Patton's Odyssey

Hope all are doing well

2008-02-27T20:41:00.002-06:00

Patton loves the snow
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Sorry for the long dry spell on posting. Life just gets so hectic.

I have received many responses from folks regarding this blog on how it has helped them with their own dogs. I am so glad that I have been able to help. It is such a scary time and I know when I started on this little odyssey there were only medical sites to go to that weren't all that helpful. Ok, so I know what the surgery is, but what does it all mean as far as recovery, and the future for my dog. So if I have made things easier, I am so happy. And if you are just starting on this adventure, it really does get better and quickly.

Patton has spent the winter tearing around the snow and climbing the snow banks around the house(thanks to the 80+inches of snow this winter). You would honestly never know he had two hip surgeries last winter. (Glad it was last winter and not this. Way too much snow)

Patton and I would like to give a belated Happy Birthday to Dewey! I am so glad to hear you are doing so well. Many more years of chasing bunnies and birds for you!

Patton plays in the snow V.2007

2007-12-06T11:41:00.001-06:00

Patton plays in the snow 2007
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Winter has arrived once again to Wisconsin and Patton gets to enjoy two of his favorite things outside. Eating snow/ice chunks and chasing tennis balls. With temperatures in the 20's and lower, his tennis balls have become big ice balls which is fine with him. Two for the price of one.

With the anniversary of his first surgery fast approaching(Dec 9th), it was great to watch him run around like a nut in the snow since he was unable to last year. Yes, what a difference a year makes.

One Year Ago...

2007-11-28T08:50:00.001-06:00

patton bathtime
Originally uploaded by sufras.

As Thanksgiving approached this past week, the stark reminder of where we were a year ago came to mind. It is hard to imagine that our odyssey began then. It seems like a lifetime ago now. All the fear and unknowing of what kind of life my 7 month old puppy would have in the future. Would he be able to run with us, hike in the woods, and well, just be a dog?

One of the many things I gave thanks for this past Thanksgiving was, "Yes, my dog is going to be ok " and there are many that I owe a huge thanks to. I know I have done this in the past, but as I watched him run around the yard on Thanksgiving I thought of everyone who took part in making his life what it is now. If you were to see Patton today you would never in a million years know what he has been through. He tears around the yard like a demon in search of squirrels and rabbits, and the occasional bird that flies too close. He will chase tennis balls until his tongue drags on the ground and he passes out from exhaustion. Yup he is just another goofy Golden Retriever/lab. Lovable and mischievous.

As the one year anniversary of his first surgery approaches I want to give thanks to all those that made Patton's life what it should be. Dr. Gooch at the Animal Health Center for always taking care of the "golden child" from the day we brought him home to the many years to come. As well as everyone else there for taking such good care of him. I have never had a dog that LOVES to go to the vet/kennel. He loves his visits with you guys.

Thanks to everyone at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for taking such great care of Patton while he was staying with you. The phone calls before and after surgeries to keep us posted on how he was doing were great and made a scary situation a lot more bearable. You guys are the best. A HUGE thanks to Drs. Manley and Schaefer for doing such a great job on Patton's TPOs. And last but certainly not least, Courtney Arnoldy, Patton's physical therapist who got him moving again. Our family thanks all of you for doing what you do.

About the picture of Patton you see, this was taken after a week of camping this past summer. After swimming in lakes, rivers and rolling around in dirt for a week he definitely needed a bath. He wasn't too happy with me, but if you notice how brown the water is, a certain necessity

From our family to everyone, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Patton at Lake Superior, Duluth Minn.

2007-09-29T20:06:00.001-06:00

Patton at Lake Superior, Deluth Minn.
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton enjoying two of his favorite things, playing fetch with a stick and swimming. Could it get any better for a dog?

Hope all had a great summer

2007-09-29T17:40:00.000-06:00

I am sorry that I have not been keeping up with Patton's blog this summer, been very busy between work and, well, playing with Patton.

So what has Patton been up to.... A lot of camping for one thing. Somehow a quest of sorts started for Patton. How many different bodies of water could he enjoy this summer. He hit quite a few, from Lake Superior to the Wisconsin River. I think he enjoyed Lake Superior the most, deep enough for him to actually swim in. The only river he really wanted to get in that he couldn't was the mighty Mississippi. We could not find a good access point for him.

He has also enjoyed playing fetch with his toys this summer. We bought a "Chuckit" for him(enables you to pick up and throw tennis balls instead of picking up wet yucky tennis balls with your hands). He will chase tennis balls and bring them to you for hours. A nice way to wear out a dog I do say. Eventually he gives up and heads for the back door as if saying he surrenders. After all he has been through watching him bound after tennis balls like nothing happened is a GREAT feeling.

Recently, he has also discovered that he can turn on the water himself in the bathtub. One night while folding laundry upstairs I heard the water running and thought one of my sons had turned it on for him.(We do this frequently otherwise he paws at the tub until we do) As I walked into the bathroom I noticed my bath scrunchie was shredded a little. I asked my son why he had let him do that he said that he hadn't been in the bathroom and he thought that I had turned on the water for Patton. Apparently, Patton found if he pulled the scrunchie hard enough he could turn the water on. I think I have to find a new hanging place in the shower..

Patton playing in his pool

2007-07-12T21:32:00.001-06:00

Patton playing in his pool
Originally uploaded by sufras.

So it was really, really hot outside a while back and my youngest son insisted that Patton needed a pool. So the "golden" child has his own personal swimming pool. He LOVES his pool. First place he heads when it is filled, he doesn't lay in it, or sit in it....He stands in it. He will play fetch with you and get whatever you throw, but it will end up in the pool before he gives it to you. When it is upside down(when not in use) and is filled with some rain...that's ok, he's stand on the pool in the collected rain water.

Patton and his tennis ball
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton was playing with a puppy friend of his, a chocolate lab puppy, and they would chase each other around the yard. Patton would grab the ball from Max and promptly run and stand in Max's pool. Now Max will swim in a lake, but wants nothing to do with his pool. So Patton would take the balls into the pool and play keep away from Max. Quite humorous I might add. That and them chasing each other around a camper and Patton deciding that chasing Max is nuts and turns around and meets Max head on in order to take the ball that way. Ah the advantages of being older and wiser.

Patton takes a bath

2007-06-24T20:15:00.001-06:00

Patton takes a bath
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Ever since Patton's physical therapy sessions and his swim in a lake, he can't seem to get enough water. One night while I was upstairs folding laundry I heard him scratching on something. When I went to find him, he was no where to be found until I finally checked the bathroom and lo and behold, he was in the tub scratching on the tub. I turned the water on and he stayed in there for about half an hour splashing around.

So now it is routine, as soon as I go up stairs he heads for the tub and waits for me to turn on the water. Some days he just drinks from the spigot, other times he splashes around. But it is definitely HIS tub now.

