what’s going on in the atlas & elizabeth house
well, folks, atlas is in a splint. doesn’t he look sad and adorable? i am counting my blessings that, considering how very active he is, this is the first time we’ve gone through something like this in our nine plus years.
we went hiking on wednesday with friends at the sandy river delta. he was racing down the path and slipped on a patch of mud and limped all the way home. it got worse instead of better, so i took him to the vet yesterday.
apparently he fractured a weight-bearing toe and the splint is to help him keep weight off of it. (i don’t know how long it will last. i think he would stay quieter without it.)
the vet said that he is supposed to stay quiet – no running, jumping, or playing – for at least two months. can you imagine it?! atlas goes stir-crazy after a day of no activity so we are being super diligent for a while in the hopes that it will heal quickly.
he does not know how to go up and down the stairs slowly, so i have blocked off the stairs and we are living downstairs. the couch is the new bed.
in the interest of being honest, i will say that yesterday was horrible. he was sad and confused and stumbling. he would not lie down or stay still and stomped around with his splint and whined and whined and whined. i was mad and frustrated and sad and scared. in order to get him to stay still, i was not particularly nice, because he wouldn’t listen otherwise. i felt so ashamed of myself for behaving horribly to my dog when he was feeling horrible. i felt like the worst dog person in the history of dog people. i could not find the kind and patient version of me, the one who usually shows up when my beloved puppy is not well.
in the middle of the night, he came on the couch next to me and fell asleep.
today is a new day. he has forgiven me. i have forgiven myself. we will figure this out.
if i am more quiet than usual, this is why. i am downstairs with my silly pup, loving on him. (plus, he does not like it when i am upstairs and he is downstairs. right now, i can hear him at the bottom of the stairs, whining away. oooh. i think he’s attacking the splint. time to go.)
Oh No! Poor Atlas, Poor you! I agree that not splinting him would have been a better bet. I think casts and bandages agitate them-they just want to gnaw them off, no matter how good a dog they are.
I hope he heals quickly. 6 weeks is a long time. Maybe you could get him a Kong to help keep him busy & happy?
Oh poor poor puppy. If you need someone to come over and give him quiet pets or the like, I am available!
(Not a lot to do when you are tired and huge and waiting for a baby to come. Sitting petting a puppy, however, sounds delightful.)
Oh dear, this is just so sad! I have been through several doggy injuries and surgeries and I guess the best I can tell you is that they do adjust eventually. And yes, the first few days are the hardest. We have always let our pups be the guide in recovery instead of hard and fast rules from the vet. And yes, I have behaved very badly as a doggy mama myself… it’s just sheer frustration in not being able to fix them or even communicate properly… I hate, hate hate that! Thinking of you both and sending love!!
Poor Atlas and poor you. It is difficult when your dog is injured. They don’t understand what is being done to/for them. This gives you a chance to practice being a calming influence on Atlas and it gives him a chance to let you.
Good luck to both of you.
Awwww… I am sorry to hear this. Be well. Both of you.
Sending you much love.
Relyn: Thank you!
Jerry: Yes. That will be a good practice. Today, I am calm, and Atlas is calm too. Yesterday, I think it was partly the fault of the sedative they gave him so they could take an x-ray.
Patty: That was extraordinarily helpful and reassuring to hear. Thank you. It is sometimes hard to trust Atlas because he doesn’t seem to know how to slow down or take care of himself – he has been stomping around on his splint! – but I am probably doing a bit of projecting and need to learn to trust him more in general.
Rhiannon: That is such a sweet offer. I will be sending you an email.
Lelainia: He is definitely making quick work of this one so I suspect it’ll just be this splint and that’s all. Now we have large dog treats and almost empty jars of peanut butter; we’ll see how long those last!
Oh dear. Hang in there. Heal well!
Poor Atlas, and poor you–sounds like yesterday was very hard! I’m glad forgiveness happened today, on everybody’s part. Lots of good thoughts headed to you both.
Oh, so sorry to read about Atlas. It is so hard for the more active dog breeds to have to be confined. I understand – Jack is a working dog breed.
