Gigi had to stay home today - the first day since her surgery that she has had to miss work and probably only the 3rd day in 7 years that she has not be able to go to work for health reasons. She was not a happy camper and spent the day in her confinement area, ignoring my husband's best efforts to feed, water and love her. She (begrudgingly) accepted her pain medications in cheese. No doubt she would have preferred the sauerkraut...
She refused to go out to potty. This makes for a long day afloat...perhaps she is refusing water during the day for that very reason.
Upon my arrival, I hear the welcoming ruckus; she's confined in all dimensions except vertical. There she is, bouncing and carrying on like a fool, eager to race out to a bigger place to bounce even higher. If I sit down on the floor she'll get reinforced for bouncing (and I'll likely get trampled to death). If I walk out until she's calm she'll blow through the gate. I'm remembering how this dog, upon rescue, scaled a 6 foot barricade to prove her point about not liking confinement. So we put the lead on the front end and the sling on the back end and try to control her through directed activity - walking forward. More forward than walking but redirected.
We made it outside without mishap, although she was attempting to jump off the ramp in her enthusiasm. Some success at the request to potty - but really, mom, nothing in makes for nothing out.
Later she's insisting on sleeping next to me as I work at the computer. Whining a little - and I'm wondering if she hurt something in the process of bouncing. As I see it, we have few options. Make her walk with my husband a little to warm up before I get home (unlikely), get a sedative into her before I get there. Or sit down with her as soon as I get home and "take my licks"...reinforcing the wrong behavior to bring about the more immediate safety outcome.
She's adamant about keeping to routines. We sit here for computer work and we sit there for dinner, and then it is time to bring on the ritual foods - dinner, then the carrot, then the bone, and then the popsicle. And then it is time to watch the TV and she has to be facing the TV... I absolutely nixed the idea about "going for a ride, mom". Keeping the routines is not the option - figuring out how to keep the restrictions in place while we do them is the challenge.
You don't realize the power of a bouv until you try to rein them in on the routines they've run by heart, for years. She's such a compliant dog most of the time. Perhaps that's because she's got me so well trained.
Well at least she's humoring me with the colonial collar. She's only taken it off once.
Meanwhile, the swelling in the knee is down, the incision is looking the best yet, and her ankle isn't as swollen as yesterday. The warm moist compresses are better tolerated today than before. Inflammation is down overall and she made it through on less pain med today. But I gave her the full dose at bedtime. We all need our sleep.
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