We are back in frigid cold of Chicago. The drive up wasn’t so bad, but man oh man was it a shock to go from 80 degrees to -20 with the wind chills. The first few days we were back the dogs didn’t want to be outside for long. Bacio would shiver and just stare at me. Yuki adjusted faster and was happy to see the snow. We’ve been back for about a month now and they are both back to loving winter… I still hate it though. I see nothing good about it other than my dogs look adorable playing in snow.
I have received some messages on Facebook inquiring about Bacio’s progress with his 2nd FHO. This time around hasn’t been the roller coaster last time was, but it hasn’t been as smooth sailing as it seemed it would be in the beginning either. Initially, Bacio was up and getting around much faster. I was very cautious this time about stairs, ice, pretty much anything and everything. He was walking half a mile to a mile a day and things were looking great.
Once we had gotten to Florida, he was walking every day, but things just kind of plateaued. We’d go for walks and he’d be very stubborn, refusing to move. He even popped out of his collar a few times. I wasn’t about to give in to him since I knew he pulled tricks like this last time to get out of therapy. I forced him to walk and once we got about three quarters of the way into the walk, he’d finally start walking normally, and quit pretending like he was sore. When we got close enough to see “home” he all the sudden was cured and walked as fast as he could to get there.
This is why it got frustrating, sorry if this is hard to follow it will make sense if you read it over a couple times…
Last time his left hip was in pain while his right hip was recovering so once he trusted his right hip, he was using that leg much more. This time he was up and moving around faster, in my opinion, because
- He’d been through this before, and
- Once the soreness went away, he knew he could use the leg again.
Unfortunately, in the post-surgery gimpy time, the leg had gotten weaker, and it became much more of an effort to use that left leg. The first time around he used his right leg because the left hip was in horrendous condition. This time around he just continues to favor the right leg since there’s no pain and it is stronger than the left. At this point in his first recovery, Bacio was able to balance on his right leg and pee (this has been my gage of how well his leg is doing). He’s only done that a few times on his left leg so far…
That makes me a little paranoid.
However, I am not a vet. These are only my thoughts on the matter. He’s going up and down the stairs by himself now. He runs. He plays a bit. But he’s still not 100% stable. He’s still a little wobbly but he holds his own. He’s fallen on ice and tile and gets right back up and trots off. On the other hand, if he’s outside and playing in the yard with Yuki, then he has trouble getting back up the stairs. The winter here in Chicago has definitely put a damper on things. It has been subzero cold, and this dog mama doesn’t have a fur coat like the two dogs do. Our walks have been kept brief, kind of a do your business and get back home thing. The weather isn’t supposed to get any better any time soon, so I’m just hoping the stairs and the playing in the yard keep him active enough.
Was FHO The Right Decision?
The last comments I have on the matter… I know I made the right choice for Bacio, because my dog is not in pain anymore. How do I know he’s not in pain? Oh, this is why. Because Bacio has turned into a little pistol. He’s got a surge of confidence, when he’s in the yard he frolics and plays. He barks. A lot. And he’s not afraid of people anymore. He’s gotten really annoying over the past month. He stares at me and wants to roughhouse or tries to instigate things with Yuki. So yes, for Bacio this was the best thing I could have ever done for that lil’ mutt, however I do not know if this was the right choice for my sanity.
