For those checking in-- Kayla hasn't been quite up to blogging yet (wink). School is getting crazy, and most time out of school I"m down with Kayla in her recovery room. She has most of her staples left, and the scabby parts are coming off the scar. It actually looks very nice, so I'm not being as vigilant if she wants to lick it clean, so long as she leaves the staples. I used Chlor-flush on the wound everytime she got to it at first, on suggestion from another surgery-dog mom. It worked great, so if anyone stumbles here to find info on TPLO recoveries, that is one good tip (find it at Petsmart--it's blue!).
Kayla has been doing super well, but I let down my guard yesterday, and while letting her out of her pen, I neglected to notice a pile of books by the side. Rather than waiting for me to open the pen all the way, Kayla bolted out and jumped over the books. Then coming back in from potty, we got our timing off, so she did a little jump to get up the steps rather than the two of us splittting the weight. She was limping last night and couldn't sleep but this morning she seems to be feeling better and is weight-bearing. I gave her an additional pain agent, an NSAIDS, which she doesn't usually take as they upset her digestive system terribly, but I think a half a dose on occasion for pain increases might be OK, so long as it isn't every day.
She is resting now. Time to get the e-collar and dress her up before I go to school. --OH. And I have a great smart Kayla story to tell you, about her thoughts on her recovery--but that will wait until next time.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
And here are the battle wounds
Here is Kayla on her first night home:
Actually, I have to say, that these pictures five days after the surgery look fabulous to me. The first night she bled through her bandage, was all black and burgundy, and it looked like a real butcher job. Now she's getting back to a wonderful pinkish hue-- but two staples are missing. What did mom not see. . . I wonder. Tricky dog can get around the e-collar. Yikes.
Actually, I have to say, that these pictures five days after the surgery look fabulous to me. The first night she bled through her bandage, was all black and burgundy, and it looked like a real butcher job. Now she's getting back to a wonderful pinkish hue-- but two staples are missing. What did mom not see. . . I wonder. Tricky dog can get around the e-collar. Yikes.
Kayla's post op
Here is Kayla before surgery, sporting her Spartanwear:
Thank you again to everyone who has been helping finance Kayla's recovery. Most recent thanks goes to Michael, Joan, and Steve. Much of this blog will be pictures.
As Kayla went into surgery, she was doing pretty well. She didn't want to go with the surgeon, and, in fact, she came into the billing office and "found" me, acting out our hide-n-seek games. She was very dismayed when they took her down the hall (dragged her I might add). However, I received the call the next day that things went well. They found some arthritis and had to do a miniscis release on her inside soft tissue, but her MDL was more in tact than they had anticipated. Yay!
Thank you again to everyone who has been helping finance Kayla's recovery. Most recent thanks goes to Michael, Joan, and Steve. Much of this blog will be pictures.
As Kayla went into surgery, she was doing pretty well. She didn't want to go with the surgeon, and, in fact, she came into the billing office and "found" me, acting out our hide-n-seek games. She was very dismayed when they took her down the hall (dragged her I might add). However, I received the call the next day that things went well. They found some arthritis and had to do a miniscis release on her inside soft tissue, but her MDL was more in tact than they had anticipated. Yay!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Kayla went to MSU today
Kayla went in for her pre-surgical evaluation today. Surgery is tomorrow. Thank you so much to all who donated-- We raised $1105 towards here surgeries--that's 17% of her total surgery cost. Thank you. Thank you! Thank you Aunti Joy, especially for such a generous donation.
Unfortunately, Michigan state seems unwilling to work with Orthodog Silver Lining Fund for any of the funding, though I plan to attempt to submit paperwork anyway and come to some sort of an arrangement. Also, special thanks should be given to my recentl late grandfather, Aubrey Earl Waller, who, in his death this Christmas, has made much of Kayla's work possible in the near future. As a student, I need to be very careful how I spend any money I receive, but Kayla's health is, as Mastercard would say, priceless!
