Nicole's Lupi 9/21 conservative Grad: 11/23 CANADA

I think I was misleading with the word "chew"! They're just little treats that are supposed to help with joint pain. I was more wondering whether it was ok to give those supplements. She definitely likes to maul her chew toys though! I had to take away hard treats because she buries them so vigorously!

Thanks for the link Marjorie! It sounds like the supplements will be fine as long as given in the proper dosage.

It is possible that she moved the wrong way and hurt herself, or she could have digestive upset from extra goodies, or...so many things - just like a tending a newborn. Be vigilant for pain and give your Vet a call if it doesn't pass today. I sure hope it just a bump in the road and that she bounces back quickly.

So Lupi graduated from crate rest on Saturday! I have mixed feelings, because we left for Mexico early that morning (long since booked vacation) and she is now in the care of my 2 sisters, at our house. Instructions are to basically keep her crated, still carry her out for bathroom breaks, still feed in the crate, but she can sleep in their beds if she gets really whiney (she gets very depressed and anxious when we leave her) and have some couch time with them as long as 100% supervised.
I'm too nervous to have her walking around much while I'm gone. Although the good news is, her gait is almost completely normal! Just a slight weakness in the right hind leg. She was doing very well until the day before we left when she saw me packing. Then she started with the shivering, big staring eyes, etc. I'm almost certain it was just anxiety because she gets like that every time we go away.
So I'm trying not to worry about her until we get back. The girls have all the info about Tramadol if they need to give it and #'s for vets etc.

Yay! Well done with giving Lupi the full 8 weeks of crate rest!

Here is a page to pass along to your sisters so that they know Lupi only needs only very short (1 min) sessions of walking for the first week, and there is an example schedule that I found very helpful when my Charley graduated!: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm

Take care and enjoy your vacation!
))Hugs!((
- Sabrina

Thank you everyone! I got an update about my little girl and she is doing great and being spoiled. I'm looking forward to cuddling her when I get back:)
Thanks Sabrina for the post-rest schedule; that's really helpful.

Just wanted to say I'm sitting with Lupi on my lap, getting kisses and nudges for pets. She is the dog she was before her episode.
She has taken to wearing a harness really well (we used a head collar before) and is begging to go for walks. So far her longest "walk" has been around our backyard, but she was thrilled to be able to sniff all the old spots. We're slowly increasing activity, and her muscle tone seems really good, likely because she was so active before.
I am so grateful to this site for all the support. I honestly don't know if I could have done it without you all. This is such a heart-wrenching disease to go through, and just knowing others are experiencing the same challenges, hopes and setbacks is comforting.
Thank you everyone!

Lupi had her first outdoor walk today! We walked to the end of the street and back (about 5 mins) and she did great:)
She was just thrilled to be outside and took every opportunity to sniff all the smells she's missed out on for the last 3 months. She absolutely did not want the walk to end, but we're trying really hard to take things slowly.
Overall, Lupi is doing wonderfully. She still has some hind end weakness, but thinks she can do everything. She keeps trying to do the stairs (we stop her and pick her up) but that's something she hadn't attempted for weeks BEFORE we realized she was injured. It seems she feels better than ever!

I realized it's been over a month since my last update and thought I should report that all continues to go well for Miss Lupi.

She enjoys her walks again, and most people think nothing is wrong with her. I don't know if her gait will ever be totally normal, but she doesn't notice and thinks she can do everything!

I was really restrictive with her at first, but realized she needs to enjoy the things she loves (within reason) so I do let her play with other dogs and let her have toys. She likes to shake and "kill" her toys, but I can't stop her from doing that 100%.

Permanent changes are: She never wears a collar anymore, always her harness. She is crated when we go out, no stairs of course, no jumping up (thankfully she was already well trained in that area), no more "sitting pretty" and no more agility classes. I do still take her to the dog park, but only during less-busy times.

I've also changed Lupi's diet, to keep her as healthy as possible. I feed her a pre-formed raw (Nature's Instinct) with steamed veggies mixed in. She absolutely loves it. She is leaner, her breath smells better, and her coat is shiny. Best of all, she doesn't get gas! I only give her bully sticks on very rare occasions-maybe once a month. She gets a "Go Naked" dental stick for a bedtime snack, and only the odd natural treat.

I've kept trimming her nails myself. It saves money and I do them every week so I never have to trim much at a time.

Lupi has been surprisingly more sociable with strangers since her episode. I think her back has been sensitive for a long time and she was uncomfortable with strangers petting her. Now that she feels so much better, she isn't as nervous to be petted.

She still gets tired out faster than she used to on walks, but as the weather warms up I think her stamina will continue to build.

Overall, I think Lupi's quality of life is just as good if not better now than before! I try not to worry about when she might "go down" again, and just focus on each day as it comes.

What a wonderful update on Lupi! You're doing such a great job with her, Nicole. It must do your heart such good to see Lupi so happy and doing well. My Jeremy also likes to kill his toys and shakes his head so vigorously that I do have to discourage it, as much as I wish he could enjoy that, too. I try to divert his attention to something else, like a ball he likes to chew on or a bone or I'll take him for a walk if he intents on "killing" something. We just want to give our dogs everything that they enjoy and it's so hard to say no even when we know it's for their own good!

Please keep us updated and keep up the great work, Nicole! I'm so happy for you and Lupi.