WOW I missed my Mom! She went a very long way away to go see her Mom and Dad. She didn’t take me with her because her parents have to mean MB’s (not like the wonderful and lovable MB’s that live here and blog on this site). They are Yorkies and do not like other furry kids coming to visit. Mom took the oldest 2 legged kid (Amber) and left me with Dad, the youngest 2 leg kid (Carolyn) and some kid that is friends with Carolyn who has been kicked out of their house. (I don’t really care for that one.)
Well, back to the good stuff. While Mom was gone, Dad only took me out to do my business. Mom got back and we are going on our daily walks, having our evening cuddle time and my food is so much better and she takes me out in the back yard with the other dogs so I can be part of the family. She doesn’t forget my after dinner mint (she says it is good for my joints, I don’t believe her because it taste good).
When Mom got home I sure let her know how much I missed her. I gave her lots and lots of kisses, wagged my tail very big and pooped for her when we went on our first walk! She loves it when I do that. She brags about how I am such a good boy.
Okay, so Boomer had a very busy day yesterday with going to PetSmart and to the vet to get a weight. Well, he overdid it. He is a little slow and a little tired today and it has been gray and raining so that hasn’t helped much. But on a good note, he has done the stairs a few times today and has still been able to jump up on the couch. He also still has a super food drive and has been very perky.
It’s me Boomer. Don’t tell Mom but while she is out of the room I am using her computer to tell you about something fun and wonderful. This morning Mom asked if I wanted to go on a field trip. This was not a trip to the vet or just for a car ride this was a real field trip. Our field trip started by going to the vets to see how much I weigh, then we didn’t go home right after that like we normally do. We went to PetSmart! I had so much fun. There were all sorts of furry 4 legged kids playing where we could see them behind glass, there was this beautiful golden girl waiting in line when we walked in. Her Mom said she was scared because she was attacked so I didn’t get to say hi to her. Then there were these funny smelling small 2 legged critters that were talking to their Mom saying how I only have 3 legs. Their Mom was trying to hush them. My Mom just said yep he got rid of the spare leg. Then they wanted to pet me. But they smelled funny so I wasn’t sure about them. There was a very nice lady that said she couldn’t believe how well I am getting around especially after Mom told her it has only been 1 month and 17 days. And oh, the most cool part, there was a guy who fed me treats! I liked him! I even let him pet me. I hope we go back there again soon.
Well, it has been a very busy and fun day today so guess I will put Mom’s computer back before she notices it missing and go take a nap.
Boomer went on a walk yesterday. He walked farther than he ever has in the last 1 month and 13 days. He was tail waggin’ happy and never slowed down. When we got in he ran over to his water bowl, got a big drink and jumped up on the couch like he was his old self again. I am really looking forward to more days like that in the future. This morning he went downstairs to go out in the back yard, (9 fairly steep steps) then all the way upstairs (17 steps) to eat with the pack. I was worried he might be a bit sore today but he isn’t. I am still going to block the stairs until supper time because I don’t want him to overdo it and have a setback.
Stair stepping is good for human exercise, I wonder if it is good for strength building that remaining back leg? Hmm…
Boomer is a back left leg amputee and the other day in was heartbreaking for me to watch him. He had an itch on the left side of his head and neck. He was sitting there leaned over on his back right leg and his whole body was moving trying to use the leg that is no longer there to get a good scratch. (Yes, I went over and scratched his head and neck for him all the way down his left side.) This was the first time he has done this and I think it was then I really realized the poor guy does have some challenges that he won’t be able to overcome.
Then yesterday, he came up the stairs. (He has been doing this because he likes to eat with the pack.) He almost rolled down the stairs falling because MB Gilligan pushed him trying to get through and then MB Sammy thought it would be fun to go after Boomer because he was in such a compromised position trying to keep from rolling/falling down the stairs. Amber caught Boomer before he fell and I scolded the 2 MB’s for being bullies. They promptly put me in the people house for reprimanding them. But today I am out of the people house and peace is restored. We have blocked the stairs again so Boomer can’t go up them and we are feeding Sunshine and Boomer together in the entrance room. The MBs dine together in the kitchen.
Guess it isn’t just these beautiful, resilient, wonderful Tripawds that have to recover but their pawrents too from the heartaches of setbacks and realizations of limitations and the knowledge of what the future may bring for their precious furry babies.
It is wonderful to have all of the pawrents and tripods to recover with.
It has been 1 month and 1 day today and Boomer is moving slow. He is licking his remaining back leg a lot and I have checked him several times in fear of another tumor popping up. There is nothing. By now I would like to think he is well on his way to being recovered. Then, it faces me, he is 7+ years old and it is probably harder for him to recover than a younger pup. It took him a lot of (heartbreaking) time to get up the 8 stairs to the kitchen but he still managed it before my hubby could stop him tonight. I gave him some tramadol for his pain and hope he is doing better in the morning. Maybe Boomer has just really overdone it today. He jumped off of the bed twice and did the 15 stair climb upstairs 3 times not to count coming up 8 stairs 4 or 5 times today. But, he ate dinner downstairs in the entrance room tonight because he didn’t want to do those 8 stairs. (He had been eating with the rest of the pack both in the morning and evening for the past week.) Sometimes it is 2 steps forward 3 steps back.
Dad slept with Boomer last night and I slept upstairs in our sleep number. It is so nice to wake up without my back aching. Anyway, Boomer did it…he snuck past Dad and came all the way upstairs (15 steps total). Robert was fast to respond catching up to Boomer right as he attempted to jump up on the bed (28” from the floor). No, Boomer didn’t successfully get onto the bed by himself but Dad was there to give him a boost. WOW Boomer was wagging his tail and stretching out, he was so wound up and happy. He misses sleeping on his sleep number too.
Boomer finally wanted to go for a walk yesterday. The day was beautiful, sunny and slightly windy. It was so nice to spend the extra time outside with him. I tried to trick him by putting his tramadol (we are in the process of weaning him off again and are down to a ½ dose) in his breakfast and wow did Boomer put me in the people house very quick for ruining his breakfast. So, I took the tramadol out and he still was mad at me, refusing to eat out of that bowl. So…I dumped it, washed his bowl and made him a new breakfast. He chowed down the entire bowl without stopping. Guess he taught me a lesson.
Thank you everyone for your support during this phase of Boomers recovery.
Update on Boomer. I spoke with the vet about Boomer not feeling too well. After a long discussion, we decided to put him back on the tramadol for a week or so to see if his condition improves. The surgeon said it is unusual at this stage for the tremble and shaking in the muscles around the amputation area. Dr. Cowan thinks it might be atrophy setting in since there is no longer a leg needing the use of those muscles. Late in the game for it but Boomer really has been an easy going patient so it isn’t totally out of the question.
Boomer seems a little more up today. (He also took an hour medicinal nap) We haven’t gone for any walks except to do business and there are now a lot of rugs down on the kitchen floor so he won’t slip. We have once again barricaded the stairs so he can’t just run up. Hopefully time will help along with massage.
Thank you everyone for your advice, help and support.
We have a gray day today here and Mom thinks I have a case of the blues to go with it. Yesterday, I didn’t want to go for our walk and today it is too yucky to go for a walk. So, I have been out to do my business and the rest of the time has been spent lounging on the couch. Mom thinks I might be uncomfortable because I snuck upstairs 3 times yesterday and twice today. She is a worry wart thinking I am doing too much too soon.
I have been good and ate all my food today to try and make her feel better. The food was made with gravy and slices of beef. Yummy! Then there were the two cookies that were tasty, no hesitation when eating those. So why is she worried, no clue, guess it just comes with the territory.