I didn’t really post any update here, I went back to work and then Novak got worse, I mean, nothing really serious, but his staples, about 4-5 got off at day 7, I don’t know if it was because he always slept on his limb and that area got the most friction, maybe he lick, or… so I brought him back to work with me, we remove the loose staples and replaced them. The next morning, my boyfriend(on vacation) called me at work saying that the staples were again loose!!!! Ok, bring him to me at the clinic where we stapled him again…. then on saturday, the staples were again awfull, so I decided to remove them and put some stiches, about 4-5. After that, everything seem ok, it was holding. YAY finally… but…on day 13 seroma was leaking….so anyway, I cleaned it and waited till day 14 and at day 14, the incision looked better so we remove all the staples and stiches and it was close, just one part was a bit open, but it was the exterior, so not really opened. The vet recommanded to do hydrotherapy till it healed completly. At Day 15, it looks good!

Another problem appeared at day 6-7, Novak seem to choke on food, like something was scratching his throat, that was happening only when he was eating. I though about the tube, maybe he got irritated or something, so didnt think much about it. Then, on day 14 he spit out some white foam with blood while he was eating…he manage to re eat the whole thing and he was ok. I took a picture and show to the vet. She think he is having stomach acidity and irritated oesophagus so prescripbed anti acid and a stomach coating. We are also reducing the deramaxx and stopping the tramadol.

So now, everything seem to be under control…

Im still worried that he is sort of limping, but not really sure, maybe its just the new gait, and im not use to it. The vet checked him out and hes fine…so maybe im worrying for nothing. I contacted some physio vet to see what they can offer, but its not cheap $$ Im thinking, that buying some fitpaw equipement will be the best option and more affordable for me.

Finally, we are at day 15 and I can begin to relax a bit and begin our new life on 3. Novak is still happy, still the same boy, a bit more affectionate than before…always sleeping beside me now, and before, he slept on the floor.

On day 14, we celebrated and stay outside! I blocked the stairs and we stayed on the deck, me reading and him watching the field.

Novak is sitting weird, he sits on his right leg now, does your rear tripawd do that?

And I noticed something else, he has difficulty stopping fast while running, if he wants to stop really fast to take a ball or something, he is going a bit further then has to come back. Will he learn his new gait and be better at that? Did you notice that in your dogs?

I did some paw prints of Novak’s leg, I know, some of you will find it weird, but it mean a lot to me and I will incorporate it in a future tattoo, so there they are:

First one in upper left corner is not good, the paw was still very cold, so all the toes were “frozen” together. But I think the other ones are good, what do you think?

I loooooove Novak’s drive, but when he has to rest, its a bit harder. When Im in bed with him, or he’s in his cage, he can settle fine and rest, but when its time to go outside to potty, he want to play. I caught him on camera wanting to jump(he does this happy dance since a puppy) to play. And at the same time, I did film the stairs up and down, funny to see the way he goes up, the back leg is doing 2 by 2 step. We can also see the way he does #1 and #2 with no problem.

Wow, what an amazing feeling today! I feel really great and for the first time, I really feel like a big weight was remove from my shoulders. Novak is doing great, I couldn’t ask for more. He’s in great shape and doesn’t seem to be in pain. He sometime have a panting episode where, maybe he’s unconfortable, but hard to say.

I was worried about seroma so I went to my vet this morning and everything is ok, its not seroma per say, its more edema(I think thats the word) swelling? She touched it and pressed on it, yuk, that made me feel squizy LOL but no fluid. So she suggested to massage him 3 times a day and apply pressure with ice pack after on his back so gravity would take effect. She show me how to do it and Novak was very confortable.

He was happy to get in the car and go to the clinic, greeting everyone, such a sweet boy! I went outside to show all the team how he was hoping and everybody was so happy, I was a bit teary, it was touching to see all of them so happy. Julie, said that when he goes fast and we dont see the left side, it doesnt even show that he’s amputated, she was omg. My vet was really really happy to him and me all happy, cause the last time she saw me, was thursday all day when Novak was so drugged.

When we were all outside, a women was walking by and the look of disgust, she stop and we realize it was a client of our. She said OMG, thats horrible and then my vet all happy said, No, he’s pain free, and he’s happy. Then she responded by If my dog were to be that way, you would KILL him for me!!! We all look at each other and I said, Ok, time to go, bye bye LOLOL and then I went back home. It was the first time out in public and the first comment was that! Ok, I will need to deal with those comments… Im ok, Im use to it, clients say awfull things sometime and I deal with them. I have a thick skin LOL

And then in the car….I felt so good, Novak was healthy, incision is great, everything is going perfect! The only thing I can ask now, is that everything continues to go perfect!

Ohhhh what a journey! I would never imagine going through this one day. You know, the say, that ah, it always happen to someone else, but now, its happening to us, for real. In general, Im a very anxious person, I can stress over small things very quickly, but when its my pets, its x 10000 Everything is going fine with Novak, but I cant shake the stress feeling inside me. Today, I left Novak with Daniel so I can get some food for him and other things that we needed for the house. I was so anxious to get home and to see that everything was ok… man, its tiring!!! Can I just breathe and let go, like my tattoo is saying on my arm!! I mean I cant live and the fear of something going wrong, and if something happen, thats ok, I work at a vet clinic and we will take care of it.

Im trying to find sort of a routine in the house for sleeping arrangement, for potty break, feeding, putting him in the kitchen, in the living room, changing him place so he can be close to me, but now, I think, its too much. I should pick a place, like the living room where we spent most time and then bedtime with me so we can cuddle.

So for the good positive things, Novak is eating well, peeing, did his first poo this morning and getting around just fine. His incision is looking ok, but a bit red and blue and there loose skin at some place, like its empty, I dont think its seroma, but on monday morning I will bring him to the vet to make sure. I send picture to my vet and she said it look fine, but, was hard to take a pic of the empty loose pocket.

I removed the fentanyl patch today and wow, it was so glue on, it was hard to rip from the skin and it hurt him…poor Novak. It left some redness on the skin, but nothing to worry about for now.

Novak doesnt try to lick for now, so he doesn’t need the cone, but Im always checking him. If I have to leave him alone, I put the cone just to make sure he doesn’t lick.

He seem more confortable on the soft bed, than the orthopedic bed that I just bough, I think because its less hard on his limb, less pressure.

He can sit and when he does, it so funny, cause it seem normal, I mean, the limb is useful, it rest like the leg was there. I can see him move the limb, that thing is crazy!! LOLOL

Sometime, he feels restless in the cage, he moves a lot and change position a lot. When hes with me on the mattress(bed), he just cuddle and seem less restless, but he was always near me before, so, maybe its that, or maybe hes in pain, unconfortable…dont really know. But in general, he’s relax and sleep.

I can’t wait till all this is over, he we can have a new normal…