Patton has a seat

2007-06-21T07:11:00.001-06:00

Patton has a seat
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Amazingly enough, he knows he is not allowed up on the furniture at home. Camping? It's all fair game.

R.I.P. Reggie

2007-06-19T07:51:00.001-06:00

Reggie
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Yesterday a good friend was lost. Reggie was a rescue dog that my parents got when we he was barely a year old. The dog had been starved and isolated as a puppy. My parents adopted him and gave him a grand life. He had many issues like any rescue dog but my parents persevered and he became a loyal and good friend. He will be sorely missed by all.

Rest in peace.

Patton goes birding

2007-05-31T20:45:00.000-06:00

Yes, Patton is doing pretty well after all he has been through. This afternoon while he was outside with my oldest son, he decided to go birding. My son saw the bird the same time as Patton did, unfortunately, the dog is faster then the boy. In record time Patton had his mouth wrapped around what he thought was dinner. Somehow my son managed to convince Patton to drop his snack and brought Patton in the house. My son went out to check on the bird and found it was quite alive and asked me what he should do. I told him it depended how much damage Patton had done to it. He replied it was flapping it wings like mad when he approached. I said let it be and we will keep an eye on the bird. Later on I went out to check on the bird and it had left our sandbox and moved to our neighbors yard. I could see that yes Patton had pretty much done the bird in, but it was a fighter and it was doing its best to go where ever it felt it needed to be. Its right wing was pretty much toast, checking later in the evening I could not find the bird anywhere.

What did Patton catch you ask? A Downy Woodpecker, I believe. Spotted wings and all.

Patton goes Swimming

2007-05-09T13:12:00.001-06:00

Patton goes Swimming
Originally uploaded by sufras.

This past weekend Patton went on an adventure. Camping!! He hasn't been camping since he was about 5 months old. It was cold and snowy, so he didn't get to enjoy all that camping entails. He made up for it this weekend.

Patton went on a few hikes through the woods. Each no more then 2 miles but a lot of very steep hills to help strengthen his hips. He did great. He enjoyed all the smells to be had from the deer to the horse tracks he had to follow. And any other critter that happened along the trail previously. He truly loved these walks. Tongue hanging to the ground, tail wagging and pulling us along to go further faster.

I think, though, Patton's favorite time was when we walked down to the dog beach. The only "swimming" Patton has ever done was with Courtney in physical therapy so we weren't sure how he would react to a lake. He had the place to himself except a few fisherman in canoes a few yards out. (They must have loved us) We left him on his lead since we weren't sure how he would handle all this. He approached the waters edge and thought, "Hey! Another big water bowl just for me!!" and proceeded to take a drink. Since Patton loves sticks we figured let's throw one in and see what he does, not too far out but far enough that he would be in the water. A toss of the stick, Patton's eyes glazed, and ran for the stick. I don't think he realized that the stick was IN water until he landed with a big sploosh. (He likes to pounce on them) With a grab of the stick and a quick bolt out of the water, "What in the world was THAT?" he seemed to look at us questioningly.

We threw in another stick, a little more tentative this time as he went in after it. And that was all it took. By the time we left, he was soaked from head to toe. It was a very windy day thankfully and he was almost dry when we got back to the campsite. He slept very well that night indeed.

Happy Birthday, Patton!

2007-04-28T18:30:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Patton!!!! Today Patton is a whopping 1 years old! And what a first year it has been for him. One year ago today, Patton entered the world with his 5 brothers and 6 sisters at the Watertown Humane Society in Watertown, WI. Six months later, his Bi-lateral Triple Pelvic Osteotomy that he came through with flying colors. An awful lot for a puppy to have to go through. I have noticed though that he still has some scabbing under his right leg from the one incision that I will have to keep an eye on.

On his 1st birthday, Patton is doing great. He spent the day doing the things he loves best. Finding things to get into, everything from potholders to nail clippers and growling at folks as they pass by the front of our house. For his birthday he got a few cow hooves, a rawhide twist chew(which he is afraid of, pretty humorous to watch him play with) and a flying squirrel(a Frisbee for dogs that is square shaped) since he can now run.

I see it has been a while since I have posted so let me catch you up on all things Patton. He has been set loose by the VMTH and he is still progressing nicely. Our walks are currently up to about 6 blocks, when my legs can handle it and the heat doesn't beat him down. My oldest son also takes Patton on about a 2 block jog when he is able to. (My son is also in physical therapy for his heels and is on the mend for track. So the running is good for both of them) Our neighbor has a fenced in backyard and with the loss of their dog over Christmas has been extremely generous in allowing us to play with Patton in their yard. (Our's is not fenced and we need to train him with the electric fence that we do have) He loves it! He enjoys playing ball, both soccer and fetch, and he loves playing with his new flying squirrel. He still has a love for sticks and is a big help in picking up sticks from our lawn, sometimes he even lets you add them to the log pile.

If you were to see Patton at play you would never imagine all that he has been through. His gate is beautiful and no hitch when he runs. He is getting stronger everyday. The only hint of his surgeries is his funny looking coat. It has mostly grown back in but there is an obvious difference between his left and right sides and then from front to back in the length of his coat. The upcoming weekend he goes on his first hike as we go camping. The hill climbing will be good for him but we will have to keep an eye on him and not push him too hard. But I know he will have a ball.

Happy Birthday, Patty! Many more too come!

Patton's Graduation

2007-04-06T11:23:00.001-06:00

Pattonsideview
Originally uploaded by sufras.

A week ago, Patton had his final physical therapy session. Yes, I said FINAL. Courtney was quite impressed with the progress he has made and with the results of his X-rays the week before, she felt that his was well on his way.

His final session saw Patton on the treadmill by himself. He couldn't wait to go in and then he wouldn't come out! He kept trying to go back in after we dried him off. His stride has definitely improved as has his gate. Just for a comparison, when he started he was walking at a pace of .5 mph for a mere 4 minutes. Last Thursday, 1.5 mph for almost 12 minutes. His muscle mass has continued to improve so it was time for his graduation. Once he was out of the tank and relatively dry, Dr. Manley (the surgeon that did his left hip) stopped by for a visit and also seemed pleased with his recovery.

It is hard to imagine that this Odyssey started 5 months ago. It is far from finished. We are still working on building muscle mass and increasing his stamina. The hills at Lapham Peak are in the near future. So I will continue with this blog for as long as possible. Keep all of you up to date on his progress, adventures and any problems that should arrive due to the procedures. Fingers crossed there won't be any setbacks.

The picture to the left is one of his final X-rays, a side view. The bone is healing nicely around the screws and the hips are sitting well. And the best news is, if you watch him play....you would never know any of this was done.

Now if there was just a surgery to get him to stop stealing things......

