We left the house this morning at 6am to get to UC Davis for his pre-surgery appointment. Elgin was quite hungy and begged for my toast. I took a picture and will post it below. He has an odd way of begging.
We met with the surgeon and she very thoroughly went over how the procedure would go. He was pretty anxious, panting and blushing (he gets pink around his eyes when he’s all agitated). But he did really well, and handled it like a trooper. I discovered at the oncology appointment that if I have them take Elgin out of the room first, instead of us leaving him in there with the staff, it goes much better for both of us. We left him last time, and he strained against his collar a bit and wanted to come with us. I felt so awful. This time, he was fine leaving with them, going for a “walk”. I felt much better too. Not to say I didn’t cry on the drive home, though.
We got the hallway runners today and I laid them out on the hardwood floors so he’ll have more grip when he learns to walk with 3 legs. I think tomorrow we will recieve the baby gate to block off the stairs, and a better pad for his crate (he likes to spend time in there frequently, and opens the door with his nose.) We should also be getting the Ruff Wear Webmaster harness on Thursday. It should be interesting, helping him learn to get around. I also took the time to vacuum and sweep…I should enjoy this brief respite from dog hair! I was going to do “slobber patrol” but I ran out of time. As other DDB owners can attest, slobber patrol is essential…I’ve even scrubbed slobber off the ceiling before! Another good thing (if there can be in this situation) is that his snoring isn’t rattling the whole house…. I am an audiobook narrator and frequently have to leave the booth to stomp downstairs and wake him up because his snoring is coming through on the recording. But is was actually sad, the silence.
UC Davis has been great, calling us twice tonight to update us. They will call again in the morning, and we’ve asked them to email us the post-op care instructions so we can be sure we have everything he’ll need and we are not scrambling to get to the pharmacy or whatever.
We had an interesting discussion at dinner tonight… how much did the leg weigh? Joseph guessed 5lbs, Gary guessed 15-20, I am going to say 10. When the vet assistant/nurse called to update us tonight I asked her and she said she didn’t know but was curious about that herself. The leg was wisked away to pathology for further testing, and she said she thought they’d weigh it there. Are we mobid or what!?
On a happier note, our neighborhood is just fantastic. We have had so many emails, calls, texts and visits (they even brought a bottle of wine!) to see how Elgin is doing and how we are holding up. These people are the tops! They’ve offered their assistance, should we need to go do something and need help caring for Elgin.
We are profoundly grateful for everyone’s prayers and warm-wishes.
Great news! It’s also an excellent idea to look at those instructions in advance so you can think of questions.
As for leg weight, you aren’t morbid. Lots of people wonder. I don’t think they weigh as much as you expect they will. I think we were told about 4 or 5 pounds for Dakota’s front leg, and he weighed about 82 before surgery.
And I totally understand the things you miss and don’t miss. I have a bulldog, too, and the snoring is breathtaking. But if she’s not around, she’s missed. Good thing is that you won’t miss Elgin for long and he will come home ready to begin his new life, his second chance. That’s worth celebrating.
Shari
Hooooraaaay! This is great news! I’m glad you’re getting treated so well at UCD.
You’re doing all the right things. Hang in there and he’ll be home before you know it.
What a big, brave boy! Good luck with recovery!
Love the begging photo! What a cool dog you have!
We also wondered about the leg weight… Hunter weighed 3 lbs. less after his amputation. He lost his right rear leg. Maybe it depends on the breed and the bone density. Not morbid thinking… just normal curiosity! I really hope all goes well with his recovery and transition to being a tripawd. So glad you are getting the encouragement and support you all need. It is so important. Don’t forget to look in the forums for any questions you may have regarding diet and supplements. Hang in there… he’ll be home soon and really happy to see you all!
Wonderful news indeed, please keep us posted.
And thank you for upgrading Elgin’s blog with a Tripawds Supporter subscription! 🙂
That last picture is awesome! Good to hear the surgery went well, and you sound prepared to welcome him home.
I have been very fortunate with my pugs so far- not a loud snorer yet.
I am part of the Nor Cal Tripawd pack- we get together in Mill Valley every now and then- keep an eye on the forums if you are interested. One of our group is Cemil- a 150 pound front amp Anatolian Shepard- going strong more than three years after his amp for OSA.
Maggie’s leg only weighted about a half pound- it was a rear so I would think would be heavier. They never weighted it, we just did the math when we weighed her at pre and post op vet visits. Of course she only weighed 17.5 pounds before surgery.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Hooray!!! And, I love that last photo.
With Samdog we had the same conversation. He was 86 before the surgery, I guess we are gonna have to wait and see what he weighs when we go back out to remove the stiches. We didn’t think to ask the vet to check the legs weight before it was sent off to the lab. Maybe the pathology report will list it? I will have to ask when we get back. We did make the joke that Sam is a little tubby and needs to drop some weight – no the leg didn’t count.
It is great to hear the surgery went well. Healthy energy is heading your way from us today.
Yey for Elgin! Runner rugs are very helpful (machine washable and cheap as dirt at Home Depot) as our dog is one week post-op and I can tell very clearly he is not all that confident on bare flooring. Good thoughts and a speedy recovery for your boy!
Thank you, everyone, for pulling for Elgin with us! UC Davis says he’s up and walking already! He won’t eat unless hand-fed, but I’m sure when he’s back home he’ll regain at least some of his appetite. I don’t intend to hand-feed him… too messy! I am encouraged by everyone’s posts, and especially about Cemil. What a trial THAT must have been – a FRONT leg! But a success story, nonetheless. The house is so quiet. Perfect for work, bad for the heart. I’ll post again on Friday; hopefully good news about how well he’s adjusting. Thanks again, everyone!
He is just so adorable!!!! I hope his recovery goes well when you get him home.
Oh my…… His begging pic made me truly Laugh Out Loud!! What a special dog!!