Well, old three-legger is home, and everyone at The Outpost finally exhaled.
She looks a bit grim, but I think all the missing fur around the surgery site bothers me more than the missing leg.
I was amazed at how well she's getting around. I was thinking it would be several days before she would be walking much. She nearly bolted out of the vet clinic and we've already been out on a couple of brief, bathroom-related walks. The vet tech that discharged her said she's doing a lot better than most amputees because she had been using her healthy leg so much more than the other one. A lot of muscle had already been built up to help her adjust to life with three legs. I think it's going to be a bit of a chore to keep her "quiet and restrained" for the next two weeks.
I am amazed by this whole process. Tuesday my world was in the dumps because my dog is diagnosed with cancer. Friday morning she goes in for surgery to remove her leg. Saturday she's home and whining because she can't go outside with Hoocher. To look at her today, you'd never guess she was under a death sentence. If she passed away next week, I would still have felt this was worth it. Two months would make me very happy. Anything after that would be gravy on the kibbles.
Time to go and check on the patient. She can reach some of her stitches and has started licking. She may be wearing a t-shirt to bed tonight.
Posted by Cathy at February 7, 2004 02:38 PMThey really are adaptable creatures. My mother's dog is now 12, was diagnosed with diabetes at age two and has just undergone an eye operation for cataracts. The vet maintained that the cataracts are not a problem in so far as dogs rely very little on their eyes and as long as you don't rearrange the furniture massively, they'll be fine. Anyhoo, thankfully the op worked so it's academic.
Hope Breezy gets an extended get out of jail free card.
Glad to hear that she came through the surgery as well as she did. I hope it's the last discomfort she has for a long time.
Posted by: aelfheld at February 7, 2004 05:29 PMThank you guys!
Posted by: Cathy at February 7, 2004 09:52 PM