Day #40 Post FHO

We're nearly 6 weeks out from surgery.

6 weeks!!!!!

There are moments where I'm impatient and wondering why we can't be 6mos out... and then there are moments like right now, where I'm wondering where the time has gone.

Seppel has made a lot of progress between last week and this week. We've been alternating swimming with the treadmill and I've also been having him jump up on a picnic table & the picnic table benches. Especially for the benches, he has used his bad leg several times to pull himself up. I've also noticed him using the leg more to scratch his head/face - something he hasn't done in a long time. He has also been jumping on people which he hasn't been able to do in a long time. The surgery leg is still weak, but I do think he is beginning to build muscle and is continuing to get stronger.

Last night we went for a mile walk, I decided to ask him to trot, and he can do it! He hasn't been able to gait between a walk and a run since the surgery. He is also using his leg to run, which 3-4 weeks ago he was still bunny hopping!

Here is video from today of him trotting and then him walking from the camera. He absolutely cracks me up watching him walk with my dad - his tail won't stop moving:

How can you not love a Pit Bull? He is SO happy! He is ALWAYS happy! It's impossible for me to not love this dog. He just cracks me up and makes me so happy because he is so happy all of the time.

I did run out of gabapentin this weekend, I'm going to see how he does without it because I'm not totally sure that it offered him that much pain control. It's a fairly cheap drug and I will definitely refill it if he starts acting like he's painful. I'm sure those of you reading my posts are like "Quit messing with his pain meds!!" I just want to be sure that what I am giving is necessary and is actually helping him, because if it isn't doing anything I don't want to be giving it. If he starts acting painful - like he did without the tramadol, I will definitely start giving it again. I think this is also an very important part of the process and I couldn't find much information online on pain control for the FHO. As of right now he is on vetprofen 2x a day, and tramadol 2x a day.

Overall I am happy with his progress. I am itching to get back to IPO training and I'm thinking if things continue to go well, maybe he could go back in 2-3 weeks. I think it could be good physical therapy and might encourage him to use his leg - unless he decides to cheat and not use it at all. I'm not going to get too excited about it because I don't want to take him back prematurely, but I think if he continues to do this well, training could be in our future soon.