Time to Grind

Aiken is about a 45 minute drive from where we live.  That's an hour and a half round trip plus the therapy session.  It's in between Augusta and Columbia S.C.  It's the only place of it's kind around here, so we feel pretty lucky that we even have this resource available.  Krysta and I were able to go together the first time.  It was pouring rain.  I didn't notice it until right now, but if you look closely, that sculpture right beneath the lettering sure likes like our boy.  Propped up on it's front two legs with its backside trailing behind. 











None of this is going to be easy.  Not that we were expecting it to be, but there is a lot we have to learn and it's all still a little overwhelming.  This is a huge time commitment and we always find ourselves wondering if we are doing things incorrectly.  We don't trust ourselves yet.  The staff in Aiken is GREAT.  When we arrived, we were the only show in town and had three experts in the room with us.  I only have a few pictures from the rehab session, but I think you will get the idea.  You can see here that Bentley is straddling a exercise ball.. though a little more oblong shaped.  It's keeping him from being able to rest his front legs on the ground and forcing some weight to the rear.  He only did this for a few
minutes.  We also used the harness in much the same way to force him back on the left rear while making sure his leg was in the correct position.  They showed us how to rock him on it a little, using some treats to encourage body twisting and core muscle development.  It was all about posture and making sure he doesn't develop bad habits.  He really wants to do everything with his front legs. 

In the second picture you can see him getting some laser therapy.  They also took out his staples.  The amputation site looks really good.  It healed nicely and I think it's safe to say we are now passed the infection concerns that we once had.  His leg is really weak though.  It didn't take him long before he was at complete muscle failure. 



Bentley left Aiken weighing in at a whopping 76.8 lbs of twisted steel and sex appeal.  He's about 22 or 23 pounds lighter than he was when this whole thing started.  Krysta must have forgotten he lost his leg because she told them he weighed 96lbs the last time he was weighed in Augusta (with his leg).  It didn't take us a long time to figure out the discrepancy.  :) 

Now, it's very important that we keep him at this weight because even a few pounds puts added stress on his recovery.  We have cut down his food from two cups twice a day to 1.5 cups twice a day.  We also had to buy smaller treats to bribe him with.  Luckily, he likes ice cubes and carrots (and watermelon) just the same. 






 
This is what we looked like when we got home.  He slept for the rest of the day on Monday and most of Tuesday.  Tuesday we had a hard time getting him to do much of anything.  Just getting him to go outside to answer natures call was a chore.  It wasn't until Wednesday night that we were able to do anything of substance with him. 

We do a lot of laying around these days.  As you can see here, sometimes you just need somebody to lean on.  Sing it with me:  "Lean on me, when you're not strong... I'll be your friend......

So cute.  They actually stayed like this for quite some time.  It reminded me of the scene in Forrest Gump... Forrest and Bubba leaning up against each other so neither one would "wake up with our faces in the mud".  He just wants to be near people.  In a sense, it's better that this happened to him and not one of the other dogs.  Bentley is naturally lazy and though he does seem to get bored sometimes, he is mostly content with laying around and snuggling with whomever will give him the time.

























But he's alert now and he seems to be comfortable.  We really haven't noticed any pain whatsoever.  It's been 48 days since his initial surgery.  I'm guessing either this week or next week we will have to take him back in to AAE for a follow up Xray.  I'm really curious to know if the bone in that left leg has really started to heal and what, if anything, we have to do with it.  There is a chance that we will still have to get  a pin removed.  Dr. Davis thought she could feel it grinding near his knee.  It's not bothering him, but it might have to come out if that's not already the plan.

He does most things on his own now.  We still harness him to walk out to the yard, but he doesn't much like us holding him up while he's trying to pee or poo.  He gets a little embarrassed apparently.  He walks enough to get a few steps away from us, and supports himself well enough to "conduct bidness".  We try not to let him get to far from us though because once he get's forward momentum, it's hard for him to stop.  If he keeps pushing his weight on his front legs, he's going to look like one of those dudes at the gym who keeps skipping leg day. 







This is where Bentley likes to hang out.  There's a little Myrtle right behind him and he likes his butt resting on it. We always plant Rye grass in the winter to keep our yard green.  If not, the dogs turn the backyard into something that resembles the moon. 






 



And this my friends, this is how you know Bentley is feeling better.  This was his signature move when he had two legs.  I actually took this picture tonight and seemed like a good way to end the week.  It's good to see that his confidence is coming back and he's feeling a little more at home. 

We are going to try and get Bentley down to Aiken again this week.  They were trying to find a special harness that would better support his back end but account for his amputation.  They let us borrow a really nice harness, but it tends to slip off with nothing holding it on the right side.

The adventure continues :).  Thanks for following and we will be sure to update you again next week.