Great Day for a Walk and Moles

I walked Lucy along the Green River Trail today. I had an early morning meeting and was unable to take her on a morning ramble. Using the excuse of exemplary weather this afternoon, I played hooky and took off. It is the same place where she landed in the brambles back in February.

I didn't let her off her leash, but she didn't even look in that direction. Did she remember the bad experience or was there nothing good happening? I'll never know and she'll never tell. Being that she's going deaf in the ear facing that direction, it could also be that she isn't hearing anything either.

We did see one neat thing though. We saw a mole hill being made. Now that caught her attention! A mound of earth was burbling and erupting from the ground. She pounced on either side of it and immediately it went still. No dirt ascending. She stared, she sniffed, she backed off and returned, but the mole was no fool. I wish I'd gone a bit beyond it and kept watching to see how long before he began again.

By the end of the walk (warm enough to remove my jacket), Lucy's tongue was hanging long. And long she did...every time we came to a path down to the river, she'd start towards it. I kept her moving as it's an industrial river and the path was muddy and steep. I didn't want her getting dirty from the trail, the mucky water's edge or ingesting something disagreeable. After changing her latest dog food 10 days ago, her intestinal tract is just now getting back to normal. No need to disrupt it!

Seizures

Not much has been going on since our return. It's typical spring weather oscillating between sunny, almost warm days and windy, rainy, cold days. When the weather is nice, we (Lucy and I) go out to inspect the gardens so she can get a nice warm nap in the grass.

One of her dog buddies (the one in the foreground) who we do a lot of dog sitting with, just had a seizure. The owners said it was quite terrifying and those of you who have been through this with a pet will concur. Not only did she start shaking, but had bloody frothing from her mouth. They took her to the vet and she ended up being just fine, but they wanted to warn me in case it happened while we were caring for her. Chances are it may not happen again; I just wonder why it did in the first place. I guess that's something we'll never know.

Lucy in Death Valley

We saw all the weather we wanted (or didn't want) on this trip: rain, sleet, snow and sun, though we could have done with more of the latter. On the valley floor it was spectacular. Days were in the 70s and nights, 30s. Perfect! Because of the recent rains and season, the valley floor was a carpet of yellow from a particular flowering plant. Though there were some other blooming plants, this one was prolific.

Lucy didn't bike with us in the valley, though we did take her on some hikes. The rocks were too jagged for her feet and she limped frequently and though eager to go, seemed miserable once on route. The only riding we did with her was at Aquereberry Point on the high (6000+') west side of the park. She did nearly 4 miles and held up well. It was chilly at this elevation and that kept her spunky.

Most nights were in the 30s making for great sleeping—most of the time. Some nights, however, had I been awake enough to get up and put on socks, I would have actually slept. As it was on those nights, I was in that queasy state of not quite asleep or awake. Lucy, on the other hand, has her own comforter and loves it. If we stayed outside past what she considered her bedtime, she'd sit facing the van door until we'd let her in. Once inside, she'd just snuggle into her quilt.

Here she is in the snow off the road leaving the park (Death Valley Road). Tell me she doesn't look like a happy girl! We used her ramp for van egress and access. I felt the jumping out would be too hard for her million dollar back and I know it is jarring for her tender front right ankle.

Like our fall trip last year to Bend, OR when we noticed her hearing failing, it seems this trip completed it for her right ear. If she is sleeping on her left side, she hears nothing. The clank of her food bowl no longer rouses her and that makes us sad. For her, as long as we keep her engaged and let her know where we are, I think she'll be fine. DH is upset about her hearing, but I remind him it is a part of aging and Lucy is closing in on "senior citizen" status in human years. From what I've read, her human age equivalency is anywhere between mid-50s to mid 70s. Her sense of humor is still present as is her eagerness for adventure. We will just need to be more mindful of getting her attention to summon her and making sure she is comfortable and feels secure.

Hoping for sun & warmth

We're heading to Death Valley this weekend. The van is packed and waiting just prior to departure for fresh food and dog paraphenalia. We decided February was the time to go when we were in need of warm sun and Death Valley was not going to fry us.

Lucy knows something is up. On each trip to the van, she faithfully follows us suspicious that something is up and she'd better be included in it. She is...or will be.

We'll play our way down the coast and will take 395 into the north end of the valley. In last night's weather watch, we saw that the Sierra's will be seeing days of snow at the time we hit. Donner Pass anyone? We're bringing the warm comforter and another sleeping bag just in case. Lucy has her own down comforter to snuggle up in.

