So much has changed since my last post. I graduated from UMass in 2009 and started a post doc at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Since moving here, we bought a house! It is sometimes scary being a homeowner. We also have and enjoy two Pudelpointers. They are great companions!
Recently Ashlyn, our one year old Pudelpointer, decided to tear her cranial cruciate (similar to the ACL in humans). The soft cast is absolutley huge!! The surgery she had done is called the TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement). I hope to post the x-rays of what she had done soon. The biggest challenge is to keep her quiet and stave off her boredom. I have been reading about other dogs that have had this operation and what the owners have done to help with keeping the dogs minds occupied. I might try this once the cast is off (3 more days) and we remove her Fentanyl patch. It is difficult for me to see her so quiet. She is usually such an active young dog. This was a very costly surgery, but absolutely necessary. Yeah, we may be eating meals of just beans and rice for a while, but we love her too much. If we did not do the surgery, she would be in pain the rest of her life and become very arthritic. I cannot wait until she is fully recovered. She is going to be a great agility dog (I think anyway)!
I think I will use this blog to keep people up to date on her recovery. I hope it helps others that may be in a similar situation.
