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This has been a stressful month!

I guess it was around the middle or end of October when Xander and I noticed that Reese’s back appeared to be bothering him. The last time this happened was about a year after his surgery. Rest and medicine helped, so we tried that this time. For about a week it appeared as if he was getting better. Then suddenly his back started bothering him again. On November 2, he was in a lot of pain and couldn’t walk.

I took him to the emergency room that saw him last time. The surgeon who operated on him works there now. They examined him and they think he had a slipped disc. They think the best option was to operate on him. They said there was a 30% chance of him walking again. The total for everything would be around $12,000.

Unfortunately, due to being out of work for a while, some unexpected expenses, and a few purchases I made, I didn’t have enough cover that. They sent me home with many kinds of medicines and instructions for strict bed rest for 2-6 weeks.

It was an adjustment getting used to caring for a dog that can’t walk. I had to pick him up and carry him outside to do his business and hold him while he’s going it. Eventually my back started hurting. He was set up downstairs, so he wouldn’t have to be handled any more than necessary. I slept on the couch just to be close by. He needed painkillers and potty trips a lot so I was getting up in the middle of the night frequently. We pretty much had to hand feed him and bring water to him. I’m really grateful I had Xander here to help out.

I felt really bad about not being able to get him the help he needed. I called the only other place in the area that could perform this type of operation and they gave me a much better estimate. I started a fundraiser and explored other options and was able to raise some of the money. I called my regular vet’s office and they suggested that I call the vet school at Oregon State University. OSU said that they could operate on Reese if I gave them a downpayment and they would finance the rest. Yay! I even managed to negotiate a small enough downpayment that I would be able to take him in on the next payday. I set an appointment for the surgery.

At some point when I started taking Reese out to potty, I noticed that he could balance himself on his legs for a few seconds before he had to sit down. I’ wasn’t getting my hopes up because the doctor said he would never walk again. A few days later, I put him down and he started walking away from me to go pee. A few days before his scheduled surgery, he stood up and sat by the door to let me know he wants to go outside. His hind legs veered off to the side, but he could walk. A few days later, he started walking straighter. He was able to go over to his bowl and get food.

I took him to Oregon State anyway on the day of his appointment. The doctor said that he didn’t think surgery was a good idea and Reese had a great chance of recovering without it, though he may never be as he once was. He said dogs don’t often need a 2nd back surgery. He recommended continued rest and a special back brace. Around the middle of December, we can discontinue bed rest and start going on short walks.

Since that day, his walking has gotten better, though it’s still not the same as it was before. In past week and half or so, he’s started back running to the door when I get home from work. A lot of other little things are returning to normal, like hanging out around the table when we’re eating and looking for food. I built a ramp so he won’t have to jump down a step to get outside.  The hardest part now is keeping him off furniture and stairs.  This morning he came up the stairs while I was busy. My barrier that I have on the stairs didn’t work.  In December I’ll put his couch steps back in place.

I’m so glad that Reese has shown so much improvement. I’ve gradually eased up on the pain medication over the past couple of weeks, mostly because he was running out. All he’s really getting right now are CBD dog treats. I don’t think he’s in a lot of pain. If he takes a turn for the worse, I’ll start the medicine again.

I’m grateful for all the support I’ve gotten from my friends. They helped keep my sane. I’m trying to let myself relax a little bit. Hopefully that will come soon.