March 2009, 6 weeks post-op

This afternoon, Winston was sleeping at my feet and I noticed that the "middle incision" with the pesky blue stitch was inflamed. It was slightly swollen and reddish. It looked like lips with lipstick and just jumped out at me. I called AMVS immediately and they told me to bring him in.

When I got there, the doctor gave a tug on the stitch and it came out along with some "gore". He explained that Winston was reacting to the stitch rather than absorbing it like most dogs do. This didn't shock me since one of my friends who recently had surgery had the same problem. Since where the stitch came out was a little messy, they decided to shave it and "clean it up" before we went home. I kept him indoors for the rest of the day, and after that I put a large (knee) bandage over it whenever we went out until it healed totally over in a few days.

Feb,March 2009: 3-5 weeks post-op

Winston has progressed normally up to this point. We increased our walks 5 minutes per walk (3-4 walks per day) each week as scheduled. So at week 3 we were walking 10 minutes per walk and at week 4, 15 minutes per walk, week 5, 20 minutes per walk. This time, we never had to take a step back like we did last time. I think it was because his left leg was well on it's way to healing, and the right leg was now the bad leg, and it was steadily healing he was able to just move forward.

We took the exercise pen down and Winston spends most of his time on one of the dog beds or a couch. He's allowed on the couch because he's so tall that he can just step on and off of it as a lateral move rather than a jump. We have a baby gate across the bedroom door because he can walk onto the bed but he has to jump off of it. We also have a baby gate across the stairway so that he can only go up or down the stairs on a leash.

We didn't go to the physical therapist for this surgery since I still had all the notes from the first visits, and we were still doing the exercises and massages. Winston didn't fit into the underwater treadmill, and I really hated to make him go up and down the ramp into and out of the car if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

That blue stitch is still there! I have occasionally given it a slight tug, but it doesn't want to flake off.

Feb 2009: 2 weeks post-op

Winston's staples were removed this week and while I was there, asked again about that pesky blue stitch that's still visible. They looked at it and said that it should flake off soon. They think that everything looks good and that he's using his leg well.

We started walking again (5 minutes per walk 3-5 times a day). Winston is happy to get off the property again for the first time in 2 weeks.

February 13, 2009: What a big dog!

I'm so used to being around Winston that I tend to think of him as "normal."  It's only occasionally that I'll see a picture or drive by and see him in the yard next to something else that gives me some perspective on his size that I say, "Wow -- that is a BIG dog!"  This picture was one of those moments and I thought I'd share.

Feb 2009: 1 week post-op

Winston is progressing well, just like last time. The bone in his left leg has fully healed, so the only thing slowing him down is his right leg. After a week he's using his leg well enough to (with support) go up and down the stairs again, so we moved his exercise pen up into the dining room so that he could be with us.

I'm doing the range-of-motion exercises and he's got full range of motion with this leg too.