Therapy day

I took Riley for therapy today and he did very well. He went 15 minutes in the treadmill which was great. Cindy was trying to get him to stretch his legs out on the ball but he was very reluctant, so she had Riley lay in my arm on his side and she gently started to stretch his leg. She did this for a few minutes when I looked down his eyes were closed. As Cindy said, it must have felt so good to have his leg finally relaxed, not hurting and all stretched out. It was very cute to see. He slept the whole way home, and has been fast asleep for about an hour. I will give him a little more time then take him out for a short walk. All of this will help strengthen his muscles in both legs which he really needs. I do think that he is smiling just a little in the first picture. When we get home from therapy all he wants to do is get up on the couch and lay on "his" pillow.

Rags

Rags and I visited Greystone today. I was met outside by one of the patients who walked with me into the hospital, waited while I was checked in, and then walked with me down to our room. I told him how nice it was to see him and he said he had been waiting for me outside because he knew that today was pet therapy day. That little incident sort of explains what pet therapy is all about. It is the highlight of many people's week especially at Greystone. The patients that I have met there are some of the most gentle, kind-hearted individuals you would ever want to meet. I got to see some patients that I hadn't seen in a while and it was really nice.
Rags' favorite trick today was to lay down and roll on his back so everyone could scratch his belly. Some of the patients walked Rags around the room which is always a huge accomplishment for them. Rags wears a gentle leader which makes walking him a little easier. He is such a funny dog. Rags knows that I am the one with the treats so I become his best friend whenever we go on visits. I will be taking him to visit 2 schools next week as part of the Humane Education program that St. Hubert's runs. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I really missed Riley being with me today, but hopefully that day is not too far off. Please keep all of the patients at Greystone in your prayers tonight.

Physical Therapy

Here is Riley on the exercise balls. He's not crazy about doing them but after he relaxes, then he can do the exercises. While working on his left leg today, Cindy noticed that Riley's left hock (ankle) pops in and out when he stands on it. It hyper-extends and then pops forward. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. Riley's left leg is pretty bad from his hip to his ankle. He is now known as a "candidate for further surgery". Cindy hopes that with the therapy that she will strengthen both his legs which he really needs. Riley is doing well with the therapy and cooperative most of the time. See ya tomorrow.

The Underwater Treadmill

Riley did his workout today on the treadmill and went for 12 minutes. I took some movies of him actually walking but I am having trouble uploading them I will keep trying. Here are the links to watch it on youtube. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa3OMqH9Q78&layer_token=359462abd35c803

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19qSeLQ6f9E&layer_token=5b0aea5f6b7c1042

More Pictures of the New Doo

Riley's New Look

Today was bath and haircut day for Riley. I realized yesterday after Riley coming out of the underwater treadmill that he was going to need to get his haircut. His hair takes forever to dry. I called the groomer, Joanne Christmas and she said she could squeeze Riley in today. It was extremely nice of her to do as I know she has a very busy schedule. She came today and we discussed how to cut him, long short, etc. We both decided to go fairly short right now while he is going to physical therapy for the next few weeks. This is a little shorter than normal but it will grow in. The first picture is the look I got when Joanne brought him into the house. Not too happy!! Riley is in great shape today after his workout yesterday. I knew today would be somewhat telling as to how much therapy he can tolerate. He has no signs of any lameness, limping or pain which is wonderful. Here are just a few funny pictures from today. Hope you enjoy.

Awesome Day

We just got home from Riley's first physical therapy session. It was GREAT. Cindy did another complete evaluation to see where Riley was at right now and she felt he doing really well. She did some stretching exercises to see where his range of motion is and it is really good for how far he is since the surgery. Then came the big moment......... The Underwater Treadmill. Riley is not a water lover even though he is a spaniel, so I didn't know what to expect. This thing is SO cool. It's a big plexi glass enclosed treadmill. She put Riley in it and gave him lots of treats. As he got more comfortable she started to fill it up with water. She filled it to just below his shoulders. I sat on a small bench in the front so he was facing me. Then she turned on the treadmill and he started walking. It was pretty funny because he really didn't have a clue as to what was happening. He walked at different speeds and with more water for a total of 10 minutes. I sat and encouraged him to keep going. It was AWESOME to see him do it. After the treadmill, Cindy dried him off then iced his leg to reduce any inflammation. Then she used a big rubber ball and positioned Riley on it so that he would stretch his legs down around the ball. He was pretty hesitant at first but then started to relax and did the stretching.
I asked Cindy about how long her treatment plan would last and she said from everything she could see he would only need about 4 weeks of therapy going 3 times per week. I thought that was the best news I had heard in a long time. Of course alot will depend on how Riley responds to the exercise etc but barring any unforeseen setbacks, she said Riley should be able to return to doing Pet Therapy in another month. WOW!!! I never really let myself think that this would all come to a happy ending , but I am starting to believe it now. I am going to bring my camera next time we go so I can post some pictures of Riley on the treadmill. Riley curled up in a ball and slept the whole way home. He is sound asleep now and I am sure will be pretty knocked out for the rest of the day. I am so glad that I could share this great news with everyone. See ya tomorrow!!

