Update on Jenna

As we told you last week, Jenna had surgery on her left knee on Wednesday.  The poor girl is such a foodie.  It was ruff for her to go without a meal the morning of surgery.  I felt bad for her, but Dixie didn't!

Jenna is a good car rider, but she wasn't sure about the destination until Mommy pulled into the parking lot.  She got a bit whiny at that point. 

She stayed two nights in the hospital.  The first time she had this surgery, the vet kept her a whole week!  Don't tell Jenna, but Mommy was hoping for the same thing this time.  It's less stressful for Mommy when someone else is taking care of the patient! 

The night before Jenna came home, Mommy moved Jenna's crate into the main part of the living room so Jenna would have prime viewing of all the activity going on around her.  I decided to check it out and make sure Jenna would approve.

This new location is lab tested and lab approved! 

When Jenna came home, we both gave her a whole lotta love!  Sniffs all around!  

Lucky for us, Mommy picked up Valentine's treats for all three of us at the Barkery while picking up Jenna.  Jenna says these cookies are good, but they don't make up for the pain and suffering she's going through!

Jenna got to wear her own Valentine's bandana once she was back home.  She said she felt like she was in her very own kissing booth!  She has to stay in her crate for most of the the next few weeks, especially when our parents aren't home.  It's going to be tuff!

Jenna will probably kill me for showing you this, but here's how she looks half naked!  Poor girl looks pitiful with her leg shaved.  Mommy keeps reminding Jenna (and herself) that this too shall pass.  It's only hair; it will grow back!

We'll keep you updated on Jenna's progress.  She returns on the 25th to have her stitches removed.  

Please keep your paws crossed that there are no issues before then!

Dutiful Little Brother, 

Ruger

Prayer Request Please

Our Jenna is having surgery tomorrow.  She needs her left hind leg operated on.  It's her knee again.  Two years ago in May, she had her right knee operated on.  This is the equivalent of a person having his ACL repaired.  In dawgs, once a knee has had this operation, there's a fifty percent chance the other knee will be operated on too!  At our house, this percentage climbs to 100!  Our big brother, Hunter, had both legs operated on; the second was almost a year to the day exactly! 

We'd appreciate you keeping our vet, Dr. Clary, in your prayers as his skilled hands perform this needed surgery.  We think he's a fabulous man and he's the same vet who performed Jenna's first surgery.  Please keep Jenna in your prayers that she does well and is patient in her recovery while at the vet (about a week).  Pray that Mommy and Daddy are calm during this time period too.  The recovery period is about eight weeks!  That's a LOOOOOOOONG time in dawg years!!

Mommy's mantra "This too shall pass" is about to make a comeback!  On the bright side, this surgery is taking place in the winter instead of the kick off week to summer.  Trying to look for a silver lining here . . .

Crossing our paws for our sister,
Dixie and Ruger

Paranoid Mommy and Pawfect Jenna

Mommy has been super paranoid about my knee this summer.  She always watches to see how I'm walking, if I'm putting all my weight on my paw, if  I'm limping or favoring my leg.  It's been over a year since I had my knee surgery and I've technically made a full recovery, but . . .

Mommy still worries!  Don't all Mommies?  

About mid July, I had a fun morning of playing in the water with my siblings and then playing hard with Ruger in the yard.  Later that day when I hopped up from a nap, HOP was the operative word.  I wasn't putting any weight on my leg at all.  It was the same leg I'd had surgery on.  Mommy went back to this photo above to double check.  Dawgs who have knee surgery have a FIFTY percent chance of having the other knee operated on eventually, so she wanted to make sure.  

She watched me for a few days and gave me buffered aspirin in case I was in any pain.  She also restricted me to super short walks and began taking Ruger and Dixie on long walks together (instead of me and Dixie together).  After a week of this, Mommy went on her trip to Santa Fe and so I had a second week of restrictions . . . Daddy doesn't walk us!  Ha!

After Mommy's return, she still wasn't one hundred percent convinced that I was okay.  She had mentioned me to Dr. Clary when she had Ruger at the vet for his check up.  He said if I was improving any at all then it wasn't my knee.  I was definitely improving.  

Mommy started taking me by myself on longer walks and even let me swim one morning.  Here I am showing off my supermodel figure.  You're picturing Bo Derek shaking the water out of her braids here, aren't you??

 I'm Daddy's girl (or so he likes to think), but I can be Mommy's girl too!

After a weekend of swimming in the pond and a trip to the dawg park (I was the last to get to go because of my knee), Mommy took me to see Dr. Clary.  She told our family that she was going to take me to the vet just to double check or to have him tell her she was paranoid.

Dr. Clary couldn't even tell which leg he had operated on without the vet tech reminding him!  I was walking normally and not showing any issues.  The vet checked me out thoroughly and told Mommy to GO HOME!  He didn't even charge her for the visit.  (Apparently she IS paranoid!)  Mommy felt encouraged and relieved.  She still keeps an eye on my leg from time to time, but I've been running and playing with no issues.

I guess I'm still a supermodel!
Jenna

FREEDOM!

I've been footloose and fancy free of my crate and other restrictions for over a month now.  Mommy says my leg still worries her from time to time.  She doesn't remember Hunter ever getting stiff after his recovery period was over, but then he was half my age when he had his surgeries!

