Three weeks and one day…

I can’t believe it’s only three weeks (and one day) since Gandalf’s operation!

He went swimming in the river for the first time yesterday–there were too many waves on the beach. He loved it. And the aquatics people were there and they know him well from previous summers. They were a very appreciative audience, and he got lots of pats and congrats.

Got up early this morning and went to the river again (checked the sea, too rough). It was so early that I forgot his thong…eeek! Luckily I found a nice stick, no nasty bits on it…good swim. But I came home and immediately went on line and bought a harness. There was a heart stopping moment when Gandalf went up stream a bit too far where there are only rocks rather than sand on the edge of the river. If he’d had a harness on, I would have grabbed him I think. But he was pretty cool. I waded in (yep, shoes and all) and directed him to walk along the sandy edge until it was safe to come up the bank.

I stopped the previcox (anti inflammatory) yesterday too. His stomach has been a bit upset, and it might have been that. He seems ok. Happy. He was on the previcox (and before that carpreve/rimadyl) mainly because of his front legs (he’s missing a line of bones in his paws, wrists are basically fused) and he used to get a lot of shoulder pain. The arthritis in his back legs hadn’t been documented then, so I was worrying that he should be staying on it. But I think the wrists fusing now has lessened the chance of that shoulder soreness. So we’ll see. I’ll keep up the 3 monthly cartrophen injections.

Well, maybe not so happy. I left him home today for a few hours.

But when I got home we went to see “the girls” at the veterinary surgery. We have a routine where we weigh in, then he gets treats. 22.9kg. Hasn’t put on any weight, which is good. Saw his lovely Natalie, to whom he gives big kisses (and if he accidentally gives a lick to anyone else, we say “don’t tell Natalie”). Gandalf  isn’t a kissy dog, so these kisses are very, very special!

The physio is coming in the morning, so any sore muscles will be looked after.

I started including a bit of BARF (rabbit variety) in his breakfast and dinner today. Apparently it’s got anti inflammatory properties?

Anyways. Am feeling a bit down because my little Henry Tigger Fang (the first) has to go back for a followup blood test. He’s the most beautiful ginger cat with huge green eyes. He has been a non-visitor to the vet except for vaccinations. A week or so before Gandalf’s operation, he had to have a couple of teeth out, and they did a blood test. I was too distracted really to take in what was wrong, just that there was some abnormality. The vet knew I had Gandalf as priority so really didn’t get into explanations. But I asked the nurse to look it up tonight, and she said something about abnormal platelets blah blah…yes we need to take that blood again. Next week.

Oh yes. And that naughty Gandalf bossy britches mom’s attention is all mine boy. Last night snapped at Angel Piggy Poggy Poodle (white cat, tabby patch on head and tail, formerly feral). Angel is such a cool cat, didn’t care (and there were no teeth involved…I HOPE). But we were all on the lawn tonight with me giving cat pats (Gandalf wasn’t that estatic about it, so was concentrating on his rawhide bone).

Oh and yes. Gandalf got on the sofa today. I think he’s probably done that before, but today I actually saw him. Will organize a platform or something so he doesn’t do too much of a jump. Or I’ll just take the sofa out…:)

On that note, will go give some doggy snuggles.

I love my bed

There’s something about being able to put your head on something while in bed. Those pesky pillows keep moving…but this…ok.

Whew…another hot one. A reeeally hot one.

H – O  –  T.

39.7 degrees centigrade today (103.5F). It’s 10 o’clock at night and it’s still 32 degrees (89.6). The coolest it will be is 27 degrees (80.6) at 6am tomorrow, back up to 32 by 9am, then back up to about 35. Whew.

Gandalf and I went to the beach early this morning, swam in the most beautiful clear, cool water. Ok. He swam, I watched, up to my knees, ready to lunge in and rescue him if need be. 🙂 Unfortunately the tide was taking its time going out so the buggy ride was hard slog. The buggy just isn’t designed for soft sand.

Had an interesting comment today. The pawrent of a bouncy little spoodle said  “good on you for going the extra mile for your dog”. Not sure what to think, really. I know it was meant as a compliment. The question is, why WOULDN’T I do this for him? Why WOULDN’T people do what they could for their animals, who generously give their whole hearts and souls to us?

Be assured that the boy has been kept cool all day. We went in the car (air con full blast) to see my mom and take her for lunch at her friends’–yippee, smacko time Gandalf thinks (ok, they’ve been substituted for duck jerky but hey). He loves going there.  Then back home and to his first favourite female human’s place (my neighbour). She dragged out a quilt for him to lie on when the mat started to look uncomfortable. Air con on.

And now he’s relaxing on my bed…waiting for his night time num num (disgusting to all others…a dried chicken foot….eeek).

Hoping all other tri-friends and families are well and happy.