Riley was finally able to get back to his favorite spot, on top of the pillow on the living room couch. Riley maneuvers the pillow till it is laying flat, and then makes himself very comfy on top of it. Riley has his own stairway to the couch now. i am trying to train him to use the steps to go up and down. He readily uses the steps to go up but jumps down instead of walking down the steps. He really should never jump again so I will continue to teach him to use the stairs. I also have a set of steps downstairs and will move them to whatever room we are occupying.

I am taking Riley for physical therapy tomorrow and I can't wait. Cindy Farbanish, who owns Canine Aquatics in Randolph, is so knowledgeable about dogs and rehab that I know that Riley will be in very good hands. No walk today as Riley is pretty tired and I don't want to overdue anything especially in this cold, damp weather. Have fun watching the Oscars tonight. See ya tomorrow

Freedom

I took Riley out for a nice walk this morning. it was fairly short, but the longest he has gone in 3 months. He loved being outside and being able to walk and even run a little. He is definitely running with the " bunny hop" gait but hopefully this will improve with physical therapy. He in sound asleep now as that was alot of activity for him. It is so nice to have my old Riley back!!!!

The Stick

YEAHHHHHH

I finally have some good news to report. Riley got his stitches out today. the Vet drained the lump on his leg but it already is coming back. Riley has been cleared to start taking walks and to start physical therapy. I brought Riley home from the Vet, let him walk up the front steps brought him in and went to hang up my coat. By the time I had turned around, he had jumped up on the couch and was sitting on top of the pillow. Not the best thing he should have done only being home 45 seconds, but Riley has not jumped since before Thanksgiving. So I would say that he is feeling better!!!!!! I will call the therapist and see if i can get him started on physical therapy sometime next week. The vet said he had good range of motion and was moving his leg well. I really feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I will keep a close eye on Riley and not let him do anything crazy. I bought some pet steps so he can walk up to the couch and walk down to teach him not to jump. I am SO HAPPY and SO EXCITED. I will continue to blog and share Riley's rehab. I want to thank everyone for all of your prayers, cards, treats and concern for Riley. I could never have gone through all this without all of your love and support. Thank you from me and Riley!!!!

This is Riley's knee as it looks today. It still has the large lump on it but it doesn't seem to bother him. I just took him outside and it's cold and very windy. After he was done, he took off running trying to get inside away from that "scary" wind. I didn't let him run too far but it was pretty great to see. Enough of the cold weather now. We know it's still winter but enough is enough!! Have a good night. See Ya Tomorrow.

You Lookin' at Me???

Riley is doing VERY well today. It seems like he may have turned the corner, as they say. He is more awake than he has been and much more playful yesterday and today. I am feeling very positive for a good recovery. Even his scratching seems to have lessened a little. I think he needs alot of therapy to get full use of his leg but he is walking on it seemingly with full weight. It has been almost 7 weeks though with very little movement or exercise. He will need to build his muscles back which will help his hips as well as his knees. I can't believe it is snowing. I know it's not going to last or amount to anything but I have seen enough of the white stuff. See Ya Tomorrow.

No News is Good News

Nothing of great interest to report. I am looking forward to Fri. when Riley should get his stitches out. He seems to be coming along very well. I took him for a very short walk, just up one house and back down one house. Riley was so happy to be out. I think he thought we were going on our old route up the street and did no want to turn and go back home. We will both be happy when we can start walking outside even a little at a time. Hope everyone is well. See Ya Tomorrow.

