We picked up Elgin this afternoon. It was sure nice to see him again, and it was obvious he wanted outta there! They loved him there, said he was a great patient, and that he did amazingly well with the surgery, anesthesia, and his willingness to get up and move around after surgery, especially since he’s a big dog.
They walked him out to our vehicle, and I was shocked at how well he hopped along! He did have to sit and rest 3 times, because that back leg is not used to bearing all his weight back there like that. They supported his abdomen with a rolled-up sheet. The ramp we got worked well, and he used it well, once we planted his front paws on it.
When we got home we put the Ruff Wear harness on him before he came out of the vehicle, and helped him down the ramp. He went right to the grass and peed for a loooooooooooonnnnnng time. As of tonight, he still hasn’t poo-ed. We are a little concerned, even though they assured us he may go as long as 5 days without poo-ing.
Once inside the house, he went right to his bed in front of the sliding glass door. Then he appeared to want to go outside, so we helped him out. He didn’t seem to have an agenda, just aimless wandering, or maybe he was just checking out his yard. Either way, we were growing concerned that he was overdoing it. The instructions they sent home with us specified he was to remain as quiet as possible, only getting up to go potty or eat/drink. This is for two weeks. We need to get a large pen like they use at dogshows, and set it up in the livingroom so he doesn’t attempt to wander around the house (as he’s done since he was a little puppy; he’s always “patrolled” ).
There is no dressing to change, but we do have to watch for oozing. The bruising is pretty impressive, and looks horrible. But his eyes are bright and alert, and he doesn’t appear to be in pain. His meds have been reduced from what he was on pre-amp. Now it’s just Tramadol and Rimadyl.
It has been so nice, the support from friends, family, and strangers…. in addition to texts, emails, and FaceBook postings asking for updates on his progress, one neighbor brought us wine, and another met us in the driveway tonight with doggie treats. We feel really surrounded by good stuff.