Patton's Final X-rays.....hopefully

2007-03-25T21:20:00.001-06:00

Patton's Final Xrays.....hopefully
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton made, hopefully, his final trip to VMTH Orthopedics this past Wednesday. Shown are his x-rays from that day. Dr. Schaefer proclaimed him "98% healed". Best thing I have heard in months. Everything looks good and we got the green light to ramp up his activity...slowly.

These x-rays are a little different from the last ones because Patton was his usual co-operative self, and even sedated he was a wiggle worm and refused to straighten his legs out. But the bone has healed around the screws and that is what counts. While he was sedated, Courtney checked his passive range of motion because once again he is so co-operative with that during his therapy sessions. The good word....out of 165 degrees for range of motion, Patton came in at 150 for both hips. Absolutely great news! We still have to take it slow until he is back to "normal".

So, he goes back to visit Courtney this Thursday and I am sure some new activities will be added to his physical therapy exercises at home. I know he is happy to be on the move again. With the beautiful weather this weekend he and I went for an hour walk, with plenty of rest about half way through. He was totally exhausted when we came home but he later showed no signs of soreness.

I want to thank everyone at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Especially the Orthopedics Dept, Dr. Manley, Dr. Schaefer, Dr. Colopy, Wendy and Leo for taking such great care of Patton and getting him on the move again. For always keeping us informed while he was staying with you. And to all the people that took care of him that I don't know about....a big thanks as well. Everyone that I came in contact with was wonderful and made what seemed like a horrible experience into a smooth ride. He is doing wonderful.

And though we are still working with Courtney there....a big thanks to you as well for being so patient with a fruit loopy dog. See you on Thursday.

Patton Enjoys The Snow

2007-03-20T15:51:00.001-06:00

A video of Patton playing in the snow days prior to his second operation.

Continued Workouts

2007-03-17T06:26:00.000-06:00

Patton had his third rehab this past week with Courtney. She was quite pleased with how far he has come. When we started rehab he was placing most of his weight on his front legs and had a short stinted gait with his hind legs close together. He is now more symmetrical with his weight distribution more or less equal from front to back(he bears more weight still on his left hind leg but we're working on that) and his stance has spread in the back. New measurements were taken of his thighs, when we started he had a 5 cm difference between his left and right, now it is only 3 cm. So he is gaining muscle mass in his right leg. All good news.

Our walks at home have increased to 3 blocks so due to this, and him being such a fruit loop(he just wants to play at rehab), it was decided that we would put him in the tank for most of his workout BUT a weight was added to his right leg. He did great, 9 minutes of underwater treadmill. So we will continue to strengthen his back legs. I do notice that his gait is getting much better, more dog like.

For now we are going to continue with the same exercises as last week. Patton goes in this Wednesday for his post op X-rays. Depending on how well he has healed will determine our next step in his rehab. If all screws look good and the bone is healed, full restrictions will be lifted and we will get him moving a little faster. I know he is dying to chase a rabbit, bird, or squirrel, or even just play ball again.

Patton and Courtney

2007-03-10T14:13:00.001-06:00

Patton and Courtney
Originally uploaded by sufras.

You have seen pieces of Patton's physical therapist in past photos. Courtney has been great at helping Patton get back in shape and getting him moving again. Just one of the many wonderful people we have come in contact at UW-Madison Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. I know he looks forward to our car rides to Madison(every time I go anywhere now he thinks he should be going too) and seeing everyone there.

Patton's rehab

2007-03-10T14:09:00.001-06:00

Patton's rehab
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Sorry there has been a slight lapse in posting, life gets hectic and unfortunately this has been neglected.

Patton continues to improve. He still fights on his exercises, especially when it comes to his left leg. He will let you do something for maybe 4 seconds and then decide he has had enough. The right side he is more then willing as long as you are massaging him at the same time.

This past Thursday he had his second physical therapy appointment. Some improvement but he still has a long way to go. He is still under restricted activity until X-rays on March 21 when we(fingers crossed) get the all clear that he is healed.

More exercises have been added to strengthen his muscles. The right leg is in worse shape then the left. The trick again with Patton is to trick him into working. We have come up with us laying on the floor and having Patton step over us. He does this already, so should be fairly easy for him. We just have to make sure he doesn't jump over. Another easy exercise is for the boys to lift him up from under his chest so his front legs are slightly off the floor. Again, something that he is use to and will put his full weight on his hind legs. Patton also likes to "punch" you with his front legs, so when he does this we usually grab his leg, this will help shift his weight to the opposite rear leg, again helping with strengthening. This is also being done on a step with his front legs on the step and gently lifting one front leg.

With the weather getting nicer our walks are getting longer. Good for him.......and me.

"Now this is a drinking bowl!"

2007-02-22T22:17:00.001-06:00

"Now this is a drinking bowl!"
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton started his physical therapy at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The same place where he had his surgeries. We talked about how he was doing and watched him move around the room. The physical therapist pointed out some things that she noticed and that we would need to work on. The biggest thing being his lost muscle mass in his hind quarters. Some atrophying has set in, worse in the right leg then the left.

The physical therapist did some measurements on his thighs and then the range of motion he had in his hips. He came in at about 125 degrees and normal is about 165. So we have some work to do. Patton was as helpful as he is at home when she tried his exercises.
So we came up with some that will work on his range of motion without Patton realizing what we are doing and I think that will work.

After going through some strengthening exercises she asked if he liked water, he enjoys baths so why not. So we tried him in an underwater treadmill. Once he got in, he seemed quite at ease. Hence, him laying on the ground and drinking the water as it was filling. We kept trying to convince him that he ought to get up, once it reached his neck he decided that standing might be a good idea. He did quite well once he understood what we wanted him to do. For a 10 month old dog he did great. He walked for about 4 minutes before she drained the water and began to dry him off. (Now how come he doesn't eat her towels when she dries him off?) He was quite tired after all his exercise and as I got him back in his crate in the car to head home, he promptly passed out. I think he earned his nap, he worked hard whether he knows it or not.

Later in the afternoon he was a little stiff and whiny, so I did give him a Tramadol to ease some of the pain. In the water we were getting him to fully extend his hips while walking, something he hasn't done if a few months. So I can imagine those muscles were quite sore, as would ours from inactivity. I think with the exercises we received today and the sessions we have lined up, Patton will be chasing bunnies in no time. And that's a good thing.

The following pictures are of Patton in the treadmill.

"Now what have you gotten me into?"

2007-02-22T21:17:00.001-06:00

"Now what have you gotten me into?"
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton's first day of therapy.

Patton takes a walk?

2007-02-22T21:16:00.003-06:00

Patton takes a walk?
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton's first day of physical therapy.

Patton plays and walks?

2007-02-22T21:16:00.001-06:00

Patton plays and walks?
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton's first day of physical therapy.

