New Beginnings. How cheesy of a title is *that*?!
Tomorrow Stetson comes home, 18 days after his accident. All those legs are moving and he has stood up on his own a few times (although he falls right back down again) so they've decided he should come home. There's not a whole lot of room in the ICU anyway and he occupies the only pen suitable (that I've seen) for large dogs with spinal injuries, so they need to free it up in the event that a sicker animal comes in.
I'm afraid of bringing him home; I look around here and all I see are ways animals/people could injure themselves. I know you can't live your life like that--always in fear because of weirdo, shot in the dark scenarios...and although I have lost people or coped with injury/illness before, for some reason THIS incident seems different. It's because I am accustomed to serious injury happening anywhere BUT home, and because I know that illness is mysterious and often unpreventable. Stetson being so seriously injured in my own home is a new kind of frightening for me.
Anyway, Tom and I are setting up; it's hard to do because I don't really understand what to expect. It is so busy at the animal hospital and I can't get anyone to give me the sort of answers that I want. I think it will be a lot of learning-on-the-fly. I've never cared for anyone who is paralysed before, and that's essentially what Stetson still is at this point in my eyes, because he only has legs as a means of motoring around...no wheelchair, no words to call us over to lift him... I'm scared! Bottom line is, he's got a lot of recovery ahead of him, but fortunately everyone seems to believe that if he can stand up all by himself (even if only for a moment) he will eventually walk again. I believe that too. But he's heavy! It's hard to carry a 70lb dog outside to pee. Wish me luck.
Speaking of paralysed...Annie needs a home
Stetson has a friend at the ICU. Her name is Annie and she is a tiny dachshund. She's a piebald, grey with black and white mixed in, calico-style. Annie injured her back jumping up and down off of furniture, I think... (NEVER let your dachsies do that! My parents have built a FENCE around their couch to prevent this.) Anyway, her back legs became paralysed, and her people brought her in for a pretty serious surgery to try to restore movement. It didn't take, and her people have decided not to come back for her...this, after she was their companion for 6 years! I don't know why they decided on that. Who knows, they may already have their hands full taking care of infirms. Anyway, she needs a home now. She has a little wheelchair that suspends her back legs and she zips around the animal hospital in it. She's precious.
So, the message is: Protect your dachsies!! And, if you want a little wheely-dog, leave me a message and I'll help set it up for you two to meet.
Life is hard, isn't it?
Tomorrow Stetson comes home, 18 days after his accident. All those legs are moving and he has stood up on his own a few times (although he falls right back down again) so they've decided he should come home. There's not a whole lot of room in the ICU anyway and he occupies the only pen suitable (that I've seen) for large dogs with spinal injuries, so they need to free it up in the event that a sicker animal comes in.
I'm afraid of bringing him home; I look around here and all I see are ways animals/people could injure themselves. I know you can't live your life like that--always in fear because of weirdo, shot in the dark scenarios...and although I have lost people or coped with injury/illness before, for some reason THIS incident seems different. It's because I am accustomed to serious injury happening anywhere BUT home, and because I know that illness is mysterious and often unpreventable. Stetson being so seriously injured in my own home is a new kind of frightening for me.
Anyway, Tom and I are setting up; it's hard to do because I don't really understand what to expect. It is so busy at the animal hospital and I can't get anyone to give me the sort of answers that I want. I think it will be a lot of learning-on-the-fly. I've never cared for anyone who is paralysed before, and that's essentially what Stetson still is at this point in my eyes, because he only has legs as a means of motoring around...no wheelchair, no words to call us over to lift him... I'm scared! Bottom line is, he's got a lot of recovery ahead of him, but fortunately everyone seems to believe that if he can stand up all by himself (even if only for a moment) he will eventually walk again. I believe that too. But he's heavy! It's hard to carry a 70lb dog outside to pee. Wish me luck.
Speaking of paralysed...Annie needs a home
Stetson has a friend at the ICU. Her name is Annie and she is a tiny dachshund. She's a piebald, grey with black and white mixed in, calico-style. Annie injured her back jumping up and down off of furniture, I think... (NEVER let your dachsies do that! My parents have built a FENCE around their couch to prevent this.) Anyway, her back legs became paralysed, and her people brought her in for a pretty serious surgery to try to restore movement. It didn't take, and her people have decided not to come back for her...this, after she was their companion for 6 years! I don't know why they decided on that. Who knows, they may already have their hands full taking care of infirms. Anyway, she needs a home now. She has a little wheelchair that suspends her back legs and she zips around the animal hospital in it. She's precious.
So, the message is: Protect your dachsies!! And, if you want a little wheely-dog, leave me a message and I'll help set it up for you two to meet.
Life is hard, isn't it?
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