Finally Photos!

I'm finally posting photos. These aren't action packed, but they show a good 360 of her progress. Here she is lying in the sunshine in our yard.



Next you see her profile. She is still top-heavy, from the weight gain from before the injury when she didn't want to play, and I believe from the overcompensating. She looked for a time like a paraplegic quarterback . . .all neck and shoulders with no muscle in her hind legs. You can see she is growing muscle in her back quarters again, gradually, and that her fur has almost completely grown back: her bald legs filled in first, but it took forever for the bald patch on her back where she had her two epidurals. She even got sunburns-- OUch!! But that has grown back now and no more need to put on sunblock!!

In the sitting image you can see she sits with her knees splayed and to one side. If your dog does this, there is a good chance she has a knee injury. It hurts less to sit this way but it also uses less of the the muscles required for proper knee function. Kayla is about 40/60 sitting the correct way/easy way after a few months of rehab. If I have a treat, she sits with her knees nice and tight to her chest, and yesterday, for the first time, she lay down that way, from a sitting position, which I haven't seen in a long time, but our hope is that she'll get up to 80/20 eventually, and that her legs will be marathon worthy by next summer. Stay tuned for pool days, and really, I'll try to get pics up sooner this time!!

OH And What Traveling!

I forgot to Mention Kayla got to go to Indiana and play with kids!! She ran along the swing and was so excited she almost knocked them over.

Here are pics from her first day back at the beach, too:

She's getting ready to go down the boardwalk.

"Oh, so happy to see Shinta and be on the SAND!! But I'm not so sure about swimming, yet. I don't think I should go in the water yet, though."

"Hmm. Looks like mom thought of that. She got me this nifty (yuck!) life jacket to wear in the water. It does make floating easier, but I really don't like swimming with it--even if it does give me handles for mom to hold in the waves!!"

A Mile and a New Attitude!!

Kayla is sleeping peacefully (on the bed!), so I'll post this blog. Clearly, she's been too busy to type!! :-) What a month. Kayla has cleared the 1-mile mark for her rehabilitation walks, and though I'm not religious about her rehab (bad mom), she is doing so very well. She walked her old walk from last year (with a corner cut here and there) and logged about a mile and a half during two walks last week. She wanted to lie down at about a mile and rest, and she earned it! I'm hoping to be to a 1.5 miles, no rest, by the end of the month-- maybe even 2 miles. SO-- all dog walking partners from autumns past, get ready. After two surgeries, a lot of lying around, and a worldwind trip around the Midwest, Kayla is nearly back in action!

CROSS YOUR FINGERS! Kayla is making tentative plans to go up to Lake Michigan and play with her old gang at the end of this month, beginning of September. She hasn't run off leash since her surgery, and she's "cleared" to run two months after her final check up, which she had in July-- so it's any day now, if "mom" could just feel it's safe. I think after two miles, I'll feel more comfy.

ALSO, Congratulations is in order! Kayla has lost 5 more pounds!! It's been tough, and she's been eating 1/4 her recommended feeding schedule, but she is down to 76 pounds, the weight I had initially had as her target. The vet wanted her at 65 (which is unreasonable). She was quite trim at 72 pounds, and I'm hoping with the new longer walks we can get back to that weight without cutting more food. Her food-obsessive behaviors have gotten out of control, and she actually clipped me with her teeth the other day taking a treat out of my mouth to perform a trick. Very unlike her not to be more careful, and she's just fixated on food. At the same time, she's sleeping harder and longer than she has in about two years. She stretches out on the bed and fidgets less frequently. I think we can say she feels much better. Yay Dr. Probst! yay all who contributed!!

Finally, Kay is registered for Doggie Swim Day at Buhr Pool!! Maybe we'll see if her legs can swim before we take her out to Muskegon's Dog beach!! In either event, we'll post the photographs.