Good Days, Bad Days

2007-02-19T16:55:00.000-06:00

I am noticing a few differences from when Patton last had surgery. He most certainly has days that he is his typical rambunctious self, into everything. But there are some days I have noticed that at night he seems to have difficulty getting comfortable. (Not that I could blame him, honestly.) He will lay in his cage and whine for a little, nothing serious but you know he is uncomfortable. We have pushed his walks up to one block and I wonder if that is part of the problem. He has lost some muscle mass in both legs so I can imagine it is like us when we don't use our muscles in a while. Today, I may have pushed him a little too far with adding another block in. It was so nice out ( almost 40, c'mon spring!) I decided that maybe we would try a little longer walk. He never complained or showed signs of overextending himself but when we got home he laid down and I noticed that his right leg was quivering. As I put a moist heat towel on, and gave him some pain medication, it began to ease. And for the next hour or so he would back in to me "asking" for a massage. So after a considerable rub down he seemed much better, wanting to play tug. He goes back to VMTH on Wednesday, I believe he will also see the physical therapist and I will have to see what she thinks. We just may have to take it a little slower then I thought we would.

Valentines Day

2007-02-15T18:56:00.000-06:00

For Valentine's day I decided to get Patton a new toy. I found one that was a stuffed animal with rope arms and legs with cow hooves for feet. He loved it. He loved it so much that he ripped the face off in record time... 3 hours. He promptly removed one hoof within the first hour and it went down hill from there. I'd say he is feeling pretty good.

I have managed to get him to go up and down stairs with me. He is doing quite well but he still prefers his cage at night. He'll also only go upstairs (or down to the basement) when the mood strikes him or if he is afraid that I have vanished on him. You never know when that washing machine might seek revenge.

Patton's first "walk"

2007-02-11T22:06:00.000-06:00

Since he had his staples out we started walking him again, just short walks up and down the street. Tonight, I took him around the block. He was so excited he dragged and pulled me for about half of it. But soon old habits kicked in and he walked next to me with little fight. He did really well but we did notice he seemed a little sore about a half an hour later. A little Rimadyl and rest and all should be good. Got to build his legs back up but slow and steady.

Two Weeks Down

2007-02-11T22:04:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to post this for a few days...technical difficulties were not helping.

Two weeks have passed now since Patton's last surgery. He had his staples removed on Feb 9th. Once again he did great. As long as someone is paying attention to him, do what you want. Our other dog had to be muzzled just for exams, not this one..."love me and I will do what you want". It amazes me that he is still so willing to go to the doctors after everything he has been through. He sees it as another chance to see lots of people (and dogs) who will make a fuss over him. The ham. No wonder our nickname for him is "Lovesponge". He seems to never get enough and he gives back just as much as he gets.

We tried letting him sleep upstairs the other night since his staples were removed and he no longer needs to wear an e-collar. He was so excited to get upstairs that he took off for the steps before I could help him. He managed to get up about 5 steps before his back legs gave out. Much to my dismay, he began falling back down the steps. By this time, I was right behind him and was able to gently(though not gracefully) help him slide back down the steps. When he finally settled at the bottom of the steps he looked at me like "What the heck just happened?". I got him back on his feet and he made a bee line for his cage. After some coaxing and the use of his leash, I managed to get him out of the cage and to the foot of the steps. As he looked at me questioningly("Are you nuts, lady?"), my oldest son and I got him upstairs. Patton was thrilled. He has not been upstairs since the beginning of December.

The next morning concerned me, getting him down the stairs would be another issue. I had put the gate up across the upstairs just in case he had grand ideas of heading down on his own. I also brought up his leash and sling to help me get him down a little more gracefully. In the morning, as I got out of the shower, woke my boys and let Patton out of my room. He picked up right where he left off in December. Finding the boys dirty laundry(he is particular to socks) and bringing them to me. He was in doggy heaven. Once he had completed his "job", we headed downstairs. I was glad I had him on the leash and used the sling. His back legs are quite weak after the surgeries and I think he would have tumbled down the stairs if I didn't have his back end. I know he was happy to sleep with us upstairs but last night when it was time for bed I called him to come up with me and he headed straight for his cage. No amount of coaxing could budge him. He wouldn't let me use his leash, he wanted no part of going up those stairs again and that is ok. He has no problem with 2-3 steps but a flight of stairs is like asking someone to climb Mt. Everest.

So even though he is doing well and recovering quickly, his adventure upstairs shows me just how far we need to go yet. We have begun the short walks again. Just to the corner and back, 5 minutes. Slowly we will build him back up to where he was before his last surgery, about 25 minutes. Hopefully, by the time we go camping in early June he will be ready for a few mile hike.

It's been a week already?

2007-02-03T19:13:00.000-06:00

Apparently it has. Hard it imagine it but a week has gone by since Patton's surgery and followed by the incredibly long Saturday we had. The difference between last Saturday and today is amazing. I stopped using the sling altogether yesterday. Patton walks really well(better then he did after his left leg was done that is for sure), even on the slippery kitchen floor. The swelling has gone done and most of the bruising is gone. I have not given Patton the Tramadol since Thursday and I probably don't need to give him the Rimadyl either. After all the whining and crying he did last Saturday, it really does seem like a year has gone by since then. Patton is well on the way to recovery.

I have come up with a theory on his whining during the night. Good news is that it only lasted briefly. But I almost think that he was so swollen in his groin that it was causing him to go to the bathroom more frequently. He was going more then usual during the day, and even though we would take him out before we went to bed 6-8 hours was more then he could handle. So now that the swelling is down the crying at night has stopped. He is almost well enough that he could come upstairs with us at night but I want to wait until his staples come out on Thursday. Anyone that has had a dog in an E-collar can understand. The scraping against the walls and bumping the bed will make me crazy.

Our newest dilemma is that it is currently so cold here that Patton is having trouble walking outside. Not because he can't or it is too slippery, but the snow gets between his toes and it must hurt cause he doesn't want to put his toes down on the ground. A big problem for a 78 lb dog because I am NOT going to carry him. Muk-luks might be an option? But when it is -3 F with colder winds...maybe he should learn to use the bathroom like the rest of us. ;)

5 days Post Op-Rnd 2

2007-01-31T21:08:00.001-06:00

Patton2-5days
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton is doing incredibly well. He is walking much better then he did with the left hip. But the right hip wasn't as bad as the left and that may play a big part of his recovery. He is able to walk up the outside steps on his own, though with them being snow covered I prefer to sling him still. For some odd reason, the last two nights he has taken to crying and howling in the middle of the night. Not sure why this is, but it is not a lot of fun.

The picture was taken a few minutes ago, so this is Patton 5 days post op. You can see where some of the old hair cut lines are from when he had the left hip done. The incisions look good and the swelling is going down. The bruising is still the worst under his leg, as is the swelling. With his left leg I could get away with the exercises that the physical therapist wanted him to do, not so with the right leg. He seems to enjoy chewing on my hands as I try to do his range of motion exercises until I can't take it anymore. He is also found that if he opens his mouth before I get the E-collar on, I can't get the collar on. So new tactics have been developed to thwart him.

