Kirk's Hips =( **8/26 GOOD update!**"

[RobiLee]

He's so CUTE!! I'm glad that he is still doing well. Give that cutie a hug from me, please.

[Ginger's Mom]

He sure does look like he is in good spirits. Aren't dogs amazing. I hope he continues to improve, and does better with the pottying. Very gentle Hugs to Kirk from me, please.

[cloverfdx]

Hi there Kirkie and Mama . I am glad to hear that Kirk is improving, and his potty breaks are getting better aswell . You have both been in my thoughts Kate, sending lots of good healing vibes Kirks way {{Hugs}}.

[Kater]

It has been one week (yesterday) since Kirk's surgery. Everything is going well overall, but we have hit a few more bumps with constipation, pain management, etc. He is also starting to really get stir-crazy as well.

Stitches will come out sometime next week. I think I said 7-10 days earlier in this thread, but I was wrong....it's more like 10-14 days. The incision sites look pretty nice, but more significant is the bone healing and healing that is going on internally... We will know about that after we take the next rads.

Also he makes 6 months on Monday!! I can't believe it!! I think I will have a celebration this weekend instead of next week, because my next week is packed with tests/quizzes/assignments. Anyway, be on the look out for pictures! His fur is growing back and he looks less like a Thanksgiving turkey. I still call him turkey leg though, haha.

I also can't wait to give him a baaaath! Oi. He doesn't stink...but I usually keep him cleaner than he is now. Plus he has some adhesive residue in various places from wraps, patches, etc. Also there is the veggie oil I used to remove the wrap.... Yeah, he's a bit of a mess. But still oh so cute.

Kate

[lizbud]

So glad to hear how well Kirk is doing.He will able to have a great, active
life AFTER all is done.I think you are so right to be strict about restrictions
now while the bones heal.Kirk looks so bright eyed & sweet. Keep on
doing well baby boy.

[K9karen]

Oh YAY that Kirk is doing so well! He looks terrific, but if looks could kill when he has his Eliz. collar on...
I never realized how resilient and understanding our babies can be until my RB Cody had 2 ACL surgeries. Try keeping a Lab/Retreiver down, but he seemed to totally understand his limits and knew he was being helped. You've given Kirk a new start in life and he'll never forget it. *Crawls in cage, grabs Kirk's handsome face and bestows a zillion kisses*

[pnance]

I'm glad to hear he's doing well despite the bumps.....Nikka had a complete hip replacement (she was 1 1/2 when we adopted her and had such severe hip dysplasia her hip was completely out of the socket with no hope of getting it back in permanently). We had the worst time trying to keep her quiet (even with Ace) and off that leg for the 2 weeks recovery time. The funny part is we fought her for 2 weeks, tried every trick in the book to keep her quiet and off that leg, then finally the day came when the vets said start letting her use that let again...we were thrilled.. so we let her out in the yard to use the facilities without a leash and she refused to put her foot down. It took us another week of battling to get her to use that leg.....

[Kater]

Kirkie is 7 months old now. It has been 6 weeks since his first TPO and he seems to have healed well. However, we won't know exactly how well everything is going until we take some more xrays. At least it appears that he has no loose pins or anything major! Xrays will be taken before he goes under the knife again and they operate on his left hip/pelvis. I'm nervous about what the xrays might reveal because my Dad broke some of the post op rules and took him on a few walks. My Dad has since stopped, but he walked him just 2 weeks after surgery and did not tell me about it. I just have three words: stubborn, old man.... *deep sigh* That is in the past, and although I was absolutely seething, there is nothing I can do now. I've just had to let it go.

Anyway, I gather that the 2nd TPO is pretty uniformly the more difficult of the two operations. This time we do not have vet students rotating through our hospital (I work at the clinic where Kirk will be operated on, however the surgeon is an orthopedics specialist and not one of our clinic's vets), so I will stay with Kirkie overnight Thursday night and possibly Friday night as well. We have a second building behind the hospital with a furnished upstairs apartment. At least then I won't have to drive into work Saturday morning! ha ha ha

But really, I'm quite nervous. I am on a TPO group on yahoo and since I joined I have been hearing how hard the first couple days are after the 2nd TPO. Please keep us in your prayers!! I need to bathe him tonight since he'll probably have stitches in again for 10-14 days. Hopefully I can get some pics tonight, but I can't guarantee it.

Thank you in advance for your prayers. I cannot wait until this is all behind us!!

[borzoimom]

He is in my prayers. Dont worry= after recovery, it is better afterwards.

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers for Kirk, and his mommie. I hope the second one goes as well as the first one did.

[pitc9]

Oh Goodness you poor things!!
This is so hard on you Both!!
I think it's worse for you because you know what's about to happen and he doesn't
My every thought and prayer are with you both!

[Ginger's Mom]

Prayers are going out for your and Kirk. I hope everything goes as well in the second surgery as it did in the first. {{{Hugs}}}.

[Kater]

I think it's worse for you because you know what's about to happen and he doesn't

Yup, you are probably right about that, Angie. I have to fight my feelings of guilt. This morning he was playing with his I Qube quietly and having a great time. I say quietly because we still have him on low doses of tranquilizers. Anyway, he is just soo happy. And tomorrow morning when I drive him to the clinic, he will be soo happy to see everyone. He really has no idea. I'm glad he hasn't made any negative associations with the clinic. I imagine if he wasn't so happy I'd feel really guilty....

It feels like we worked so hard to get him well again and now we're going to just knock him back down to zero again. That's my emotions talking. But my logic tells me that this will be worth it in the long run. It's all quite a lot for such a young pup.

I know he will keep me up all Thursday night... After his first TPO the vet students gave him additional morphine multiple times throughout the night because he was just whining and really upset. *sigh* It will be hard for me to see him like that.

[Karen]

Yes, mom, but you know this is all for the best in the long run. Give him a hug-and-kiss just from me, okay?

[Kater]

Yes, mom, but you know this is all for the best in the long run. Give him a hug-and-kiss just from me, okay?

I know, I know.
Will do when I get home tonight. He has a very kissable nosie!!