No that's not Riley. We had 13 large wild turkeys walking all around this afternoon so I decided to take a picture of them. A little change of pace. Riley had a pretty good day today. I attribute alot of that to the fact that he got to spend some time with Ryan. Riley is so happy when he is home. Ryan just left, and Riley is going a little crazy trying to figure out where he is. We both are pretty sad that his weekend home is over. It's always good when Ryan is home. Riley seems to coming along. He is in no pain as far as I can see. I was a little worried after he stopped taking the Rimadyl, if there would be any more pain or discomfort. Riley hasn't given any sign of pain at all. Tomorrow it will be 6 weeks since Riley's first surgery. It seems like a long 6 weeks to me, but I am hopeful that we are through the worst of it and Riley will continue to improve each day. See Ya Tomorrow.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!! Riley is doing about the same. Today is the first day he has been off the Rimadyl ( anti-inflammatory/pain) and so far so good. He is just sleeping alot but he did play with his toys for a while. We are both very happy that Ryan is home for the weekend. Unfortunately he is not feeling well. Hope everyone has a nice day!! See Ya Tomorrow

Positive things for today FRIDAY THE 13TH:

1. Ryan is coming home YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

2. We didn't get blown off the face of the earth yet

3. It's Val's Birthday Happy Birthday VAL

Riley is about the same, the itching and scratching seems to be a little worse, His leg is about the same. The swelling looks to be a little bigger today than yesterday. It is not painful to the touch.

Happy Friday the 13th!!!!! See Ya Tomorrow!!!

Here are the positives for today:

1. It was 65 degrees outside today

2. It was sunny

3. Riley and I sat out on the front porch for over an hour

4. Riley smiled....... Look at the picture

5. another day closer to Riley feeling better

See Ya tomorrow

Are you sitting down????

I am pretty sure that I must own at least half of the vet hospital by now. Without boring everyone with the details, I had to bring Riley back to the vet for 2 different reason. First he has been scratching his chin more and more over the past few months. This morning ,he scratched himself so much that he drew blood, and in the process of using his "surgically repaired leg" to scratch his chin, he hurt his leg. I know you think this is all must be a joke but unfortunately it's not. The vet thinks Riley has an allergy, but to what is anyone's guess. It could be food or environmental. So we are going down the road of trial and error. Riley was put on new antibiotics to treat the infection in his chin, and antihistamines, to help alleviate the itchiness.
The swelling on Riley's knee was getting big so the vet drained it again. This continual build up of fluid is called a seroma. Why he has it, I don't know. I have to apply warm compresses several times a day which might help. Riley has really about had it. He won't voluntarily walk and has just been sleeping most of the day. He has been very uncomfortable since this morning. He is so used to the vet's office now, that he didn't even shake today. He just laid on floor and waited his turn.
We are both pretty exhausted from everything and I only pray that by a miracle Riley will continue to endure and start to heal and feel better soon. He has been a real trooper through this whole thing. I will write again when I have something positive to report.

Monday Monday

Another nice day, not as warm as yesterday, but still a keeper. Riley is doing ok. He has had a few bouts of pain which I think is just healing. It seems when he was trying to lie down and chew his bone it got painful for him. This happened a few times today. He just stops what he's doing and his tail goes between his legs and he comes over to wherever I am. He loves to sit in the leather chair so I will lift him up and let him lay there for a while until he feels better. It so so weird but he will immediately go to sleep. That's how he has dealt with his pain for quite a while now. It's only been 3 days since the last surgery so I think he is doing well all things considered. Riley keeps looking for the snow when we go out now. He loved to go in it whenever we went out despite the nice big area that was all shoveled out. I keep telling him no snow is a good thing!!!!! See Ya Tomorrow

Spring is in the Air

Riley is doing very well today. He had a good night and I actually had to wake him up this morning. It seems like in every picture, Riley has that knee sitting up there. It must be a comfortable position for him. It is almost like he is saying " Here look at my knee" every time he sees me taking a picture. HAHA Riley was walking very well today and seems to be in little or no pain. All positive things today. I went for a nice long walk on this very welcome warm day. Everyone was out walking so it was nice to see neighbors and friends that I haven't seen in a long time. Riley wants to thank Ethan and Griffin and their Mom and Dad for the nice card and gift of yummy treats. He loved them. Hopefully we will see you on a walk real soon.

