Today, I can say that Novak’s hot spot is healed completely, I removed his cone last night and he doesn’t want to lick anymore. The blemishes on his lips, nose seem to be stable, but I wish they would heal faster. I canceled his surgery on july 28th because of his skin issues, but now, I feel that maybe I should go ahead…but…my boss said that she couldnt give me my week of vacation like I already planned…that sucks. I dont know what to do anymore, cause the next available spot for surgery is in mid september…its so far and his leg seem more painful than usual. I would problably get at least 4 days after his surgery, so not that bad and my boyfriend is home sleeping all day(works night shift). I feel like one day the surgery is on, the next not, the next on, the next not….etc…. seriously, can we plan and stick to the plan???

I really need to buy a carpet for the hallway, Novak is always running/slipping on that part of the house when he want to go outside, so I can’t imagine him going on 3 legs like that!

So why Novak will be amputated? In october 2013, I left Vega and him with a dogsitter for 6 days, bringing only Nick to the USDDN world disc championship in Georgia. When I came back to pick them up, the girl said that he has fallen on the grass while playing frisbee and that he was limping, but she put him to rest and said that he was fine after that. So, ok… But he was not ok, he was not putting weight on the rear left leg. So I decided to put him for total rest for 1 week to see. No amelioration, so I went straight to the orthopedic specialist with him. We took an xrays and it showed a bone fragment in the knee!! Maybe the caudal ligament was touch, not sure, so the vet told us to try 1 month complete rest.. but no amelioration was notice. We went back and took another set of xrays and the arthritis was ++++++++ in his knee, just in 1 month! So we did a scan to have a proper diagnostic and then, the final verdict, because they was a piece of bone of 9mm and severals mini chips missing from the femoral condyle, the knee surface was altered and to repare that deficit was impossible. The vet didnt want to remove the fragment cause he thought that he wouldn’t change the outcome and the arthritis. The solution, complete knee replacement dont in the US for about 7000$ + the travers + physio ++++ so Im in Canada and don’t have that kind of money anyway and studies show conflicted results about that pretty new surgery. The vet said that he thought that in less than 1 year, Novak won’t be using that leg. The vet said to me that it was impossible that a fall to the grass was causing that kind of injury, that it has to be a big direct it to the knee. The dogsitter said that nothing happened and that she didnt know nothing…case close for that… I will never know what really happened to my dog and Im pass it now, but it was very difficult for me, I felt responsable, guilty to have left him with that girl. Ok, maybe its really an accident, but, the unknown will always fly over my head. I do no longer speak to that person, she never ask how he was, or any concern.

So after a while, Novak was doing much better and I started to exercice him a bit more and played frisbee with him once in a while. In summer, while he was swimming, he was doing much better, the muscular mass was coming back. So everything was ok, he had some bad days sometime, but nothing too serious. Then in spring of 2016, he was limping more and more, did not put weight on it, so I decided to take xrays again to see. Wow, it was bad, very bad, the knee was full of arthritis and the definition of the bone was a mess. I then consulted with another specialist, in pain management. I wanted to know if the time had come for the amputation, that the orthopedic vet told me was supposed to happen one day. That vet said that Novak was in great pain, even if he was running like a crazy dog, jumping, etc.. never I saw him rest, complain, nothing. So she said to me, that the time had come, she said that she would have done it sooner even! So ok, my fiance and I where there…we would do the amputation to releive him from pain. I started a cocktail of meds, gabapentin, tramadol and deramaxx to make sure he doesnt have a phantom pain after the surgery. He does take all the medication in his food with no problem, he’s really a good dog. I had my up and down, questionning myself, and the should have done this, or that questions.. but now, Im ready and Im anxious to get this done! Surgery will be on july 28th!

Oh my, saturday, while petting Novak, I notice a big hot spot on his belly, at the base of his scrotum. My clinic was close, so I shave the area and clean it to make sure it doesn’t get worse till monday. So finally, brought him at work and got him a treatment for that nasty hot spot. I feel bad, cause I was on vacation and he swam all week in the pool, so its my fault…I should have dry him better. And, it comes at the worse time, just before his surgery. I want him to be cure before going in surgery. So, of course, he’s on AINS, so I cannot give cortisone… he has so many medications, grrrr anyway, I stop the deramaxx for now and he’s on antibiotics for 3 weeks + a topical that hurt him like crazy, poor dog. And of course, he has the cone on… the same cone that he will be needed 2 weeks post surgery, so now, it will be like 4 weeks of that nasty cone. And he doesn’t want to pee 🙁 he does poop, but no peeing…he goes outside and freaks out and sit or lay down. Doesnt want to drink with the cone on, so I have to bring him the bowl of water to him to make him drink. My home is like a vet pharmacy now 🙁 Ok, It could be worse, its not life treatening but, it sucks…

My name is Sandra and I live in Quebec, Canada with my fiance Daniel, his daughter Marie-Soleil 7, our 4 dogs, Sully 9 (border collie), Nick 8 (border collie), Vega 9 (tervuren) and Novak 5 (tervuren). We also have 3 cats of 14 years old, named: Sniper, Trooper and Voodoo. We do mainly disc with our dogs, but I also do scent detection, obedience, agility, herding and all kind of dog sport! I tried every sport there is…I think LOL

Nick, Novak, Sully and Vega!

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