The Pride Of the Angels

Clyde had a very good night after the 2 Ace pills, he even had some snoring going on. He awoke at 5:30 Am and was hungry and thirsty. I had tried to give him some water from my hand to his tongue since the Ace made him have a very dry throat. Clyde had a good relief at 8:30 Am and then was very awake all day. I noticed on the rod leg over the spikes their did not seem to be enough padding, and I had to add some more tape. Clyde has been very fidgity today and I believe the bottom of the rod leg is irritating him.

I still have not heard back from Dr. McCarthy, and since it is after 7:oo Pm I believe i will not hear until wednesday, which is week #7. The leg by now should be healing and not have any irritation going on. I continue to pray that all is well, and hope that pittsfield was right when they believed nothing was infected. I will if need be take Clyde back to Deerfield before our Oct 7th appointment. All the Angels have been on our side, so I cannot become weak now, we must journey forward. God continues to give me the strength I need to continue on this course with my Boy Clyde.

Clydes Club

Well as you all know we gave clyde an Ace relaxer pill, but it did not work. He slept thru the night and was wide awake at 5:30 Am to eat & drink. We went pee and than 8:30 Am came and well he had some relief. I had decided to contact my neighbor Alysha to see if she would help with Clydes bandage change today. To no avail she did not answer, but called me around 12:oo Am and said she would. I gave 2 pills this time at 2:oo Pm and almost 2 hrs later it was working, and Clyde was getting very sleepy. I got all my items ready and started to remove the old bandages, and found that they had put tape directly on his leg and on top of the pressure wounds. As you can all image I was livid and realized this is why Clyde did not want to have anyone touch his leg to change anything. I took warm soapy water and gently removed the tape, each time telling Clyde I was sorry for this. We were successful in getting it all cleaned and changed.

Alysha left and Clyde has been on and off sleeping. I have a feeling he will be out for most of the night. I don't believe we will have to use Ace again. I hope to hear from Dr. McCarthy about the rod leg tomorrow, and what he thinks we should do. I again thank everyone in Clydes Club who continues to give us the support we have needed.

God Bless you All! In God We Trust.

We're in This Together

Well sleep was good for all. I see Clyde getting back on his regular sleeping schedule. Bonnie came to help change Clydes bandage last night, and well it did not go so well. We have to get him just right so he lays on the rod leg, and he was having no part of that. Clyde was strong before this and well he seems to have gotten alot of that back. Poor Bonnie has to lay on the floor and put her arms thru his front legs to keep him from getting up. We finally decided not to stress him, and said we would shoot for tomorrow.

Clyde ate well and rested and had a good potty at 12:oo Am, so I thought todays bandage try would go well. I decided to give him Ace which is a relaxer, but that did not work either. Probably for his size should have given him 2 pills, but will try something with holly for tomorrow and if not he will have to go to the vets office and be sedated. He was always so good before with the bandage changes, but cannot blame him if he is sick of it by now. We gave him kisses and I gave him his dinner and now he's groggy. Oh well 1/2 hr is what I was told it would take, but maybe it takes longer. Anyways the Title is appropriate, since all parties involved have to do this together.

Tomorrow is the start of week seven, so keep up the prayers, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Restful Saturday

Clyde had a good night slept most of it. I was not feeling so hot and I think both him and Molly knew this and let me sleep until 5:30 Am when it was time for pee and breakfast. I thanked them both with hugs & kisses. Clyde & Molly slept most of the afternoon, and i wanted to, but their must have been something in my cough drops that prevented me from sleep.

Bonnie is coming over to help with Clydes bandage change tonight, and now I feel like I could take a nap. I guess i should make some coffee so I stay awake. Clyde just had good results at 5:40 pm, so this might make the bandage change go smoother. Clyde was almost running to get back inside after his great results, I think he is feeling much better. The rod leg has almost stopped bleeding, and he does not like me cleaning it, but we have made an agreement. I just tell him i will not use head gear if he promises to not lick it, and so far it has worked. I think it will be another good sleep night for all of us. See ya all sunday..Hope your day was good.

