Shana Crome, Dog Rehab Specialist

Six months ago today our sweet boy, Buck, had back surgery for a herniated disc. We were happy the Neurosurgeon had found the problem causing the paralysis in his back legs and could surgically repair it. It was still scary and we definitely had some doubts about our decision to move forward with the surgery. We would, of course, love Buck no matter what but if we could offer him some relief that felt like the best choice. So I strategically loaded him into the car with the help of a bench and his harness. It went surprisingly well despite his trepidation of getting into the car. The last time we put him in the car we had left him at the veterinary hospital and I had only reunited with him for 24 hours. His sister, Luna, was upset and confused as Buck and I left her by herself at the house. Luckily for her, and me, a friend came and gave her lots of loves while I was gone. Buck and I got off on the 2 hour journey with a quick pit stop for gas. I quickly realized that was a bad idea as he went into full panic mode and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get out of the car to fill my tank but the alternative was running out of gas on the side of the highway with an injured dog. Hard pass. I couldn't use treats to distract him because he was fasting for surgery but somehow I tricked him into letting me get out of the car. Note to self - always have a full tank of gas when transporting dogs to the vet. The rest of the drive was uneventful until we pulled into the parking lot and he realized where we were. He tried to jump into my lap but remember his back legs weren't working so it was a very chaotic scenario which caused my energy drink to explode all over the car and shifted the car into neutral while my line of vision was completely blocked by his erratic movements. No one got hurt during this unexpected maneuver and I safely came to a stop before figuring out how to get into a parking spot. Possibly my worst park job ever but don't judge me. After a few deep breaths and some snuggles for Buck I called the clinic to let them know we were there and beg for assistance to get him inside. Then they took him and I was all alone hoping for a successful surgery. It was a long, tearful drive home and when I finally got to Luna we were inseparable and useless together for the rest of the day. As you already know from my previous post Buck had a concerningly slow recovery at the beginning but eventually learned to trust the Neuro team and began making good progress. He finally came home to continue his recovery with us on March 2nd. Let the rehab begin.

Buck had another 6 weeks of full crate rest. This is a dog not previously crate trained. He acclimated to the crate well until bedtime. Buck has slept in bed with us since we got him and he was not having anything to do with us going to bed without him. The first night was a long sleepless night for all of us. The second night wasn't any better, including an aggressive panicked Buck that we thought could hurt himself if we didn't figure out how to keep him calm. The next 2 nights my husband slept on the couch, occasionally moving to the yoga mat by the crate to keep Buck calm. Then he had to get back to work and Shana rehab began. The lack of sleeping at night was just a small part of what our lives would be like. I moved into the living room on an air mattress. I did Buck's Physical Therapy 3 times a day. I got him in and out of the Help Em Up harness to support his back legs for potty breaks. I hit my head on the top of the crate often. I scratched his back because he could no longer do that himself. I hand fed him when he wouldn't eat. I reminded myself to love on Luna when I wasn't tending to Buck. And I cried. A lot. It was lonely and scary. Because I was with Buck 24/7 it was difficult for me to see any progress. I felt like I was failing him. I was definitely neglecting Luna. I'm not cut out for this. I shut myself inside emotionally and physically, giving in to some very dark days. One night both dogs wanted to go outside in the middle of the night. I usually have a rule of not doing this when I'm home alone because it's scary out there!! Poor Buck was confined to a crate though and it seemed like he really needed to go. After suiting him up and getting Luna's collar on we ventured out. I should have known better. There was something out there, a bear probably and my princess Luna ran off. I couldn't go after her because Buck still completely relied on me to stand. I could hear Luna crying and all I could do was keep calling to her while I tried to get Buck back inside so I could help her. As we got to the front door, though, she came running back and we all collapsed inside in a heap of relief. After a bawling session I got myself together, assured both dogs we were all ok. I got Buck back into the crate and Luna cuddled up to me on the air mattress. I glanced at my phone to see what time it was and noticed I had a text message, which seemed weird at 3am. It was my best friend who woke up consumed with worry about me. What are the chances? I told her the whole dramatic story. We cried, laughed and eventually we all went back to sleep. I woke up the next morning knowing a few things - I am cut out for taking care of these dogs, I would do anything for them, the pity party needed to end, I needed to sleep in my own bed and I have an amazing support system that I wasn't utilizing. I had 1 more good cry session with a friend on the phone who assured me I was doing everything right. Two days later I bought a second crate for the bedroom and moved back to my bed. My workout buddy started coming over again and helped me with the dogs while she was here. When my friends invited me out I let go of the guilt of leaving Buck and left the house. When my sisters wanted to visit I said yes and let them help me with Buck's PT and love on Luna. When we had Buck's follow up with the Neurosurgeon she was so impressed with his progress and gave me lots of praise. I did it! We both got gold stars and he got the go ahead to start being out of the crate and walking on his own. We did this cautiously but full of hope for his future. While I was out of town with my daughter my husband let Buck off the leash outside for the first time and he did great. Eventually things returned to what our new normal would be. He would hang out with us outside of the crate, run around outside with Luna, beg for food, all the norms. Some days it would be too much for his legs so we would give him a few rest days and he'd be back to his usual self. Until one day he wasn't. A couple days after my husband left for Alaska Buck stopped bearing weight on his left leg. I found him laying in the grass not wanting to get up. My heart sank. I hadn't protected him well enough. I called the vet and scheduled X-rays to see how bad the damage was and he was back on the leash while outside. Thankfully it was just some swelling in the ankle and knee! Phew! They gave him anti-inflammatories, pain meds and he was on exercise restriction for at least 2 weeks. I'd done it for so long at this point that seemed like a breeze. It couldn't be that easy, though, right? A week later Luna came inside with a huge gash on her side. Back to the vet I went, we're besties now! ;-) She didn't need stitches. Just antibiotics, pain meds, Silver Sulfadiazine cream that I was supposed to apply to the wound (ya right, she doesn't even want me to pet her unless it's on her terms) and you guessed it - exercise restriction for a week. I had another day (or 2) of self doubt while keeping both dogs on leashes outside, applying cream against Luna's will and cursing my luck. After awhile though it just seemed comical and that's how I became known as Shana Crome, Dog Rehab Specialist. Definitely not a professional. A good sport about it most of the time. Sleep deprived even more of the time. But good at it all the same. Oh and in case you're wondering, both dogs are back to running free in the yard...under a watchful anxiety ridden eye.