Kayla was very good for the doctors today as the students practiced evaluating the health and deterioration of her joints through extension and prodding and comparing to the X-rays. When it was time for me to go, however, she pulled an old rescue game she has, called "Find Mommy." I was behind a large pillar in the billing room-- and it DID look remarkably like a tree (which is where "mommy" usually hides)-- She came out to me, and lay down on the other side of the pillar, having successfully found me. She refused to stand up and she refused to leave. The doctor had to drag her down the tile that way. It was unbearable. Please pray she recovers well enough and quickly enough to realize I really did walk away for her own good!! (for my sake as well as hers).
Thank you also for all of your prayers. I have pre-opoeration pics to put on the site as well as post op pics of her nifty pirate scars when we see them, so she can brag to all the other dogs about her brave, brave battle defending herself against the masked humans!
Please continue to share links to this blog and to www.oslf.org as well as www.IMOM.org, as they help a lot of animals in need, even if they do not work with Michigan State.
Sincerely,
Brett (Kayla's mom)
Unfortunately, Michigan state seems unwilling to work with Orthodog Silver Lining Fund for any of the funding, though I plan to attempt to submit paperwork anyway and come to some sort of an arrangement. Also, special thanks should be given to my recentl late grandfather, Aubrey Earl Waller, who, in his death this Christmas, has made much of Kayla's work possible in the near future. As a student, I need to be very careful how I spend any money I receive, but Kayla's health is, as Mastercard would say, priceless!
Kayla was very good for the doctors today as the students practiced evaluating the health and deterioration of her joints through extension and prodding and comparing to the X-rays. When it was time for me to go, however, she pulled an old rescue game she has, called "Find Mommy." I was behind a large pillar in the billing room-- and it DID look remarkably like a tree (which is where "mommy" usually hides)-- She came out to me, and lay down on the other side of the pillar, having successfully found me. She refused to stand up and she refused to leave. The doctor had to drag her down the tile that way. It was unbearable. Please pray she recovers well enough and quickly enough to realize I really did walk away for her own good!! (for my sake as well as hers).
Thank you also for all of your prayers. I have pre-opoeration pics to put on the site as well as post op pics of her nifty pirate scars when we see them, so she can brag to all the other dogs about her brave, brave battle defending herself against the masked humans!
Please continue to share links to this blog and to www.oslf.org as well as www.IMOM.org, as they help a lot of animals in need, even if they do not work with Michigan State.
Sincerely,
Brett (Kayla's mom)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Thank you!
Kayla has received $600 in donations-- that's 10% of her surgeries!Thank you so much to Aunt Jenny! and Aunt Danna! There was a third anonymous donor we'd also like to thank. Thank you, anonymous donor! Three other people have pledged $25 each. If that goes through, we'll be at $675.
The hospital was having some difficulty at first figuing out how to respond to direct donations at the desk, but Liz, who works days, has worked all of that out for us. Keep forwarding emails and links to the blog.
Everyone's help is appreciated by Kayla and by me.
Thank you again.
Brett
The hospital was having some difficulty at first figuing out how to respond to direct donations at the desk, but Liz, who works days, has worked all of that out for us. Keep forwarding emails and links to the blog.
Everyone's help is appreciated by Kayla and by me.
Thank you again.
Brett
Monday, January 15, 2007
For Dogs' eyes only
OK. Here's the deal for all you orthodogs. You have to look at boredom as a game you can play in and of itself. You should see how I am making my mom dance all over the place. Today, well, I was soooo soo so very bored. And I kept looking at mom when she was studying and wagging my tail. She asked if I needed to go outside. Nope. Did I want her to pick me up and put me on the couch? Nope. Did I want belly rubs. Those are nice, but nope. Finally, I made her stop studying and sit on the floor with me so I could lay upside down in her lap. . .what a pushover! And she used to hold the handle of the leash. I'm never letting her live this down. .. I mean, when I can run again. Clearly, I am the alpha dog.
