Call Us "Doggie Hawser"

Well, it's been one and a half weeks since Hershey's ear surgery and six days since Nestle's TPLO knee surgery. Our house has transformed itself into a doggie clinic and Chris and I have had to learn some nursing skills. It's been trying at times (that first night with Nestle home was crazy!) but things are starting to get a little more relaxed.

Hershey is doing really well. Her ear is scabbing over but, luckily, she hasn't been able to scratch it because she's still "coned." On the suggestion of our friends Jenna, Jami, and Chrissy, we found some inflatable neck rings that can replace the plastic cone. Hershey is much happier with this (and we are too!). Her vet said she's doing very well and that she should be able to get the stitches out this upcoming week. Yay!

Here are some shots of her in the recovery process:

Post-surgery

The cone

Still happy despite the pain and annoyance of recovery

Nestle's recovery has been slow since she's been home. This is what should be expected, though. Despite how slow we think things are going, the surgeon at OSU was amazed at how quickly she was "toe-touching." When we picked her up the day after surgery, she had already started this while most dogs take about 5 days! Once we got her home, we really noticed the swelling in her hock and knee. That swelling has started to go down and I think it's making her more comfortable. She's still doing some toe-touching but alternates between this and just holding her leg up completely. She's such a trooper; she's been outside for a minute or two at a time to go to the bathroom but the rest of her time has been spent in her kennel. She hasn't lost her spirit, though! We transform our living room into a bedroom every night so that we can stay near her. This makes for some rough nights for us but I think she feels safer and happier with us nearby. If that speeds up her recovery, then we are willing to lose a little rest.

Here are some pictures and a video of her progress:

She wears the pillow when we're home but the cone goes on when we leave the house. Her legs are so long, she can still lick her stitches with the pillow on.

Sorry. I know a pee-picture is not really what you want to see, but it show what her leg looks like.

Cuddling with Nestle