12/1
Lucy seems to be doing well this morning. She is putting a little bit of weight on the leg sometimes, sometimes holding it up. Since they took the hobbles off, she sometimes thinks they are still on. Its kind of funny, when she walks, sometimes she puts her leg behind the other leg, like her legs are crossed while she is walking with one in the air. Too wierd.
I slept next to her cage so I could stop her from licking her incision if she decided to. Apparently the night after the surgery, she pulled out 2 staples and they had to replace them. Well, those those 2 have been 1/2 in, 1/2 out since we got her home. I showed the vet yesterday but he didnt seem too concerned since the incsion is not open. Anyway, guess I slept a little too soundly last night because she did a little staple-ectomy on herself and now she has 2 less staples. The incision below where they were look fine though, healing OK so I think it will be alright. Another staple looks like it migrated a little, but I am not sure that she is responsible for that - may just be healing wierd.
She is napping now. Either her pain is subsidiing naturally or the etogesic is working. SO far no nausea but I am still concerned about using too much of it.
The vet gave me 14 of them (1 per day). They were over but he gave them to me for free.
I have used 1 so far, personally I would rather use maybe one more and see if she is OK without them. Last time we didn't use any at all, and she did OK...Not sure how to proceed with them...
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!
12/4/2001
Lucy has a new sleeping position, on her back, legs in the air. I think it must be nice to have a new position since she has had to sleep on the left side for so long. Also I have seen her laying on the surgical side more and more.
She is using the leg very lightly still, placing it but not bearing a lot of weight, but bearing some weight.
The incision is actually healing well, despite Lucy's efforts to lick and bite it.
We are doing another round of antibiotics, since revision surgeries have a higher rate of infection, just to be sure, especially with Lucy's licking.
Spoke to the vet about the etogesic. He said only to use it for 5-7 days, We have used it for 4 days so I think we will stop there and see how she does tonight without it. We bring her back tomorrow for a checkup, and maybe another xray to be sure it is in place. Can't be too cautious.
12/6/01
Back to the vet tonight for a follow up appointment. All seems to be doing well. He said she is about where she should be as far as using her leg. He did not do an xray since she just had one Fri and we will be back next Fri and can do one then. He did feel it and move it around and thinks it feels fine, although he did make note of the severe muscle atrophy.
They put a blanket down in the exam room, to let her get comfortable b/c we had to wait a little while. She got in that position where she lays on her back and legs in the air. The vet saw it and said that he didn't like her laying in that position - since it allowed her legs to splay out. I asked whether that could cause dislocation and he said no, but that he was just being extra cautious. It really would require an impact. It kind of upset me, because, what am I supposed to do - be the sleeping position police and get in her cage and rearrange her every time she rolls on her back. I sure hope it takes a little more than that to dislocate the hip. Hopefully he was just being overcuatious because there is no way I can regulate that 24/7.
In the car Lucy rides in the way back part of my Subaru, and there is a dog gate. It is about the size of her crate actually. On the way home on he highway, someone slammed on their brakes. Lucy was sleeping. I had to slam on my brakes and I could hear Lucy got jostled forward (there is not too far to go but she did get tossed a little). She stood up and started crying, for about 30 seconds, then eventually rearranged and went back to sleep, but it of course worried me that something happened since she usually coesn't cry for no reason. She seems fine though, is walking the same as she was, no real signs of trauma. I think maybe she was sleeeping soundly and was surprised and confused by being jolted awake, that's what I am hoping anyway...
1/7/2002
Lucy continues to do very well. She barely has a limp at all, most of the time she looks perfectly normal (except still a little shaved!). We will go back to the vet in a few days for her 6 week x-rays and hoping and praying that everything is alright, and that the hips are still in the socket where they should be! She sure seems happy, and is getting stronger and sronger all the time.We are doing short walks with her and she has more energy than ever. Just started her on creatine as well, to help build the muscles. Fingers crossed for Thursday....
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