So onward and upward we go. Enjoy the nice weather. See Ya tomorrow!

Homecoming 2 Year Anniversary

Riley joined our family 2 years ago today. Ryan and I drove to PA where we picked him up and drove home. What a great day it was!! Here are some pictures of that day and Riley as a little pup.

I am going to re-focus on the positive, and look forward to Riley healing and getting back to a normal life. He will have to heal from yesterday's surgery but I am confident that he will with no complications. I look forward to when we will start physical therapy and start to build Riley's muscles back up so he can do all the normal "doggy" things and live life.

The weather is warming up which is such a welcome change. Have a good weekend everyone.

My Poor Riley Boy

A Painful Day

As you all knew, today was the big day when Riley was going to have the pin removed from his knee. It didn't quite go the way we planned. I dropped Riley off at 8:15 am. Riley was the first stop for the surgeon who travels to different Vet Hospitals to perform some surgeries. It was supposed to be somewhat of an easy procedure. I guess I should have expected the unexpected with the way this whole thing has played out. Riley was supposed to be given just sedation. At around 10:30 am the Vet's office called to see if Riley had fasted this morning. Normally you don't have to fast for sedation but for some reason this morning I decided to withhold food and water and thought that then there would be no chance of him getting sick. Little did I know at the time, but they had to put Riley under general anesthesia. I got a call around noon from the surgeon. She told me that she had been working on Riley for the past 40 minutes trying to get the pin out and she COULDN'T! She said she cut the end off of the pin but it wasn't the pin that was causing the problem and she really didn't know what the cause was. They brought Riley out with a huge e-collar on . I took the collar off in the office so I could hug him and he gave my lots of kisses. He really looked like a wounded warrior. He has been in considerable pain since he got home. I gave him some pain meds and iced it for a little. I got him to go out twice and he did pretty good. I got him to eat a little chicken I made too so that was good. So it was a VERY frustrating, upsetting day to say the least. I know that Riley will improve each day but he is so pathetic looking tonight and I feel so terrible having him have to go through all this. I am going to talk to my Vet on Monday to try to get a better understanding of everything and what happens now. So we'll see.

Guess who went to the pet store today??

No Comment needed!!

"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too."

Samuel Butler

Another snowy day!

We are biding our time until Friday, when hopefully all will go well, and the surgeon will successfully remove the pin from Riley's knee. Despite the look on Riley's face, he loves the snow. He tried so hard to jump and catch the huge snowflakes when we were out earlier today. Unfortunately I had to hold him back and get inside quickly. Although I dislike the snow ALOT, I hope Riley will get the chance to jump, chase and catch a few snowflakes this winter. The cardinals finally came back to the bird feeder so that makes the snow much more palatable to me.

Have a good day, see ya tomorrow.

Riley had a Little Lamb

"A dog wags his tail with his heart."
Author ....Martin Buxbaum

Riley is playing with his new little stuffed lamb, which Philly, the singing Yorkie, sent to him recently. Thank You Philly and Judy for your thoughtfulness. Riley continues to do well. He is playing more and more each day.
Good news.... Tillie is home and recovering, hope she improves each day!!!
Best wishes to Reggie's Mom, Angela. She had foot surgery today so she will be laid up for a long time to come. Hope you will feel better soon. I am available to help with Reggie in any way you need!!!!
More snow on the way tomorrow. It was up to 50 degrees today. Go figure!!! I think the groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter. I am thinking of teaching Riley how to run the snow blower. Not sure if he can reach the controls but we'll see. Have a good rest of the day. See Ya Tomorrow

SUPER SUNDAY

"Man, unlike the animals, has never learned that the sole purpose of life is to enjoy it."— Samuel Butler

Well as you can see, Riley is already for the Super Bowl today with his 3D glasses on. I made the mistake of giving them to him this morning and now he won't take them off. ( just kidding ) I will make sure he has them back on for the special commercials they are going to have at half time. It is finally warming up here and it feels so good to go outside. Wish it would stay like this for a while. Alot of the snow is melting so Riley has much more space to sniff and go. I think we are in for more snow this week, so I will try to enjoy this while it lasts. Hope everyone has a Super Sunday. Enjoy the game and GO STEELERS!!!!!