On the whole, Patton has gone through this entire process incredibly well. I am truly amazed at his patience with all he has been through.

4 Days Post OP-Rnd 2

2007-01-30T19:41:00.000-06:00

Each day Patton is feeling more like his old self. This morning he was his typical rambunctious self. "Punching" people as they walked away. One of his trade mark moves as you try and walk away from him. It is more like he is trying to grab you legs but unfortunately with his big paws it tends to hurt. I have the bruises to prove it. Laying on the boys so they can't go to school. He even managed to "jump" up as I was trying to get his leash on and punch me in the mouth.

We had brought his big bed from upstairs down so he could lay on that instead of just the carpet, tonight he has gone back to his trick of trying to drag it around the house and using it as a chew toy. So I am positive he is feeling better with each passing day. We removed the trans-dermal pain patch that the hospital put on after he came out of surgery, how he does now will be the true test. I was also giving him 3 of the Tramadol 2x a day, I have also backed that down to 2 pills 2x/day.

I spoke with our regular Vet's office yesterday and the countdown has begun to Feb 8th when the staples come out. Swelling is looking better, but there is still a fair amount of bruising.

Three Days Post Op- Rnd 2

2007-01-29T20:34:00.000-06:00

Patton continues to improve. Swelling is still pretty bad in certain areas, thank goodness for the snow. He like to sit in it and eat snow balls, so parts of his body I can't reach are getting iced down naturally. One thing I have noticed this time around is that he is not "toe-touching" as much as he did last time. With his left leg he seemed reluctant to put weight on his leg. This time I have to keep reminding him to "SLOW DOWN" when I take him outside. The whining is starting to ease with each passing day. He does not like it when he is on one side of the gate in the living room and anyone else is on the other side in the kitchen. Slippery floors and hip surgery do not mix. He is also beginning to take more interest in his toys once again. Always a good sign that he is feeling better. We bought him a new chew toy while he was in the hospital, this evening he destroyed it. It lasted only 3 days....yep he is on the mend.

Two Days Post Op- Rnd 2

2007-01-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

I am glad to report that Patton was quiet through the night. He is doing well today. He is still whiny but mostly after he comes in from outside. But that subsides after a bit. I am also noticing more bruising this time around around all the incisions. A bonus is that he also seems to be tolerating the ice more this time.

Patton comes home - round 2

2007-01-27T20:37:00.001-06:00

Patton comes home - round 2
Originally uploaded by sufras.

This time the right leg. More staples this time. Both of the top incisions were closed with staples. Last time he had stitches on the smaller incision.

Patton Comes Home

2007-01-27T18:21:00.000-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I was called this morning and heard that Patton could come home THIS morning. "Ummmmmmmmm.....ok" Not even 24 hours post op and he is ready to come home? They said that when they went in to take him out this morning he got himself up on his own and walked out of his cage. Unlike last time where he wanted no part of coming out of his cage less then 24 hours post op He is doing well but in some ways I wish they had kept him until tomorrow. He is very whinny (more so then usual) and even though he seems more steady on his feet...he actually isn't. Trying to walk him in the snow is proving to be somewhat of an adventure. And since he has lost some of the muscle mass on his left leg, he is having some difficulty when he goes to the bathroom. So even though I am glad to have him home, that extra day last time was kind of nice.

Tonight could be a long one.

Surgery is over!

2007-01-26T16:10:00.000-06:00

Just heard from VMTH, Patton is out of surgery and doing well. He is still in recovery but the surgery went well. They will start waking him up slowly since he had some troubles last time. So at least the hardest part is over, now we wait to see how he does through the night. They will call me again later tonight to update his prognosis. I'll keep y'all posted.

Oy! What a day!

2007-01-24T15:37:00.001-06:00

pattonxray
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton went back to The UW Vet School today in Madison. He was happy to see everyone(and no throwing up in the car this time!!). We spoke with the vet on duty about his recovery and what was to be next for him. She wanted to X-ray Patton before we made any further plans. Not only to see how his left hip was healing but to see the condition of his right hip. She asked if we could come back in a few hours. (Weee shopping at the mall! Anyone who knows me knows I would rather be ANYWHERE else then something that involves retail)

Today's X-rays are what you see. He is fully healed in the left hip and there is no arthritis in the right hip. (You can see the two plates and some of the screws, he has 6 total) They examined him further after we left, since he was sedated it it was a little easier I guess. They found that he did have some soreness in his right hip but not nearly as bad as his left was 6 weeks ago. The vet felt that surgery was a 50/50....my decision. UGH! Yes, he had some soreness but was it enough to warrant the surgery? Would also doing the right hip benefit him? If we didn't do this ....what happens if in a year his right goes as bad as his left had? (Or anytime during the course of his life for that matter). Total hip replacement?

After some deliberation and a battle between heart and mind, I decided to leave him with them and let them do the right hip. There are no guarantees that this surgery is a total cure, but from what I have read, the results so far have been great. I also know from watching Patton these last few days run and romp, that it has helped him immensely. But I really hate to put him through it one more time.

So now we wait again. Unfortunately, the vet conducting the surgery is unable to do it tomorrow so his surgery won't be until 8-8:30 Friday morning. I decided to leave him today instead of bringing him back tomorrow due to the hour drive. I figured it would be easier on him. Many of the students were glad to see him back again(cause he is such a cool dog, and I do agree) The physical therapist has been in to see him already and she too is pleased with his progress. She is going to try and work with him a bit tomorrow.(Patton's first water experience?)

So, that's the news for now. If all goes well he could be home Saturday, the latest would be Sunday. Fingers crossed once again.

Things continue to improve

2007-01-21T00:06:00.000-06:00

Haven't been posting due to just too much going on. Its hard to believe that we are fast approaching the 6 week post op for Patton. Patton is doing great! You'd never know he had surgery by the way he walks and goofs around. He is loving our recent snow fall. He is back to playing with sticks; throwing them in the air and then trying to find them in the snow again. He is putting full weight on his left leg and is beginning to "run" again.(as much as we will let him anyways) I have begun using our retractable leash on him when he is out in the back yard in order to give him a little more freedom and our walks have gotten to about 6 blocks(20 min at a fairly fast pace) before he begins to tire.

We are beginning to gear up for round two. He is doing so well I hate to put him through it again, but all I have to do is look at video of him walking 6 weeks ago in order to see how much he has benefited from the surgery. The knee is completely in line like it should be, very little turning out any more when he walks. No more bunny hopping when he walks, and best of all, when he gets up he doesn't move like a 9 year old dog. He moves like an almost 9 month old puppy.

Date is set?

