Round Up Week 32 - 36: Buffy

Dog photo heavy post - not quilting at all.

Well, I'm just writing this for myself to try to document Buffy's journey.

August 15 we took Buffy to vet as her eye was very red and tender.  We left her and he called A to say it was time to remove the eye.  She had glaucoma and apparently it is very painful.  He said if she could tolerate it, he also recommended removing the second eye (which had been the first to start to turn red).

I had heard that this might be a possibility, but thought we could prevent that from happening by being consistent with the medications and doctor visits.  We were consistent to five or rarely ten minutes.  We noted everytime we administered drops and gave pills.  We recorded food given and eaten.  We recorded bowel movements and urine.  We recorded walks.  But it in the end that only prolonged the illness.  Our son had investigated all treatment options and he told me too that it was time.  

I knew she was completely blind for a while.  I watched her sometimes go up to a wall, touch it, back away and go another direction.  She would repeat that sometimes until she got herself oriented again. When she was doing this it reminded me of that old game Pong. She was and is eating well, sleeping a lot, and eager sniffing for treats and walks and to be near us.

So as awful as the day was when this happened, it is now almost a month later as I write this, clearly the right decision as she is doing so well.

8-15: The last photo before we left her at the vets. My son and I told each other later that we felt ill after telling the vet to go ahead.

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8-16: two photos the day after.  Her forehead started swelling so we tried to apply a cold compress to help bring it down.

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8-17: forehead still swollen, She does not look like herself with the round face.  We had set up cameras to monitor her while she was at the vet having the operation, we put collapsed banker's boxes around A's bed so Buffy wouldn't walk off into the air.  We have several cameras set up so we can see her in different rooms.

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8-18: comfortable with a choice of pillows and pet beds to sleep - placed on the floor in the den.  We put her food and water bowls on a yoga mat in this room too.

8-19: Her wounds started weeping.  She looks so sad in this photo, but she was eating well and near us when she wasn't sleeping.

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8-20: We sent photos to the vet and they said to bring her in.

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8-21: wounds were cleaned up, new meds given for infection.

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8:21- still weeping.  We took turns holding her and applying warm water compress to soften the weeping, then used other cotton balls or pads to remove several times a day.

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8-23: To vets for another eye cleaning and this time he did another incision to remove infection.  This was A's first day of teaching anything ever.  He has three undergraduate courses to plan for and present at the university. 

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8-24: still weeping from the wounds. She was making sounds while breathing so we sent a video to the vet.  He said to bring her in as soon as he saw the video.

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8-25: Here she is on the way to the vet, at the vet's on a recovery bed on the doctor's desk, and after.  They changed some of the sutures and cleaned her up.

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8-26: Feeling much better.  We took away the pet bed with the sides as she was rubbing her stitches even though she had the collar on.  She got up by herself from the bed and walked to the water and her food dishes.

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8-27: Photo showing the pillows and plastic boxes arranged so Buffy will not hurt herself on sharpish corners of furniture.  You can also see the yoga mat with the food and water.  We were taking turns sleeping there with her to keep her company and monitor her movements.

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8-28: Very little if any weeping now.  BTW she never tried to remove the e-collar.  We were too afraid to try to remove it ourselves to give her a rest from it so it just stayed on unless they removed at the vet's office.

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8-29: So pleased that she is finding the food and water and helping herself!

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8-30: Went to vet - these photos show the blue stitches.

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8-31: 

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9-2: Before I knew she was going to have surgery I had gotten this stroller for her only because I thought it would be nice to go walking in a different neighborhood or if we went to a ham radio convention or art fair as we have done several times.  I put her in the stroller on this day just to see how she fit and would react.  It's much smaller than I thought I would be, but she fit in nicely and I could picture her snoozing for the part of the walk when we go on a busy street to get to the other neighborhood.

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9-3:  I took her for a brief walk in the neighborhood.  We didn't want to have her walk on the streets until her stitches were removed and she was more healed.  I walked a little more than half way down the street then turned back.  She never relaxed during the trip - but she does have the collar on so perhaps she could feel the sides of the compartment.  When I got to two houses away she started standing on all fours and sort of walked.  So I was glad I hadn't taken her very far away from home.

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9-5:  She is doing so much better now.  Sleeping to heal, eating, prowling for treats we put on the floor of the den.

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9-6:  She knows who to go to for the best massages and belly rubs!

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9-7:  Stitches removed!  Nice to see her without the e-collar on. We did replace it during the night time to help her not scratch herself while we were asleep.

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9-8: Set up her pen in the bedroom with the dream that I'd be able to get work done while she rested or hung out.  But that didn't happen.  Ended up putting her harness on and putting her on top of the bed.  I put the leash under me to prevent her from walking off in the air.  It worked well - but very little work was done by me.  She only has the e-collar on now at nighttime.  And she only has the harness on when we are with her.  Have been using that to guide her up the stairs and down the short stairs.  We carry her down the steps from the second floor to the first floor.

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9-11: She spent time upstairs with me in the play pen and on top to the bed.  I had her in her harness and leash when she was on the bed, then put the leash behind my back so she was safe.  She walked up and down the stairs with the leash, doing very well.

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9-12: Unclear photos of the front walkway - but I put then here to remember her first walk after the operation was 11 minutes. She almost ran down the street! But going to the second street she then turned around to come back. She did the same for the afternoon walk - turned around on her own to indicate it was time to return home.

So happy with her progress! She now has access to the den, up three steps to the dining area and kitchen and down a hall to A's room. So far she hasn't made that trek, but we blocked the hallway off so she won't be near anything that might be sharp for her to hit.

When she is upstairs she has the playpen, or the top of the bed with me at her side.  I discovered I could put a three-hole punch inside a pillowcase with a pillow next to her to keep her contained if I had to go the restroom.

I was able to go thru three banker's boxes full of different papers while she rested today. I got rid of two boxes completely, filed some of the items, and put about 8-inches of things to go thru again after I have gone thru the rest of the boxes in the room.

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