Doug had surgery nine weeks ago. Nine LONG weeks ago. We had a setback at week 4 and he has been on limited-limited activity since then. To be honest, I’m not even sure what that means. But today, 9 weeks in, we had our 8 week check-up (calendar math is not the boss of us) with the surgeon including a 2nd round of x-rays. The good news is: Doug’s bones are fully healed! Wooohoooooo! Does this mean he can resume zoomies? Uh, no. He still needs rehab to build up the muscle mass that he lost (and in some ways never had). But it does mean that we can go into full-rehab-beast-mode!
Doug starting water therapy (finally)!
You guys know the struggles I have had to keep Doug calm. He’s been on the tranquilizer Ace for some time now and either I’m going more insane or it is having an opposite effect on him. I have been reading up on it and in fact, I think that is what is happening to Doug. It is actually making him more hyper. All of the stories I hear of animals on Ace where it is working are along the lines of: the dog was immobile, drooling, very lethargic. The words I would use to describe Doug on Ace are: uncontrollable, crazy, hyper. Now that we are coming off of restricted-restricted activity and will likely just be on singular restricted activity, I can probable stop giving him the Ace. Or I can stop since IT FAILED US.
Examples of Doug on Ace – as you can see, he is as subdued as a pumpkin.
I am sad to report that Doug, like many who find themselves in the prison system at one time or another, has found himself incarcerated once again. He is just not a dog that does well on a tie down, mostly because necks break and he does not seem to care about that risk. I however love his fat neck so, the jail cell is back out in the center of the room where it can haunt my decorating soul full-time again.
No seriously, his neck is deliciously giant. 
Hello old friend. Neither of us missed you. 
He is a handful!! But he doesn’t seem to be in pain so that’s good. The video of him with his bed is just the best 🙂
No pain is def the gift of this all!
I am glad to hear that Doug has been cleared to start full rehab!!!
Yippppeeeee!
Ace does very little for Ray other than to take the edge off and make him seem a little trippy.
I liken the effect on Doug to that of a beer at a frat party!
so when is he free?
Maybe two months???
Try CBD tincture for calming.
Looking at this now!!
Glad Doug’s recovery is on track! Hope he enjoys his water therapy!
I’m sure you’ve already found this through Google, but there is a phenomenon in humans called a paradoxical reaction, in which sedatives or pain killers have an opposite effect. Don’t see why it wouldn’t also be the case with dogs.
Wow! That prison is quite the designer touch. 😉 Happy to see that Doug is hitting rehab (not the Lindsay Lohan kind . . . yet) hard and that he’s on the road to a full recovery, even if that road has been a bit winding. 😉
P.S. My human mommy, who doesn’t even play a doctor on TV, is prescribing wine for you. 🙂
I am going to run over that pen with my SUV when this is done!