dog – Page 28

Moving On Up

Ellie went to the surgeon on Thursday for her follow-up x-rays and he was delighted with the progress she’s made in the six weeks since her leg surgery. Everything is healing the way he hoped and she goes back for her final x-rays in another six weeks. So while she still isn’t allowed to run and play the way she’d like, we’re headed in the right direction and today was the first day I didn’t keep her penned up when I left for work. She is allowed to use the stairs now and so has free reign of the house, finally able to rise up from the basement and join me on the main floor. And the bedroom on the top floor at night, this morning I literally woke up covered by all the pets but Emma!

Her walks have also resumed, slowly increasing in 5 minute intervals as she builds back her stamina and muscle mass. We don’t get too far, she’s eager to get reacquainted with old friends and say hello to you little bush, and you little tree, and you blade of grass, and you little leaf, and …

I’ve been working a lot of long hours for work, including many nights and weekends, so I haven’t been able to play with her and the cats as much as I’d like. Or as often as Ellie would like, given by the number of times I get pelted by hedgehogs as I work. Thankfully things should be slowing down in the next couple of days.

Welcome back, Ellie! All the pets are zonked out around me in my office at the moment, some sleeping more quietly than others. Even the hedgehogs are enjoying a moment of peace.

The Patient Patient

I took Ellie back to the surgeon on Thursday to get her sutures out and they were really pleased with her progress. She’s feeling much better and ready to get back to hedgehogging, but unfortunately for her she still has another six weeks of taking it easy before she goes back for x-rays to see if the bones have healed. We’ll keep her on a light dose of sedatives for a bit, just enough to take her edge off, as she’s more than ready to run and jump and do all the things she shouldn’t yet. But by and large, our girl remains as sweet as ever and has been more patient with her recovery than I expected.

The Life & Death of a Hedgehog

Our dog Ellie lies beside her baby hedgehog dog toy in the backyard in February 2010 — Don’t be fooled baby hedgehog, that’s no log you lie beside! Look at those sharp teeth! Chop chop!

Our dog Ellie lies on her back and prepares to grab her baby hedgehog dog toy while playing in the backyard in February 2010 — Oh no! I can’t watch! Run, baby hedgehog, run!

Our dog Ellie lies on her back and holds her baby hedgehog in her mouth with the aid of her front paws while playing in the backyard in February 2010 — Oh the hedgehogganity!

These pictures are from earlier in the year, Ellie remains on strict bed rest although her recovery is going well. She’s finished with the ice pack treatments, which she didn’t like but accepted well enough.

She remains on medication, after several unsuccessful attempts with other foods, we’ve settled on hotdogs as the preferred delivery mechanism. We tried various cheeses but she kept breaking apart the cheese and spitting out the pills. It’s a pretty impressive skill really and Ellie proved a quick study. The hotdogs, however, are so eagerly accepted that Templeton remains the undisputed master of pill befuddlery.

Post-op

I’m happy to report that Ellie’s ligament surgery yesterday was successful and she was able to come home today. It takes a couple of months for the bones to fully heal so she has a long recuperation ahead, and it’s going to be hard keeping her on bed rest that long, but we’re looking forward to her being whole again. She gets medication for a few days to manage the intense pain of the early recovery period, as well as some other meds, and cold compresses to minimize swelling. She really doesn’t like the cold on her bare skin so I cradled her in my arms while my wife held the compress. I had to smile when eventually we heard the sounds of snoring.

Good to have you home, Ellie. Good to have you home.

The Prisoner

We picked up an exercise pen at a local pet store, which for Ellie will be an anti-exercise pen. It’s necessary to keep her off her legs as she’ll tolerate pain as long as it means she gets to play. Resisting her gaze I feel like a modern day Perseus, except Ellie is the anti-medusa, her sad puppy dog eyes will turn you to mush. She’s tolerated this all pretty well, and still has a ways to go, but oh how happy she will be when she is back on her feet.

Hedgehog Season is Canceled Until Further Notice

Ellie got X-rays on her legs today and we have a surgical consult scheduled in a couple of weeks. A lengthy recuperation period of no physical activity follows no matter the outcome, so hedgehogging is right out for a long while yet. And while she’s lost a lot of weight since we got her, she still needs to shed a few pounds, so her food is going to get cut back a bit more. My wife’s been sleeping in the basement with her to keep her company while I’m with the cats upstairs. For a dog that loves to eat and snuggle and hedgehog, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

The basement stairs are blocked off but somehow she slipped past our defenses this morning as I heard the familiar tappa-tappa-tappa of her claws on the hardwood. I gave her the “bed” command so she’d at least lie down in her bed and rest, but she jumped up into bed with me instead. I guess that’s on me for not specifying which bed. She snuggled up to me and Scout and Sam joined in and we all enjoyed the next hour until my alarm rang out and ruined the moment.

I feel so bad knowing how difficult the road ahead will be for her, so to make myself feel better I’ll post a picture from happier times.

Grounded

Ellie’s leg woes continue. She’s had a bit of a limp so I took her to the vet today and she thinks it might be a torn ligament. Ellie is getting anti-inflammatory pills for a couple of days and then she will probably have to go back in to see what comes next. She’s isolated to the basement now with no activity, not even a walk, and certainly no hedgehogging.

Poor girl.

One Happy Dog

Oh Ellie! I giggle every time I look at this picture.

Prodigy

We have all heard of child prodigies, young masters of piano, flute, or violin. Our five-year old prodigy is master of baby hedgehog, able to squeak out pieces of surprising length and complexity. In this case, with Christmas approaching, Ellie squeaks out a fine rendition of Joy to the World.

Unlike many five-year olds, however, ours doesn’t need any encouragement to practice. Several times this week when I’ve gotten home from work I’ve been pelted with baby hedgehog before I can even take off my coat.

The Running Dog

While we’re on the subject of pathetic poses, this pose that I’ve dubbed The Running Dog is another Ellie favorite. I had been playing with the cats on the cat tree and she just wanted to be nearby, so she plopped down on the floor and waited quietly until we were finished. She’s sleeping beside me in the same pose at this very moment. Sam is curled up in my lap, Scout is beside us in a warm bed, and although I can’t see her, I’d bet my life that Emma is asleep under the Christmas tree.