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Dad had hip replacement surgery today and now has a literal hitch in his giddy-up! Working at a hospital he was actually able to take home an example of the "ball hitch" component they use during surgery and it really looked just like what you see on the back end of a truck! The photos here are similar to what he had, because I forgot to take a photo of the real thing when he showed me!
Baylie got her staples out on October 25th and her hair is starting to grow back after being shaved for surgery! We once again got 2 new radiographs (x-rays)...both of which proved that all her screws, pins, plates, and bones are still right where the surgery placed them...all of which is good news!!! She is finally off all the medication except for the glucosemine (that's for life) and the anti-inflammatory/pain meds are only to be given as needed. Sadly though, she 
still has to be crated during the day when she can't be monitored because running, jumping and playing are still be NO-NOs! She does get to have a bit more freedom in the evenings when I'm home and is able to roam around the house plus we get to add in short 5 minute walks to start re-building her muscles! That of-course is much easier said than done! On our walks Baylie is still supposed to go slow (not in Bay's vocabulary!) and I'm supposed to support her hind half with the sling. The problem is that she pulls away from me (because she doesn't like to be controlled) and I worry that when she's walking essentially sideways that she's gonna hurt herself! The second walk we did 
I used her harness and wrapped the sling through it instead of a leash and it kept her right at my side in the "heal" position which eliminated her ability to walk sideways! I'm new at this whole rehabilitation thing but I think it was better that she used her leg more naturally?! I'm excited that this is the first weekend since the 10th of October that I don't have to drive down south for one of Baylie's check-ups! We go back for her 4-week post-
op check-up next weekend on the 8th of November. Until then, the docs. say to keep up the good work...and again, 1/2 of the "good work" props have to go to Mom and Leah because it is them who are getting us through the day!!! Thanks again--totally owe you guys!
Well, we've made it through the first week without wrecking her cast with dirt or wetness by recycling lots of grocery bags! We've spent each afternoon sitting outside on the grass watching the neighborhood kids play just to give Baylie some "get outta jail" time and I've gotten used to sleeping on the floor next to Baylie's crate. It has been a challenge always being on the lookout for movement because Baylie has to have assistance walking with a sling under her hind-half and when I'm at home I don't have the heart to lock her inside the crate. I figure if she's laying down resting and not moving then it really shouldn't matter if she does that in a 
crate or not especially when she's had to be in one all day long already! It seems as though we just got home from the vet's office and it's already time to go in for our one week check-up to get x-rays and cast removal. Baylie and I drove back down south on Saturday the 17th and Mom again was kind enough to keep Ginger for me so I didn't have to leave her in my backyard alone all day! We arrived at 
our 12:30 appointment and I was surprised that she'd actually lost a few pounds! I mean she hasn't gotten to hardly move in a week but I was told to reduce her food amount by 20-25% so I guess I did that right! The doctors took her back to get the r
adiographs and sent me back to wait in the admitting room until they were ready to go over her films with me. Finally about 30-45 minutes later I got called and the doctor and I looked over the x-rays together and they showed that everything was still in the proper locations and he said there is still minor bruising and swelling but other than that things looked really good! I was very happy to hear the good news! The doctor did however say that week two is "MY" week...meaning that now that the cast is off she'll appear better and will move with less obstruction and not to be fooled by such things! I still have to 
severely limit her activity, walking only to eat, drink, potty etc. and nothing more...she also has to wear a cone now instead of her "donut ring" because she is trying to lick her staples. If she does lick them he said it would not only prolong her healing time but could also cause infection so the incision must still be kept clean and dry. With hopes that we make it through week two without incident then she should get her staples removed by this weekend the 24th/25th of October! In weeks 3-4 
we should be able to start some light physical therapy like short walks and such--something to really look forward to...fingers Crossed!!!
