Extra treats for Jack!!Oh, and let us know when he has his first poop! Yeah, we celebrate anything around here!!!

That made me smile! I was wondering if I should call the vet because he hadn't yet. But after seeing him try to lift his hind leg to mark the "Message Tree" as we call it in the front yard and see him fall I am hoping he is just not ready or no need yet.  (It is called the Message Tree because we say that is where all the neighborhood dogs leave messages for Jack and Royale. 

He went up our carpeted steps great last night, that was a relief. He woke me up once last night with yelp and crying. He couldn't turn over. That broke my heart. I helped him and he went back to sleep until when he normally gets up for his first potty break. Then the wimpering started every time he moved at all. I am learning his different cries, this was unfortunately the pain cry. It was right at the 8 hour mark so I am assuming the pain meds were wearing off for him. He had to come down then steps, very slow and cautious but he did it. I was so proud of him. He ate about 3/4 of his food at dinner and breakfast. He is still on a wet meaty puppy food until I can leave and go buy him his own roasts to keep for his meals. 

I am not sure if he needs an ice pack on the area or what to do for him right now. Because it is still wrapped (we will change it around 4 today) I don't know if there is swelling. He is crying and has quick short breaths with each wimper. This has started as I have been typing. I am on the ground with him, and rubbing his head but each time i remove my hand he starts again. I keep kissing his head, he does not have a fever that I can tell. Each time before when I kissed him and he felt warm he did have a temperature. My lips seem to know his normal very well. 

I feel helpless for him but I am holding up better than I thought I would. I keep giving him positive praise and encouraging words. We hold hands and I am trying to be strong in front of his eyes. I know when I bring my Lab home to see her brother it will be a positive thing for him too. They do not do well apart. But for him right now I don't want her hyper nature and loud barks to startle him. I had to turn the sound off the home security system too as that was startling him as well. 

So happy to have you all. 

Well, it has been a couple days since I was on. It has been a "ruff" couple days. I talked to his vet, he told me no to ice and heat. He also said I could double his tramadol and give it at 4-6 hours and could give him gabapentin if needed. I could not help him get comfortable for anything. He refused to eat dinner, but with lunch meat he took his meds and we eventually got him coaxed to go outside. HE POOPED! I was so excited for him. More importantly, besides the obvious signs of early dehydration it was completely normal looking. SO after that we headed up to bed. He went up on his own at a slow but almost normal speed. That was relief for me. There was of course a lot of crying through the night, especially when he wedged himself between his bed and under ours. If that sounds doesn't scare you out of a sleep quickly, nothing will. 

Then Sunday morning he seemed to have a little light and sparkle back in his eyes. We started to the steps. I was 1 step ahead of him walking down backwards with him and he took his first step and his leg slide out. I caught him but that was after sliding and stretching 2 steps. WOW! Talk about guilt, agony and tears...all mine. I screamed for help from my husband and he came and scooped him up for me and carried him down. That is the end of steps for a few days! 
His ribs are now bruised, he would not barely get up to do anything yesterday. He refused to eat, no lunch meat, no hot dogs, no wet food, nothing. We changed his bandage out and there was more blood in 1 day that there was in the 2 full days prior, which included the morning after the surgery. I was in a panic, but my husband reminded me the vet said we would have no doubt if there was bleeding issue. I don't doubt the fall probably increased his bloody discharge as it came through his bandage. So we cleaned him up and put on green wrap for him to support our Green Bay Packers. After that was done, he barely moved again. His eyes changed, they were cloudy, he was obviously working hard to even keep them open when we were talking to him. He was dropping his ice cubes from his mouth. I was so scared I was going to lose him yesterday. I didn't want to go to sleep.

He also had been licking his body a lot. He was causing his own hot spots. He can't get to the incision but his other front leg, the top of his chest and his IV site he was going crazy on. I put his collar on. That did not bring good results either. He kept hitting it, catching it and who knows what else but all you heard was yelps. He got stuck on the couch and fell this morning. I could not get to him quick enough from the kitchen. I ripped the collar off and noticed his other leg was wedged under the couch when he fell. Again, GUILT. I put the collar on him and now this. I can't seem to do much right for him right now it seems. I know it is all in my head and I am doing the best I can but man do I keep noticing my emotions are in check except guilt. 

A friend suggested the Suitical Recovery Suit or Surgi Snuggy. Has anyone tried one of these? He has his incision covered so I am not too concerned about the fabric rubbing it. And I as much as I know I need to I can't bring myself to put the collar back on after his fall this morning. 

The suggestions are great. Our main floor only has the living rooms, dining room, kitchen and breakfast nook and that is where Jack stays from 6am-9pm. If my husband is going to be gone on business I will be sleeping on the couch with him. I can not carry him up that many steps. He is just too tall and long for me. The weight is easy, but I am short and I see that being an issue. I will go by Petco and get him what you suggested. It can't hurt. The items I wrote about are ultimately shirts with hind leg and tail holes that secure under the head on the front of the chest. It covers their torso to prevent the licking, keeping them warm and help resist rubbing from harnesses (not that he is even close to needing that yet).  She was the first friend I have ever heard of using it. But she used it for a surgery on her large dogs side to help cover a 6" horizontal incision. She had bought both and liked them both so could not suggest 1 over the other. 

Please keep the advice, suggestions and words of sanity flowing. I am trying to figure out how to upload a picture of him but can't figure that out yet. 
Happy at the moment, he is comfortably sleeping and appears to be chasing a squirrel  vs being delirious, success for the moment and a happy moment! I love seeing his legs move that fast even if he is asleep