Perspective

So, it's been a pretty frustrating year and this bit with Dodger is probably the worst so far. And I'm feeling sorry for myself when I check in and my blog friend Debbi from dubiquilts has left a comment to send good wishes and ask how things are doing. Debbi's blog is listed in my bloglist if you want to go read her story. It's not my story to tell, but I will share that dubiquilts was one of the first blogs I started to follow. I loved the work she was doing with her own hand-dyed fabric, and I checked in often to see what she was up to. Then she disappeared for weeks. Her readers were very worried, and - it turned out - rightly so. Debbi had serious problems with her heart - close to death kinds of problems. Again, it's her story and she has been generous with the deets (she wants us ALL to be forewarned to check those heart attack warning signs and DON'T IGNORE THEM!). I just wanted to thank her here for her concern. By stopping in, Debbi, you have reminded me to keep the puppy's problems in perspective.

His surgery went well. The left leg issues went just as the vet had predicted, but he was not comfortable with the way Dodger was still gimpy with his right leg as well as not standing on the left. The vet "ran him through" a CT scan before surgery just in case he was missing something that he should be taking care of while Dodger was under. Sure enough, the CT scan showed a tiny fracture in the growth plate of the RIGHT tibia, too. It was so small that the vet wasn't really worried about it and opted to leave it to heal on its own. But it explained why Dodger wasn't keen on standing on either leg.

The vet said said he's never seen this happen in BOTH legs at the same time and agreed that it led credence to my theory that when he jumped into the pond (probably at a full-throttle race around our small yard) he hit the metal ex-pen cover I'd put over the top (to keep the puppy out of the pond) and it caught him just right to do mega damage. He warned us that we still may be facing some serious issues with the dog. They had to put three pins through the growth plate to re-attach it. The best news scenario (and it may happen because this is a young puppy) is that the growth plate will continue to grow normally. There are other scenarios, however. The plate may not re-attach (it was, after all, three days before they figured out what was wrong and another day before surgery). If that happens, the tibia will not grow correctly and the leg will be deformed (means future surgery to lengthen the bone). Or the growth plate will function on the side that did not dislodge but the part that did will not and, again, there will be deformity. Or the growth plate will function normally but the pins will create problems and will have to be removed.

Right now we're taking it one stage at a time. The good news is that my husband was able to walk him out to the car (using a sling to help him balance, but on all four feet). He slept and slept the afternoon away and seems to have slept well last night (son slept in the same room so will check with him later). He has to wear The Cone of Shame (because he wants to be licking that incision site, which seems to be superglued together). He has painkillers and sedatives. He must be strictly confined to his crate, only allowed out to toilet, for weeks. We use the sling every time we take him out for at least two weeks. In two weeks he goes back to the clinic for more x-rays, which will determine the next steps.

Considering the first diagnosis was spinal injury, which the next two vets were still sticking with until they started considering torn ligaments, this isn't too bad. We have hope of having a happy, functional dog back in the reasonably near future who will be part of our family for a long time.

There when you need one.

In other news, I have to share something that happened yesterday when I was off trying to find buffalo chews for the puppy. A guy in a truck whipped a left turn in front of me (not even at an intersection, just turning onto a side street from a frontage road). I had to step on my breaks to avoid running into him and was thinking, "Where's a cop when you need one?" when he slides in front of me again. Turned out he wasn't make a LEFT turn in front of me, he was making a U-TURN in front of me. Only my lightening quick reflexes (snigger) prevented me from running into him. Before I could even finish the "Where's a cop...?" thought, one of our CHP motocycle cops was between the offending vehicle and me. CHP officer had him pulled over so fast I didn't even have to slow down as I drove past.

HIGH FIVE!