Day 2: Waking up is hard to do

Yesterday (Sunday) was Day 2.

I moved his bed in next to ours that night. I woke up pretty regularly to check on him. He had been shifting around on his own without a peep but ultimately stayed in his bed the entire night. Yay drugs!

The morning of Day 2 was definitely interesting. Diggs is much more attentive today but still pretty zonked from the meds. He didn’t want to get up so we dragged his bed (with him still on it) out into the living room. We finally got him up to go outside. He’s moving a little better. Still no poop.

Amy and decided by mid-day that we needed to take Diggs out of our St Pete house with hardwood floors and into our apartment which is carpeted. The trip was… challenging. Getting him into the car was nothing short of a miracle. He got TO the car just fine, it was getting IN the car that proved to be more difficult. On the day I brought him home from the hospital, he let me pick him up to get him out of the car. Now, that was out of the question. Eventually we got the front paw on the seat and just shoved his butt in. There was some whining but we got him in. Now for getting out…

Luckily I had thought ahead and brought a few blankets for him. He was not a fan of the original process so he was very hesitant to even get up when it was time to get out. I laid a blanket down in front of him and was able to convince him that he should get on it. Then the two of us just picked up the blanket with him inside of it and pulled him out. This also served as the process to get him up the flight of stairs to the door of the apartment. The stairs were a big concern, but this move has proven to be the right choice. He is much more confident walking around on the carpet. Developing his confidence was the most important part so I will happily carry him up and down the stairs for a while. We placed him in front of the door and he got up and walked himself inside. I was stoked.

We left the kids with him while we went to the store to get groceries. He hardly moved. Once home, we unloaded the groceries and started making dinner. The 4 of us were talking, catching up on how everyone’s day had gone, when suddenly someone shouted, “OH!”, and we turned around to see Diggs standing behind us in the middle of the kitchen. I was elated. It took everything I had to not cry.

We took him out at night for a final bathroom break before bed and, to my relief, he finally pooped! Now I can stop writing awkward comments about his BM’s. You’re welcome.

He walked himself into our bedroom, around the bed, and on to his own bed all by himself. He seems a bit bummed right now but I think that will pass with time. Otherwise, he is kicking ass and taking names.

He’s walking, he’s eating, he poops. I can finally breathe.

Can’t wait to see how we do on Day 3!

Diggs & Nick

Author: Nick

This is a blog page dedicated to the story of Diggs, a 78 pound, 11 year old, Shepherd mix who was diagnosed with bone cancer at the beginning of 2018. In March of 2018, I was left with no choice but to take his front left leg to stop the cancer from spreading to the rest of his body. This is the story of Diggs and his transformation into the perfect "Tripawd".

7 thoughts on “Day 2: Waking up is hard to do”

  1. So happy that he is feeling better. Our Bessie has been a tripaw for just over 2 years now. She lost a back leg. She was terrified of slippery floors when she had four legs. We carpeted all slippery surfaces when she had her surgery. We carry bath mats with us for doctor appointments. They are rubber backed and do not slip under her. We also use a harness to help her out of the car. She can place her front legs in the car and we lift her bottom in. I do not know if you have dog chiropractors or accupuncturist in your area but Bessie sees both once a month. Your dog will get back to being himself soon enough. Just enjoy the ride.

  2. Yay, poop! Don’t be afraid to celebrate it—it is a woop-worthy event! 😉 He really sounds like he is doing fantastic, truly. Ticking each day off means so much, doesn’t it? I couldn’t wait to mentally move that counter closer to another day of healing. The story of him joining your family as if to say “hey guys, I want in on this, too, just like always?” That is GREAT stuff! From what I can see of his incision site, it looks great, too…minimal bruising and all (I think the ice really helps with that and is comforting, too!) Your boy is rocking this, just as you knew he would.

    Continued blessings to Diggs and his crew!

  3. You will ba amazed at the progress from days 3 – 10. Our dog Buster 80lb. Rhodesian is 5 weeks post surgery. He had his right front leg amputated. He is wandering all over our 1 1/2 acre yard. He can get in my truck and using a ramp I built for him. The truck is one of his favorite places he will sit in the truck in the driveway for hours.

  4. Hi guys, so glad all is going well!
    Traction is really important, as you can see it makes their lives much easier and helps them feel stability. People do a lot of different things here, I have found some fantastic throw rugs that do not slide and are super soft and easy to wash. They have made a huge difference for Huckleberry.
    Thank you for the awesome update!

  5. Great news Nick. Cookie is hopping around as well. And her appetite is finally picking up a bit.

    Keep us posted

  6. Awesome! Did you dance around the poop pile when he dropped the gift? Haha wonder what the neighbors thought. “There goes another crazy Tripawd dad!”

    It’s amazing what a difference a few days make. I hope the last few days have been even better. Keep us posted!

  7. Such a great update on our beloved Diggs!!!

    He’s doing an excellent job of doing things slowly and at his own pace. We tend to forget that it is MAJOR surgery and, additionally, they are adjusting to three legs, sore muscles, surgery pain, etc. Diggs is ahead of the curve though! 🙂

    A d hexk yeah, we celew poop around here big time! He feels better, everyvody feels better! 🙂

    Love his updates and great pictures. Keep ’em coming!

    Hugs
    Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

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