We're Healing!

It has been exactly 2 weeks since Duke's surgery. We visited Dr. Wilson yesterday for his first follow up appointment. Dr. Wilson removed the staples in Duke's leg and said he is healing well so far. We were given the official green light to start 3 very short (3-5 minute) walks a day and his cone can come off in a few days! I'm extremely happy about the cone coming off as Duke has learned that if he uses the cone to hit the walls of his crate, it wakes me, and he does it repeatedly, on purpose. It's his way of telling me how cooped up he is feeling I think. He also has a difficult time drinking water with it on. I take it off for him to drink sometimes, but it's not that easy to get back on so we help him maneuver to the bowl as well. That tends to make a large mess. His cone has gotten caught up on the side of the bowl more than once now, and forcibly flipped (think of the drinking game flip cup) throwing water over every wall and surface in the room. So, yes, having it off will be wonderful! We've been trying hard to make sure he is still getting the love and attention he needs while he is confined to his small space. We take him out on the lawn and let him just lay there with us while he basks in the sun and I set aside time throughout the day for belly rubs and treats. He isn't walking on his leg much yet, his toes still drag, but he has learned to limp down the steps to go outside and he is no longer on pain meds. His progress is slow but steady and at this point, that is all we can ask for.

We made it home!

We have made it home! Duke's surgery has been successful so far and we are anxious to see him heal. Our first night home we realized the poor guy couldn't fit comfortably in his crate with a cone on his head. Needless to say, there wasn't much sleep going on for anyone in the house that night. I coaxed him out of his crate sometime between midnight and sunrise and convinced him to finally lay his head down to rest on my lap- I think we both fell asleep on the floor. The next morning he was still very tired, nodding off in his plastic cone. He wouldn't drink water or potty, so as a last resort we tried to give him ice cubes as "treats" and he took to them well. Now he is eating them by the tray full. His ankle below his incision was extremely swollen from the surgery the first day home also. I was worried there was too much swelling, but the Vet's office assured me it was normal. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me a soft collar for Duke to alleviate some of his discomfort. Upon bringing it home from work last night I was greeted with a GIANT pile of dog poop on my bedroom rug! On top of that, he decided to limp through it, all over the bedroom (where we were confining him as his crate is too small) AND on the bed! HOW he managed to get onto the bed I will never understand! So,unfortunately, I spent the remainder of my evening scrubbing. Not the best way to spend an evening. Today he is restless. He's been talking in his crate, making cute whining noises begging to come out. Every time he has suckered me into thinking he needs to potty, he has done nothing but stand there, on three legs sniffing the fresh air. Can you blame him?

Surgery

This post will be short. I just wanted to tell everyone Duke made it through surgery and is in recovery, hooray! We will be picking him up this evening. Now begins his road to recovery. I can't wait to get him home where he can relax and start healing.

Into the dark

We dropped Duke off for his surgery tonight. It is scheduled for tomorrow and I am a nervous mama. I cried as we left, feeling guilty, as he has no clue what awaits him in the morning. I've also never been away from Duke since we adopted him last April. The house feels empty, and his little sister Mable is pacing the floors searching for his presence. Earlier today I stopped by Bubble and Bark, in Ferndale, to pick up any donations made to Duke. I want to share my gratitude to Bubble and Bark and their patrons for helping us and Duke. It is amazing how supportive everyone has been! To date we have raised 30% of Duke's surgery cost! Thank you all for your generosity and support! I'm sure you understand that we had to schedule Duke's surgery regardless of meeting our goal, to ensure the best chance for his full recovery. He is still accepting donations on the blog, via Chip In, as well as, directly to the Veterinary Hospital, or in person at Bubble and Bark, in Ferndale. His original Chip In on this blog has ended. I've started a new active Chip In with a goal of $1400 which is the remainder of his surgery cost. Julie, from Bubble and Bark, had mentioned to me that there were some ladies and gentlemen who were interested in donating, but would rather donate directly to the hospital where Duke is having his surgery. After speaking to Wilson Veterinary Hospital they were happy to assist. His account will be open to donations until it is fully paid. If you would like to help Duke by donating directly, you may do so by calling Wilson Veterinary Hospital @(586)752-6217. Simply tell them you would like to contribute to Duke's surgery costs and my full name - Erica Aube, if they request account verification. Until tomorrow evening, all fingers, toes, and paws in this house will be crossed, anxiously waiting for news of Duke's surgery success. Please cross your paws for him! Thank you!

Are We There Yet?

We have been waiting patiently for Duke's surgery date to arrive. I think he's been feeling like a bird in a cage, as he is spending a majority of his day inside, or in his crate. His poor little sister Mable(a Fiest)doesn't understand that he can't play. Every opportunity she gets she is jumping at his face, trying to pounce him, doing small 360's, begging him to oblige. Of course, he just lets her act crazy as he limps by, or sits back down in defeat. When he is out of his crate, he spends most of his time outside basking in the sun.

We have 2 pear trees, and he makes sure to try and clean up the good ones that manage to make it down before the squirrels get to them. Our neighbor has a walnut tree. The squirrels like to hide them in various places around our yard. At any given morning, around this time of year, it is not unlikely to walk out to find a walnut stashed in the brake rotors of your car, or balanced carefully on the door handle. A few weeks ago I noticed one perched on top of my cucumber trellis. Occasionally, the squirrels forget what they are doing and run off leaving the walnut to other creatures disposal. This is when Duke finds them. Yesterday he was caught with what looked like a pear in his mouth. He was chewing away contently, foamy jowls making a sound best described as: the sound a giant fish would make if they could actually pucker, when we noticed it. It was not a pear however, it was a green walnut. He kept rolling it around in his mouth, trying to chew it. Obviously unaware, that it was anything other than a pear. Finally, he gave up. He looked up, and with one giant sigh let it drop to the ground.I have to give him an 'A' for effort. If his determination to eat the walnut is any indication as to his recovery after surgery, I think we are going to be good as gold. All we need to do now is keep raising funds. Thank you to all who have helped, we appreciate you so very much. Please keep sharing his story and blog! Donations can be made via Chipin on this blog or locally at Bubble and Bark in Ferndale, MI.

