6-30-08 A Little Gimpy today ?

Not sure why but Tris was gimpy off and on today on his front leg again. Last night we had a bad storm about 3am and he gets quite upset and paced back and forth quite a bit. I should have got up and iced his legs when he calmed down but I didn`t. This morning he was limping pretty good but by tonight it seemed a bit improved but not as good as it was. I did ice it through out the day. I removed more than half the stitches and left the ones where it is still not quite healed. He was still in great spirits all day, the limp didn`t seem to bother him, just me. Hoping it is better tomorrow after a good nights sleep.

6-29-08 Mr. "Cone-head"

Another good day as far as movement goes. Today though was the first time he has tried to lick the stitches, so they must be itching, so the cone went back on. It`s time for most of them to come out but there is still one small section on one side that is not quite healed yet so I will take out what I can and extend his antibiotics for another week and see how it does. The area does not get a whole lot of air, so it is taking a little longer to heal. Tris however is in GREAT spirits, I would swear he is smiling. Going into our 2nd week, I can increase his walks by a little bit which I am sure he will love.

6-27-08 Road Trip!!

We headed on over to the vet today for a quick check-up. It is just about time to remove the stitches but before doing so wanted them to have a look at an area in his groin in front of his sutures that was enlarged. Turns out it is just a "pocket" of fluid that is a result of removing the fat cells and it will reabsorb on it`s own. My motto is "better safe than sorry". Everyone at the animal hospital was quite pleased with how well he looked. One thing I noticed different today..when riding in the car I usually have to keep a hand on him to keep him from sliding around as we drove, today he was strong enough to stabilize himself the whole way there and back...then it was nap time.

6-26-08 Thursday

Still doing well, he is really not liking the whole "staying calm" part of this. I have had to confine him to the bedroom in the evening with a bone when he would normally be out and about because he gets to excited and could hurt himself. He must feel so much better that he wants to go faster than his legs can carry him!!

6-25-08 A Very Happy Boy

Last night we left Tris alone for the first time since his procedure, with his cone of coarse (he thinks it`s his hat and that he is very handsome when he wears it ) ;0) When we returned home instead of having to go wake him and let him know we were back, he was standing at the door waiting for us, wagging and barking. It was a really nice site. You can just tell he feels so much better. He will never be young again but just to be comfortable is nice. Today`s video shows how much more power he has in his step I believe.

Another Good Day 6-24-08

Having another good day. Tris went for 3 short walks already today and did very well. I did notice an ever so slight favoring of the opposite front leg from what was treated in our earlier walk. I think he is trying to go a little too fast since his bad leg feels better..I slowed him down a lot on our next outing and he was fine. Jim and I both noticed that he seems to be standing a lot more than he was. When he would come in from his walk he would sit and wait for his cookie, now he is standing and waiting for it and standing at the door and watching the other dogs. He is a lot stronger and much more active..."It`s A Good Thing"

Answering a few questions

1. Someone had asked how long the shots will last ?I don`t think they are really sure but I have read 9 months to a year maybe, I am sure it also depends on the dog...at that point we can use the cells that are banked to inject again.
2. Will I continue to see improvement?..I think again it depends on the individual. I certainly hope he will continue to improve through out the whole recovery period. Some dogs see some immediate improvement and others are more gradual over the coarse of weeks.
3. I was asked what supplements or medications Tris was on daily.

• phenobarbital is the only prescription he is on- 2x per day for a seizure disorder
• aspirin- 325 mg 2x per day
• vitamin E 400 i.u. 1x per day
• 750mg Shark cartilage 2x per day
• Triple strength glucosamine/chondroitin complex 2x per day
• multi vitamin 1x per day
• fish oil concentrate 1000 mg 1x per day
• host defense (mushroom complex) for immune strength 1 x per day
• 1 1/2 tsp pet tinic liquid iron supplement 2 x per day

This is what Tris has been on for most of his life, it is by no means what I would recommend anyone else try without speaking with their vet, this is just what works for him.