Mojo’s stitches are out! He still has to keep his “cone of shame” on for a few more days.  We went for a walk around the lake today and although it tuckered him out, it was like he never lost his leg.

People who met him commented on how amazed they were that his surgery just happened 11 days ago and were surprised at how well he was doing. They couldn’t believe their eyes when I told them how much of a recovery he has made in such a short time.

He’s sleeping much better and is able to rest on his “bad” side. The bruising from the surgery has completely vanished. He’s able to climb up into bed and up the stairs with no problems whatsoever. He has a little difficulty getting into the Jeep but the Ruff Wear Web Master Harness makes it much easier to get him in and out.

We need to finish the antibiotics but the vet couldn’t be more happier with his progress.

Good boy, Mojo…good boy!

Mojo is doing much better…his mobility is pretty much where I expected it. He’s running around like a champ. Today he is scheduled to get his stitches out, but somehow he’s been able to reach his wound area with his tongue and he’s been going to town when I’ve been asleep.

His appointment is at 2:00 today so hopefully he’ll be ok to have everything removed and he can start to resume normal function.

Mojo had a better day today, although he did not want to move at all.  He was content with sleeping, however, he was pretty uncomfortable and decided to sleep while sitting up.  I felt bad for him, but it was pretty funny.

I tried neosporin and that seemed to help with his itching.  His appetite is normal and he’s still eliminating well.  It’s been a long road so far but things are looking up.

Mojo is doing better today.  We went into the office and he was ok for the morning but really started feeling pain in the afternoon.  We had to head back home to finish up work there…and Mojo slept for the better part of the day.  It’s just that when he moves he’s in pain.  Right now he’s sitting upright staring at me.  It’s pretty taxing.  I just really wish he would pull through this faster.  He was really trying to get at his stitches today so I’m assuming that the nerve endings are starting to pull back.

He’s still taking his meds and aside from the pain he’s making great strides in his mobility.  Still not sleeping through the night, but hopefully we’ll get more as the week progresses.  I scheduled him to get his stitches out next Tuesday…so I’m anxiously waiting for that moment.

Go Mojo!

Today’s been a good and bad day, which I’m sure you’ll have. Mojo finally eliminated solids this morning. I was lucky enough to be able to work from home (my workplace is awesome) and thank goodness because Mojo and I didn’t really sleep all that well. We were up at 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 6 a.m., and then 7 and 8. Fun stuff.

I was very happy his digestive system is working, however, he’s having some difficulty with pain today. Even though the medication has been administered I don’t think it’s having that much affect on him. It’s basically motrin for dogs. I’ve often wondered how to tell if Mojo is having pain. Well, he basically tries to bite his missing leg and then runs really fast over to me.

When he does this I simply lay him down and give him a lot of love. That seems to help. I tried a bag of ice to keep some of the swelling down but I think Mojo is just too sensitive in that area right now. He is sitting up more and basically stares at me from the couch. This is the old Mojo…and if you really know him, this is his normal behavior. He has not whimpered once (he whimpers if a butterfly lands on him)…so I’m getting ready for him to talk and finally tell me what’s on his mind.

Hugs all around to you all for reading and commenting and sending positive vibes.

Have you ever hoped for something during a time of tragedy?  Have you ever expected the worst during a trial in your life…and hoped for the best, but preparing for the worst?  That’s Mojo.  He’s the hope and the triumph of spirits in the face of adversity.  That’s his definition…I think, ultimately, this is what will define him.

I’m having a hard time putting into words what this dog has accomplished in the short time.  He’s always been mild mannered and very gentle, so I imagined this would be difficult for him, I thought his recovery would be a great burden and he would be so incapacitated  and weak  that we wouldn’t be able to do much at all in the first 48 hours.  I couldn’t be more wrong.

He went up and down the stairs today.  What else can you say?  There wasn’t anything stopping him.  He simply got up and did what he had to do.  He has done it every moment so far.  A lot of folks have commented saying that he would surprise me.  They were right.  He’s not letting this hurt him.  Yes, I know he’s an animal and instinct drives him; but if you knew Mojo, you’d say that there is a bit more to this than just persevering.  I think he has knowledge of what is happening around him.  Mojo has surveyed his condition and has decided to push on, while keeping everything about him intact.  I wish sometimes we humans could persevere like he is.  It’s a philosophy we should all adapt to.