And, it’s understandable to be frustrated my dear. But, don’t be hard on yourself… altho’ I know what it’s like to go from “go, go, run, run” to a dead stop!
File away the guilt under “wasted energy” and focus on “quiet time” with him. Dogs are unconditionally forgiving.
Spending time with Atlas on the floor, giving him a gentle (not trigger point) relaxing all-over massage is an excellent way to continue your bond together – therapeutic for both, as it’s also meditative for you as you dedicate time solely to helping him heal. And, massage is a great healer.
Initially, Atlas might think it’s an odd thing to do, or may resist lying still for too long. But, as we know, dogs are creatures of routine and habit and he will soon come to love his hands on time. And if you repeat a ‘trigger’ word when you massage him, I’m sure he’ll be ready to lie down in no time when you say the word
Does Atlas like durable dog chew toys or a Nylabone to keep him occupied?
Filling a treat toy with his favourite soup or stew and freezing it for the next day, will keep him busy for ages licking out the slowly dissolving liquid.
Play gentle games with him – have a handful of his kibble biscuits with you and put three or more plastic/foam ‘party’ cups in front of him – only one with a little biscuit hidden under it. Switch them around, so he (hopefully) loses track of which cup has the biscuit, and have him wait until his ‘command’ to find it.
Scenting is a tiring activity for dogs, and it’s a great way to occupy his inquisitive mind.
Jack loves this game
These are just a few suggestions – you may already do the above with Atlas, but if not, they’re worth giving a try.
Wishing Atlas a speedy recovery and before long, you’ll both be back on the trails again
Vicki: So much thanks for the massage and game suggestions! I played the cup game with him earlier. He likes it. (I actually have a store-bought version of the game, but it’s fun to mix it up.)
Steph: Happily, all is much better now. I am kind and patient. Atlas is calmer and adjusting. Whew.
Kris: Thank you! We will ..
man! i went out of town for just one day!
i didn’t check here. and look what’s going on.
he’s surely got to be in some terrible pain too with a fracture. but you sound like you’re on your way to healing.
vicki had good ideas!
and i know you’ll be doing reiki on him too probably.
get rest yourself dear heart.
can they give him just something very mild for the pain? that might help in these early days.
love,
tam
Oh, Atlas. I can’t imagine having to sit around for two months! It sSounds dreadful… but I’m sure Elizabeth will keep things interesting for you. Heal quickly, pup. Prayers for patience and peace for you, dear Libby.
Julie: Thank you! I am trying to keep things interesting. He is definitely getting a lot of massage love over here.
Tammy: He does have an anti-inflammatory that I think is good for pain too. He is very stoic, so it’s hard to tell whether he’s hurting, but so far, I think he is mostly good except for one time when he jumped off the bed. I am still trying to work out the perfect step – he keeps jumping over them and very much resists me lifting him down.
Oh, no… poor sweet Atlas! He does have that look of “Mom, what’s this with my leg?!” look… Do hope he will be feeling better soon. When something big happens with our critters, it is hard. I hope you will have some peace of heart and mind, Elizabeth. Spoiling him with love (which he already gets and then some ;o) will help you both I think. Sending healing vibes to you both. ((BIG HUGS))
Poor Atlas! I can’t imagine not being able to play or run for two whole months — how’s he supposed to do that?! One upside I observe: he has a very stylish cast goin’ on there.
Oh, sweet Atlas!! I am so sorry you hurt your toe-bone! Get well quickly, sweet boy. Pssstttt…and don’t give your mommy too hard of a time, okay?
Elizabeth, I’ve been down that ill-tempered when I need to be patient road. You are definitely not alone. Fortunately, our sweet puppies are very forgiving. So glad to hear that you’ve forgiven yourself and you’re both moving on.
Dogs are amazingly resilient, even if they act like big ole babies at the outset. He’ll adjust to this new normal, and then he’ll adjust back just ask quickly. But it sounds like he may be vocal about expressing his displeasure. LOL Hang in there, mama bear!
I missed this one somehow. Glad to hear things are going a bit better now.
To healing toes! Hang in there, E!