She Does It!

We took Lucy mountain biking. We debated whether to do it after the scare in November (see entry Improvement and Fear), but decided to take the chance committing to keeping her always in sight. Four and half miles! What a girl! And she was still pumped to go. This is the longest run she's done in a year, so we didn't want to push her despite her enthusiasm. She stayed close, so may have remembered from her last fright to keep us in sight too! At the end of the ride, she had only the merest shaking in her legs.

On our way home, we stopped at L&P's and Lucy was still chomping at the bit for more running. It must feel so good for her. I'm glad we chose to do it and I'm thrilled she did so well.

Tale of a Negligent Owner

I took Lucy on a walk yesterday along a river. The day was grey and chilly with only an occasional cyclist sharing the trail. I decided to try Lucy off leash to watch her gait from a distance. She's been tripping regularly and when I'm at the end of the leash, I don't seem to be able to discern what's happening. Interesting outcome. With only a few initial trips, she kept a steady, trip-less pace. It was remarkable and encouraging. However, the question remains, why does she trip while walking on a leash? Is it the speed—too slow on a leash? Is it that she knows the route and smells and is just careless? I need so explore this more, but an not sure how because of what happened.

The side of the trail descends a steep hill of blackberries leading to the river. I was initially concerned she might see a rabbit or cat or mouse and take off after it, but she maintained a respectful distance from the brambles. She never got too far ahead and periodically looked back to see where I was. When I saw a biker in the distance, I called her back to me and put her in a heel. What a good hound!

Ah, but then... On the way back, nearly to the car, it happened. I don't know what she saw, but she leapt and disappeared into the blackberries. I didn't hear any crashing and started running, concerned she was tangled.

Worse.

She was laying, twisted in the brambles. The front half was on her belly, but her (tender, expensive) back half was twisted, belly exposed. Luckily she wasn't struggling, but the last thing she needs is to damage an already vulnerable back. I climbed down through the brambles and was able to lift her chest, letting her back fall into line. I headed her up the hill, but the walking was tough: steep, deep in brambles and painfull to walk on. I got her front paw on safe ground and helped her back end up, placing her back feet on my knees, hands, feet—anything I could get under her. She was quite shaken—and shaking—when she was back on the pavement.

I felt all along her back and legs to see if I could discover anything out of line and didn't. Although my vet isn't big on aspirin, I did give her a buffered baby aspirin when we got home and another this morning. She has been doing a lot of stretching, so she did tweak something. I'll keep her on aspirin for a couple of days and take her on short, mild walks.

And I won't let her off leash again in that kind of environment. She operates from her nose and I know that. She doesn't think about circumstances and I know that. She's losing her hearing and I know that. What kind of owner am I? My poor girl.

Busted!

Oh how I wish I had had a camera in hand! A picture would be a perfect piece of evidence. Lucy is so busted!

Our dogs have never been allowed on the furniture—no chairs, no couches, no beds. I am allergic to dogs. Though I cannot live without them, I do need to guard their access to shared things, so furniture has been off limits. Now on occasion there has been evidence Lucy was on the bed in the basement. It took me an embarrassingly long time to discover this. I'd pass by it on my way to my car and notice the spread was just a tad rumpled and would straighten it out. Yet it took me three or four straightenings to realize a bed does not rumple itself and on closer inspection what was this dirt doing on the bed?

We discovered a mouse trap was a great deterrent to digging in the garden or getting on furniture. Snapping that little device in front of her was the only signal she needed. Just seeing said scary device was enough to dissuade her. So up the mousetrap went on the bed for a week or so and the problem was solved.

Enter "the couch." The last two times I've returned from work, she has been sleeping on the basement couch. Not just sleeping either, but totally passed out. The first time I thought (well actually, I knew) she had just slipped off and onto her bed on the floor. But today there was no stealth. I opened the basement door and entered the room before she picked her head and blinked, "Huh?" Oh my! BUSTED! One quick burst of "LUCY!" and she was back on her bed.

Now I could place the mouse trap on the couch. I should place the mouse trap on the couch. I will place the mouse trap on the couch, but not yet. She's an old girl. She trips and stumbles. The couch is comfortable on her old bones. And oh! Am I a sucker for her fuzzy face! She was cute and so sound asleep. How could I be truly mad. But I must stop this behavior...soon...

