IT'S BEEN A HARD DAYS NIGHT

FORGIVE me for not updating you sooner.  The title says it all....."It's Been a Hard Days Night"  I have enclosed 3 pictures of Luke.  He was taken into surgery after testing his chest and heart. He had a ventricle problem and his heart beat was 180 beats per minute.  His temperature was 104.8 and his grapefruit sized mass had to be drained.

The Vet couldn't give him general anesthesia because of his heart, so he did it under a local. The Vet said he was perfecly still. He  got 3 cups of pus out of him. It is an unusual bacterial infection and we still haven't gotten all the results back yet. He is on 2 antibiotics and seems to be responding.

The first picture was taken on Friday. You can see the drain (rubber) in his upper part of his back leg. The swelling and draining had gone down a whole lot by the time I took the picture.

There were several sleepless night and I found myself singing, "I'm Walkin' the Floor Over You" We walked outside and we walked inside. He would try to get up and struggle and his heart was racing. He had to wear one of those Elizabethan collars so he wouldn't pull the drain out. I layed down with him, petted him, rubbed his back and still he didn't want to rest.  (I think he was afraid, but at least he was at home)  It was like that for almost 2 days and then he slowly started getting better. He ate his food yesterday and that was a good sign. Ok, so I put some home made chicken noodle soup in there.

Doc removed his drain yesterday and it still oozes out a little, but it is not pus.  He still has trouble getting up and down and the kitchen wooden floor must be like skating on ice to him. He avoids it. I wondered why until I went it there with socks on and slid across the floor screaming like one of the Three Stooges.

Yesterday our grandson Patrick (9 yrs old) came over and he helped me walk Luke. He handled him very well and praised him with almost every step. I bought a pet ramp so Luke can get up and down steps easier.  Now he is an old dog, so could I teach him a new trick?  Doc gave up right away; leaving Patrick and I to teach him. I put the ramp on our porch so he would only have to manage one step. After 15 minutes we had him trained.  Today I put the ramp to the car.  It was too steep for him in the back, so I slid the side door of the van open and he hesitated, but then he did it.   Enough work for the day.  I was shvitzing and drained.  Judi Heartsong suggested that I put some chicken livers on the ramp to get him to walk up there. I told her that if they were FRIED, that even I would learn a new trick.  It's a great idea; maybe for both of us?

Tomorrow is another day and The Wonder Dog is the BEST.  Thanks to all who sent emails and included Luke in their prayers. I know who you are!

ANIMALS RULE!!!!   ROCK ON....... AND by the way, I finally got a shower and washed my hair yesterday.  

Tags: Luke The Wonder Dog