updates via pictures

slacker, thats what I am,....  but making up for it with a zillion pictures and videos,... here goes,..



Lucy at Bolton Notch, finally!



Happy Birthday to Pip!

9yrs young,...

The many faces of Pip

Escape to normalization,....

well, its almost time for Pip's final ortho visit, next week, 2/14.  Appropriate as she will turn 9 on February 11th and this will be a nice birthday present for her!  I expect that I will be able to let her loose and continue rehab to increase her stamina.

This past week, since there was so much snow and no one could really run much, I started letting her out with everyoone including Lucy and monitoring it.  Still no boot scooting with Lucy but I hope that will change as of next week.  And I hope I'll be able to let her join the others in the back forty also.  She's ready, I'm ready, we are all ready. 

As probably for everyone, this past weekend was spent cleaning up from all of the past storms, ice removal, rearrangement of snow and a little creativity in the backyard along with some sunbathing,..... 

and winter continues

enough said!

Update to Pip

Pip's surgery recovery is going very well as far as I can tell.  We had our second visit to the orthopedic surgeon since the surgery this week and while he is a man of little words, the question asked "does she feel good" as he manipulated her knee back and forth back and forth,..... was "she feels good".  So I think that means all is well!  Xrays were taken at the previous visit and at that point he said she was about 50% healed as far as the bone healing goes.  The staples, the cutting, all that has healed nicely.  Pip continues to be an awesome patient although it continues to be more difficult to keep her calm when outside.  She is still leash walking outside for her exercise walks and in the dog yard when other dogs are present, especially Lucy, who REALLY wants her playmate back.  The snow last week and the ice/rain this week definitely slows our progress down somewhat, although yesterday I took her to Tails U Win parking lot and marched her around there for about 25 minutes.  I am to now to 30 min walks to build up her stamina.  And mine I supposed, someone asked me if I had lost weight and I think I have justs because of all of the deliberate walking I have been doing.  Proves the point that 2 or 3 15 min walks a day at a moderate pace or even slow is still exercise and works you. 

One more follow up visit on Valentines Day and I believe we are done.  We also are continuing our visits to the PT weekly for a stint in the water treadmill. 

Some pictures, of Pip in her borrowed jacket.  She is blowing her coat AGAIN, I'm told its not uncommon for post surgery/anesthesia.  And it was so pretty before!  Her pain patch spot continues to grow back oddly - and her leg now has a light feel of fur on it but still a ways to go! 

Al has snowblowed "race tracks" in the yard so that we can continue her walks, although with todays sleet and rain we have not attempted it today.  Instead we worked on puppy push ups, backing up and sit, down, stand, sit, down, stand,...................................ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As you can see by the pictures, her sit is still sloppy and out to the side.  This may or may not go away depsite my best efforts.  But since she will be 9 this February (less then a month away!) I have no intention of putting her back into agility and I must say I"ve given up my dreams of getting a CD on her,... so lazy sit may just be fine. 

 Storm  "Benedict" I think they called it.  Pip in her borrowed jacket braving the snow before we have tracks for her and everyone else. 

Surgery fur regrowth or lack there of,.... and her sit!

Sit, what sit?

just pictures,....

just pictures, haven't written anything in a while and need to collect my thoughts but have some cute pictures to share, I especially like the ones of the different dogs in the cat bed,..... ridiculous
Note:  Zenny is always in the same place in these photos, he hasn't tried the cat bed yet



Pip



Lucy





Sidney (zenny in background)



Pip



And more ridiculous pictures, this time Izzy was in dog bed and dogs didn't care!




Lucy



...............same ole' same ole'

no pictures, they would look the same, dog laying down with old peas on her leg, my toes in the picture or some other part of my body.  nothing new, she is doing well but I know already tired of the process.  today is a treat since it is raining.  not that I mind the rain but she actually doesn't like it much, it gets in her eyes!  follow up for staple removal in a week, perhaps that will step up the pace a little.  No limping, my biggest issue is the patch on her side, or the spot on her side where the pain patch was.  I think that some of the plastic is still on her skin and starting to peel a little but not really.  If I try to pull it she really resists so I'm guessing its uncomfortable - not sure what to do with it.  Have call into trust vet.  I thought it was like rug burn/road burn originally from the patch but now not so much.  Needs to go away I think but don't know how!  If she was a window I could use lighter fluid but I don't think that will work in this case,... yuck

the princess and the pea,.....

More exciting moments in the therapy world.  Haven't been able to find anything else really better then the peas so we are still using these for icing.  Al's been helping this weekend so that is a great help.  She's due for some more passive exercise so off I go.  Pain patch is off.  In between exercising, walks I have been giving Pip rib bones to give her something to do and not have to have the cone on. 

Lucy likes to hang out near the den where Pippi is. 

Pip and her TTA

TaDa, we did it, or I should say she did it and everything is just fine so far.  Its not even been 24 hrs since we got her home but she's doing really well.  No bandage, just about 20 staples (gross) on the inside of her leg.  We are doing icing, which she appears to enjoy, short passive of motion exercises and (2) 5 minute walks a day only, in addition to bathroom checks, short and sweet.  Pip's an awesome patient, maybe they all are, I don't know.  The recent wrist surgery and this are my only experiences in this area with the exception of spaying. 