Then later, still bored, so I just stared her down. Finally, she asked me to bring her the duck that quacks (I like that toy). It is in the toy basket and I can walk that far; it is much much farther to walk outside and go potty, which, by the way, I hate to do, and mom makes me do it anyway, even if I say I don't have to. She says twice a day is not enough, but I've got her down to three. She says I'll get sicker if I don't potty, but, gosh, there's no sense in going outside if I can't chase squirrels, especially if mom's going to put that human sling thing on me-- see previous post. Anyway, so mom asked for the duck. She said "bring me," which is like "sit" and "stay." If a human says those words, you have to do it. It's like a law, like the universal law of shedding. Well, I'm oh so hurt (dramatic effect-- practice this when the humans can't see you), and I know mom feels bad all the time, so I looked at her and got really excited-- I really did want to play-- and then at the duck , which I could almost reach without standing up, and then back at her and I cried-- I mean, not cried, I'm not a total poodle. I wimpered, a bit, a whine, a big dog whine, I mean a cool dog whine, but anyway, she got up, put down her book, got the toy and brought it to me. I got her to bring me every toy in the toy box that way. Humans are very easy to train if you are patient.
Then mom got another idea. I love it when she does that. She went to the car and got my car ride chewy, a purple disk-food dish rubber ball thing-- they aren't called that, but if you see one, and your name isn't Shinta, you should get one. Anyway, the two sides of the disk screw apart and mom puts my diet food in there. I can barely get it out, but it gives me something to chew on. Today she put in peanut butter and diet food. Then she said she might put yogurt or canned salmon in there and freeze it when I get home from surgery. She keeps using that word. I don't know what it means, but it sounds like I'll spend the night with doctors again, and I never like that, so I'm going to keep thinking about all that yogurt and salmon, my two favorite food groups.
And, today wasn't so bad. Mom and Kajaal, my roommate, lay on the floor with me with all of our muzzles together and played king of the mountain, but only just with our necks and heads. . . when you can only use two legs, you have to be creative. I'm glad Kajaal still plays with me even though she still can go for walks. She went for a walk today and I wanted to cry. Mom hasn't even touched my leash since before Santa Claus and it makes me sad. I hope she means it when she says I'll run again and swim and chase squirrels. She's doing lots of shopping right now-- shes' getting colorful things that are soft that go around my neck so I can't lick some places (boo--but they are pretty), and medicines that help joints heal (they taste nasty), and she's talking about getting a new bed that will fit inside my kennel, because she says I will need cage rest. . .but the kennel is a cage and it rests all the time, so I don't really know what that means. I just hope I can run soon.
Oh, and diet doggies, by the way, if your mom talks to other moms who are trying to get us to lose weight, and she comes home with the idea that dogs should eat pumpkin because it helps them lose weight, well, dude, I'm just saying sorry in advance. I mean, if you're hungry, you're hungry, and I'm not judging, but I let the spinach and the blueberries and the apples and parsley and garlic all go because I was hungry and wanted mom to be happy, but a dog has got to draw the line. I think I lost my opportunity. . .I finally ate the pumpkin---blech. Whose brilliant idea was it that dogs should eat THAT?? Mom says it's all a way to lose weight. . . .she says it's good for the surgery. The surgery. The surgery. OH well. . .
hmm. I wonder what trick I can teach mom next. ( I already have her giving leg massages on command too. . .she's so easy). I think I will write a book on human obedience.
Hi paws. Drop me a note, dogs. It's not like I can go out and find all the messages you leave me on the tree trunks!
