Part Beagle, part chicken

Miss Mabel got the good word from Dr. Doggy Howser (His name is Dr. Trey…but he looks 12 so we gave him a little nickname in our home).

On Thursday day morning, Mabel had her bi-weekly visit with Dr. Doggy.  This was one month after he told us that the hip was rejecting the screws and plates and that some of the screws were pushing out.  He said that the reasoning was “because she won’t put her butt down.”  She was wandering through life as a biped for a couple months now.  Besides dealing with her day-to-day commands, her newest command was “Butt Down!” when she was walking.  She actually started to get it. 

We worked really hard with her – pretend bicycling with her legs; holding her front paws so she HAD to stand on her back ones; holding the front paws and the casted back paw and sort of bouncing her on the other.  These were all recommendations from the doctor.  It sounds mean, but the girl needed her hip muscle back.  She was getting a skinny little chicken leg!

Fully expecting the bad news on Thursday that the hip reconstruction didn’t take, Wade took Mabel in.  Dr. Doggy had scheduled x-rays.  There was no change.  Which is a good thing.  There was no further rejection of the implants.  AND, her leg – the very leg that we were minutes away from amputating – has healed about 85%.  The vet went in and removed the fake ligament because it wasn’t doing her any good or harm.  One small stitch.  That’s it.  And most exciting – after 3 months with a rotation of girlie cast colors, Mabel came home with another exposed chicken leg!  Her cast is gone!

The girl doesn’t really know what to do with her naked leg.  So she licks it.  Which is great, because after 3 months wrapped up, that’s the best thing for it… a bath!

~ by zuzu on July 27, 2008.