One of the first things Mommy treated me to was a walk and a swim.  She said later that she probably should have held off on the swim until later, but I enjoyed it at the time!

This was the calm before the storm arrived . . . meaning me and Dixie!

We aren't sure what we rolled in and enjoyed to the fullest, but it certainly did have quite the aroma!  (We had to have a bath when we got home!)

And whatever it was made Dixie's collar seriously dirty!

Dixie and I had so much fun playing in the water.  Usually I'm the one who listens to Mommy best, but I was having such fun being out of jail that I pretended not to hear Mommy call for me!

Free at last!  Free at last!
Jenna

My Little Brother [Jenna]

Happy Independence Day!  As America celebrates its independence, I wish I could say the same . . .

As you know, I'm stuck in my crate for a few more weeks due to my ACL surgery . . . [sigh] . . . this is getting sooooooo old!  For me, for my parents, and now for my new little brother!  It's so bad, I've made myself sick just thinking about it.  Literally!  I've had a bout with colitis, an inflammation of the colon, which can frequently be brought about due to stress.  Stress?  WHAT STRESS?  I'm a dawg STUCK IN MY CRATE and we have a new PUPPY that drives me NUTS!!!  But what could be stressful????

I want sooooo badly to PLAY with Ruger!   I think he wants to play with me too!  He frequently comes over to my crate and brings his toys with him.  Or perhaps he just likes to torture me??  I guess since we don't really know each other, it could go either way . . .

Ruger likes to be as close to me as possible when I'm allowed outside.  That unfortunately means nipping on my tail or ears and once he unwisely chose to nip on my surgery leg!  I bet he won't do THAT again!  Ha!

I'm forced to spend most of my day watching Ruger from behind bars.  He keeps Mommy hopping all day long.  She's thrilled when Daddy gets home and can share the joy!  Daddy's not always as joyful.  Needless to say our parents are both sleeping well at night from exhaustion!

The worst part of this whole situation is that I really want to be included when the family goes outside, but yet I'm not allowed to play.  If I notice they're all going outside without me, I start barking to let them know I'm not happy.  But when I'm allowed to go out, that stupid leash is always present.  If things get really heated between Dixie and Ruger, Mommy's or Daddy's hand is attached to my collar as well to make sure I understand that I'm not to try anything crazy . . . you know, like RUN like the dawg that I am!

In the meantime, Ruger has been trying to take me for walks . . . maybe he does "get" me??

Maybe my little brother isn't so bad after all . . .

Counting the days until August 1 . . .  that's my own personal Independence Day!  Whoo hoo!
Jenna

Jenna Update

Hi y'all!  I'm writing this blog post from the vet's office.  I'm not having a good time AT ALL!  I thought I was going on a vacation since it was just me and Mommy in the car last Wednesday morning (See ya, Dixie!), but it turned into a nightmare!  Yes, my leg had been hurting a bit and yes, I was hobbling around on it and had been for the past year off and on, but I was NOT prepared for what happened to me!

Instead of an all expenses paid vacation for just the two of us, I had SURGERY!!!!  Mommy said the surgery was totally necessary to repair my ACL (technically in canines it's called the CCL: cranial cruciate ligament).  She quizzed the doctor on every aspect of the procedure and my recovery (which lasts forever apparently).

Now I'm stuck at the vet until at least tomorrow.  My parents were told NOT to visit the first night for fear I'd get too worked up.  Mommy wanted to come the second night, but Daddy talked her out of it.  He knows how much I like to wiggle my hiney when I'm excited and that would NOT be good for my knee!  Mommy finally broke down and visited me Friday afternoon.  She visited the Barkery next door first (conveniently located, don't ya think?) and brought me some delicious treats.  As you can see from the pictures, I was happy to see her and didn't get too excited.

There's a dawg bed in the visitation room that's HUGE!  As in THICK!!!  Mommy thinks they need to re-think that since a dawg with a surgery like mine might not be able to easily get on the bed and get comfy.  After a couple tries, I managed.

After this experience I have to admit I do NOT see why you human ladies feel the need to shave your legs!  This did not make for a good experience.  And I have rashes in places too!  Ouch!

On Sunday afternoon, both Mommy AND Daddy came to visit me!  Yeehaw!  I was SUPER EXCITED!!!  Mommy wasn't sure if it was because I was feeling better or if I was just that excited to see Daddy!  I'll never tell . . .

They stopped in at the Barkery again, and I got to pig out on more treats.  Perhaps this surgery thing isn't so bad after all?

Once I finished eating my treats, I was able to devote all my energy to DADDY!!  At this point I got a little TOO excited and tried to jump up.  A big no no as far as my leg and doctor are concerned.

Daddy knows exactly where the sweet spot is!

Hopefully tomorrow is the day I get to return home.  Mommy said something about being in my crate 24/7 for several weeks, but I'm sure she's just being her usual dramatic self!

Crossing  my paws,
Jenna


PS: Happy Memorial Day!  Thank you to our brave service men and women who have served in the past and present.  We know we have you to thank you for the freedoms we enjoy!

Since I'm in the slammer right now, Mommy had Jenna pose for this year's patriotic picture . . .

 Here's my patriotic picture from a few years back . . . who do you think did it best???