Kayla
Then later, still bored, so I just stared her down. Finally, she asked me to bring her the duck that quacks (I like that toy). It is in the toy basket and I can walk that far; it is much much farther to walk outside and go potty, which, by the way, I hate to do, and mom makes me do it anyway, even if I say I don't have to. She says twice a day is not enough, but I've got her down to three. She says I'll get sicker if I don't potty, but, gosh, there's no sense in going outside if I can't chase squirrels, especially if mom's going to put that human sling thing on me-- see previous post. Anyway, so mom asked for the duck. She said "bring me," which is like "sit" and "stay." If a human says those words, you have to do it. It's like a law, like the universal law of shedding. Well, I'm oh so hurt (dramatic effect-- practice this when the humans can't see you), and I know mom feels bad all the time, so I looked at her and got really excited-- I really did want to play-- and then at the duck , which I could almost reach without standing up, and then back at her and I cried-- I mean, not cried, I'm not a total poodle. I wimpered, a bit, a whine, a big dog whine, I mean a cool dog whine, but anyway, she got up, put down her book, got the toy and brought it to me. I got her to bring me every toy in the toy box that way. Humans are very easy to train if you are patient.
Then mom got another idea. I love it when she does that. She went to the car and got my car ride chewy, a purple disk-food dish rubber ball thing-- they aren't called that, but if you see one, and your name isn't Shinta, you should get one. Anyway, the two sides of the disk screw apart and mom puts my diet food in there. I can barely get it out, but it gives me something to chew on. Today she put in peanut butter and diet food. Then she said she might put yogurt or canned salmon in there and freeze it when I get home from surgery. She keeps using that word. I don't know what it means, but it sounds like I'll spend the night with doctors again, and I never like that, so I'm going to keep thinking about all that yogurt and salmon, my two favorite food groups.
And, today wasn't so bad. Mom and Kajaal, my roommate, lay on the floor with me with all of our muzzles together and played king of the mountain, but only just with our necks and heads. . . when you can only use two legs, you have to be creative. I'm glad Kajaal still plays with me even though she still can go for walks. She went for a walk today and I wanted to cry. Mom hasn't even touched my leash since before Santa Claus and it makes me sad. I hope she means it when she says I'll run again and swim and chase squirrels. She's doing lots of shopping right now-- shes' getting colorful things that are soft that go around my neck so I can't lick some places (boo--but they are pretty), and medicines that help joints heal (they taste nasty), and she's talking about getting a new bed that will fit inside my kennel, because she says I will need cage rest. . .but the kennel is a cage and it rests all the time, so I don't really know what that means. I just hope I can run soon.
Oh, and diet doggies, by the way, if your mom talks to other moms who are trying to get us to lose weight, and she comes home with the idea that dogs should eat pumpkin because it helps them lose weight, well, dude, I'm just saying sorry in advance. I mean, if you're hungry, you're hungry, and I'm not judging, but I let the spinach and the blueberries and the apples and parsley and garlic all go because I was hungry and wanted mom to be happy, but a dog has got to draw the line. I think I lost my opportunity. . .I finally ate the pumpkin---blech. Whose brilliant idea was it that dogs should eat THAT?? Mom says it's all a way to lose weight. . . .she says it's good for the surgery. The surgery. The surgery. OH well. . .
hmm. I wonder what trick I can teach mom next. ( I already have her giving leg massages on command too. . .she's so easy). I think I will write a book on human obedience.
Hi paws. Drop me a note, dogs. It's not like I can go out and find all the messages you leave me on the tree trunks!
Kayla
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Boredom sets in
Hi guys. I am sooo bored. Mom started back at school again, and I'm left to sit around. Twice she came home and I was on the couch. I'm not supposed to get up there, because I'm not supposed to put weight on my back legs, but that is just so, so boring!! I like it when mom sleeps on the floor with me or when she picks me up to be on the couch with her, but when she's at work or when my roommate Kajaal goes for a walk, well, it's just not fair.
