March 12 - Day 17 Stitches are Out!

It's Monday morning, Bunny's other leg stitch is kind of coming out. I call the vet office. The nurse said that she really couldn't tell me anything and that someone needed to look at it.

Bunny and I go to work. We work all day and go to the vet about a half hour before they close. I fear they will be busy and we won't arrive home until midnight. To our surprise, there is only one person and cat in the waiting room.

We sign in and sit down. A nurse asks how Bunny is doing. I say that her stitches are coming out. She says ok, someone will be right with you.

Bunny and I watch an older dog come out from the back, she looks scared and Bunny wags her tail at her and then starts to growl, Bunny has no manners.

A nurse comes out and gets Bunny. She says, we'll be back. I sit and wait.

About 10 minutes later, the nurse comes out with Bunny and Dr. Grant. He says, "The stitches are out. Her knees are healing as they should."

 He explains that some of her leg muscles have become weak from these months of non-use and mis-use when her knees were not working properly. He said on Friday it will be three weeks post-op and Bunny will be ready for short walks. A block at first and to increase it more and more in the few weeks to come. He would like to see Bunny two weeks from Friday, when she starts walking.

Great! Me and Bunny thank Dr. Grant and leave. Our car ride home in rush hour traffic was a happy one. And again, no charge for the visit.

Yay! We can take a walk on Friday morning.

March 11 - Day 16 Bust a Stitch

I wake up and get Bunny out of her crate. It's Sunday, so Chris is sleeping in a bit, I put Bunny in bed with Chris. She misses morning cuddle time.

We start our day and notice something on Buns' leg. One of her stitches is hanging half way off! Uh-oh. I text my friend who knows a thing or two about this. She says it's probably fine and text her a picture. 

Rut roh.

She said that incision is good and far along. Only worry if its open. I feel kind of dumb. I've never had a stitch, so I really have no idea what it's supposed to look like. Now, I know. This is a good healed stitch. My friend advised me to call the vet Monday morning to let them know. Awesome. I love friends. I feel relieved. 

We have a nice PJs and movies kind of afternoon. Too much excitement for one day.

March 8 - Day 13 The Bandages Come Off

The bandages are smelly. Bunny is a little smelly too. She walks with stiff legs and has started to kick her leg back when she walks. Her mummified legs are starting to unravel.

When I pick her up, I notice her skin on her inner leg and belly are irritated from the adhesive. She has really pink skin, so I imagine its sensitive too. It does not look pleasant. It's red and scaly.

We go to the vet hospital and they are busy. We wait almost an hour. Finally a nurse comes out and gets Bunny. They will be back soon she says.

They come back and Bunny looks sad. The nurse said, "The doctor is really busy, but he says Bunny is healing great, her knees are strong and the incisions look great. Come back next week for suture removal. We gave her an injection for the inflammation on her skin."

I ask what I can do to relieve her skin irritation. She said to "sponge bath" the area and apply Neosporin. "Have a great weekend," she says as we leave. You too. They didn't charge us for this visit either, not even for the shot they gave her.

On the way back to work, Bunny gets in a better mood. We have a productive work afternoon and we go home.

Where are my pants?

I give Bunny a sponge bath and she likes the Neosporin. I boil her a knuckle bone for being a champ.

Since, her stitches are exposed and she already has been told "No" a dozen times, she must wear a cone to bed. She hates it. It's a Comfy Cone, a bit more "comfy" than the standard. 

Glow in the dark. 

Sad face.

March 3 & 4 - Days 8 and 9 Feeling Better Everyday

Saturday mornings, Bunny and I go to the yoga studio and clean it. I exchange cleaning duties for classes.

Bunny loves to walk around in the asana room and chase the dust mop. No chasing brooms today, although, she is happy to be doing something in her normal routine.

After the yoga studio,  I take Bunny to some nice patches of grass. She's getting used to walking with stiff legs.

Sunday, we relax and spend the day in each other's company. Bunny even wants to play tug-o-war with her toy, "Lamby." Sitting of course, we can't get crazy. 

Tomorrow, we start a long work week and Thursday, the bandages come off. 

March 2 - Day 7 She Walks

Bunny Stayed home with Chris today. He works nine nine-hour days and get every other Friday off. 

Bunny went poo and pee all by herself. No help from Chris. She walked around a bit easier too. 

Bunny was feeling better and wanted dinner like she normal. She loved it! 

March 1 - Day 6 Back to Work

Bunny is excited to be back at work. She even walks a little looking like a Frankenstein creation.

Her bowels were not making themselves known, so I called the vet. I told them there was still no evacuation. They said to bring her in.

We left work and headed on the 22. Bunny looked nervous. We arrived and signed in. The woman behind the desk asked the reason for our visit.I said Bun had surgery last Friday and hasn't poo'd. She consoled Bunny and we sat down.

They were busy at 10:30 on a Thursday. We didn't get called back until 11:10.

It was not Dr. Grant, but a younger vet. She looked at Bunny's chart and asked questions:

Vet: Has she been eating?

Me: A little...not as normal.

Vet: Would you say 25%?

Me: Umm, I'd say 30.

Vet: Same with drinking water?

Me: Yes. and only urinating once a day.

She then explained that the anesthesia and not eating (fasting) before the surgery causes slowing of the digestive system. The pain meds and the Osteo-Form may cause it too.

She took Bunny in the back to do a rectal exam as there may have been a blockage.

After about four minutes, she came back and said Bunny had really hard poo and she took it out. The staff was walking Bunny to see if she would go poo more. She left again.

Ten minutes later she returned with Bunny. She said Bunny relieved herself and the rest of her feces was normal.

She asked me to put Bunny down to see how she was walking.

I put Bunny down. Bunny was very happy. She felt better after letting it go. It was six days since the last "poo potty." She walked around the little exam room like she was drunk.

The vet said her bandages look good and her movement is great. Bunny needs to eat more and the vet suggested to add rice to her boiled chicken.

She said that we don't have to come back tomorrow (Friday). Just next week when Dr Grant was in. Just then, the nurse that answered our questions came in and said Dr. Grant is in next Thursday between 10 and noon.

The vet said there is no charge for this visit and soon Buns and I were back at work.

Feb 29 Day 5 - A Day Home Together

Bunny and I wake up at 4a.m. I'm happy knowing that Bunny and I can spend the day together. We have some tea, water and watch some movies.

Chris gets up and goes to work. I pick up and start some laundry. Bunny is hungry and she stands up for longest I've seen, about 15 seconds. She even walks around a bit, mostly in a circle for 5-10 seconds.

Since she still hasn't gone poo, I mix some pumpkin, a crushed Osteo-form tablet and peices of boiled chicken together and heat it up in the microwave for about 20 seconds. I give it to her and she eats it up. All of it. She's the hungriest that we have seen her yet.

The vet office calls and asks how Bunny is doing. I tell them that she has not gone poo and only pee once a day. They say to call them tomorrow morning if still no poo and only one pee today.

The day goes well. Until about 3:30 p.m. Bunny starts whining and I'm not sure what it is. I give her more food, she doesn't want it, I give her more water, she doesn't want it. We go outside, she doesn't go potty.

Chris gets home and at about 5 we call the vet office. They are closed, so we call the emergency room for advice and that's what we get.

I explain that Bunny keeps whining off and on, about her surgery and non-potty activities. They say to keep giving her pumpkin, a little (half-dose) of her pain med and call her vet in the morning.

Ok, great. We take her out for another try at potty and she goes! Only pee, but who cares at least it something.

We all go to bed. Tomorrow is Bunny's first day back at work. Got to get some good sleep.