When in the face of the biggest obstacles, we remain intact by climbing the mountain, no matter what the cost.  We must always continue, no matter what happens – because the goal is what dogs are born to do.  Love.

My only regret is that Mojo cannot completely understand his journey, because that’s the only part he’s missing.

Mojo is home and is amazing.  Amazing!

I picked him up from the vet and the entire staff came over to me to compliment me on what a kind and loving dog he is!  They could not say enough good things about him.  He is doing amazingly well and although his spirit is a little down, he’s moving around like nothing and is already getting used to his situation.

Although it’s early – I couldn’t be more pleased with how things are turning out.  He has been prescribed pain medication and Keflex as the antibiotics.  His pain patch has been removed and he is on an oral medication.  So far, so good.  He’s sitting next to me as I type this sleeping away, which I’m sure is the best thing for him.  He has already made me so proud and I know he’ll be back to his old self in no time.

The plastic e-collar that he’s using will definitely have to go.   It’s causing him to run into furniture and makes it difficult for him to get around.  I think I’m going to go with the comfy cone. We’ll see how that goes.

“Dogs lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in the…innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware it comes with an unbearable price. Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we make because of those illusions.” — Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year

Success!

Mojo pulled through surgery.  The vet said his femur was smashed pretty bad and that surgery might have been an option but it would have probably had to have been amputated anyway.  The vet removed the entire thigh bone to prevent arthritis developing later in life.  Mojo’s pelvis is normal.  The vet said he did well under anesthesia and he was waking up and doing ok.

His pain patch will be removed and he’ll be switched to oral meds for pain as he heals.  This should hopefully settle his stomach.  If everything goes well tonight I’ll see my guy tomorrow morning!

On the road to recovery!

Mojo made it through the night.  X-Rays determined that his femur on his right hind leg was shattered at the hip.  The emergency vet advised me that surgery was an option but was not guaranteed.  The leg was badly damaged and surgery to repair it was too costly.  It was heartbreaking to hear the news.  I inquired about amputation and the vet suggested that was a viable option.  It was either that or euthanasia.  I spent the morning weighing my options.  I decided that amputation was the option.

I picked Mojo up from the emergency vet.  Although he was happy to see me, he was on a Fentanyl patch.  This caused him dizziness and nausea and he was clearly unhappy and in a lot of pain.  I drove him an hour to my vet and took him out of the car…he vomited and limped into his vet’s office.  He laid down and every whimper broke my heart.  He was unable to sleep and would close his eyes for only a second…only to lift his head up to wonder where he was.  He would look me in the eyes and I knew he just wanted to go to sleep.  I almost put him down for good at that moment…the pain and suffering he was going through was too much to bear.  Fortunately, Mojo would try to get up to walk and would wag his tail ever so slightly.  It was at this point I decided to do the amputation.

Mojo would stay overnight and on this morning I called the vet to see how Mojo was doing.  He was doing much better after the vet gave him some anti-nausea medication.  He was up, wagging his tail, and asking for love.  The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.

Mojo’s Story

Mojo is a 7-year old Brittany Spaniel / Retriever mix.  He was rescued from Action for Animals in 2006.  I had looked for many times for the right dog for me…often making several trips to the shelter.  On the day that I found Mojo,  I went to the shelter and I was presented with the dogs outside in a play pen.  Mojo immediately came up to me and jumped up on the fence.  I knew it right away that he was my dog.  I adopted him immediately.

Mojo is a kind spirited dog who likes children and never has any problems with other dogs.  He is playful and likes to lounge around the house.  He really has an inkling for chasing foxes and roams around in the yard chasing birds.  He never catches anything but enjoys the hunt.

The Accident

I had recently fixed the rear door to my residence and it had caused the door to close slowly.  This is how Mojo got out.  I didn’t notice he was gone because he usually likes to go up to bed to take an after dinner nap.  After he didn’t come down to go to the bathroom, I knew he had gotten out.  I spent a long time looking for him…but he loves exploring the vast country side.  I had called his name and I heard a screech and looked over to see Mojo getting hit by a car.  I ran screaming over to him.

The lady who hit him was in tears and through my extreme trauma of watching his accident I assured her that it was not her fault.  Blood was coming from his mouth (we think he bit his tongue) and he was in immense pain.  I put my jacket over him and ran to get my car.  I immediately took him to an emergency vet who did diagnostics on him.  He was in shock and was in a lot of pain.  The vet stabilized him and he spent the night at the hospital.