The lost is found!

This morning we got up earlier than usual to go to the beach–37degrees expected (about 100 fahrenheit). Got the water bottles (his and mine), folded up his towels.

And then looked for the thong (that’s one of a pair of footwear items ;).

Not in the beach bag. Not in the buggy. Not under the buggy near the buggy behind the buggy anywhere else. Major heart stop. He’s had that thong (red and white stripes) for about 5 years, his favourite above all others (and easy to see on the white sand).

Self talk…it’s only a thong. I can get another pair. On the internet. Yeah. You can get anything on the internet. Oh no this is another sign it’s a new era for Gandalf. I want the old life back, along with the thong….sigh. Get a grip. It’s only a thong. This green one is fine. It’s nice and light and maybe he’ll like it better.

Being earlier than usual the tide had only just started to go out. It was hard slog with the buggy. It’s definitely not designed for soft sand! Stopped along the beach away from the ramp and the stairs, no repeats of the last couple of days!

Gandalf was happy enough with the green thong…swam out a few times, then was ready to go back to the buggy. He just didn’t seem to have his usual pep. Maybe it’s the wrong thong….

Gandalf met a few of his mates on the beach (doggy and human) and I bemoaned the fact of the lost thong. I’d obviously failed to pick it up when I put the boy back in the buggy. Humans looked at me like I was slightly demented worrying about the thong.

Then an old human friend stopped along and I retold the story. I know he walks the entire length of the beach and if it was washed up, he’d find it. And guess what! He’d seen it! Yes! Top of the ramp, someone had hung it on the pole….he went up and retrieved it…Gandalf joyfully rushed back into the water to get it…yippee….life as we know it continues!

Seriously, though. I still feel like I’m on an emotional roller coaster. It’s been three full months prior to the amputation that we were trying to rest him/reset the leg/ pin it again (five operations). For the last one, just before Christmas, we simply stayed in my bedroom and I pretty much carried him if he needed any more than walking outside to wee. I’m still on worry alert, because I’d assumed all through that horror that I’d lose him if it didn’t work. His other hip is a pseudo hip and I really don’t know if there’s any precedent for a tripawd to have this. So I continue to worry.

I think I’m still grieving, too. I love that he is swimming again, but my throat constricts when I see him “running” into the water for his thong…different. Is it ok for him? Is he happy?

I guess everyone goes through this. Dear friends of mine would say GET OVER IT…hmmm.

I’m trying to be positive, and am talking to the hearing dog jacket people….I thought I’d get him a ruffwear jacket and have it embroidered. Can it be worn in the water? Maybe he should be wearing it all the time?

Gandalf is a bit quieter today, looks a bit sore. The animal physio hasn’t returned my call yet…wait…text just came in…she’ll contact me later today. Sigh. Physio vs. chiro….

I think it’s time for a cuppa. Too early for something stronger, and I have been avoiding that completely because, hey, what if Gandalf needed me to drive somewhere….:)

But the good thing is…we have the thong back. The lost is found!

Some paintings

Puss with Boots (my Marvin L'Amore, passed away February last year at 18)

Angel Prince

Angel Flo

Gandalf the Brave

Gandalf and his thong

A human....:) A friend's dad.

Another gorgeous beach morning

Gandalf is tired this morning, after another big morning on the beach. Again, some old memory kicked in, and after chasing the thong into the water, he headed through the soft sand (mum watching, horrified, holding her breath) and up the ramp.

Said hello to Lotte the big teddy bear dog and sniffed around ( “where’s the car, mum?”). Carried him back to safe ground, and back to the buggy.

“out out” he yelled when he saw his mate Woody (little white dog).

The beach here is used by the education department’s aquatic centre, and a tractor brings down boats, surf boards, wind surfing boards, etc. and these sit at various points along the beach until the hoards of kids come (not a bad day at school, huh). Gandalf has always simply put himself into a “sit” when he sees (or hears) the tractor (I don’t hear it :). The tractor guy has always said Gandalf is the best dog on the beach. So he still does it. And if he’s in the buggy, I stop and wait.

As the tractor guy says…Gandalf is still the best dog on the beach.

On the walk home we passed work men (“oh you have a dog in there”…I stop myself from saying “really? you’re kidding?”). But one of the guys (after I explained the 3-legged status) revealed he had a 9yr old tripawd staffy. I told him about this site (his dog had cancer) and he told me about the local chiro who he takes his dog to. Great contact!

But he’s tired. We’re going to have a day at home. Yesterday we went to see my mom for lunch (mom has a bit of short term memory loss, and she loves Gandalf and is constantly surprised by the absence of the leg, big explanation every time…). Then we spent the afternoon at my studio where he watched me paint–he has a soft sided crate he can go in if he wants, but instead he tends to sit at the door and watch the traffic go by. It’s back to normal, maybe.