Mom says it won't be long. Only 11 days until the surgery. She's cooking lots of yummy things to eat. I have a low calorie diet of salmon, turkey, spinach, apples, parsley, garlic, flax seeds, celery, and green beans. My good doctor, Dr. Sara says my surgery recovery will be faster if I lose weight. Mom has been trying to get me to lose weight for a long time, but before I used to sneak food here and there from my roommate or wherever I could find it. Sometimes I told other people I hadn't eaten yet. Now I can't do any of that stuff (Yuck!). Plus, mom says she doesn't think I'm as fat as the vets thought before. Since I'm only 8 pounds over my ideal weight from when I was a puppy, and since i have lost size in my legs, mom says my front legs are super strong and muscular. That's how come I can climb the steps outside and don't like mom to carry me in a sling. I mean, come ON mom, it's embarrassing if the other dogs see. I make mom wake up when it's dark instead of going potty during the day when I usually do. Mom thinks it's because she gives me my Tramadol pain killer at night, but it's really so the other dogs don't see my mom carrying me outside.
My sister is a cat. She has been complaining because we don't sleep in the bedroom anymore. Mom let me go to the bedroom that night. She used the sling thing to help carry me up, and I was sooo happy to be back in my own bed for the first time since Dec 18th, but then I realized, I didn' t know how to get up and down myself. Mom carried me down those steep stairs in the morning, but we both got a little scared, so she's sleeping on the couch again, and I'm on my pet bed. I wasn't too sure when mo got me that memory foam, but I like it now-- of course, I can't tell if it has any memor at all because I'm on the stupid bed all the time. It never has a chance to forget!! Oh well. I'm not really cranky. Kajaal and Aunt Monamie are reallly nice about everything, but I just miss going for walks and playing. It's boring to lie around and sleep all the time.
Mom says hang in there, that I'm going to be the poster child for speedy recovery, whatever that means. I hope it means I can go swimming soon. I hope doesn't mean she'll stop giving me those really big bones to chew-- at least there's THAT to do.
High paws to all the other Bloggindogs.
Mom says it won't be long. Only 11 days until the surgery. She's cooking lots of yummy things to eat. I have a low calorie diet of salmon, turkey, spinach, apples, parsley, garlic, flax seeds, celery, and green beans. My good doctor, Dr. Sara says my surgery recovery will be faster if I lose weight. Mom has been trying to get me to lose weight for a long time, but before I used to sneak food here and there from my roommate or wherever I could find it. Sometimes I told other people I hadn't eaten yet. Now I can't do any of that stuff (Yuck!). Plus, mom says she doesn't think I'm as fat as the vets thought before. Since I'm only 8 pounds over my ideal weight from when I was a puppy, and since i have lost size in my legs, mom says my front legs are super strong and muscular. That's how come I can climb the steps outside and don't like mom to carry me in a sling. I mean, come ON mom, it's embarrassing if the other dogs see. I make mom wake up when it's dark instead of going potty during the day when I usually do. Mom thinks it's because she gives me my Tramadol pain killer at night, but it's really so the other dogs don't see my mom carrying me outside.
My sister is a cat. She has been complaining because we don't sleep in the bedroom anymore. Mom let me go to the bedroom that night. She used the sling thing to help carry me up, and I was sooo happy to be back in my own bed for the first time since Dec 18th, but then I realized, I didn' t know how to get up and down myself. Mom carried me down those steep stairs in the morning, but we both got a little scared, so she's sleeping on the couch again, and I'm on my pet bed. I wasn't too sure when mo got me that memory foam, but I like it now-- of course, I can't tell if it has any memor at all because I'm on the stupid bed all the time. It never has a chance to forget!! Oh well. I'm not really cranky. Kajaal and Aunt Monamie are reallly nice about everything, but I just miss going for walks and playing. It's boring to lie around and sleep all the time.
Mom says hang in there, that I'm going to be the poster child for speedy recovery, whatever that means. I hope it means I can go swimming soon. I hope doesn't mean she'll stop giving me those really big bones to chew-- at least there's THAT to do.
High paws to all the other Bloggindogs.
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