finding our new normal – day 6 post-op

Yeti is finally sleeping.  We had a rough few days as we tried to figure out the appropriate pain-relieving dosage for the sheep-beast. She is on Tramadol and Gabapentin in addition to an antibiotic and Novox for anti-inflammatory purposes. In our search we learned from the vet that dogs typically do not display panting or restlessness if over-medicated; usually this would just happen if under-medicated.  Well, turns out the Yeti is unique.  SHe would be up hourly and could not seem to get comfortable as she would keep her head up and avoid laying down.  Poor sheepdog.  We cut her dosage and she is now resting like a champ.  She seems so much more comfortable with less medication on board and it has been such a relief.  She had just been taken over by the chemicals to get any relief from them.  We are glad to have figured that out…

These first few days have been hard as we try to figure out what to have her do on her own, when to help, and when to say no.  She definitely is stubborn (as other sheepdog owners will tell you about the breed) so we have been confronting some of her opposition with grace; like when she wanted to hang out in the lilacs instead of somewhere easier for checking on her…

lilac denizen
lilac denizen

 

As for the hopping, she seems to be getting the hang of it. She definitely gets tired quickly and needs to rest.  If we take it slow now, we hope that she builds up strength well enough to play in the snow when the flurries fly.  The current heat in Bozeman leads me to think longingly about winter, and I am sure that the yeti would appreciate a bit cooler weather as well.  Even with her haircut, she much prefers laying on snow than grass. As we sign off on this post, yeti and I are sending good thoughts to the other tripawds who are at various stages of recuperation.  Take care.

 

8 thoughts on “finding our new normal – day 6 post-op”

  1. She is just adorable! That paws-up passed-out dreaming position looks very familiar – we saw it again about 3 weeks post-amp with Roxie – we were thrilled to see her balance again. Lots of good thoughts coming from CT for an uneventful recovery!

    -Liz and Roxie

  2. What abeautiful face. Glad to hear Yeti is making progress in her recovery Each dog has their own timeline, but each day you will find something to celebrate.

    Luanne and Shooter

  3. Such a pretty girl…love how she likes using the lilacs as her back drop for her portrait!

    Yeti will still probavy have some more ups and downs over the next week or so. Stamina will build up as she develops strength in different muscles. It takes a lot of energy for a big dog to get around on three legs, make no mistake about it”

    My Happy Hannan prefers rolling around in tne grass, snoozing in the shade or laying in tne sun getting tummy rubs than exerting herself with long walks! And she loves nappng on her bed surronded by squishy pillows!

    You will continue to see massive improvement and her sparkle will come back even brighter than before!

    Thanks for the update and LOVE seeing pictures of the Magnificant Yeti”

    (((((((((hugs)))))))))

    Sally and Happy Hannah

  4. She looks great! We personally ended up stopping the Tramadol completely and it made a huge improvement for Nevada. Her whole demeanor changed once off of that. Of course it’s different for all pets, hopefully you’ve found the right combination for Yeti (awesome name by the way). We wish you fast healing!

  5. Hi Yeti! You’re looking really good! Be sure to take things slowly, and let your body heal. You’ll be back to doing all the things you used to do before you know it!!

  6. 6 days! How lucky you are to be getting some sleep 🙂 Barret was great during the day, then at night he was up with what I think was phantom limb pain all night for almost 2 weeks before we got a good night’s sleep.

    I am so glad Yeti is doing great – keep up the good work. After the first two weeks are done and the stitches are out it is like a big weight off your shoulders. Every milestone should be celebrated, so keep posting those pics!

    Good luck, Heather & Barret

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