2007-01-02T19:28:00.000-06:00

I contacted the University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital today since we are coming up on the 4 week mark. Silly me, probably should have called a week ago. Anyway, we go back to Madison on Jan 24 were Patton will have his post-op check-up on his left leg and I assume to decide if we are to go ahead with his right hip. Looking at his PennHip numbers, he is a candidate for the right hip as well. If the VMTH feel the surgery is necessary, the primary deciding factor for doing the surgery now will be how steady he is and how much weight he is able to bear on the left hip. Currently, he still walks with a noticeable limp, but it is getting better each day. He still does not bear full weight on the leg when he turns or pivots. He will do just a little bit more than toe touch. If they feel that all is healing well and he is able to support himself with his left leg, they will operate on Jan 25. If the doctors feel that he doesn't need to have the right hip done at all, we make an appointment with the Physical Therapist and begin his rehab on his left hip. Otherwise, rehab will wait until the right hip is healed.

The results are in....

2006-12-29T22:21:00.000-06:00

We received Patton's results from his PennHip test from the University of Pennsylvania today. The numbers they came up with a little different then at VMTH, but still confirmed that the surgery was necessary. The ratio on his left hip was 0.81 (lower then what VMTH came up with, 0.92 was their measurement) We are almost positive that they(those doing the measurements) became flustered and flipped Patton's X-rays by accident. The vet doing the surgery was scoping the hip as they were doing the measurements and felt that they had indeed flipped them and continued. His right hip actually came in a little higher then at VMTH, they measured at 0.62 and Penn came up with 0.75.

So what does this all mean. The numbers (0.81 and 0.75) are a Distraction Index(DI) which measures the hip laxity of the joint(its looseness). So according to the PennHip test, there is an increasing risk of developing degenerative joint disease(or Hip Dysplasia) as the DI increases. So in simpler terms, there is a lower risk of degenerative joint disease the closer the DI is to 0.30, and a much higher risk as the number approaches 0.70 and beyond. So, looking at Patton's results, I am sure I will be hearing from VMTH after the new year about his right hip plus I know they wanted to X-ray his left hip to make sure it is healing properly. I believe he is to meet again with the physical therapist at the 4 week mark as well.

Bad dog

2006-12-28T09:33:00.001-06:00

Patton being shy?
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Now I know Patton is feeling much better and he about gave me a heart attack in the process. Yesterday as we were getting ready to go on our walk, we went out the front door and I must not have had a good hold on the leash. Patton bolted down the front steps and took off at a full run for about 50 yards until I could convince him to stop. Being a typical puppy, if you go after him he will continue to run away from you....a game. So after a few brief panicked moments, I ran into the house and grabbed the first thing I could get that I thought would bring him in. His pills of all things. He thinks they are treats. Then a car comes by, he is skittish around moving cars and I fear he is about to bolt again. Luckily, he stayed put. As I shake the pill bottle, telling him I have treats, I walk towards him. He finally begins to come towards me. As he takes the treat, I grab the leash. Adventure over hopefully with little damage. He is still not suppose to run. But at least we know he can. Bad dog.

Patton and his chew toy

2006-12-27T12:52:00.001-06:00

Patton and his chew toy
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Sorry a few days has gone by since my last post. Been hard with the holidays and work. Hope everyone has had a wonderful Holiday season so far.

Patton continues to progress rapidly. As you can see from the picture there are no "marks" left from his surgery. The vets at VMTH did a great job. There are no scabs left so he no longer wears a E-collar at night or when we are gone. His hair continues to grow in rapidly(hard to tell from the picture, I know) We have also given him full reign over the downstairs. I am still not ready for him to tackle the stairs to go up with us at night, or head to the basement when the boys or I go down. I think it is better for him to stay in his kennel at night for now since the other hip will be done in January. I don't want to go through the him crying at night again when the time comes. We are still waiting to hear on the results of his PennHip test. His X-rays were sent to the University of Pennsylvania for final confirmation on his measurements.(Evidently, VMTH does this for all PennHip they do) Once they are back, we will most likely be scheduling the other hip.

Patton's energy level is completely where it was pre-surgery. We have stretched his walks to around the block and will be adding onto it as he is ready. We are met with stares and a few questions as to why he looks so funny. My little patchwork dog. Maybe I should tell people I really wanted a poodle? Anyway, he is all puppy still and wants to play with the rabbits in the yard, but we have to hold him back until he is completely healed. And he is having fun removing the decorations from our tree.

Each day he is putting more and more weight on the leg and we notice that his knee is more inline when he walks. He doesn't "bunny hop" when he walks like he did before the surgery either. All good signs.

2 Weeks Post-OP

2006-12-21T12:32:00.000-06:00

Hard to imagine that 2 weeks have passed. Patton had his staples and stitches taken out this afternoon. Amazingly he did this without being sedated. Way to go, Patton! Our regular vet was pleased with how he is healing and wasn't too concerned with Patton fighting the one range of motion exercise. Everything seemed to be going as planned. Our vet also told me that his hip was really a mess when they went in and scoped it. The condition of the joint was pretty bad. From the research that I have done and from what he said, I am surprised that they continued with the surgery. Though I am relieved that they did.

I can tell Patton is doing better by things he is doing around the house. He is his normal mischievous self. Twice today I have caught him with Christmas ornaments in his mouth that he as taken off the tree. He seems to think the soft fabric ornaments are his chew toys. He likes to bring them to me to show me what a good dog he is. (They are now higher on the tree) He is also trying to run after the boys when they walk away from him and he is back to wanting to rough house. All these activities are met with a harsh reprimand and a time out in his crate seems to calm him back down.

I took him on his first short walk. He seemed really happy and wanted to go further but I don't want to push him too hard at first.(plus it is really raw out today and I don't want to be out in it) But hopefully it will wear him out a little and keep him from undecorating the Christmas tree.

Can't Keep a Good Dog Down

2006-12-17T10:28:00.001-06:00

Playful Puppy
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Each day gets better and better. It is also getting harder to keep him from over extending himself. He just wants to play.

He is walking much better. His knee is slowly pulling in straight as he walks. It was turned to the outside as he walked before the operation. I have not given him Tramadol in a few days now, only the Rimadyl and Cosequin DS. He seems to being to be doing well without. Can't wait until Thursday when he gets his staples and stitches out. Hopefully, we'll get the all clear for him to begin short walks(5-10 minutes). Right now he is on the "got outside, do your thing and back inside walk". Not a lot of fun for him, too much to see and smell for a puppy.

A week has passed

2006-12-14T12:11:00.000-06:00

What a difference a week makes. Patton is doing great. I have begun letting him go up the outside stairs(3 steps) with out the sling and he does it quite well. Going down the steps still makes me a little nervous since he likes to jump down and out on the last one. The journey across the kitchen floor though I still use the sling since I am afraid of his leg sliding out from under him. As I watched him this morning, it dawned on me that when he sits he no longer extends out his left leg like he use to. He is now sitting like a "normal" dog. He always sat with a very "laid" back look. Now his left leg is tucked under like his right and he looks balanced.