Just home 10/27/10

Al modified the step outside to the deck and added a ramp off the deck for her in and out pleasure.

this it the modified cone she is wearing.  Al added some additional length by cutting a plastic container and duct taping it on.  The PT at the surgeon was VERY impressed and asked that we send pictures of it.  We are thinking of patenting it!

lucy and izzy

video says it all

a good friend is a good pillow

I have talked off and on to anyone who will listen about how Lucy has changed our houses dynamics and in particular with Pippi.  Well, these pictures are a perfect example of what I have been talking about. 

It started in the morning as it many times does while I am having coffee on the porch.  Lucy comes over and lays on the couch with me/on me.  Pip was on the ottoman.  Lucy and Pip started doing their alligator play, mouth, noises, flea bites, etc.  They at some point I am sure I got tired of being the receiver of much of this play so I told them all done.  Lucy sort of chills out and relaxes, half across the couch and ottoman, as she was when playing with Pip.  Eventually, I think everyone just sort of chilled out and I see Pip actually lay her head down on Lucy.  Now, if this was the other way around I wouldn't be making so much noise about it.  Lucy lays on everyone all of the time, even Pip tolerates it now.  But to have Pippi  be comfortable enough and relaxed enough to just do this, not so much!  I am sure some of it was just the feeling of I am not giving up this ottoman, but some of it is also they have just really bonded in this way. 

And this is why I sit in the porch with the phone/camera.  Because you just never know what might happen.

  

the ocean,...

this week I played hookey from visiting the library with Zenny and instead we went to Hampton Beach in NH.  I have wanted to go back there for a long time and even more so since Sarah has been gone.  Sarah, Sidney and I spent a lot of time at the beach off season and I have one of my favorite pictures of the 2 of them sitting on one of the breaker stones there. 




Sidney and Sarah NH September 1999

 

Sidney and Lucy NH Oct 2010



I tried to find the same rock and do some pictures.  Not sure if I did, we are going to go back with this picture and look again.



Sidney and Lucy NH Oct 2010



positively,.............

I will continue my positive outlook as I head back to the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow with Pip.  On the same day that I received word that the cyst removed from Pip's wrist was benign and that surgery for her rear does not need to be considered unless she was lame,.... I came home in the afternoon to find Pip limping badly, not putting weight on her right rear and when resting it only on her toes/nails.  She was fine in the AM, had spent a good part of the day in the outside kennel with Sidney where they sleep the day away enjoying the sunshine.  So, perhaps it was just time, don't know.  As of today, Sunday, she puts some weight on it but it is swung way out and she is hitching it up when she walks.  Lots of quick head turns back to her leg like "what up with this?".  Was able to get a 10:30 appt with the surgeon and we will go from there.  Cancelled my crown work for this,    not sure which is worse.

Still walking when she wants and wagging her tail all the time, gotta love her.  Perhaps she missed all the TLC we were giving her with the wrist rehab and figures this is the way to get it back.  Clever girl!

quality time,...and Pip Update!

This week was a little quality time for Miss Sidney.  I notice that she is at her age in much better shape then Sarah was at the same (she will be 12 in March).  Now that things have calmed down here its time to make sure everyone gets there 2 cents worth and to keep her moving and active! 

Headed to Bolton Notch with Sidney in tow for some quality hiking.  She's a great hiker because she is not a big wander!

It was pretty wet and that means the off trails would be slippery so I stayed with the Rails to Trails piece.  We had a nice walk, got in some good exercise and Sidney was a happy girl! 

On the Pip front, we went to our first visit back to PT Debbie yesterday since her wrist surgery.  Deb said she felt that the knee was better.  I'm guessing because she was such restricted walking because of the wrist surgery.  And, she was actually able to do a 1/2 mile on the water treadmill correctly.  We tried it this time with me out of the picture - and she did much better - or perhaps in general she is feeling better.  I know she got a nice bit of exercise because she slept in the car for a bit on the way home and she NEVER sleeps in the car. 

Cone head no more,................

For the most part our house is back to normal.  We got the okay to let Pip be "cone head free" and she is pretty much back to the run of the house.  The exception to that is we are not letting her run around in the backyard as of yet so outside activies are monitored.  Miss Lucy would very much like to run and body slam her and I'm pretty sure that won't go over well.  You can tell she still favors the wrist at times and is still licking it off and on.  She has a couple of "sores" from so much licking but they appear to be healing - or I just can't see them as much because the fur is growing back. 

The last week was spent with the modified cone courtesy of hubby Al.  The original cone was not keeping her from really going to town on the foot so Al was able to re-engineer it (something that engineers do best) and it cut down considerably on what she could reach.  Thanks for Glad Plastic containers! Check it out,.... I'm sending pictures to our vet also, she was very impressed!  Oh, and thank you Duc Tape makers,...