Slow Down, Smell The Roses

I remember hearing this alot or even sometimes reading the Title of todays Blog, but never really took the time to appreciate what it meant. I have had to slow down for at least six weeks and concentrate on Clyde's recovery, and in this time have reflected on my life. I can say I do not have any regrets for anything that I have done so far. Clyde has been so wonderful through all of this, that spending this much day to day time with him has been very precious. It reminds me of the time I was able to spend with my Mom during her last weeks with us. I know she has guided me to do the best I can for Clyde, and also gives me the strength to keep going even when I feel so........ worn out. My Motto is if Clyde can do it so can I.

Clyde had a good night and around 11:oo Am he had a King Kong Poop. This reminds me of the alka seltzer commercial...plop plop fizz fizz, Oh what a relief it is. Alysha came just after this to keep him company so i could take Molly for her checkup. He was so excited to see me when I got back. Clyde and Molly got a special treat the edible nylabone roast beef flavor. It was a beautiful day so i left the windows open for him to get fresh air, this way he could sleep better. I decided to buy the soft side cone to keep Clyde from licking at his leg, but it needs to be clear so dogs can see. Clyde did not like the muzzle i had either, so we made an agreement he would promise to leave it alone...only if I give him more nylabones. Boy he is one smart dog sometimes. We pray for a great night and a wonderful saturday.

Catch up

Something happened to what i wrote on monday, and nothing saved to the post. My friend Lori left on Monday, sorry to see her go. Clyde did very well eating and drinking and sleeping which is usual after a bandage day. We had only one poop today which was around 7 pm.

Tuesday came and the bottom half of the rod leg was bleeding which it had been almost closed up accept for some redness from clyde licking at it. I called the Vets office in Pittsfield and made an appointment for 4 pm and explained the situation. Christi patch came to help me load him, and we put his new harness on that she bought for him. I swear he just loves to go to the Vets, he was so excited. Usually when we get their i like to wait with him in the car until they are ready for him. I wish i had mats kinda like the red carpet to give him better grip on those slippery floors. They came to get us a little after 4:oo pm, and put us in an exam room where we waited for almost 40 minutes, not so nice. I was trying to keep him still since we had no blanket and the floors in the exam room are slippery when you are compromised like Clyde. He laid over my legs which prevented me from getting Christi who was in the waiting room. Dr. Reynolds came in and preceded to ask me questions, I don't think he was having the best day.... thats all I will say. We decided to leave Clyde and they would sedate him and do Xrays to see what was up. I was told I would probably be able to pick him up before 8 pm. Dr. Reynolds picked up Clyde and off they went. I made an appointment for Mollys Checkup for Friday and home we went. I prayed on the way home and more when i got home that all would be okay. I received the call at 6:30 that I could pick him up around 7 pm and Dr. Reynolds was much nicer sounding. He explained that the Xrays looked like everything was healing nicely, and one of the pins on the top part of the rod leg was loose, so they removed it. He also said the bottom part could be an irritation from the wire used. He did not believe this was caused by infection. He told me to keep up what I was doing and that after this round of antibiotics was done, he would not need them anymore. He told me to clean the pins everyday, which i was, but this time with warm soap and water. I had been using Hibiclens and ear cleaners to get close to the pins, a wash cloth is just good for the leg itself. I called Christy to see if she could help me again and she said ready when you are.

Off we went to bring him home. Clyde was still groggy from the sedation, but he did okay getting to the car. As soon as we got him out of the car at home he made a deposit, which was kinda not so nice, but knew this was from what they had given him to put him out. I brought him inside to new clean bedding where he was glad to be. He slept off and on, but again was very thirsty so we did many pee runs that night.

Wednesday turned out to be a better day, i cleaned the pins and than put a wrap so he could not get to it. It definately was bleeding, so good thing i stayed on top of it and kept it clean. The top pin looks good. He had an appetite, which is a good sign, and overall was a blessed day.

Having Gladness

Today started early again with Clyde having to go pee about every 2 hrs or so. He has been very thirsty lately and this way all the meds he has been on are working their way out of his system. He had #2 at about 8:30 Am and was frisky again. He has wanted to play ball in his pen, which is just me rolling or tossing the ball. Everyday I see him improving and getting better.

