I appreciate all of your "weighing in" with your own experiences with regards to canine ACL ruptures. You might remember a couple years ago, our old Sammie had torn his ACL as well. We weighed the options and for him, being elderly and low-energy, not doing surgery was best. With his particular personality and aversion to anything remotely medical (even clipping toenails) no surgery was the best course - and it did prove so in the end. By the end of three months he was bearing weight on his leg once again. I'm pretty sure that he also tore the ACL on his opposite side at a later date... and that, too, proceeded as the first.
If ever there was an opposite of Sammie, though, it would be Chester. Chester is high energy and excessively smart. He's a worker (even when I don't especially want his help) and takes his job of horse-herder quite seriously. His appointment with the vet is today. After that we should better understand the ramifications of surgery with this particular dog. At this point, we are leaning towards surgery, but will make our final decision after having talked it over with the vet.
Either way, life is going to be hard for Chester in the coming months. It is going to require us slowing down a bit,as well, in order to monitor and limit his activity (severely). Whatever happens... we will get through it and all will be good in the end - I am sure. Luckily, Hubbs and I have Orthopedic backgrounds, so dealing with these types of injuries is familiar territory (at least in humans!)
Thanks again for sharing your own personal experiences... it helps!
Yesterday was bath day for Chester (so he smells pretty for the vet)... you see, Chester isn't really happy with his own personal space unless it is fetid, ie: he has rolled in something foul and gotten himself thoroughly filthy. He's a wretched urchin, but we love him. Oh, and he sheds like nobody's business. Why did we adopt Chester, you ask? Sometimes there is no choice - and in this case we "rescued" him from our kids. So, before he was our dog, he was our grand-dog.
Summer is doing what some teenagers do before leaving home for college - being miserable so you won't miss them when they leave. It's hot and humid and the gnats are vicious. After a summer with barely any black fly woes, we are now inundated with those almost invisible nasty-wasties who aren't happy until they have feasted upon your eyes, ears, and nose!
I feel so sorry for the animals having to deal with these tiny creatures!
Colder weather will be a relief for them on so many levels.
No visit to the front pasture is complete without stopping for a chat with the pigs!
They are the most enthusiastic animals that are here on the farm. Stopping for a chat with them is always so gratifying!
The abundant rainfall has kept the ground damp for weeks... providing the perfect conditions for mushroom growth.
I am so fascinated by fungi. After finding out how important the fungal world is to our earth - providing a neural network for communication between trees and plan life - I have a whole new respect for the fungal kingdom. If you have not yet watched the film, Fantastic Fungi - watch it. You will be fascinated, I promise!
Hey, I believe that's our spot you're laying in!!
I love these garden spiders... their web always looks like it has a zipper! This zipper is the last part of her web that she weaves. When the silk dries in this area, it helps to pull the rest of the web tighter... thus giving it more strength and stability.
Isn't nature fascinating??
Comments
Almost a look of “fungi flowers.”
Thinking of Chester, hoping for the best course possible . . .
Gotta keep him rolling in yuck . . . 😉
EDGR C. BEARD
Best of luck with Chester.
Interesting spider web.
Fungi are fun to see..There don't seem to be as many around here as usual. The pasture would be a great place to find them and the compost pile...
Gnats are awful right now..mixwd with heat and humidity...UGH!!
xxoo