Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Meatball, The Bionic Dog (Cruciate Surgery)


My computer is totally dead.  I had to order a new one, and it finally shipped. Yipee!  (Note: They promised two day shipping, but apparently that is only after they make the darn thing in the factory (and that appears to take an extra week and a half)).  I hope to be back to blogging on a regular basis soon, so thanks for checking back here.  I really appreciate you sticking with me through my unplanned absence.  Here is a small update for you on the goings on at Casa de Erin.

Meatball had his cruciate surgery on Friday. The cruciate is the ligament in his knee that was torn (this was similar to a person tearing his or her ACL) and need to be repaired.  It was a major reconstructive surgery that involved cutting and repositioning his bone, and then putting in a titanium plate to hold it all together and make it stronger (random veterinary fact: any broken bone heals 15 times stronger at the fracture point).  Bone will eventually grow over the plate making it more rugged than ever, and well, I will have a bionic dog.  

Meatball had to stay the the vet's overnight, and when we brought him home, he was very drugged up, but very happy to see all of us.


He pretty much has an entire pharmacy of drugs that he is currently taking, some of which knock him out.  His sisters were very happy to have him back, and didn't let him out of their sight even once.  The family that naps together...


We have to give him physical therapy 3 times a day, which involves going through a full range of motion on all of his joints.  This is to make sure everything stays loose for an easier transition when he starts to use the leg more.  We ice it for a while before we touch it, to numb it a bit (and also to reduce any post-op swelling).  This is one of Meatball's favorite things.  It puts him right to sleep.


Here is a picture of the leg.  It is starting to heal, and the bruising is starting to dissipate.  


Petunia pretty much lays here with him all day.  Harriet is usually out protecting our yard from stray squirrels and airplanes, but she does come in to check on him every once in a while.


Now we have 8 weeks of trying to keep Meatball from being active (which is kind of like trying to nail jello to the wall).  Each day he seems to feel a little bit better, which makes each day a little bit harder.  He is starting to want to chase the squirrels himself, which is a big no-no.  It is definitely going to make for an interesting  tranquilizer-filled summer (but we are so glad to have our pup on his way to recovery).  

20 comments:

Kodi ODay said...

So glad he is okay and not in too much pain! Have fun trying to keep him calm and not playing around:)

Oh and so glad you're back to blogging! We missed you!

Katie said...

Oh goodness! I've never even met Meatball, but I've been so worried about him. Glad he's on the mend and looking better {aka driving you guys more crazy} every day. Good luck with that ;) And yay for a new computer...you got a Mac right? Only the best, and they virtually never break :)

Stephanie said...

Aw, poor guy! Glad to hear he's doing better. Meatball is such a trooper and I bet he loves having Nurse Petunia by his side.

Lorena said...

Ouch - my dogs are so crazy and wild I could not imagine what i would do to keep them calm during a recovery -
Seems like Meatball will be ok though :) although I suspect that you will have to lay on top of him so he won't move..
I totally love your dogs' names.

Emmylou said...

Look at him...he's recovering really well, Erin! I know trying to be stop him from being active will be the challenge now, but those weeks will fly by:)

Kristina said...

Oh poor baby Meatball. Good luck with him being less active. My Bogart wouldn't have a problem with that. His lazy behind sleep half the day away. The other half he begs for food.

rooth said...

Aww, poor Meatball. I wish him a happy and speedy recovery

colleen said...

they're so sweet together. and in case you didn't know, you're an awesome dog owner.

colleen said...

they're so sweet together. and in case you didn't know, you're an awesome dog owner.

Vanessa said...

Poor Meatball! Sending healthy recovery vibes his way!

Jax said...

So glad that you're back! Can't believe it took that long for them to get it to you! You were better off not paying all those extra shipping fees. #Scams lol

Glad to hear about Meatball. Praying for a speedy recovery and extra helpful PT. :D

Tina L. Hook said...

Meatball and Petunia are melting my heart today. The fur babies always do it to me.

We have a sick patient at home right now too, and her sister has also been more attentive.

Tina L. Hook said...

I also wanted to say thank you for participating in my last Blog Mingle. I'm hosting another one tomorrow.

Heather said...

So glad he is on his way to recovery! He is such a cutie!

Suze said...

Awwww Meatball!! I wish him a speedy recovery.

Unknown said...

Awww poor Meatball! Bless his wittle heart :(

xo
http://hautecouture3.blogspot.com

Magdalena said...

Poor Meatball!! I am so sorry for him! I hope he'll be ok very soon!

xoxoxo

Blond Duck said...

I'm so glad he's ok! Poor baby! IT's hard when our furry ones are down!

Vision By Mila said...

aawww, doggy.. get well soon!!

Suz said...

My heart goes out to Meatball. I hope he heals quickly and you are back to normal. Miss you. I'm still hanging in there with you.

I'm Erin

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Hi, I'm Erin. I am living back on the east coast after 15 years out west. Currently readjusting to humidity and mosquitos. I love to take pictures and read fashion magazines.... and to talk about nothing in particular (ok, and my dogs).

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