Neighborhood Alert System

We're slowly but surely growing our neighborhood alert system for dog walkers. Owner's phone number, email address, dog name and description have been disseminated. Most of our alerts are via email, though there are still some folks where the alert is word-of-mouth while passing them on a walk. Hopefully we can "grow" the list and increase our clout when it comes to dealing with bad owners, aggressive dogs and Animal Control.

We're using it for protection mostly. After the last two mastiff attacks, it really went into full swing alerting not only where the attack happened and the description of the offending dog, but what local animal control was doing about the situation. It really ignited us and with several calls in to AC, we got good results—the dog was removed.

Today the alert system was put into another good use. One of the local walkers was stopped by someone driving the neighborhood looking for their dog. They were in town visiting and their dog slipped his collar getting loose. The alert went out to everyone notifying them of the dog and the owner's phone number. Unfortunately, the walker who was stopped wasn't given the dog's name! Hopefully, the dog is friendly and found and returned.

Back & baths

I've been out of town for the past five days. I had a wonderful break in Corpus Christi where the extended family met to celebrate my nephews "winging"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It wasn't a vacation as much as a gathering with all the aspects of family get togethers. Aborted conversations, waiting for the masses to assemble in order to do something, inside jokes, lots of hugs. Luckily my nephew and his wife have a beautiful young German Shepard, Daisy, so we weren't dogless.

The weather was a real break from what we get this time of year in the northwest. We stepped off the plane to warm and sunny. Ah-h-h! You could tell which of the family members weren't from Texas/Arizona...the minute we were outside we turned and faced the sun. Magnets. Amazing. The warmth!

Lucy was staying with our friends and because I lucked out and was able to get an early plane connection home, she was not here when I arrived. What a joy to see her when they brought her home. It was definitely a mutual admiration society gathering. She had a great time with them; they took her to work everyday leaving their dog at home. (Lucy has been known to jump their fence and although I think her legs aren't up to it anymore, you never know.) She also got to go on walks in different areas complete with new smells. An olfactory plus for her!

Quite awhile back when we were sitting their dog (3 weeks+), they gave us a gift certificate at a small local grooming shop. I'm taking Lucy in today for a bath and toenail clip. She'll look lovely for Floyd's return tomorrow.

P.S. The attacking dog has been picked up. It was a loose, aggressive, female mastiff. Because a series of complaints had been filed against the dog, the owners are responsible for not only the shelter boarding fees, but licensing, aggression and vet bills. My understanding is they stopped by the shelter to pick their dog up—actually they demanded the release of their dog, but AC refused to give it up until fines were paid. Additionally, if they do pay the fines, the dog must be removed from the county immediately. Should they get another dog and it is loose and or aggressive, they cannot get another dog for five years. Now I don't know how that could possibly be monitored. County Animal Control doesn't have the funds or personnel to monitor that, but it's nice to know they have the laws in place in case we should be faced with this again. Justice rules (somewhat)!

Leaving on a jet plane

We're heading to south Texas for four days. Our nephew is getting his "wings"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It's very exciting. Even more exciting is he got top in his class and top pick for where he wanted to be stationed. There was only one opening at Miramar in San Diego and he got it keeping him close to his family and his wife's. How great is that?

Lucy will go to R&M's for the span. Though her back end is still weak since her surgery (eliminating the possibility of fence jumping), they will be taking her to their shop during the day. I have such a tough time leaving her and feelings are mutual, though she loves them.

The vet who did her surgery moved clinics and is now with Seattle Veterinary Specialists. If one can judge from their website, they look very complete. I hope it's a good facility—it's a lot closer than the one in Lynnwood!

Christmas & the manger

We introduced Stoli the Chihuahua to Lucy on Christmas Eve. We kept the dogs separated by a baby gate to get both used to seeing the other and avoid any fisticuffs. It worked well. Here's a picture of Lucy staring at Stoli behind the baby gate and Stoli looking out. Lucy weighs around 55#; Stolmeister hefts in at 3.5#.

The next day we went to L&P's and reversed the technique keeping Lucy sequestered. She was quite unhappy, but fair is fair. Stoli spent a lot of time visiting Lucy "in jail" as Lucy had laid watching Stoli behind the gate. Curious. No growls. L&P also have a cat, Lucky, which had both dogs curious and willing to chase. Of course, Lucky is about six times bigger than Stoli, so although Stoli was willing, she wasn't stupid. (What's a Chihuahua without its pack?)

