Gracie's Home!

Grace came home last night, but we were both too exhausted from stress and pain (her leg, my tooth) to do much more than crash and sleep. Today, we both feel better.

Because a lot of people that I worked with at the EVC now work at the CARE Center, Grace saw some of her old friends, and met some new ones, too. Dr. Daniel and animal nurse Gloria were both there when I picked her up, and nurse Aimee ran her anesthesia the day before. Everybody commented on how good and sweet she was, naturally.

Depsite her many fans, Grace was eager to go home. Here she is, pulling the assistant across the waiting room, trying to get to me. I didn't have time to compose a photo, just aimed and shot, as you can tell.


It is always harder, seeing your own pet post-operatively than a patient. Grace whimpered as she climbed up into the back seat to leave, and again when she got out of the car. Back at the office, we loved on her and gave her treats, then put her in a cage up front for the rest of the afternoon. She ended up with her face in a back corner, and I had to turn her around so she could see out.


I don't know if you can tell, but she was a little distressed Friday afternoon. Her face, as well as her body position, shows her level of anxiety, especially compared to the more relaxed photos from Thursday's post. She wouldn't take her pills in Pill Pockets, so I had to force them into her. She wouldn't even eat a Trader Joe's chicken jerky strip, until I broke it into tiny pieces and hand-fed them to her, one by one. She just wasn't my Gracie, and it was breaking my heart.

When we got home, Holly had to sniff her all over, especially her leg, till Grace actually growled a little, totally out of character for her.

Today, she is not crying, is more interested in food, and is pulling me as I walk her around the yard on a leash. She made the rounds of the bird feeders with me when I filled them this afternoon. When we came back in, I had her lay down in the living room, in front of a space heater (which she loves) while I went to my computer room, but she wouldn't stay. She got up and followed me back here, and is laying in the sunbeam, keeping me company. That's more like her!

This is a typical posture for a dog 24 hours post-op cruciate surgery:


Actually, in Grace's case, I think it is a little better than average. Most dogs don't put the foot down for several days, and she is actually touching her toes to the ground, although not bearing any weight as yet. That's good. We don't want her to stress that healing joint just yet. In fact, we have 6 weeks of strict rest - leash walk for potty trips and that's all - before we can start any kind of rehab.

Wanna see my new digital SLR camera?

Grace's right rear leg after ACL surgery

Looks a lot like a Rottweiler leg, doesn't it? I had planned on using my income tax refund for a new and better camera, but instead I put it into Grace's surgery. Oh well, there's always next year for a new camera.

Here's a photo of a trip to Scotland:

Grace's left front leg after radiation therapy

How many legs does this dog have, and when will I be done paying for them?