The studio is next to an rspca op shop, and Gandalf walked in…they didn’t notice his 3 legged status. And then of course we have to talk about it.

It’s tough to talk about!

It is a type of karma?

I’d said Gandalf hadn’t had any slips and no stairs…and this morning….

Went to the beach in the buggy, out of buggy, into water chasing his thong….and then he decided he was going up the stairs to where we always used to park the car and talk to the lovely dog-friendly people running an aquatics programme. Through the soft sand, up two of the approx 15 stairs. I was ineffectively rushing up and trying to get him to stop…and then he did. It looked like he slipped. Such a worry!

I carried him back down over the soft sand to the water and he wanted to go in again. Ok!

Back into the buggy and then he saw his favourite human friend. Boy did he start carrying on. We call it “singing” (plus a few barks). She’d never heard him do that before, and I was busy wanting him to stay in the buggy. He clearly had other ideas. Eventually I gave in, and yep. Into the water again.

I clipped him tonight, and now you really can’t see where they shaved him for the operation (s). It’s only day 16!

Happy now on my bed (the mattress on the floor).

Beach buggy boy

So this morning, Gandalf decided he was GOING to get out and run. He was singing and barking (my “no barking, only singing” command [ha ha] was ignored completely). So I let him out.

Got the thong (red and white stripes). Threw the thong…he swam out and got it. Then he ran off with the thong down the beach again. Wh-hooo!

Why a thong (i.e., the rubber footwear all australians wear in summer)? Well, it floats and doesn’t bounce, so there’s none of that skidding happening…bad for his front paws. This thong has survived 5 years approximately. He likes this one above all of the others I’ve collected over the years.

He’s sleeping now but keeping a good eye on me…when are we going out???? We will go out shortly, take the vet clinic afternoon tea…visit with his favourite nurses.

Please can I get out again? Who's that I see down the beach?

Beach boy

Nope. Not looking at the camera....can't we just go out again?

My Gandalf

I should have described Gandalf more!

He is a border collie (blue). The avatar pic is a drawing I did of him for my vet…the vet also has a couple of paintings in his surgery, and even has a huge photo of him on the side of one of his hospitals…you can see his picture (a few years old now) on their website (Marion hospital).

http://www.southvet.com.au/

Yes, my vet and all the other vets and nurses at the hospital know gandalf and love him.

He’s the most beautiful soul, with the prettiest face–it’s like he’s an old soul, wise.

I’ll take some photos tonight at sunset–we always walk (him in his buggy) along the coast (not on the beach…that would be torture unless he can get out, and I just think one big swim a day at the moment is enough).

He’s 7, 8 at the end of March. He has been working as a hearing dog for me since he was 8 months old. He is incredible. I get vertigo, and he picks it before I do. So of course at the moment I can’t work out whether he’s worrying about me or he needs something. I guess you now can understand how much he means to me.

Last week I stopped his anti inflammatory, previcox, but gave it again today. I think he’s going to keep needing this to keep his front legs from getting sore. No tramadol today. I gave tramadol yesterday just because I couldn’t work out if he needed it or not…he’s so stoic. He just sometimes gets quiet. And then he hears my neighbour…oooohhhh and off he goes.

So, today is day 13.

He was back on antibiotics last tuesday (now finished) because it looked pink under his incision on his underside. Didn’t want to take any chances.

He walked (actually, ran) out of the clinic 3 hours after his surgery. I had to put a lead on him. But he was seriously going to get out of there! I was sobbing and laughing (terrible combination) and there were hugs all around. He hasn’t yelped or fallen over once.

So I guess I should just relax. But it’s so strange and worrying, especially after 5 failed operations.

I’ve been feeding him steamed/lightly boiled chicken breast with carrot (tonight it is purple carrot) and homegrown zucchini. I’ll sprinkle a bit of joint guard on this just before he eats. I’d been giving him this so he had a “low residue” diet, but wonder whether I should be giving him something different. I obviously will need to keep his weight down (he’s currently 23.1 kg).

People around me look at him and say “he’s doing so great don’t worry about it” and I guess that’s the right thing. But I just want the best for my boy and don’t know if I’m doing the right thing….

I’ve been sleeping on a very thin of foam on the floor (so same level as all dog beds and last week swapped it for my mattress…which Gandalf easily gets on now…but will have to rethink my bed…it was very high, and he used to jump up onto a blanket box to get on to it. I gotta say it’s hard getting up from the floor….any suggestions here….:) I know dogs aren’t supposed to sleep on beds, and he doesn’t…much….just likes to come up for cuddles before going to his own bed. And if I’m not around, he gets on my bed.

thank you so much Becky, for your welcome. I think I accidentally deleted the post…damn I want it back…..:)