around 11am so I decided to check out and head back to the hospital...I got there around 11:30 hoping I could have all of Baylie's discharge papers completed, bills paid, and medications picked so by noon I'd actually get Baylie and go home! I was shocked to see how busy discharge was, it was literally standing room only and I didn't even get up to the counter until 12:15!!! Then by the time I paid and consulted with the pharmacist regarding all 5 of Baylie's meds. and met with the doctor one last time to get post-op instructions Baylie wasn't actually released until almost 1:45! The tech. helped me get Baylie in the car but we didn't so much drive around the corner when she started whining...I asked her if she needed to go pee and she barked! I pulled over tied a bag around her cast so it wouldn't get wet or dirty like I was instructed then lifted her outta the car. Almost immediately she peed and then I had to get her back in the car and convince her to lay down because she shouldn't be trying to balance in the car on three legs! I ended up having to pull over 4 times throughout the drive home to help her la
y back down...she just couldn't maneuver the bulky cast on her own. I arrived home around 4:30pm and found Ginger roaming around my FRONT yard!!! My mom had babysat Ginger all weekend with no issues but then she dropped her off in my backyard Monday morning before she went to work...and by the looks of my destroyed backyard I know Ginger wasn't out front all day but she'd actually figured out how to unlatch the gate to get out...obviously it is now pad-locked!!! Darn dog is too smart and anxiety filled for her own good! Once they both had dinner they crashed until it was time to actually go to bed. I ended up taking off on Tuesday as well so that I could have time to "train" my mom and Leah how to deal with Baylie after I have to go back to work. You see, the worst part of all of this is the recovery restrictions...Baylie has to be crated for the fi
rst month! So thank God for Leah being willing to come over mid-morning everyday to take Baylie outside to pee and drink and then a few hours later Mom comes by whenever she gets a lunch break to let her out again...then I jam home as soon as possible after work! This would never work without a group effort because I only get a 35 minute lunch and work almost 30 minutes away from home...so I'm indebted for the help! Thank you guys! By the end of the week I can already tell that Baylie is feeling a bit better because she's trying to move too fast and she keeps picking up balls and dropping them at my feet...this is going to be a LONG recovery!
degeneration of its structure. The meniscal cartilages also help to provide stability and act as shock absorbers in the joint. When the CCL is injured the femur is free to slide down the tibial slope and push the tibia forward or cranial. This results in pain, inflammation, increased joint fluid (effusion) and eventually arthritis in the joint. The medial meniscus can often be injured if the femur crushes it. Surgery is required to inspect for meniscal injury, stabilize the joint and return the limb back to function. Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) stabilizes the CCL deficient stifle by altering the 
biomechanical forces in the joint. It effectively transfers the stabilizing function of the CCL to its counterpart the caudal cruciate ligament. TPLO radiographs are obtained prior to surgery and the Tibial Plateau Slope (TPS) is found. The Tibial Plateau Angle (TPA) is the
determined number of degrees to “level” the tibial slope to approximately 6.5 degrees. The bone is then stabilized using a TPLO bone plate and screws. After surgery the patient is able to return to weightbearing on the leg in a few days. Physical therapy during this time helps to maintain and strengthen the muscles. The bone must heal completely though before resuming full activity. Off-leash activity, running and jumping must be avoided until the bone is healed (~10-16 weeks). Physical therapy is encouraged during this period. TPLO can return the majority of dogs back to full activity. It can be most beneficial for medium or large breeds and active dogs who hunt, field trial, run agility, or those who just love to run and play. 
something so why couldn't it just be sore muscles? I finally got worried when she stopped playing like normal, stopped jumping in my car to "go" and the final straw was when she wouldn't eat a "cookie" in the morning like they always do before I leave for work. I took her into my local vet and they gave me some anti-inflammatories and told me to give her Glucosamine...then wait a couple of weeks to see if things improve. I waited and with the meds. she did seem to improve, but about 5 days after the meds were gone she got progressively worse and so I took her back for a re-check and the vet ordered to x-rays of her hips and knee. I 
was relieved to hear that her hips were "above-average, especially for a lab" but they could tell there was swelling around the knee which usually accompanies a torn or ruptured ACL. The next step was a consult with an orthopedic specialist...the nearest one was in Fountain Valley at VCA-All Care near Long Beach. So I booked the appointment for Saturday 10-10-09 at 12:30 (thank God they are open 7-days a week!). Everyone was crazy nice when I went in...seriously, all the doctors and nurses would bend down and pet Baylie even before greeting me (which was comforting to me!). The offices were also 
spacious and comfortable with plenty of credentials and awards on the walls! I was still hoping that the doctor would tell me that it was a minor injury but of-course not! Instead, he told me she's already building up scar tissue that is going to make surgery even more difficult and could add to arthritis later in life. He said I needed to schedule her for surgery as soon as possible and if I delayed that Baylie wouldn't be able to play anyway because she'd need to remain on a leash always talk about torture...oh, and the 