I have also begun backing off on the Tramadol. The vet recommended 2-3 pills at a time every 8-12 hours, I only ever gave him 2 at a time every 8 hours and I have backed off to just two 1 pill doses a day. He doesn't appear to be in any discomfort. Though I am continuing the Rimadyl 2x a day until he gets his staples out in a week and I can get the ok from our family vet. The exercises prove a little more challenging. He doesn't mind too much the foot and ankle exercises but is fast to pull his leg away from you when you work the hip. Not too big of a deal, I do it when I can. He'll let you straighten the leg forward, then extend it back but then he pulls away. When he tucks up and contracts his leg he is basically finishing off the exercise for me. So one here and there gets it done.

I can tell he is feeling better because as I was doing the dishes I turned to catch him inching his way up on the sofa like he used to do. Kind of like "you don't really see me doing this so nothing to see here, move along." A sharp reminder from me and he slinked his way back onto the floor for his nap. Good dog.

5th Day Post Op

2006-12-12T20:20:00.000-06:00

Patton continues to improve. He survived me going to work for the day. But it is proving to be difficult to convince him that he cannot not jump or run. On the whole we are able to keep him fairly calm but there are times he tries us. He also is calming down during the night as well. Just a little bit of howling on two separate occasions but nothing like in the past nights. I also removed his trans-dermal pain patch, which he was not too happy about. Think of a band-aid on your arm and having to remove it with out removing all your hair. OUCH! His hair is also beginning to regrow...yeah!!

Patton 4 Days Post Op

2006-12-11T17:27:00.001-06:00

Patton 4 Days Post Op
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton is continuing to do well. The swelling of the surgery areas is going down and the incisions are looking nice. No redness or oozing. Each day his walking seems to be getting better as well. Not as unsteady as he was on Saturday. The picture in this post was taken this morning. At times he will put full weight on the foot, though not for long, most he holds it like in the picture("toe touching").

He has made no attempts on his incisions but if he is unsupervised for any length of time the E-collar or we have a blow up type of collar that he must wear. The problem with the inflatable collar is that he can still reach under his leg and down by his tail. So not a great solution for long periods of time. I did notice that one of the stitches on his rear has broken. I am almost positive that it was not him. I fear he may have caught it on a sharp edge in his cage. On our previous dog, when he had stitches, you could see that he had chewed the stitches. But Patton's wound is clean, no evidence of Patton licking it and the cut in the stitch is too perfect, like a scissor snipped it. Definitely need to keep an eye on it though.

Night is another story though. He is definitely NOT happy about being in his crate while we are all upstairs. He started howling at around midnight and my oldest son couldn't take it so he slept downstairs(or should I say attempted to sleep). We have reminded him that Patton needs to get used to the idea because he is just going to go through all this again next month. Breaks your heart to hear him crying and howling but he is not steady enough, or ready to make the journey upstairs. But if we give in now it will be worse later on.

3 Days Post Op

2006-12-10T20:52:00.000-06:00

After a slightly rough night, I am glad to say that Patton is doing very well. He whimpered a lot during the night and fell asleep in his crate, however, around 2 am he decided that he wanted to be upstairs with us like always. And he began to whimper, then full blown howling which lasted about 30-45 min before he settled back down again. Normally he would sleep up in our room but I am not ready(nor him physically) for him to attempt making a flight of stairs. The two steps into the house are enough of a challenge for me.

Hardly any whimpering today, and he is getting around much better. He spent a good portion of the afternoon playing with his toys(though from a lying position). His appetite is slowly picking back up again. Tonight, I was able to remove the bandage that you see in the pictures I posted yesterday. That incision has stopped weeping and looks good. Hopefully, all will be quiet tonight. As far as the exercises go, he doesn't mind most of them except the one that requires the leg to be straightened and then moved to the back(as if he was walking) and then contracted up to the hind quarter. That we shall work on, but the therapist said not to push him any further then he is ready for, each time should get a little better. As one that has had knee surgery, I know how he feels.

So baby steps for him for now but it can only get better.

Patton Rehab pt 2

2006-12-09T19:46:00.001-06:00

Patton Rehab pt 2
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Range of motion exercise to aid in recovery

Patton Rehab Excercise

2006-12-09T19:45:00.001-06:00

Patton Rehab excerisice
Originally uploaded by sufras.

One of the rehab exercises to be done to keep the hip moving.

Patton 2 day post op

2006-12-09T19:41:00.001-06:00

Patton 2 day post op
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Patton made his way home today. He is doing very well. My husband and oldest son went in to the VMTH this morning and met with a physical therapist who showed them how to get Patton in and out of the house(three steps in no matter where you enter the house could prove a challenge for him). They were also taught how to rehab Patton and get him moving again. They were shown a series of range of motion exercises to keep Patton's full range of motion. They were also shown massage techniques to keep the blood flowing to the wound areas to aid in healing. They also met with the Vet that did the surgery and walked them through the procedure. Since I was at work, they now need to fill me in.

He is getting around very well. According to my husband, Patton spent most of the afternoon asleep. Tonight he is a little more active. You can see two of his incisions(one is under the bandage on his rear end), the third is under his leg. He will get his staples out in about 2 weeks. He is doing a lot of whimpering, but as I said, he has always been very vocal. He still has a pain patch on his back and that will stay on until Dec 12 and he is on some pain medications, Tramadol and Rimadyl.

1 Day Post Op

2006-12-08T14:28:00.000-06:00

Spoke with the vet on duty and the resident ; it was decided that Patton spend another night at the hospital. When they tried to get him to go outside he fights getting up but once he is up he is able to get around though with the aid of a sling and someone holding him up. He is being very vocal about the whole situation (he has always been very vocal about everything so nothing new there really) and we decided that he would be better off under their supervision for one more night. So tomorrow we will speak with a physical therapist for him and bring him home....hopefully. I miss my puppy.

D-Day Pt2

2006-12-07T18:37:00.000-06:00

Just spoke with the Vet that did the surgery. We are wondering if for some reason the numbers for Patton's hips are reversed. If the 0.9 was really his left hip and not the right. He is going to redo the measurements that radiology did to double check the results. Either way, the right hip is next regardless if it was 0.9 or 0.6. He stated again that the surgery went well even though while doing the arthroscope he did see some cartilage damage and the the ligament was slightly frayed but not enough to cancel the T.P.O.

At the time we spoke, he was by Patton's cage and he was sleeping comfortable, so that is great news.

D-Day

2006-12-07T17:08:00.000-06:00

Just received word from the resident at VMTH and the T.P.O. surgery went well. It went quickly and smoothly. Patton was out of surgery around 3:45pm CST but they were waiting to call since he was having a rough recovery. When he began to come around, he started thrashing, so they wanted to re-sedate him and place trans-dermal pain patches on him which take 12-24 hours to take affect. For now he is resting comfortably and they will administer pain medication through the night until the patches take affect.

