Tomorrow is April 18th, on January 18th, three months ago, Bacio went his for his FHO surgery on his right hip. Bacio’s hip dysplasia at the time of surgery was so severe it was pretty much a flip of the coin deciding which leg to operate on first. With all the set backs, falls, and stubbornness we’ve gone through with Bacio, we’re finally seeing major improvements. I have to give a HUGE thanks to Integrative Pet Care for the progress we’ve made. In fact, Bacio graduated from his therapy program today! To anyone who’s pet is facing some sort of physical ailment, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Cost was a major concern for me, but it has been worth every penny. For the past two months the therapists have been using laser treatments, floor exercises, and an underwater treadmill to help Bacio build muscle and stability. My dog can not only walk again, but his overall mood has been improved. He no longer just mopes all day on his bed, he’s excited to go outside and go to the park! He plays with toys and Yuki again, and he even instigates scuffles with Yuki (this I could do without).
Now that the weather is getting warmer, on sunny days we go for about a mile long walk around the boulevards or at the park. Bacio is so happy about it not only does he loves these walks, but he’s actually trotting most the time, and I’ve even let him run a little bit. For the first time ever, he’s running like a regular dog… for 5-10 seconds. There are still concerns in my head about his ligament stability, so I don’t let him run too long. After all the falls we’ve had, I fear he’ll take a step in a hole or uneven ground, and we’ll be back to square one. The nice part about walking in the park is the benches throughout the park. When the little guy starts getting tired, we just take a break for a bit and people/dog watch.
Going further, Bacio still needs to develop more muscle in his right leg. He has gained a centimeter in the past 2 months. I have lots of home exercises that were taught to me at Integrative, but Bacio is so bullheaded about doing them. I have to wait until he’s hungry and willing to work for treats to get him to cooperate. We also have the option of a punch card type of program at IPC to use the water treadmill. The doctor at Fox Lake Animal Hospital said that the average time in between FHO surgeries is four months. Bacio is definitely no where near ready for surgery number two, but I’m hopeful that as we continue to walk and do home exercises that we can get the left hip operated on by the end of summer.
It is important to me that everyone knows how thankful I have been for the support on this journey so far. I wouldn’t have made it past the set back without you all, even just writing about it made a difference. Bacio says thanks too, but in that little kid way, when they get told they have to say thanks. Lastly, I cannot praise the therapists at IPC and Dr. Flaherty enough for what they accomplished with by baby boy. Good luck to Dr. Flaherty in New York! All you New York pets are lucky!
