Pooka's Progress

It's Wednesday, and that means a week since Pooks came home to Ballard. She's doing well in many regards, and not so well in a very few.

First, the good news. The swelling (doctor jargon is "edema") in her hind legs has cleared up. The bruising around her back end has cleared up. The incision area is less swollen, and if she'd only stop with the stealth licking it would be nicely scabbed over by now. She's out of the crate several times a day, insistently dragging me over to the nicest-smelling patch of grass out there, and is uninterested in going back inside when our few minutes are over.

Now, for the less-good. She doesn't seem as uncomfortable when she has to pee -- but she's still peeing while laying about the crate & house. I am contemplating buying stock in the company that makes our potty-training pads of choice. They're significantly better than Petco's.

For the last several nights, she's been inconsolably whiny, making this low moaning noise whenever I try to sleep. When I wake up and go to her, or look at her or stand up over her, it stops. At first I thought it might be pain. Nope. Dr. M (the vet, not my dad) thinks it's behavioral. Could be caused by the narcotics, or by a narcotic hangover, or because she wants attention when things get hairy. I went so far as to put my sleeping bag outside the other night. But about three minutes after I lay down, the horrible noise began anew. And I can't take it. So I went back in and sat with her for the rest of the night. At daybreak, the gouls went away and she went to sleep...and was more or less sacked out the rest of the day.

What to do? Though I was operating on almost no sleep yesterday, Dr. M had me keep her awake, and then we drugged the snot out of her with some doggy sedatives. She and I both had a good long night's sleep. And I feel great!

The point was to get her back on a normal schedule for sleeping and waking. The downside: She has spent much of today making the horrible nighttime moaning noises. And I'm supposed to ignore it, so as to not inadvertantly encourage it. These are terrible, terrible noises. I'm working on rewarding the quiet moments now.

Thanks to the other Dr. M, aka Pooka's grandfather, who suggested we lay off the heavy hitter meds and knock her out at night, to keep her from "sundowning," or losing her marbles at night.

And I am so incredibly grateful to my boss & coworkers, who have been incredibly flexible and supportive as I've stumbled through the last week. I'm going to work from home for two more days, then attempt normalcy next week.

Keep sending those good thoughts for speedy healing, and let her know that it's going to be OK. The humans are in control, and she's through the worst of it. I think she's a little worried still.