The results of the PennHip test are in.....and to our shocking disbelief, the left hip in not as bad as feared but the right hip is worse. The left hip measured in at 0.6 and the right hip came in at a jaw dropping 0.9. So in 4 weeks we maybe going through this again for the right hip. I will have to wait for the vet to call a little later on tonight with his report.

So far, so good. We'll have to wait and see how he does through the night.

Patton Arrives

2006-12-06T14:32:00.000-06:00

Today is the day that Patton goes to UW-Madison VMTH. Took us about an hour to get there and right before pulling into the parking lot, Patton decides he has had enough and throws up. Well they wanted his stomach empty and that is what they are getting. Props to my youngest son for attempting to clean it up and keep Patton from doing what dogs like to do.....inspect it(to put it nicely).

The VMTH is set up much like a hospital for people. Large reception area that just reminded me of a regular hospital. There were a few dogs in the waiting room that Patton was dying to meet. One was recovering from surgery to remove cancerous tumors, and another was awaiting treatment for cancer. It seemed like it was Lab and Golden Retriever day. They outnumbered the other dogs in the waiting room.

When Patton was finally called they do the usual, weight and routine questions. Patton weighed in at 35 kg(@77lbs). We spoke with a resident, who Patton decided he loved even when she was playing around with his hips. He didn't like it but he let her. After the normal checks,(teeth, heart and such) she left to consult with one of the main Vets(in our case on of the heads of the Dept). When they came back, Dr. Manley did the same checks as the resident and talked about our options.

Since we already had current X-rays they decided not to do any today. Tomorrow they would redo the PennHip test and do measurements to see exactly what was going on in Patton's hips. (They will also send these off to the University of Pennsylvania for their interpretation.) These measurement would be key in what they would be able to do for him. They will measure from the center of the ball of the femur to the center of the hip socket. Depending on the distance, that will decide our next step. If the distance is between 0.5 - 0.9 then the conditions are right for the Triple Pelvic Osteotomy(T.P.O.).....maybe. If he falls within this parameter they will then go in Arthroscopically look at his hip. This will also tell them how much arthritis is in the joint and the condition of his cartilage. At this time, they will then decide what they are going to do. If things fall like we think they will he will have the T.P.O surgery. Too much arthritis and the cartilage is in bad shape then they probably will not be able to operate and another option will have to be thought of. If his PennHip results are above 1 then Femoral Head Excision or total hip replacement may be an option. These are considered salvage procedures that would eliminate the diseased joint and attempt to replace it with a non-painful substitute. If his numbers fall below 0.5 then management of his weight, exercise and diet maybe be the route. This may also be the same game plan if his numbers should fall about 1. Dr. Manley mentioned that he has a dog that fell above the 1 range and through management the dog has lived a healthy and pain free life and is currently 7 years old. So that was reassuring.

So we play the waiting game for one more day. At any time during tomorrow if they feel that going on to the next step is NOT going to benefit Patton, all procedures will stop. If the PennHip numbers don't fall in the range, or if going in Arthroscopically shows that he is not a good candidate all bets are off and we will need to work a new plan.

We also talked about the T.P.O surgery, risks and his recovery. All the normal risks obviously, infection, problems with the anesthesia. He would have three cuts made to his pelvis therefore three incisions. One under his leg by his groin, one on top of his back and one along his leg, which would be the largest of the incisions. They would X-ray him again in 4 weeks since some dogs have been known to loosen the plates that are installed. At this time, if they need to do the right hip, this is when it would be done if his left hip has healed well enough to support him. He would also do a series of rehab in order to get his legs moving again and get him running.

So for now...we wait until tomorrow. Fingers crossed and breath held.

Countdown Begins

2006-12-04T17:18:00.000-06:00

I went and picked up Patton's X-rays, copy of blood work done last week and a copy of his records from the Vets today. The hospital called to confirm our appointment for Wednesday at 10:30am. The countdown has begun. While at the Vets, I was told that our Vet would be attending Patton through his surgery on Thursday. At least he will see a face he knows, which is comforting. The hospital is about an hour away, so being there is a bit difficult for us between school and work. Phone calls to check on him will have to do.

Some have asked what is being done for Patton now for his hip. Before leaving on vacation the vets' had prescribed Rimadyl for pain management for him. To keep his joints healthy, they also prescribed Cosequin DS. We also decided that because he has almost tripled in size since August, and the current joint problem, we need to keep his weight manageable. It was decided to take him off the high caloric puppy food and move him on to adult dog food, but specific to joint therapy. So he was moved to Eukenuba Adult Plus with Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate. Hopefully, all this and the surgery work for him. Fingers crossed.

So...2 days and counting.

Patton's First Snow

2006-12-03T09:53:00.001-06:00

Patton1stsnow
Originally uploaded by sufras.

Here in Wisconsin we had our first significant snow on Friday. (Yes, I know we had snow in October and November, but really, did we have to shovel any of that. A half inch hardly can be considered "a snow".) Patton had a ball. Watching him play in the snow, throwing sticks and leaves that he finds into the air and then trying to find them again, it saddened me to think that this would be the only snow that he would be able to really play in this year. Once he has surgery he is down for the count for at least 4-6 weeks, no running, no jumping, and no playing in the snow.

The Odyssey Begins

2006-12-02T19:49:00.000-06:00

This blog is being created in the hopes that maybe Patton's odyssey will help other puppies and their owners through this scary time.

Patton was born April 28, 2006 at the local Humane Society. He joined our family on June 16, 2006, we fell in love with him immediately, all 12.5 lbs of him. He is a Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever mix and is the softest dog I have ever been around. At 3 months our vet suggested that we have him checked out for Hip Dysplasia. We agreed since he is a breed that is known for this disorder. Our Vet took X-rays and using the PennHip test we concluded that Patton was not at risk for Hip Dysplasia. Everything looked normal on his X-rays. Patton grew, and grew quickly. At 6 1/2 months he weighed in at 77 lbs and we began to notice that he was having trouble with his one hip. We thought maybe it was a soft tissue injury and treated it as such. Rest, and anti-inflammatory medication. He was going to be spending Thanksgiving at the Vet's office since we were going to be away. We all agreed that pending how he was doing they would take X-rays if he was still limping. The day before Thanksgiving came the dreaded phone call......my 7 month old puppy had Hip Dysplasia and would need surgery.

When we returned from our vacation, I went and picked Patton up from the Vet and we discussed our options. He firmly believed that he was a candidate for a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy. Definite on the left hip and 50/50 on the right. Our Vet recommended that we make an appointment at The University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. An appointment was made that day for December 6.

So....our odyssey begins.