We just returned from a two week vacation journeying down the west coast from Washington to Yosemite. We were camping so were able to bring Lucy with us. She was in heaven having us always with her in the tight confines of the van. Even when we were out biking, she was in the big 'den' and felt comfortable. The van has a pop top with windows on three sides, so even if it was hot (though we always parked in the shade), it remained cool in the van.
From the beginning of the trip to the end, we saw noticeable improvement. Yes, her back hocks are still wobbly. Yes, she still occasionally drags a foot or trips. Yes, her balance is questionable. None-the-less, she began using her tail—yes, her tail!—for stabilization. That's a huge leap forward. Her ability to catch herself when she's tippy is more predictable. Her energy is way up. In fact, it's way ahead of her stamina, but that's still great news. She loped for the first time. Not quite ran, but definitely loped. She jumped out of the van. (Bad. She wasn't supposed to do that, but was not affected by it that day or the next.)
She's not supposed to do stairs (long flights) until October and then, not without supervision, but my guess is, she'd be okay now. Her first walk at home, she squatted and lifted her leg to pee. That means she was balancing in back on only one leg. HUGE BREAKTHROUGH. Although her walk today was slower than yesterday, she did well. She is no longer rolling off the inside of her back right foot while walking, but using the foot straight on.
For her, it's probably unnoticed, though I'm sure the lack of pain is welcome and noticed. But for me, these small, progressive steps really are joyful. I was feeling quite down about her walking/moving fragility, but it seems she really is recovering. Of course, it's possible she'll never be able to mountain bike with us again, but if she could go on long hikes, that would be fabulous. In the long run, I need to remember to be grateful merely for the fact she no longer hurts. That truly is the best.
From the beginning of the trip to the end, we saw noticeable improvement. Yes, her back hocks are still wobbly. Yes, she still occasionally drags a foot or trips. Yes, her balance is questionable. None-the-less, she began using her tail—yes, her tail!—for stabilization. That's a huge leap forward. Her ability to catch herself when she's tippy is more predictable. Her energy is way up. In fact, it's way ahead of her stamina, but that's still great news. She loped for the first time. Not quite ran, but definitely loped. She jumped out of the van. (Bad. She wasn't supposed to do that, but was not affected by it that day or the next.)
She's not supposed to do stairs (long flights) until October and then, not without supervision, but my guess is, she'd be okay now. Her first walk at home, she squatted and lifted her leg to pee. That means she was balancing in back on only one leg. HUGE BREAKTHROUGH. Although her walk today was slower than yesterday, she did well. She is no longer rolling off the inside of her back right foot while walking, but using the foot straight on.
For her, it's probably unnoticed, though I'm sure the lack of pain is welcome and noticed. But for me, these small, progressive steps really are joyful. I was feeling quite down about her walking/moving fragility, but it seems she really is recovering. Of course, it's possible she'll never be able to mountain bike with us again, but if she could go on long hikes, that would be fabulous. In the long run, I need to remember to be grateful merely for the fact she no longer hurts. That truly is the best.
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