Three Legs & One in Limbo

Jakester has been limping around the house for a few weeks. Cop'er & I thought it might be a pulled/strained muscle. Jakester is one of those crazy 'mutts' (technically he's the least 'mutt-like' in the house since he's a real, live Yorkie) that runs & runs. Could totally give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money! He didn't seem like he was in pain, so we just kept our eye on it. The limping seemed to get better, but after a few weeks of it, we decided to take him to the vet.

And the verdict was... $900, please.

Jakey, the youngster that he's not, has a torn tendon in his hind leg. Obviously he was in pain, right? That's why he was limping? Well, the vet said, no, it wasn't that he was in pain, it was that his little leg was like a wet noodle. Whenever Jakester put weight on it, it would crumble and he'd tilt to the point of falling over.

Ok, that's better than thinking he was in pain.

This tendon problem wasn't one of those things that might get better with time. It needed immediate action... Immediate in the sense that he was scheduled a few days later.

Yesterday was that day. Cop'er had to take a little extra time getting to work via a side trip to drop the poor limbo'd-leg guy off at the vet's office. Jakey hadn't had any food or water since midnight the night before, so for his sake, i hope he was scheduled for an early surgery!

I called the vet's office around 3pm to find out how the little guy fared. The receptionist asked for my name & I gave her Cop'er's (though it's not because I didn't know my own, for those of you who were about to say that!).

"Oh, Jake!" the receptionist said.

Hmmm... he's notorious already? Hasn't even been there 24 hours!

After a long wait on the line--where I checked several time to ensure I hadn't been disconnected--she comes back to say that Jakester is fine. She checked with the doc and went to his kennel... he was just groggy from the drugs.

Ahhhh. I like when things go smoothly. You know, because pets are like kids and I'm like a mom.

Jakey would have to suffer through a night away from the posh digs he's used to. Maybe it was a bigger challenge for his companion, SydSyd. She's used to havin' her guy sleep with her every night & doesn't like when he's gone.

 

Cop'er picked Jakester up from the vet's office this afternoon. When I finally arrived home, I found him sleeping on a pillow in the den, leg shaved, pain patch on his back & looking like he just came in from a long night of drinking.

POOR PUP!

I have seen him up & around, so I know, in fact, he can move. He's definitely three legged with one leg in limbo! He's scarffed down cheese & is still doped up on pain meds. I wonder if he's going to remember any of this...

Cop'er is 'taking GOOOOOOD care' of Mr. Jakey.. In reality, I don't know who is taking care of who.

The Jakester has to keep his stitches in for 14 days. During those 14 days, he's not allowed to act like a madman--no running around in the yard barking at the neighbors, no rough-housing with the other pups, no jumping off furniture like one of the cats... you know, I'm really not sure how he's going to be held back. Sure, right now he's high on meds, but when they are done...

Uh oh. We could be in trouble!