil eye and tried a stare-down technique to displace the intruder. Then he sat as close to the chair as possible with his chin on the hassock and moaned pitifully. To no avail. Lenny held his ground.

We are getting ready for the Humane Society Run/Walk on May 13th. My daughter will run with Princess, and Buddy and I will walk. I will wear my pedometer and not push him beyond his 1½ mile limit. When we attended one of these events with Princess two years ago, she won the Best Kisser Contest which included a $50 gift card from PetCo for her and a $75 gift certificate at a spa for me. This year we will enter her in Kissing again, and Buddy in Singing. He has quite a voice. It will be especially helpful if an emergency vehicle goes by sounding a siren to accompany him!

May 1, 2006

This weekend, Buddy went on an outing with my daughter and her boyfriend to a waterfall park and hiking trail nearby. Two firsts for the little guy; 1) going into the water on his own and 2) climbing over river rocks. He had a great time, but came home ready for a nap. This is his first venture into the more rugged outdoors. He travelled about one mile altogether with stops for fun along the way.