My Mama wanted to post an update on my blog for me – I told her she could write this time 😉
I have noticed in the past week or so, she has really gotten even more muscled up in her remaining rear leg and she is doing things she couldn’t do before. This past weekend, she scaled the very large snowbank out behind the barn with EASE to look for deer! And she came down it just as easily/gracefully.
Yesterday, I had her jollyball in my hand and she, on her own, offered a “stretch”(playbow)! Now that IS impressive to me! She didn’t loose her balance at all until about the third time she did it.
My hubbie cut my Buja board down from 4 foot square to a 3 foot circle(so I can bring it in the house and that is how they are made now in circles). I thought maybe Maggie could do it but not sure as being smaller and a circle, it’s tougher to do. I put it down on the floor and carefully allowed her to get on it…she didn’t want to wait for me! She got on it and stayed there! I didn’t let her try anymore…if she looses her balance, I want her to be on the rug instead. 😉
And last week, in searching for things she can safely do, I decided, well, I will put my cavaletti’s down at the lowest height(bar on ground). She did that perfect…never loosing her rhythm in them or missing a step between them! So, I upped the height and she can do them at full height(less than her hock height) just as well as she used to them only now she’s hopping on three legs vs her lovely ‘horse like’ trot I used to love to watch her do . Now I watch her in awe just as much though, cause she still can do them better than Haley on four legs!(Haley rushes too much).
On the downside, she doesn’t have the long stamina she used to have – understandably. Walks have to be fairly level, not too hilly and shorter for her so she doesn’t get tired. She may not look tired during the walk but it’s after, after a rest where she is weak in her hindend and has a harder time to get up or looses her balance due to weakness….I’m assuming it’s weakness and not soreness. But I’ve got her figured out now I think, so that doesn’t happen 🙂
Yesterday, I cooked her up the Urban Wolf cancer diet. It has red cabbage, pumpkin, salmon, beef, blueberries, sunflower oil, eggs and broccili in it(and their mix). Not too sure she’s all that crazy about the cabbage… Next time, I’ll cook their other Cancer recipe that has apple in it vs the cabbage…and will probably just do it raw vs. cooking it. Just thought she might like a switch and try it cooked 🙂 My hubbie said to me…sounds like something we could eat! Yup….I confess, my dogs eat better than we do most times….
We are thankful that Maggie is doing MUCH better now that her painful leg is gone. I looked at some old video’s yesterday of her with four legs when we were trying to figure out what was wrong with her…then thinking it was an ACL injury – based on two vets opinions. I’m so thankful she’s out of her pain now…albiet on three legs…that’s OK by me and her!
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom
