Doggy Hospital

 

DOGGY HOSPITAL

My poor Betty ruptured her cruciate ligament several weeks ago whilst playing ball and running like the wind, as she so loves to do ... despite putting on a brave face, she has been in severe pain and deteriorating while we waited for TPLO surgery. After an anxious twenty four hours, including an overnight recovery stay in doggy hospital, we drove for over an hour yesterday, to collect our precious girl.

Betty amazed my husband and I by walking unaided with her nurse across the car park, where we were masked up and waiting for her as per current Covid19 rules and regs. She was clearly foggy headed, very tired and wobbly, but determined to get back to us for a big cuddle and home. It was such a relief! She rode home on the back seat of the car, snuggled on my lap.

Our first night at home has passed smoothly. Betty is a model patient and mostly just wants cuddles and quiet. She is suffering from separation anxiety and now cries if I leave the room, which is new to us, so I need to help her build back confidence and trust that I won't leave her while she is recovering. I have a mattress on the floor next to her pen so we can sleep together at night and woke this morning to the gentlest of licks on my hand. I wasn't sure whether she would manage to get to the garden without a sling under her tummy to steady her this morning, as walking is currently a mix of three legs and the odd toe tap-hop with poorly leg, but little Bets is a tidy girl and wanted to do her toilet on grass without a fuss, like the lady she is. She walked out steadily on her lead, up the ramp we had prepared to the lawn, did her business, then walked right back in again for a big sleep in her pen... even the smallest trip to the garden is exhausting for her.

We will be 'in recovery' for several weeks as this was a major surgery and Betty now needs to rebuild muscle strength and heal slowly and steadily. It has been a worrisome, anxiety filled few weeks, but this operation will give Betty back her life. Now that it is finally over, I am hugely relieved and ready to give my girl everything she needs to make a full recovery in the weeks and months ahead.