Eventually we let Lucy out and she ignored Stoli. The only growls we heard were from Lucy warning Stoli not to approach her (Lucy's ) head when she was lying down. Stoli didn't quite get it, but we helped interpret.

Initially Lucy was quite taken with the cat, but didn't chase. The cat taunted her unmercifully! However, by the evening all the animals were so exhausted being around each other that they could walk within inches of one another and not even blink an eye. It was quite rewarding—and amusing!

More on aggressive dogs & neighborhood reaction

I was talking with a neighbor last night who mentioned the woman whose dogs were attacked by the Mastiff is thinking of selling her house. She just went through an extensive renovation of the home and has only recently (September) moved back into it after the remodeling was completed. Yet the attack set her on edge. She runs every day. She's a tall, strong woman and even she's unglued by the recent turn of events (including Lucy's attack). Another neighbor has said the same and would do so if the market was stronger. I think two people wishing to move because of dog attacks is hugely significant.

Moving may be an over reaction, but I understand their anxiety. If you don't feel your dog is safe or you're always anxious walking them, what are the realistic alternatives? Moving was one of the first things that crossed my mind, but there is no guarantee you or your pup will be safer elsewhere. Yes, our neighborhood does border a not so nice 'hood, but bad dog owners live everywhere. None the less, I know for the first time in my life I've considered going "dogless" when Lucy is no longer with us.

Aging

Lucy is aging. But as all dog owners know, watching age hit your favorite hound is hard. Her hearing is definitely waning. When she sleeps, she's out. Laying in the back yard soaking up winter sun rays is a pleasant experience; she doesn't feel the need to wander out of the yard although the gate may be open. Look at that beautiful white muzzle.

Her tripping continues and recently, tripping off her front leg has nearly brought her to the ground. Growing up we had a great old hound named Clem. He was an enthusiastic sneezer and I remember once he sneezed with such gusto, he hit his chin on the sidewalk and broke off a tooth. With Lucy's tripping, I'm afraid this might be a similar fate. It shocks me when it happens. There she is trotting along and all of a sudden, she crumples. She's back up rapidly and continues along. I have to remember that for her, it's merely an inconvenience. For me, it's a sign of something I'd hoped was a long, long way off.

Neighborhood Discussion

Another attack. This time a loose, aggressive Mastiff was the culprit. Is bigger better? This happened to a neighbor who jogs with her leashed dogs tied to a waist belt. She said the dog came out of nowhere, didn't ask questions, but went straight for the closest dog. This time she was jogging with only one of her three dogs and a neighbor's dog. The neighbor's dog was the one hit. Her dog also suffered some injuries, however, the other dog took the brunt of it. Both dogs are okay, but...

The jogger said if it hadn't been for someone driving by on his way to work, she didn't know if she could have beat off the attacker. As it was, the driver got out and helped. He also called Animal Control. We don't think the dog has been picked up.

When something like this happens, we have a phone/email tree to alert the other dog walkers we know in the area to alert them. Granted the last (known) attack was the two pit bulls who hit Lucy last March. None the less, we are all feeling on edge. We walk our dogs twice a day in the neighborhood and if we can't be assured that we/our dogs are safe, what's the impetus to walk? Drive elsewhere? Sure, but in reality with busy schedules, this isn't always possible. Any is anywhere else guaranteed to be safe?

We've talked of having Animal Control come out and let us know what we can do to safeguard ourselves and our pets. The last time I asked this of A.C., their response was honest, if disappointing. The man said there was nothing we could do except be alert and hope for the best. If owners don't assume responsibility for their pet, if they don't train it, care for it, restrain it, you are at their mercy.

My understanding is some cities have a two bite policy (one bite you're warned, the second bite the dog is put down). That policy is also the rule here. Additionally, other locales state that after the first bite, the owner has to post a bond. I don't know what the cost is, but I think that's a good idea. However, if the owner is a scumbag (my words), nothing guarantees they'll manage the dog any better or pay up. If the dog is taken, there is no guarantee the owner won't get another.

I sound fatalistic and am feeling so. At this point I just don't anyway around it.

Improvement & Fear

Let's start with fear.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend we took Lucy mountain biking to a local park called Philip Arnold Park. The trails aren't very long, but they are technical for me, fun for my husband and a thrill for Lucy. To top it off, it's close to home. It was cold, barely 40 degrees, but it was sunny and almost dry, so the riding was fun. Lucy had a ball and though we only did 2 miles with her, I think it was plenty.