Today was the first day i was able to be outside for long periods of time. It was an absolute beautiful day and we had windows and the side door open so Clyde could get some sun. I also took him out many times to stretch his legs or pee or eat grass. I was able to weed and take down the garden fencing and stakes. My friend Lori mowed all the lawns today and she loved it.
Molly got to play lots of ball today and sun bathed in the dirt in the yard.

Lori helped me to change his bandage and got first hand experience of just how this process works. It had very little drainage this time, so each day he gets better and better. Bonnie came back from her weekend and made me a wrap to put over Clydes rod leg since things are healing, he is wanting to lick more. The Cone they give you from the Vets is very clumsy in the little pen he has. Kathleen gave me another head gear, but this too is just not right for a dog in his condition. I say thank you to everyone for all their support, I would not be able to do this with out everyones help. I thank my dad also he has been so wonderful through this whole ordeal.

Good night from Clyde and me.

Grateful For What We Have

Today started off busy, Clyde has been thirsty, probably since we had to turn on the heat, since it has been so cold at night. What goes in must come out, so this means he went pee alot. Clyde ate around 4:00 Am and than slept for 2 hrs, when than he had a #2. I definately see Clyde feeling better, as he likes to stand now to eat his food. maybe it's the weather too, but he is frisky. I continued him on his antiobiotic for another week at least, since he still has a small amount of drainage on the splint leg.

The pad is healing nicely on the rod leg, so he is walking beautifully, and without hesitation. lori arrived from buffalo last night, and we had a great meal and good conversation. This morning we took Molly swimming and a little hike to visit my moms gravesite. It looks to be the start of a beautiful fall day. Clyde is wanting his treat of peanut butter, so i will go for now.

Today I thank the Lord for being grateful for what he has given me, which is Clyde recovering so well.

Beautiful Day

Today started several times for Clyde, he was thirsty and had to pee alot. He ate at 4:30 Am and he slept until about 6:30 Am. Bonnie was coming at 9:00 Am so we could change bandages, before she left for women's weekend in Lake George. I unfortunately was to be going also but with Clydes recovery chose to pass this year. I do have a friend coming from Colorado today to stay the weekend. Lori is in Buffalo visiting her family their and was suppose to go with me for the weekend. Oh well this is far more important, since the homestretch is getting closer.

Clyde went poop right before bonnie came so i knew it would be a relaxed bandage change. He was definately glad to get this done and was rewarded with some treats. I changed his bedding and he snuggled into his pillow and fell asleep. It is a beautiful day inside & out, and now i must take a shower so as i can feel better about myself.

Todays Living faith says she stood at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Water for the feet, a kiss and oil for his head and ointment for his feet. How appropriate this Devotional is for today.

5 Weeks Today

Today was a great day, not so pretty outside, but comfortable. We started at 4:30 Am where Clyde ate & drank well. We than crashed for about 2 hours, to awake and Clyde needing to go pee. We got fresh air and than Clyde was ready for his peanut butter and marrow bone treat.
Molly myself and Clyde slept off and on all day... A lazy one it was. I did laundry and dishes while the two of them slept more. Clyde was very hungry today, which is a good sign.

Last night Bonnie came to help hold Clyde while i changed his bandage, quite an experience. It is funny what the body feels like while staying in a certain postion for long periods of time, ask Bonnie how she feels. I am always quite amazed every time we do this, how the healing process works, when everything seems to be going in the right direction.

We finally had a poop around 6:30 Pm, about an hour after Clyde ate dinner. He crashed so perfect time for me to get the grays out of my hair and take a shower. I know how he feels if i don't keep him clean on a regular basis, yucky. All in All today was a celebration of Clyde getting closer to his full recovery. Thank you God for keeping us in the palm of your hand.

Fundraiser For Clyde

We will be having a Spaghetti Dinner at the Itam Lodge on October 25th from 12-5pm. Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased through Pretty Paws or at the Door. Their is a Bank Account setup under Clyde's Courage & Recovery C/O Berkshire Bank at the Elm Street location. This weekend is Woofstock in the Park, and Pretty Paws has a Booth their so please feel free to Check it all out.