longer I wait the more chances she has to blow out the other knee! So after a full tour of the hospital to see exactly where she'll be throughout the surgery and recovery process and without foreseeing another option, I booked her for surgery! So scary...but she didn't have to be admitted until 10pm Saturday so I left the office around 3pm in search of a hotel...booked one for two nights (which was cheaper than driving home after she was admitted, back to pick her up on Monday then home again)! We got dinner and I snuck her into the room so we could 
hang out and eat dinner together by her 6pm food and water cut off time...then we took a nap together and I finally drove her back to the hospital around 9:30. The WORST part was giving her to the nurse when she was coherent, feeling otherwise fine and didn't understand why I was leaving her. It ripped my heart out knowing she'd have surgery early the next morning and wake up alone and in pain with a cast on! Anyways, I dropped her off...cried a while then went to a 24 hour Walgreens to get some basics like toothbrush, paste, deodorant etc. because I of-course did not plan to stay the weekend! The next day I killed some time moseying through Target looking for a spare change of clothes I could buy (I figured wearing the same thing two days in a row wasn't too bad, but three days was pushing it!). Then I found a Kinkos to buy Internet time to make substitute lesson plans and officially take off on Monday so that I could be there to pick up Baylie after she's released on Monday morning. All of that only got me 
to mid-afternoon...and going back to the hotel was out of the question because I would only worry, so instead I wandered aimlessly through IKEA, waiting to hear how Baylie's surgery went. Finally around 2:30 the doctor called to say that the surgery went well and that Baylie came out of anesthesia but was still on the IV. By the evening they'd offer her food and if she accepted then they'd take her off the IV and transfer her to oral pain meds. with hopes of being released after 10am Monday. Now that I could relax a little I spent some time talking on the phone giving updates to friends and family and planning how to take care of her during the work week, got a full tank of gas at the Costco I found near my hotel and and then finally got some food for lunch/dinner around 6pm and headed "home" to my rented room...rented a movie that was added to my bill and called it a night! I'll keep you posted once I pick her up Monday!
Well believe it or not the whole get to the vet before work on Thursday and make it back before 4th period (11:45) actually worked! They took Ginger to the back to get the suture line cleaned up and then about 15 minutes later they called me back into an exam room where the Vet met me with Ginger...who was now in an even BIGGER cone that the one I paid 13 bucks for on Monday! The Vet agreed that it was infected and gave us antibiotics but insisted that Ginger was somehow still licking at the incision even with the cone?!? In my opinion this is impossible but it is infected so who knows? I also asked the Vet to give her some kind of pain pill because she's 
so restless at night that her body is gonna be too weak to fight an infection! THEN...I get home on Friday afternoon at 3 (which was early thanks to it being Highland's home coming) and find Ginger VERY happy without her cone on!!! Yep! You guessed it, my little Houdini somehow chewed the cone off and proceeded to eat off each loop where the tie goes through so that it was impossible to reuse it! Her belly was again raw from licking so I risked my life to pour hydrogen peroxide on it to clean off the gazillion germs she no doubt licked into it! (OK, so that's a bit exaggerated but I'm telling you for a little thing she kicks hard and 
is quite strong!) Then it was a trip to Pet Co. to buy yet a third cone! At least the Vet exchanged the 1st cone for the bigger one without extra charges but I won't complain over a 13 dollar piece of plastic again because at the pet store I paid 17! O-well...at this point I'll do whatever it takes to get past this...I'd love to sleep in my bed again and not see her in so much distress! It has been 2 days now and thanks to the antibiotics, the pain pills and the children's Benadryl we are surviving...but sleep is still pretty priceless!!! Oh, and PS...Baylie still hates the cone...even her new pretty pink one!!! Four more days and counting for stitch removal...
red and raw and hot...pretty clearly infected! It is obviously bugging her to death because she has been trying to scratch at it so much that she has now caused red raw claw marks on her upper belly. We just can't win...so I've already called my boss and friends at work to help me cover my morning classes tomorrow (Thursday) so I can again take her back to the vet for the second time. I hate having to take more time off work but it can't wait and I just hope I can get in to see a doctor early so I can start her on 
antibiotics! She was originally supposed to get her stitches out 3 days from now...then when they added the staples the removal date was pushed back until next Wednesday the 29th...who knows how far THIS will set us back (time wise or money wise)?!? We'll see tomorrow...I'm gonna call first thing and then beg for an early appointment! For now she is finally asleep thanks to the last 
tranquilizer pill that Sherry and Matt gave to me (thank God)...it is the only thing that seems to help her relax! My body is tired of sleeping on the floor each night next to her...but sadly it is the only thing that seems to comfort her and help her relax enough to sleep...only it means I don't sleep that well. Keep your fingers crossed for us that modern medicine can help fix her...because both of us are ready for this to be over and get back to normal!
