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Day 7 Post-Op – First Day Out & About

We made it one week – woot woot!

Skyla had a quick appointment with our regular (holistic) vet today. She was so excited to go for a car ride and have a change of scenery. I couldn’t believe how smoothly she jumped into my car! To celebrate, we went to the Starbucks drive-thru for a little Puppachino treat. Breaking the rules, for sure!

It has been a heat wave here in Central Oregon, and between a lack of AC and that thick cotton bandage, she’s been a hot tamale. We can’t wait to cut that thing off! Tomorrow we head in for a recheck with the surgeon and it should be time to take it off. I’m nervous but looking forward to finally seeing the incision. I got a little peak underneath the bandage and it’s looking really good, from what I can tell.

Skye’s Fentanyl patch came off Friday, but her pain seems to be well-controlled. She’s been eating well, taking her meds better than last week, and she has stopped whining/crying. She does seem uncomfortable at times, and will continue to readjust her positioning until she finds the best way to sleep. I’ve noticed her laying on her “amp side” more and more, so I’m taking that as a sign that it’s not as painful as before.

Her endurance is getting better and better too! She takes less breaks, and ventures further from the house every day. I can’t wait until we get the point where we can take short walks and maybe even easy hikes in the future. Trail Boss deserves to get back to the dirt!

The past few days, she has seemed a bit more depressed/quiet. I can’t tell if she is just really wore out, or if she’s bored/discontent. She doesn’t seem to want to do much except for sleep. Her vet visit today seemed to wear her out SO much. I guess it’ll just take time for these seemingly minor events to not take a toll. I’m comforted knowing this seems to be pretty normal post-op. Any feedback on how long it might take to see her want to play, walk around on her own, etc. is much appreciated!

Jerry had expressed curiosity re: her Vitamin A&D injection today. That reminded me that I never gave the run down on the food/supplement regimen we have her on! We have opted not to do chemo for a number of reasons, mainly because I believe in empowering her body as much as possible and aiming for optimum wellness more than ever before. Here’s what we are currently doing:

  • Raw food – poultry/fish formulas from Northwest Naturals Raw
  • Nordic Naturals Omega Pet fish oil – high amount of omegas
  • Hoxsey formula – herbal cancer-fighting blend, highly recommended in holistic world
  • Golden paste – turmeric/coconut oil/black pepper – she’s currently disgusted by it, so we ordered a silicone coffee bean mold to try to freeze little “beans” of it, maybe she’ll tolerate it better!
  • Bixbi Immunity – mushroom blend
  • Herbsmith Sound Dog Viscosity powder – joint supplement (she’s been on it for several years)
  • Pet Releaf CBD Hemp Oil – amazing for it’s anti-cancer properties, pain relief
  • Answers Pet Food Fermented Fish Stock – smells as nasty as it sounds, but she loves it; we give her the Hoxsey formula in this to mask the taste. So good for them!
  • Snacks include raw goat’s milk from Answers, raw meaty bones, frozen bones stuffed with canned food, freeze-dried meat treats
  • Vitamin A&D injection every 4 weeks – helps promote healthy cells = less neoplastic cell growth

I clearly love this dog, haha! It costs a small fortune, but I’m fortunate enough to work at a natural pet foods store part-time where I receive a discount. We may not be doing chemo, but she’s on a natural “chemo” regimen! If anyone has any questions about any of these items, or has any suggestions, we are all ears.

Thanks for reading; we’ll update tomorrow about how our recheck appointment went. In the meantime, have a wonderful week, friends and Tripawds!

XOXO,

Rae & Skyla



4 comments ↓

  • #   jerry on 06.27.17 at 3:22 pm     Reply

    Rae she is doing SO well! I love these pics!

    Thank you for sharing her nutritional / vitamin injections information. Would it be OK by you if we share this in the Tripawds Nutrition blog?

    As for when she might get back to her usual…that really depends on each dog but based on her lifestyle before amputation, I’m pretty sure you’ll see that sparkle come back in the next couple of weeks. Keep in mind that hot weather will also wear her out a lot faster. I know you get this, but amputation takes a LOT out of the body so her sleeping isn’t at all unusual, and really it’s quite healing. Yes, she will get tired quicker even when she is all recovered, but overall she sounds like she will do really, really well and have a great quality of life…especially with a human like you who devotes so much time and energy to her hoppiness. Good job!


    • #   raeandskyla on 06.30.17 at 4:52 am     Reply

      Hello! So sorry for being slow, I’ve had a busy few days!

      Thanks for checking that all out! It’s totally ok to share in the nutrition blog.

      I also really appreciate your encouragement and reassurance that this is all very normal. I can completely understand, it’s just nice to have someone who’s been there say “yup, wouldn’t expect anything different”. I’ll be watching for all those little signs of her personality really shining through the next few weeks!

      Thanks so much,
      Rae & Skyla


  • #   misterrustybucket on 06.27.17 at 5:55 pm     Reply

    Rae & Skyla,
    I am so happy to hear and see how well Skyla is doing after surgery. She looks like she really enjoyed her Starbucks treat! What a cutie. I was nervous about seeing Rusty’s incision but when I did all I could think was how beautiful he was and how happy I was to see him doing so well. I was surprised but it truly didn’t bother me at all, hopefully you will feel the same.
    Rusty was very tired and sluggish during the first few weeks but once he could get out for an ice cream run and a short “hop and sniff” his spirits seemed to lift. He also started physical therapy which involves treats so he loves it and it did help strengthen his legs and improve his balance which gave him confidence.
    You clearly take amazing care of Skyla and I think it’s still very normal for her to be tuckered out. Can’t wait to read and see more on your girl!
    Love, Amy & Rusty


    • #   raeandskyla on 06.30.17 at 4:55 am     Reply

      Hi Amy & Rusty!

      Ya’ll are so sweet – thank you! I felt exactly the same seeing her incision. I was surprised by how well it looked, and really just proud of how far she’s come already. I’ve worked in emergency vet care in the past, so it wasn’t my first time seeing an amputation incision, but it’s always different and scary when it’s your own.

      I’m really looking forward to the next few weeks and seeing her energy and spark come back! We are going to get her to the park so she can people and dog watch, and then maybe a short camping trip where she’ll get nothing but fresh air and quality time together. I think that’ll help lift her spirits :))

      Thanks again! Really appreciate your input and encouragement!

      XOXO,

      Rae & Skyla


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