Today is another great Day, started off well with Clyde having a great poop at 1:50 Am, along with a pee. Now sleep for a couple of hours and than eat at 4:30 Am, what an appetite he has, so amazing. Today he wanted to situp while he ate, like this alot. We went back to sleep until about 7:00 Am, where at this time i gave him peanut butter in a marrow bone, and I made coffee. he drank very well so far and had a great pee at about 9:00 Am. I used sandwhich baggies for protection on both back feet, and liked it. He seems to want to put his rod leg down when we have his pad protected. Tonight bonnie will help me change bandage on splint leg, since some of the padding has shifted.

5th week since surgery

We woke as usual at 4:30 am, Clyde was hungry and than thank god it was time for #2. Remember he had not gone since sat at 12:00 am, so this is good. Out we went with very little light, and he did alot of twisting and turning until it came, guess he had to find just the right spot. He again practically ran back inside, glad i was awake. We no sooner got into the house and into the crib, and Clyde was ready to go again. I ran quickly to clean up the poop, so as to not step in it when we went back for more. This time he did another poop and also went pee, oh what a relief it is. Clyde fell asleep and awoke around 7:oo am bright eyed and well not bushy tailed, but oh so cute that little tail is. I changed the bandage on the pad of the rod leg and gave him the treat that Bonnie bought for him, which was an edible nylabone bacon flavor. I went to give molly a treat also, and he had that treat devoured in no time at all. I was searching under his fleece blanket or his pillow and nope for sure it was eaten up. I have to watch him getting too fat, since he is not active right now, also keeping an eye on molly too.

Decided to hold off calling and setting up an appointment for an Xray for now, think maybe it is the pad. Bonnie feels this is probably the case also. Glad to have anothers point of view, since sometimes with lack of sleep comes clarity. I had a shower this morning, so again it's going to be a great day.

Today's thought... What's the point of knowing the truth rather than living in ignorance. Do we all believe that their is hope in this world?

The Lord's day

Jesus knew in the depth of his being that he was loved by God, and that made all the difference. I suspect the same is true for my Clyde. Today we awoke at 4:30 Am and Clyde ate well and drank plenty of water. Unfortunately no #2 since 12:oo noon yesterday, and i always worry about that. Clyde had those big brown eyes again today and i knew it would all be alright.

Bonnie came today at 4:oo pm to help me with the bandage change. Clyde was a little squirmy, but can you blame him. I felt like i had butter fingers today and the wrap was not in my favor.
We found the same amount of discharge, and that the bandages had shifted some, but all in all i believe it is getting better. I decided to clean around the rods, especially up top, since it seemed to be a little crusty. A husband & wife who are regulars at the race track on saturdays, gave me an aloe plant for Clyde. I used some of this today on those areas i had been cleaning. Bonnie changed the bandage on the rod paw, and it looks better also. We gave Clyde some new bedding and he ate & drank and took a nap.

No cooking tonight, just ordered pizza and hope to get a good nights sleep. I will call pittsfield Vet in the morning so i can get Clyde in for an Xray on the rod leg. Lets all say a little prayer that we don't find anything loose. God Bless everyone who has supported Clyde and I in this process. Kudos to all the staff at both Vets offices, you are all awesome doing this everday to make a difference.

Beautiful Saturday

We woke to a little bit of rain, but could tell by the air it was going to be a much warmer day than what we had been having. Everyone slept well, and 4:30 Am came and Clyde ate & drank great. We went out to pee and got some fresh air and blood circulating. No problem so far today with the rod leg. Clyde fell back asleep til about 7:oo Am and this is when i massaged his legs and hips and put desitin in the area's of his inner thighs and also applied more Boudreau's butt paste to the pad on the rod leg. He loves all the attention and gives lots of kisses and even tries to wrap one leg around your neck when leaning into him, as if to give you a hug. When i remove myself from his pen area, it is now time to give molly some love, as she needs it too. Yesterday when i took clyde out to poop, i noticed when we came back inside molly had one of the balls that was in his pen, as i was to figure out while we were outside she snuck into his pen and took the ball and got back on the other side of the chair divider before we got back. Molly watches every move the two of us make and does not want to miss out on anything.

