Friday, November 19, 2010
A collage
I totally created a collage of Otis. And because I love him, and I'm bored, I'm going to share it with the 2 or 3 people who randomly arrive at this blog.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Getting better and better...
Today I took a look at man-man with a critical eye. Could I still tell that he's recoverING and not recoverED? I checked his gait, his musculature, his energy. Good news? He's better than ever. But I can still see room for improvement.
Otis runs great. His gait is strong and light. He trots along like a champ--and you'd never know he'd had surgery less than 9 months ago! When he plays with Loki (his favorite of the neighbor dogs), he sprints and cuts like a running back in the NFL, and although you can tell he's quite a bit slower than Loki (with his lab/greyhound genes), he still manages to keep it close. Part of that is his smarts--he cuts Loki off and takes shortcuts. :-)
When I bribe him, he'll jump in the air. Sometimes, his back legs will come a good 2-3 inches off of the ground. But that's on a good day. He still hates to jump. And this means that mom or dad has to boost his rear into the jeep when we go on hikes or to the dog park. He also still struggles with steps--he bunny hops less on the way down--sometimes (meaning that he's starting to alternate back feet instead of hopping both at the same time), but he always takes his time going up. He's got this weird mental thing with steps. You really have to coax him about them. That's a good thing for the kitties though...Butchie will just go up or down a few steps and flaunt his independence by giving himself a bath. Oh the whining that ensues! haha! (below you'll see a video of Butchie and Otis in a typical encounter...)
Overall, I really see improvement in his movement, strength and mobility. And we'll chase each other and run and play all afternoon, and he shows no indication that he's in any pain at all. He's currently on no medication but his daily chondroitin+MSM+glucosomine pills (just a supplement to lubricate the joints). We're gonna keep working him and making sure that his movement is improving...I think he's got more room to grow and I'll keep nudging him forward until I think he's gotten as good as he can get. He's so happy now, though--and I don't regret choosing surgery at all. It's been a bonding experience--and one that proves the resilience and strength of a puppy (and his humans).
Otis runs great. His gait is strong and light. He trots along like a champ--and you'd never know he'd had surgery less than 9 months ago! When he plays with Loki (his favorite of the neighbor dogs), he sprints and cuts like a running back in the NFL, and although you can tell he's quite a bit slower than Loki (with his lab/greyhound genes), he still manages to keep it close. Part of that is his smarts--he cuts Loki off and takes shortcuts. :-)
When I bribe him, he'll jump in the air. Sometimes, his back legs will come a good 2-3 inches off of the ground. But that's on a good day. He still hates to jump. And this means that mom or dad has to boost his rear into the jeep when we go on hikes or to the dog park. He also still struggles with steps--he bunny hops less on the way down--sometimes (meaning that he's starting to alternate back feet instead of hopping both at the same time), but he always takes his time going up. He's got this weird mental thing with steps. You really have to coax him about them. That's a good thing for the kitties though...Butchie will just go up or down a few steps and flaunt his independence by giving himself a bath. Oh the whining that ensues! haha! (below you'll see a video of Butchie and Otis in a typical encounter...)
Overall, I really see improvement in his movement, strength and mobility. And we'll chase each other and run and play all afternoon, and he shows no indication that he's in any pain at all. He's currently on no medication but his daily chondroitin+MSM+glucosomine pills (just a supplement to lubricate the joints). We're gonna keep working him and making sure that his movement is improving...I think he's got more room to grow and I'll keep nudging him forward until I think he's gotten as good as he can get. He's so happy now, though--and I don't regret choosing surgery at all. It's been a bonding experience--and one that proves the resilience and strength of a puppy (and his humans).
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