goodness I'd taken Monday off work 
because I called the vet this morning to let them know that at least one stitch was out and that the area was oozing...and yep, they wanted me to bring her in before 11 am because they thought she might need antibiotics! So we got there around 10 and had to sit in the waiting room for 20-30 minutes. When they came to get her they didn't want me to come back with her...so I waited. Finally, about 10-15 minutes later Ginger comes round the corner wearing a huge white plastic lampshade-style cone! Aww, crap! Now her new rules are that she has to wear the cone 24 hours a day FOR THE NEXT 8 DAYS!!! They also informed me that they had to add "a few" staples to pull her cut back together. Now I don't 
know about you but I was taught that a "few" meant 3...yeah, well when we got home I counted 8 added staples in addition to her remaining stitches! Well hopefully she won't rip any more out...but with those new stab wounds we are back to having a bloody belly! I worried what would happen when we arrived at home because Baylie is a BIG scaredie cat! Sure enough, Ginger and I walk through the door and Baylie's mohawk on her back goes up and she is barking in her "big girl" bark at poor sulking Ginger! I even tried giving them treats to get them to stand near each other to show Bay that 
Ginger is not scary--no success at all! Baylie refused to get within 5 feet of Ginger and her alien cone! I felt so bad for poor Ginger because she is running into everything, has a rough time drinking, and turning her head to see things (why they don't make the stupid cones see through is beyond me...it was so opaque that it deleted all of her peripheral vision!), she couldn't even figure out how to lay down and now she's getting barked at! Finally after about an hour and a half of convincing I finally got Ginger to lay down for a nap...she was literally falling asleep standing up because she didn't like the way the cone felt! I also think that the wound is itching as i
t heals or maybe she feels it oozing...because she does these crazy flinches where she jumps up or turns around in a flash as if something bit her! I just hope that she heals up quickly now because I go back to work tomorrow and I won't be able to comfort her and lord knows Baylie won't help! I can't wait to get her stitches out next week Wednesday the 29th!!! Eight days and counting......wish us luck!!!!
Poor Ginger has had 2 rough days in a row! On Wednesday October 15th I took Baylie and Ginger down to the 17 news station for the annual SPCA Unleash Your Love fundraiser. Two years ago I actually got Baylie microchiped at that same event...so when we went the other day I wanted to get a chip put in Ginger and I wanted to get Baylie scanned just to see if her chip was still 
working right. I feel strongly about the microchip because it actually helped to save Baylie the time the gardeners left the back gate open when we lived off of White Lane. She was caught running down White Lane by a good samaritan who called my cell phone from her PetsMart tag but I was at work and didn't get the call so he then called the 800 number from the 24-PetWatch microchip tag were he got my mother's number (who was listed as my emergency contact). Between the three of us we got Baylie back alive and unharmed! Now I'm even more compelled to pull off the road and pick up dogs running on roadsides with tags...so far I have safely returned 2 dogs to their owners...I just figure karma...what goes around, comes around!
THEN...Yesterday (Thursday October 16th) I dropped off Ginger at 8am at Auburn Animal Hospital for her spay surgery. When I called at 3:30 they said she'd came through the surgery just fine! Luckily the vet allowed me to pick her up by 5:30 that evening with the deal that I'd keep her still and quiet. I arrived about 5:15 and when the nurse brought her out she looked pretty lethargic and pouty (for lack of better terms) but she was medicated so I didn't think much of it. The nurses 
teased her though, because they said that two seconds prior she had been happy and wagging her tail in the crate round back...but the instant she saw me she put on this pity-party-drama-queen "show" for me! She is feeling and looking better today...still sleeps more than normal but she's much more alert than yesterday! Her little belly looks so funny all shaved and for her sake I hope the hair grows back faster than Baylie's did!!! I'm sure that by tomorrow she'll be back to her old self and it will be my challenge to keep her from playing too rough and ripping out all the stitches!