The next day we decided to duplicate the adventure. Back to the park, still cold, still dry, we unloaded ourselves, the bikes and the dog and took off. Instead of going around the perimeter of the park and then diving in to the woods, we started into the woods almost immediately. We found a trail that was new to us and enjoyed speeding along. Lucy, being a dog, didn't have to worry about short-cutting the trail. Another great day for her. Wow! Two days in a row running with my pack! Dog heaven.

You know how you get a gut reaction when least expected? Your going along just fine and then your perspective takes an abrupt left. Your internal antenna picks up an unknown signal when you didn't even know your antenna was up. All of a sudden I was aware of no Lucy. She often is in front of me and I can't see her, but my signal starting rapidly vibrating out of the blue. I called out to my husband to check if she was up ahead with him. Nope. He thought she'd run off the trail into the woods. This is not a great habit of hers, but she always circles back to keep up with us. Not this time. This time she'd vanished.

We called. We whistled. No dog. No noise of her coming through the brush. Nothing. Unfortunately Lucy is starting to go deaf. Her hearing is diminished in one ear and it makes it difficult for her to discern from which direction noise is coming. So our calling may have sounded like it was coming from the left versus the right, or ahead instead of behind. It's confusing for her and being visually separated from us without directional hearing compounds the issue.

My husband took off in one direction and stayed in the woods where we'd last seen her. Thank heavens for cell phones. We called back and forth. "Seen her?" "No." "Okay you take off on this trail, I'll take off on that." He rode back to the car, thinking she might have headed back there. No. Back into the woods we went, he on the inner trails, me on the outer.

And then I saw her. Standing. Panting. Head low. Exhausted. I called out and she spotted me, gave a woof of relief, plodded up to me, tail wagging low, relieved. Whew! What a blessing! What a close call! We must have been searching for over a 1/2 hour. We were both getting frantic. But she's back. We only did about 2.5 miles; who knows how many she ran.

Will she ever take off again? That was my husband's $1,000,000 question. I'd love to say no, but Lucy behaves pretty instinctively. She was hyped from running and sighting a bunny is enough excuse for a chase as she needs. I think we'll need to be much more attentive than we've been in the past.

On a lighter note...let's move on to the 'improvement' part of the title. I did a dog walk with a neighbor and her dog this afternoon. She said she couldn't believe the improvement she saw in Lucy. It's probably been three weeks since she last saw her. This is great news. She said Lucy was rarely dragging her paws. Because I see Lucy daily, I don't notice that she continues to get better, I just notice that she still drags her feet. I guess she's doing it much less than previously. Isn't that a wonderful way to leave this post?

P.S. There is no water at the park. The picture is actually from a trip to the ocean, but it's the only picture I have of Lucy running.

What is it with some owners?

What is it with some dog owners? I've mentioned how concerned I am about any dog attack now that Lucy is on the road to mend (and after we spent an arm and a leg getting her there). Well tonight we had another dog 'episode' on our walk.

Our neighborhood, despite the housing crisis, is seeing some pretty major remodeling. The homes are typical one-story 50s ramblers and many new owners are putting on a second story maximizing a pretty phenomenal view. That means, of course, that the streets are teaming with construction workers. Some of those workers bring their dogs to the site for which I've yet to see a single dog tied up. There's one house that has a loose (but of course!) large boxer cross who is not dog-friendly. In the past, the dog has come out into the street and stalked us keeping close behind, but not pressing the distance.

Tonight he tore out at us. I yelled to the owner, who yelled at his dog. The dog stopped, then charged again. The owner yelled again, the dog paused but continued the charge, the owner yelled again and grabbed him. Keep your frikkin' dog tied up buddy! This is something that absolutely drives me berzerk. Do they think their dog can't be hit be a car? Do they think they can control the dog when they're inside shooting nail guns? Can they hear their dog? I doubt it. I feel like calling animal control. I think I will.

The story of another dog

This post doesn't have anything to do with Lucy, but my brother's dog Arnie. Arnie is an unclipped, miniature schnauzer who's a bit on the round side. Arnie is 6 and light tan in color. He's a smart little guy and friendly. My brother mentioned that a tumor was growing on Arnie's shoulder. In fact, it was growing really rapidly and it had gone from hardly noticeable to big enough to interfere with the movement of his front leg.

