Woohoo! We are in good spirits this morning — Molly told us she was ready to walk on her own!
I spent most of the night on the floor with her due to worries about her thick ear flaps (more on that below) and got up around 6. I brought her pain pills (wrapped in chicken) to her but she had no interest in eating them from my hand or from the floor in front of her. I left the bedroom door open just a crack and went back to the kitchen, since she has been really good about staying in one spot and waiting for us before she gets up. I started to get her breakfast ready and when I turned around, there was Molly! Silent assassin approach! Just standing there, wagging her tail like it was the most normal thing in the world. We have been nervous about her walking on our kitchen and hallway floors since they’re hard and slippery (we do have rugs in most spots, though), but she just acted like it was no big deal. We went outside, leashed, but I took the hint that maybe she’s ready for no asssistance so I carried the towel in case we needed it but otherwise let her go on her own. She kicked ass! She walked a little fast for my taste but no stumbles or trips, and when we came back in she went straight to her food bowl and ate breakfast…again, just like normal. She’s been standing and eating unassisted for about two days now but walking on her own was a huge achievement. We are pumped and you can tell she was too! Think that was a huge morale boost for her.
A brief recap of yesterday: It was definitely a “slump day.” Molly was very lethargic and groggy and overall just seemed uncomfortable. She wanted to sleep but I think she’s sick of being stuck on one side, having to sleep and rest all day, etc. I realized that I needed to be a little more regimented with the timing of her pain meds so I’m hoping that will help even out some of the grogginess. Yesterday afternoon we noticed that her ear flaps had suddenly gotten thick all over, and of course after making the mistake of googling and scaring myself, I worried about aural hematomas. She had not been shaking her head at all until literally the moment that I read that shaking her head could be a symptom… Now she is shaking it on average every 45-60 minutes. I emailed our surgeon to see if this could at all be a side effect of sedentary lifestyle and/or the pain meds, so I’ll wait to read her response before calling our local vet. I’m also wondering if it could be a result of our annual pine pollen season… It’s nasty in the mountains this year and the whole family suffers from allergies, although Molly’s ears have never swollen like this. The thickness is pretty evenly spread over her ears, and it’s occurring eveNot in both ears — one is not more swollen than the other. It’s not painful (she lets us tug and massage and rub the swollen spots) and while her ears are warm, they’re not hot or red or smelly. So, we’ll see what transpires of that.
No photos this time since I’m blogging from my iPad while trying to get ready for work 🙂 but Molly says hi and thanks you for all the encouragement!
Love, Kirby, Jordan, & Molly
YAY Molly!!! You go girl!!
Thanks, Chloe!
Oh Molly Girl! You are such a trooper baby. Congrats on the walking! Since Bentley is a front amp I think it was easier for him to walk. When we left the vet they never said anythi g about supporting him with a sling or towel. He just walked on out like lets get outta here!
But i understand that feeling of victory, Bailey had the TPLO knee fusion surgery for her ACL lasr year. We had to use a sling for her about a week also.
With the ears, it may sound strange, but possibly a yeast infection? Bentley used to get them from dog food that had alot of corn. Strange i know. Also with being on antibuotics so long, they kill all the good bacteria as well. Which helps minimize yeast build up. So possibly the antibiotics are too strong. Just a thought.
So happy for u and the little fam!
Hugs from all of us in ATL.
Jamie, Bentley, & Bailey
Hi Jamie and Bentley (and Bailey)! Yes, our primary care vet said that antibiotics can be the culprit too but Molly didn’t get any antis after her surgery, so we could rule that one out! We do think it’s allergies and her body is just having a tough time dealing with those while also healing from the amp. Benadryl seems to be helping, slowly but surely, so fingers crossed that those are back to normal soon! They don’t seem to bother her too much… She likes when we massage the swollen areas and only shakes her head a handful of times a day when it starts to get itchy.
Tell Bentley he is so awesome for his walking around and awesome healing! He is a champ and you are too — hang in there and keep updating us with all the great progress!
Hugs from CO!
Kirby & Molly
Our surgery is scheduled for next week, so I have been reading your blog every day. Thanks for telling it like it is, and so happy to hear about todays news!
Sorry for the delay in my response – it was a busy end to the week in our “normal lives” 🙂 – but I am SO glad to read this! I obsessively read dozens of blogs in the days leading up to (and the days after) Molly’s surgery, trying to prepare as much as I could. It’s true that every dog is different but we all share this common experience which is what makes this community so important. No one else knows what it’s like to go through something like this so participating in these forums and writing out your experience can be so helpful! Please keep me posted on your surgery and feel free to ask as many questions as you need! We are here for you! HUGS!
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR MOLLY MOOSE!!! Good job Molly!
Isn’t seeing your pup start to do”normal” things the best feeling ever???? I can still vividly recall the first time my Happy Hannah got off of her bed and greeted me at the door when I came home…wagging her tail and Woo Wooooooing!
These are the kinds of updates that make us all so happy!
Not sure what the ear thing is since it’s in both and so evenly matched. I’m thinking some type of allergy, as Bentley’s mom indicated, some immunity issues due to antibiotics.
Keep us posted and keep those victories coming!!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Way to go Molly! Thats so awesome. holly is cheering for you❤?
Molly says, “Thanks, Holly!” We appreciate all the encouragement!
Love that she’s walking TOO FAST for you! 🙂 And I’m very glad to hear that her ears aren’t a big deal. Yay Molly!
Thanks, Sarah!! Her right ear is still swollen this morning but her left one has gone down considerably, so that’s great! 🙂
YAY!
Remember that it is much easier for a tripawd to go fast than it is to go slow. We worked out a system of leap frog with a flexi lead. Nixon would go 20 feet ahead of me and wait. Cookie and I would pass him and get to the end of the leash and then he’d come flying past us and stop just before he ran out of leash. Repeat for a mile. We eventually got to where we could run with him but we’re both a bit fluffy. We’d run 1/8 to 1/4 of a mile and then rest. Run, rest, run, rest. Before you knew it, our average speed was just over 2 MPH and we could walk 3/4 of a mile in 20 minutes.
That is really good info to know – thanks for sharing! And it makes sense that it’s easier for them to go faster rather than slower. I’ve noticed that Molly almost gets a running start before she settles into a comfortable walk… and I can tell that it makes her heart happy to be able to “run” even just a little! Can’t wait until she’s healed enough to go for some short walks!
Molly, you are a totally awesome Tripawd Girl!! That’s the way to show your folks how it’s done!!
Yay, thanks Max and Linda! Molly is definitely teaching us a lesson or seven! 🙂