After a luxating patella surgery and 2 days in the hospital, Henry the Maltese is back at home! I was given some instructions, medicine and subsequent dates that Henry must be back at the vet for x-rays and bandage removal. After paying the balance of his surgery, they brought him out and as soon as he saw me, his head tilted completely to the side, as if to say, “Where did you go and why did you leave me here.” The next few moments were very bitter sweet, as I felt so relieved to finally have him in my arms, but so upset that he had to experience surgery. As soon as I saw his two little bandaged legs, my heart melted.
He is no longer a Maltese, but a Chinese Crested Dog, as his whole backside was shaved. He’s so fashionable in his turquoise star-studded bandages, don’t you think? The surgery was a success! I saw the x-rays and his patella is in the right place. He also has pins in both legs, but that’s ok. The doctor said that if down the line, he experiences discomfort, the pins can be removed.
This surgery is usually done one leg at a time, but Henry’s were quite bad, so they both had to be done at the same time. He’s on crate rest for many weeks and will be back at the vet next week to remove his bandages. The minute we brought him home, I put him in his crate, where he proceeded to pee for about 2 minutes. When you gotta, go, you gotta go.
I fed him a bit, and must give him some antibiotics later tonight, but now he is resting comfortably with his toys.
Apparently, Henry was such a good dog while he was at the hospital. He ate all the food he was given, was fine with the other dogs, waiting for his breakfast in the mornings and didn’t even need an Elizabethan collar during his stay. I raised him right.
It really surprised me that he ate while he was in their care, because he is a notoriously picky eater, but the vet told me that he suspects he never ate properly because he was in pain from his knees. He said animals have a funny way of showing they’re in pain and that’s usually by not eating, so this entire time, that we’ve thought he is just so picky, was because of the fact that his knees hurt him. As soon as I brought him home, he ate his wet and dry food – amazing!
Yesterday, I got him a couple presents from Three Dog Bakery and the minute he saw that fish toy below, I think his entire life became complete. It was as if he hadn’t had surgery. Henry is a very possessive dog when it comes to his toys. If you even so much as touch the toys he’s scattered all over the living room floor, you’re in trouble. If you clean them up and put them back in his crate, he’ll make sure he scatters them all over the place again. It’s funny, because when I was really young, I was the same way with my toys.
This weekend is going to be full of a lot of resting, helping and loving and I can’t wait until he gets better. So many people kept him in their prayers and thought of him, so I think he definitely got by with a little help from his friends. Thanks to everyone that wished him well, it means more than you know! More updates as he gets better, but for now, some well needed sleep.