He took him to the vet and the vet did a cell biopsy to screen for cancer. It came back negative. The vet did a couple of other tests to check for tick-borne illnesses (Lyme's disease, etc.) and those came back with equally good reports. But the lump kept growing. Now Arnie's eating has slowed down to just about nil and he's lost his enthusiasm. He's gone from strutting his stuff, to limping, and now, to barely walking.

My brother took him to the local veterinary research/teaching hospital. More tests. All negative. The vet said he thought it could be infiltrative lipoma and that surgery usually wasn't successful. My brother is as crazy about his dog as I am about Lucy. The research I've done on the Internet doesn't sound very positive about this condition. It isn't cancerous, yet it grows rapidly insinuating itself—infiltrating—muscle fiber and sometimes even bone. Although I haven't seen this listed as cancer, it certainly sounds cancerous to me in that it is so insidious.

The problem with surgery is because it has infiltrated surrounding tissue, they cannot be assured of getting all of it out. Because the tumor is rapidly growing, it will just reconstitute. If it is caught early enough, and surgery is followed by radiation, there is hope that it can be eradicated...but at what cost (literally and figuratively)? The earliest Arnie could get in for an MRI is next week. If he isn't eating and barely moving, if his bodily functions aren't working, what chance is he going to have?

This is so sad...

Attack Reaction

Lucy was attacked by two loose pit bulls in March. I don't think they created her back problem, but I do think they exacerbated it. They knocked her down and continued to do so, one from the front, one from the back until my brother and I could fight them off. After the attack, Lucy went from occasionally stumbling to barely walking. So naturally, I've been very concerned about loose dogs.

Lucy has 'anger management' issues, as a friend says. I don't deny that and it requires constant monitoring. She does not like loose dogs approaching while she's leashed. Did I mention she had been attacked by two other loose pits a couple months previous to the March attack? Or four different times by the same ill-trained, owner-ignored black lab? Or by another lab, this one brown? Our neighborhood isn't awful, but there are some oblivious owners and we do border a neighborhood where the primary business could be drug trafficking. So it's no wonder she's cautious about rapidly approaching loose dogs.

And it's also no wonder that when another loose pit charged us from behind yesterday morning that my reaction was swift. I carry pepper spray that can be effective, but isn't guaranteed. Yes, I've sprayed my dog and myself, but have always been able to eventually get the other dog off. I sprayed next to the dog's face. Close enough for the dog to smell it, but not directly in its face. A 'test' spray if you will and it worked. The dog stopped and backed off.

I was hesitant to walk that same block this morning, but thought "I will not be afraid." I am not going to curtail our walks because something may happen. However, you better believe I was alert. All went well. Whew...

Yahoo!

I'm so excited to report Lucy did her first mountain bike ride yesterday. It was very short (around two miles), but the first time she was completely off leash and allowed to run without curtailment. We purposely did not ride quickly and we purposely only went a short distance. At the end of those two miles, she was put back in the van with a greenie and she went willingly. Her back thighs were definitely quivering, but she was ready to keep going when we stopped to visit friends a couple of hours later. She was ready for her cocktail ball when we got home. And this morning she was ready for her walk and a romp with her (normally chained up but escaped) buddy, Duke. This is so inspiring!

We'll try this again next weekend if weather permits and we'll keep the number of miles small to build her strength and endurance. She might not be able to do 15 miles again, but 5 might be possible. She was so-o-o happy to be running in the woods again!

Zen & the Art of Dog Healing

I'm not an impatient person. In fact, friends often tease me because they think I'm not standing up for myself. That's not true. I just have a high threshold for waiting. Yet occasionally I'm caught in a hurrayupIwantittohappennow mode and am surprised when reminded to r-e-l-a-x. DH has recently done this to me.

I was telling friends that I was not expecting Lucy to run again and was content with that condition. Everything but her tripping is nearly normal and I didn't anticipate continued improvement. DH, however, said I've lost my perspective. He travels every week, so only sees her on the weekend. On each of his returns, he says he's noticed improvement in her gait. Personally, I think from behind, she still looks like a bit of a drunk the way her hocks slosh. And I do see her tripping throughout her two daily walks. But DH reminds me "all in good time."

When you pat her back end, you feel meat now, not bony hips. From a sitting position, her back legs are helping more and more for her to stand. The need to pull her self forward to get her back end up is diminishing. So this is when zen-like thoughts are called for.

P.S. I still have not heard from her vet surgeon, his tech or his office. In their defense, they are starting a new office on their own, so a return call to me is low priority. However, I am a little disappointed.