Author: Patches' Dad
The Baby Dog is Home
Patches was discharged at 10:30am. I did my best to be a strong pack leader. It was inherently distressing and needlessly challenging journey through the output system and back across the external boundary, but he is home.
He immediately drank an entire bowl of water…
…and rested a bit.
He’s eaten a pound of elk, taken a brief lie-down outside on his cot, and is now resting in the family room.
I can barely form a coherent sentence at this point — and now must drive back to the surgical center to get all our belongings back — so… more updates later.
Amputation Eve
A month – to the day – from that awful initial emergency vet experience and the day after International Dog Day…
After four weeks of turmoil, sincerest snuggles, distressing veterinary encounters and reports, compassion cuddles, tears, moral flowcharts, repetitive x-rays, ethical decision trees, fungal analysis, elk patties, ultrasound, rotisserie chickens, CT scan and fine needle aspirate under general anesthesia, filet mignon, Dog Cancer Survival Guide, ribeye steak, fungal analysis, bison burgers, struggling to use a ramp in/out of the Jeep, “last walks,” covering the downstairs tile with gym matting, DogTV on YouTube, sleeping on the floor-air-mattress-couch, relocation of my work-life, scheduling chaos, resurrecting late-1980s razor blade skills to divide gabapentin capsule powder, a weekend cabin getaway, gradual quality of life decline, estimate for tripawd accessible landscaping of our backyard (US$2.8k), and upwards of US$7k in veterinary expenses (so far)…
Tomorrow is to see the surgical amputation of Patches’ left forelimb and, we hope beyond all else, his successful recovery and freedom from this awful pain.
Staging
Ground-Floor OSA Life
