We had another update today and they're still using the word "fine". Luther is apparently struggling a little with working out how to stand, balance and walk, but the duty vet said that not only do front amputees tend to take longer to adapt, but we also need to remember that he's 52kg!

They are taking him out four times a day so that's good and he continues to go to the toilet fine and is eating. She said that they're spoiling him a bit and feeding him by hand! I can see now the face and big brown eyes that would melt their hearts! His wound is healing well and not showing any signs of infection and he appears to be comfortable in himself.

I have to keep telling myself that the op was only three days ago and the first 24 hours were a wipe out because he was so drugged up so he's only been trying to adapt for two days. I didn't expect him to adjust any quicker than he is doing, but I guess you always hope that you'll hear them say how brilliantly he's doing and how he's amazing them. They are not surprised or worried and she said that he won't wake up one day and suddenly get it. It's going to be little by little.

I remind myself that however long this takes, he's in a much better place than he was even four days ago because although he's not home with us and he's having to learn how to walk again, he's pain free so that in itself must be such relief for him.

I just miss him so much and am really struggling at the moment. I'm willing him on with everything I have, but I'm now going through all of those fears about what if he's one of the very few dogs that doesn't adapt.

Oh to go to sleep and wake up in a couple of weeks and miss out on this horrible emotional rollercoaster.

The practise where he is has 24/7 care and the facilities are just amazing. The kennels are glass, there's not a metal bar in sight and each one has it's own TV to give the dogs some company and distraction!

Luther is an incredibly laid back dog by nature. He was a slow lumbering bear even on four legs so I'm sure that will also have an impact on how quickly he gets his head around this. Our other rottie is a loon running on about 6,000 revs constantly so if it were her, we'd be trying to calm her down! Part of me wishes that I'd not watched so many YouTube videos on rotties walking about 1, 2 or 3 days post op having adapted so well.

Thank you, it's always reassuring to know people out there understand.

Another update from a few minutes ago and he's taken a couple of steps with his hind legs unaided, which is just amazing.  He still needs a lot of help at the front, but up to today, he's had to have a lot of help both ends so a couple of steps just one end is awesome.

He's not on any pain killers, just anti-inflammatories and is very comfortable.  

Our surgeon works there on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so we know Luther will stay in at least until Wednesday when Tim can assess him for himself, which is fine.  As much as we desperately miss him, we want him to remain with them for as long as it helps him.

This morning I ran my first ever 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) and every time I struggled, I thought of Bear and what he was going through and was willing him to do something brilliant today and he has.

I would love to add some photos, but I don't know how to!

Haha, you stay on your soap box benny55!  I was a little surprised as well because I really thought he would be on some kind of pain relief, but I have to trust them, he's with them 24/7 and they are watching him like a hawk so if they say he's comfortable, I need to believe them. 

You're so right about dogs being stoic - when I think back to how much pain he must have been in and he didn't give us the tiniest indication, I feel sick with guilt, but I also know that he won't remember that so I need to get over it and move on.

I keep asking how he seems in himself and he's not showing any signs of depression or discomfort so my big boy must be doing well.

xxx

Yay, they worked!

I've had another update today and after some discussions it looks like we're going to bring Luther home tomorrow.  Unfortunately it's not because they think he's ready, it's because he's not made much improvement from yesterday (where he'd progressed from a couple of hind leg steps unaided on Sunday to 5 full steps unaided yesterday) and they feel that he's getting down in kennels, which isn't helping his motivation.  So, we're going to get him after his surgeon has given him the once over and just hope and pray that being back with us gives him the boost he needs.

He'll come home with a harness for the front and we have a lovely soft sheepskin sling to help him around the back.  He will be able to get from the front of the house where his bed is to the back (where the garden is) without stepping foot off carpet so that should be fine.  My only slight worry is that he'll need to go down 3 steps from the patio to get onto the grass.  We do have a ramp, which he is used to using in and out of the car and it's got a good grip on it, but I don't know if he's strong enough or stable enough to try that yet or whether we would be better just lifting him up and down.  The only thing with that is, we would always need the two of us so if say I'm home on my own and I want to get him up for some exercise, if he won't use the ramp, I have no way of getting him onto the grass.  I will speak to the vets about this for their advice as well.

I'm scared, excited, worried and nervous.  I'm pinning so much on his progress being slow because he's just not happy in the environment that if he doesn't make improvements at home, it's going to break my heart.  I know I'm worrying about things that haven't happened yet, but it's hard not to.

The surgeon had a think about hydrotherapy, which they recommend after the stitches are out, and decided that he would rather wait until the stitches are out because he doesn't want to impact the wound, which is understandable.  I did also double check about the pain killer thing and he is on anti-inflammatories so he is receiving pain relief in that form.  They can do a lot of poking and prodding around the limb and wound and he's completely comfortable with that.  They changed the flavor of the food they were giving him on my suggestion yesterday when the duty vet told me that he wasn't too keen on eating and he seems a bit happier on the fish, but again, I'm hoping that once he's home and back on his usual food, he'll get better.  I guess that he's doing so little exercise, his need for food would be less than normal and besides, we don't want him putting any weight on whilst he's trying to adjust to this new 3-legged life.

This is every bit as hard as I thought it would be.  xxx