Sammie's Saga And More

We started yesterday thinking that the day would end
 with Sammy having surgery.
He did not.
After several veterinary consultations with several vet/surgeons, X-rays, and exams,
we have decided to forgo having his cruciate ligament fixed.
This was not an easy decision, however we have peace with it.


Sammie is an unusual dog.
He does not like to be messed with... even if it is to help him.
He totally falls apart emotionally... stops eating and drinking, etc.
He has to be totally sedated in order to have his nails cut.
He hates to be confined in any manner, 
(he destroyed a metal crate when he was younger).
He is old and arthritic and has slowed down considerably this past year.


The surgery is a big deal with a very long recovery.
Just the two weeks of wearing a cone around his neck would be impossible for him.
He would be the dog who destroyed his cone...
and then destroyed his surgery.


After his surgery, his leg would not feel normal to him,
and so we fear he would refuse to walk on it anyways.
The Vets have assured us that he is not in pain... 
his leg just feels unstable when he puts weight on it.
They have also assured us that walking on three legs will not cause the other leg to break down.

Our old boy loves to ride on the gator and accompany us wherever we go.
But once he arrives he prefers to lie in the sun, or the shade depending on the day.
The limits that his injury place on him are in line with his current lifestyle.
Surgery would be torture.

So, after much consideration and much research,
we have decided to just let Sammie live with his inconvenient handicap.
Perhaps with time the ligament will scar down and give him a more stable feeling.

Yesterday afternoon, Annie was very interested in this flower box.


I thought perhaps there was a bunny nest somewhere in it.
Instead, I found Ethel nesting in the middle of my flowers.

We had a little discussion about this location for nesting...
I suggested she might want to find an alternative.


We are in the midst of a heatwave.
Keeping everyone cool as cucumbers is part of my daily chores.
I filled a small pool for the Nellies...


hoping that they might enjoy splashing around a bit.
As you can see... the water remained clean...
with the N's giving it wide berth.


Part of the reason that I plant the flowers that I do
is so that I can cut them and bring them in the house...


The heat gives me the opportunity to get some indoor projects finished.
Yesterday I sewed a fitted sheet and changing pad cover for the newest member of our family.


The theme of his room is cars...
 the pattern of this fabric is tire treads.


And lastly...
it's cucumber season!


Marinated cucumbers are one of our favorites.
I hope wherever you are spending today that you are cool as a cucumber as well!!

Comments

Louise Stopford said…
Sounds like you have made just the right decision for Sammie. Nobody knows your dog better than yourselves, so rest assured you have done the right thing. That flower bed is spectacular, no wonder Ethel wanted to nest right there - who wouldn't.
daisy g said…
So happy for Sammie! He will make the best of it, I'm sure. Maybe he needs his own Gator to help him get around! Something his size, easy to get in to, that could be towed behind your Gator.

The heat has hit here as well, but not quite as stifling as down south. We are glad to be out of that.

The ducks must be close enough for you to take their picture! And it's not blurry! Progress! ;0D

Hope you have a nice, big glass of watermelon lemonade to refresh you. Enjoy!
farm buddy said…
How old is Sammie? My old border collie, who will be fifteen in a few months, does very well on Previcox. So far, he has only required half the normal dose for his size, and he has been on this for about three years. He did not have any improvement with Rimadyl, but the Previcox has helped him tremendously. He probably walks with me and the younger dogs at least three miles a day. I think you probably made a good decision for Sammie. That surgery was very hard on my sister's dog (and my sister!), and her dog was definitely depressed at first after the surgery. She did finally do well, but it was very difficult for all of them.
This N That said…
Wise decision I think. Many dogs get along well with three legs. Which leg is it? I think the surgery would have been rough on everybody. Love the changing pad cover..very cute... Ethel seems bound and determined to nest ... stay cool. I supposed to be better next week at least for a few days.
Lynne said…
I think it is a "best decision" for Sammie . . .
His lifestyle will blend in well with his leg situation.
And he will adapt, I am sure.
Cute fabric patterns for the new little . . .
I like flowers in my gardens so I can bring them inside to enjoy as well!
Unknown said…
When our dog blew out his knee the vet said we could do the $3k surgery and it would take about 3 months to heal or we could leave it alone and in about three months he would start to use it again. Either way the leg would never be full strength. We left it alone and sure enough about 3 months to the day he started using it again. We also used Previcox as noted by Farm Buddy and it worked for us too.
Based on your description of Sammie you picked the absolute best option.
Love your farm and all your farm family! Blessings to you all. Lisa G in TN
Candice said…
Poor Sammie. It's amazing how animals adapt to these things. If he were a younger dog, it might be more difficult to not have the surgery, but other than altering the way he plays with the other dogs, he will be much happier without the trauma of surgery. Our rescue, Sadie, came to us with a broken back leg that happened sometime in her life and apparently was never discovered until we rescued her. The vet decided it was less traumatic for her to leave it as is instead of re-breaking it and setting it. So it causes her foot to turn outward and she sits a little awkwardly but runs like the wind and it doesn't stop her from chasing squirrels and playing with our other two dogs. We are in the dog days of summer...low 100s and humid here in Austin. Hope you and the critters stay cool.
I think you made a wise decision for Sammie. He will thank you for it.
Velva said…
If you are at peace with the decision not to have surgery, then its the right decision. Our furry family members are important to us.

Your photos reflect a beautiful day outside.

Velva
janie said…
Sounds like you made the right decision for Sammie. Only you know him best.
YOur flowers are lovely, Enjoy, Janie
Thefarmerswife said…
We have had 2 different labs that blew out their knees. Confined them to keep them from running and jumping and gave Previcox. Both healed in about 3 months. Even if you don't confine him, it sounds like his preference is to lay around and be sedate. You've made the right choice for him.

I think you made a wise choice. And thanks for the cucumber marinade recipe! We've got them growing like weeds, this is better than putting italian dressing on them.
jaz@octoberfarm said…
i am so glad you didn't put sammie through that. our last chow had two acl surgeries and they were pretty awful and she was much less active than sammie. teddy tore something in her right paw and though she walks on it, she limps and holds it up when she is standing still. we decided long ago that it was better to have her live with it than put her through surgery. will you be giving him medicine to help? sammie sounds like maybe he has a little chow in him! no one can do anything to teddy!
nuri said…
Sometimes the wisest and kindest help we can give our pets is to allow them to cope in their own way and they will be all the happier for it. There is no doubt in my mind that Sammie's is one of these cases. Dear, special Sammie, you are so lucky to be where you are, where you can be who you are!

"There's a wild streak in this fellow [...]" - I just re-read the lovely post about "Sammie through the years" (Nov. 2015) and am reminded of our last cat, another free spirit who could not bear to be confined in any manner. For two summers we treated her paws every day for grass mites. She didn't actively fight us, but she hated it to the point where she lost trust and avoided contact with us. So we stopped messing with her; result: Happy and relaxed cat (despite no-fun-at-all grass mites) - and humans!