Friday, April 16, 2010

Our Bionic Dog





Dora went under the knife Wednesday to have her back right leg fixed. The procedure the surgeon did is a relatively new one over the past decade and its purpose is essentially to eliminate the need for her ruined cruciate ligament. It involves, among other things, removing part of her bones and inserting a metal plate for stability.

Recovery is a bit of a bear right now, given all that we have going on. She requires medication, physical therapy, and icing three times a day, in addition to short leash walks for the next ten weeks. For the next two weeks, she is required to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times since, if given access to her staples, she could have those things chewed out in a matter of milliseconds. I also have to keep Maddie and the boys away from her at all times. So, of course, she is crated most of the day every day.

Yes. This high-maintenance Dora recovery period landed on top of potty training, packing, Ethan with a nasty cold, house closing, job limbo, and a little toe Jon happened to break the other day. Oh yeah, and neither boy has been sleeping through the night lately, either. Fun times.

Even though it's tough for all of us right now, I just keep telling myself that this is a very short time in the grand scheme of things and the end result will be a happier, healthier pup who is able to move like she is supposed to and have a longer life because of it.

If you want, click this sentence to learn more than you ever wanted to know about the
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) procedure.

3 comments:

Mountain Mama said...

Hang in there Dora and family!

Elle J said...

She is a beautiful dog ~ look at her eyes! Wishing her a steady recovery, and your energy to match ALL that your life has handed you right now. =)

Heidi Ho said...

Be careful Mary Kathryn, you are dancing very close to a life like mine! hahahaa..... I can so relate. I told Jason yesterday that I am thankful every day that i didn't accidently give Sophie the cat's thyroid medicine, and they cat Sophie's allergy medicine. I handle a syringe at least 6 times a day.

You are doing a couragous and selfless job for your family. You are a good mama! : ) At least that is what you tell me when life gets hectic, right???