Reaching Out

Today I met with the wonderful people at Bubble and Bark in Ferndale, MI. I spoke with Julie and she enthusiastically agreed to post a flyer about Duke, and leave a donation jar to help raise his surgery funds! I can't say enough great things about everyone at Bubble and Bark! They are a fantastic local business in Ferndale, MI and have helped us out on a number of occasions.

We found a wounded dog in Detroit last year which we decided to foster and nurse back to health. She had been hit by a car, starved, and abused. She stayed with us for a few months and when we felt she was rehabilitated enough to find a forever home we asked Bubble and Bark if they would tell their other customers about her and post an adoption flyer. Well they did, and because they did, she found her forever home! I simply can't say enough wonderful things about them! Stop in to Bubble and Bark and see what they are all about when you get time or check out their website at www.bubbleandbark.com. They are full service retail store, groomer, and boarding facility and they will treat your pups as if they were their own. In fact, while I was there we talked about Maizy, our previous foster dog, and she was actually there for doggie day care!

X-Ray

Duke's X-Ray doesn't

show his torn ACL as it is a ligament, but if you look closely between the knee there is a gray area. That should be dark and it is not. That was the first indication of his torn ACL. It is fluid build up in and around his knee. The second confirmation was what the Dr. calls drawer movement. When the knee is checked for left to right movement. There should not be any "give" and there was due to his tear.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a Surgeon.

On Wed. August 8th we met with Dr. Wilson at Wilson Veterinary Hospital in Sterling Heights. He was a very kind man and seemed confident by nature. He confirmed Duke's diagnosis and we talked about his surgery options. Dr. Wilson recommends Duke get a TPLO surgery (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy). TPLO surgery is one of the many different methods of stabilizing a dog’s knee after a cranial cruciate ligament tear. The TPLO surgery involves cutting the top of the tibia and rotating the bone then putting a plate on the bone to hold it in the new position while it heals. He said because of Dukes large size, it is the best and most successful surgery available, and offers him the greatest chance at a full recovery. You can read more about TPLO surgery here http://www.petsurgerytopics.com/dog-cruciate-ligament/tplo-tibial-plateauleveling-osteotomy-surgery-for-dog-cruciate-ligament-tears The earliest surgery date available is September 11th. I am not very keen on having it done on a date with such ingrained memories of loss, but he needs to have it done. It will be the beginning of Duke's journey to healing, and that is something good to look forward to. We are still trying to raise money to help cover the cost of his surgery. The doctor quoted me $1900-$2100. If you know anyone you can share this blog to who may even donate $1, please share! Thank you all for your support and generosity!

Changing Our Goal

I have changed Duke's fundraising goal to $2,100. For those of you who do not know, we may have found a surgeon, Hooray! We will know the exact cost of surgery next Wednesday, August 8th. At only 4%, we have a long way to go before we reach his surgery goal, but we are very hopeful! Please keep sharing his blog to your friends and family! Thank you for your support!

Surgeon Searchin'

Well, after speaking to Michigan State University and Michigan Veterinary Specialist, and receiving a quote of $4100 for Duke's TPLO surgery, we felt we should shop around a little to see if we can find a more reasonably priced surgeon. There simply has to be a surgeon who does this surgery for less than the cost of a car, right? Based on recommendations from friends and family and Joni Cavanaugh, Regional Coordinator for the American Bullmastiff Association Rescue, we called Dr Wilson of Wilson Veterinary Hospital, Sterling Heights, MI. The assistant I spoke with was very pleasant and patient. She set a surgery consultation appointment for Duke on Wednesday, August 8th. I was relieved to know their TPLO surgery cost is in the $2,000 range also. That's HALF the cost the other Vets had quoted us! So, there's a small glimmer of hope for Duke. Raising $2,000 seems much less daunting than $4,000. Now it's time to put our thinking caps on and start fundraising! I woke up at 4am panicked about how we were going to get him surgery and not fall short of being homeless. I started a small list of "fundraising ideas" and hope to get some of them rolling this week. Here is the current list: Post a photo with Duke's story at all of the pet stores and ask the cashiers if it is ok to leave a "Dollars for Duke" donation jar. See if there are any "Doggie Events" happening in the area we could go to, maybe offer homemade dog treats for donations. Finish emailing all of my friends and family to inform them about Duke's blog and what his current situation is. Get everyone together for a Party/Charity for Duke, make a dinner, have music, drinks, a fire, possibly even games or a movie night. Who doesn't like party's?! Go through everything I own and sell, sell, sell! That is all I've got for now. If anyone has ideas, please share! I would love to hear your ideas! X-rays will be posted soon!

Patiently waiting for the Vet

Chip In

Results are in: The big man needs surgery

Duke went back to the vet this morning. He was placed under sedation to get x-rays of  his hips and knee, as he has been limping for a couple of weeks.  The callback I received was not good news.  He has a torn ACL and fluid buildup around his knee. He will need surgery and it is very expensive. The two places the Dr. recommended were both $4100.  I was not eligible for Care Credit unfortunately so now I am racking my brain trying to figure out what to do.  I have made a "ChipIn" page to ask for everyone's help. 

X-Rays and updates soon to follow!