Adventures with Astrid: Surgery Day Edition

Tuesday is usually Tonks Tuesday with our resident calico, but we have a different post today. Don't worry, I've promised Tonks that I'll make this interference up to her. You see, as anyone who's visited us recently probably already knows, today is the day pup Astrid is having her surgery to repair her torn CCL, which is like a human's ACL.

Thank you so much to Ann of Zoolatry for these beautiful images. And thank you all who have already sent so very many kind and encouraging words for Astrid. It's more appreciated and valued than I could ever describe.

Astrid will be at the specialty vet this morning as of 7:15 am. She'll have her surgery this morning, and then she'll have to spend the night at the vet. We get to pick her up at 9 am tomorrow. I already can't wait to have her back at home, safe and sound, and undoubtedly angry because she'll be on strict crate rest rather than sitting on her favorite couch by her favorite window.

I don't remember if I've yet told you the guys the full rundown of Astrid's surgery and recovery, on which I have an entire booklet, but since I'm nervous and rambling, I'll do that now. To begin, we chose the type of surgery that is most likely to be a permanent fix. There are options that involve putting things like bands in Astrid's knee to hold it in place, but those bands can stretch over time and can therefore cause a recurrence of this very issue we're having right now. Given that this is easily the most expensive surgery for which I have ever paid thus far, we're trying to prevent Astrid from being a repeat offender. We're just going to pretend like science hasn't found that 50% of dogs who have this in one leg will have it again in the other leg anywhere from weeks to years later. Nope. We're going to pretend that's not a thing. Anyway, we chose the permanent option that involves a metal plate being screwed into Astrid's leg bones. Don't worry, she'll be on plenty of heavy pain meds, which I won't argue about one bit if they keep her sedate and snockered enough to accept her crate rest fate.

The surgery itself is of course worrisome in and of itself for this here human, because of the whole going under anesthesia thing and all that jazz. But, the vet we're going to does these surgeries pretty much daily, as he's our local specialist in them, so that helps me cope a tad bit. Then there's the fact that vet himself told us he actually has the easy job. He outright said it's the following 6-10 weeks of crate rest to ensure full recovery that will be difficult, especially for an active dog like 9-year-old Astrid who refuses to act her age. I guess he's not wrong, since for 10 weeks after surgery, Astrid cannot run, play, or jump, not even onto her beloved couch. The first 2 weeks will require her to wear a cone unless someone is watching her very closely, to make sure she leaves alone the surgical sites on her leg. More so, as mentioned, she will be on strict crate rest, with the only walking she can do being her going outside to the bathroom. For those first 2 weeks, she can be out of her crate only if someone is sitting on the floor with her, keeping her from, well, moving.

After those first 2 weeks, the cone can be omitted from the equation. But the crate rest cannot. Weeks 3 to 6 are when Astrid will be allowed to start going for short walks twice a day, with 5 minutes added to her walks every week. Of course, she isn't allowed to do any running or jumping on her walks, which Astrid certainly won't make easy. When no one can sit on the floor with her, she'll still have to be in her crate for all of these weeks as well. It's weeks 7 to 10 when Astrid will be allowed to roam the house again, though she still cannot run, play, or jump, which means when no one's home to keep her from getting onto furniture or doing pretty much any of her usual non-walking activities, she still has to be in her crate. She will not be thrilled, and she will absolutely pout. A lot.

I'm not wishing away these next couple of months of the autumn season. After all, Halloween is quite possibly my favorite holiday, or at least tied for it. 

But, Astrid's recovery has me so excited for Christmas. After all, December 20 will mark 10 weeks from Astrid's surgery. That means, for Christmas, Astrid will finally be able to resume all of her favorite things, including jumping up onto her favorite couch, and running around in the back yard, and normal walks full of excitement and all the running and jumping her little heart desires. It will be a Christmas miracle, and I can't wait. Mostly, I can't wait for Astrid to feel better and to enjoy her favorite toys and treats without having to be in a crate, or having someone trying to keep her from getting excited. Is it Christmas yet?

Whew. Can you tell I ramble when I'm nervous?

All the above said, thank you all again for your encouraging purrs, woofs, words, thoughts, and prayers for Astrid. You friends keep me sane. We'll keep you updated on Astrid following her surgery and of course throughout her recovery.

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

For today's Halloween flashback doodle, I wanted to share one of the past ones starring pup Astrid as a mummy, because that seemed fitting enough given the circumstances.

I first got the idea of scribbling up Astrid as a mummy way back when she had to have surgery to remove cancer on this same foot back in October 2017. Her foot was covered in bandages, and so mummy puppy showed up in my sketchbook even all those years ago. This is a newer version I scribbled up far more recently, with Astrid accompanied by all of her kitty housemates. 

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was about the benefits of feeding pumpkin to your furbabies. Today's tip is related to this, but is about a part of the pumpkin that isn't as often discussed with regard to a furbaby's diet. Though we've mentioned these before, we're again talking about pumpkin seeds. If fed in a manner that is safe, pumpkin seeds can have health benefits for our furbabies, just as they can for humans. For example, pumpkin seeds contain valuable nutrients, and they can have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed by some that pumpkin seeds have some deworming properties as well.

All of the above being said, if you decide to offer pumpkin seeds to your kitty or pup, of course do so safely. First, feed them only as an occasional treat or food topper. In addition, if the seeds are a potential choking hazard, you can cut them into small pieces. Also, of course, ensure that the pumpkin seeds are plain, and that they do not contain any added ingredients, such as onion, garlic, or even salt or sugar. We'll again also add that, should your furbaby have any health concerns, of course first discuss adding anything such as pumpkin seeds to your furbaby's diet with your veterinarian.