Hoping we have relief of number 2 soon, but i did notice last pee he did not want to put pressure on that leg. I was hoping that it was the pad instead of a part of the rod being loose. Tonight i work at the track, so Bonnie will spend sometime with Clyde. Thanks to her i have been able to finish the season and to my patrons who have been so wonderful to me. I am making cookies and brownies to give to some of my favorites as this is the last night until next year. If i do not see his rod leg improve over the weekend, i will setup an Xray monday at pittsfield. Well pretty much on schedule Clyde went #2 at 11:30 Am, he always feels better after that. I than proceeded to give him a little food with organic beef broth and off to sleep he went. Hope the rest of the day goes as well.

Clydes night

Well my boy slept very well, almost to the point i was concerned. He had not gone poop since wednesday at noon time, but yet had gone pee many times during the day and also ate and drank well. I as a doting mom took his temp, normal and he was almost comatose in sleep. I always compare how molly feels when i think he is too hot or his nose is too dry. I finally said that he had 2 rough days with the exam for the hernia, and his bandage change and just needed the rest he so deserved.

I woke up at 4:30 and gave Clyde and Molly their breakfast, and than Clyde got his antibiotics, and off to sleep he went until about 7:oo Am. He woke with those big brown eyes so bright & cheery and i just new it was to be the start of a great day. 8:oo Am came and Clyde was ready to go do his business. I prepared him with his bootie that bonnie designed out of yellow dish gloves, so his bandaged foot stays dry. I put my baby wipes in my pocket and off we went and had great results. Clyde practically ran back to the door, you have to be on your toes when he is ready to go. I felt so happy as did he too and i treated him to peanut butter in his marrow bone. He fell fast asleep after that until about 9:oo am.

Today i was to call pittsfield vets office to setup an Xray of the rod leg to see if one of the metal pieces have come loose. Dr. McCarthy thought this is why he is not putting pressure on that leg, since their is no drainage now and the leg looks awesome. As the Doc says it would be if we had a pebble in our shoe. I did notice that one of the pads was torn away, maybe because it was so dry he licked it off. I have treated it with Boudreau's Butt paste and put a sock over his paw so he will leave this alone. I can't say this is the reason, but he has been putting more wait on that leg, as he used to before. This morning at 8:oo Am their did not seem to be any problem bearing wait, so i have not put in the call as of yet. I will continue to monitor him as usual, and look forward to 2 more weeks before another exam and possibly shortening his rod. It is hard to believe but yesterday was one month from his surgery, WOW.

Clydes recovery

Well lots have changed for Clyde, we have had Holly coming every 3 days to change bandages at home. Sleep for me has been spuratic, as when Clyde sleeps i try too also. Clyde was almost weened off of pain medications, but I have had to start one again since clyde seems to be uncomfortable after his 3 week checkup with Dr. McCarthy on thursday sept 3rd. What we thought was fluid buildup, turned out to be a hernia, which is seen after a tramatic accident. We discussed the possibility of later for surgery versus sooner, so we could get him thru this recovery cycle. We changed his antiobiotics 3 times, and the newest one is Baytril, which was due to the culture results. We have noticed less drainage on both legs, which is a good sign. Unfortunately he does not want to put alot of pressure on the rod leg as he once was, which sucks because that is the better of the 2 legs.

Clyde is like a race horse when we are getting ready to go to the Vets office, which is the only time the rod leg seems not to bother him. When you pick up his leash, you better be able to move fast. I have never seen a dog so excited to go to the Doctors before, maybe he just wants to ride. Christi Patch has helped me with his loading in the vehicle, and when she has not been available my sister in law bonnie has been their to help. This would not happen without their help. kathleen kazura, owner of Pretty Paws has also been a huge support for me and Clyde. Kath has sent booties for his paws, vet wrap and even disinfecting wash. Kath has a huge heart for dogs and we are so.......glad to have them all in our lives.