Ricksconnected,how is our Bernie?
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hey folks sorry for the delay. been extremely busy here in ga.
ok about bernie. hes doing so-so. hes no longer wobbling. hes still weak in the legs, the left mainly. still shakey when trying to pee. every so often when hes walking, he drags his left foot a bit. hes still real high spirited. he got to take a nap with dad on the floor the other evening. boy was he greatful for that too. so was i to be honest. i got his staples removed. when he was at the doc getting them removed, doc had to drain a fluid build up on his spin. he said it was common. well now im worried a bit. where that fluid was seems to be kinda a lump, no big but noticable. its hard. not really tall in size ok, but its there nonetheless. then in his discharge papers it talks of bernies disk issue. it says its degerative, and may happen again. ok, now im freaked out to the hilt. im wondering if that lump is another disk ready to go? he dont seem to be in any pain whatsoever. he just wants to blast off. :animal18: , but i still wont let him.
he even got to sleep 1/2 the night with me on the floor night before last. boy we just laid there and cuddled up. we both feel asleep pretty fast.
i leash him up to the couch leg when we snooze. that way he dont fake me out by waiting til i fall asleep and then go exploring. its killing him to go upstairs and take a look-see.
he hasnt been up there in weeks. his recovery seems to have leveled off a bit. im not sure if thats a fact, or its because im watching him so close and the recovery is taking a long time.
kinda like trying to watch hair grow ya know?
hes continued his new diet and i can see a waist now. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif they say thats what they want to see, the doc's. his hair is starting to grow back too. its just fuzzy. 3 day shadow at this point.
hes got a recheck at UGA this friday i think it is. i better check up on that too.
i think they will be delighted to see him walking and so full of energy too. oh, and his waist too.
the whole "degeneritive" thing has got me wigging out. then his hard spot too. anybody know about either of these issues?
oh, im doing ok too. getting use to sleeping on the floor now.
i got tired of seeing bernie in a crate that he could hardly turn around in. butt rubbing one side, face on the other, as he turned around.
lord how awful that must have been. the docs said limited movement, so thats what i had to do.
so i went to petsmart to do some shopping.
i got him a new kennel. this sucker is big too.
it was made for a german sheppard sized dog.
so i got it for bernie. i can get in it if i wanted to, but im afraid bernie will shut the door behind me to show me what its like.
you should have seen him his first night in there. kickin back and relaxin! he was relieved.
so was i. he can get up and turn around with ease, plus has room for his dinner and water bowels too. i figured it wouldnt hurt since hes this far along. hes still not allowed to run around the house yet. he went for his first real walk saturday evening. we went about 100yrds from the front door. sniffing and leaving pee-mail for the other dogs as we went. it did him some good too. he enjoyed himself like you cant imagine. honestly, i did too. just to see him feeling good and having fun.
i bought him a rawhide when i got his new kennel.
boy was i the goods that evening. best dad in the world. so, if i had to guess, i would say hes about 80-85% of what he was before trouble started a month ago. i dont know if thats good or not, or if he should be a little more along than that. i continue to thank jeff(the guy who loaned me the $$ for bernies surgery) every day. w/o him, lord knows what i would have done.
he lent me a book to read. its writen by dave ramsey. its titled: the total money makeover.
i suggest it to everybody. its a great book.
this guy has it figured out. its about getting out of debt, and staying out. its about setting up an emergency fund too. so im working the steps in this book. ive also added a beagle fund to my financial planning as well. lord what would i have done if jeff wasnt around? i cant make this mistake again, and be w/o an emergency fund incase something happens again. i know i sound like im way off topic, but if you read the book, you will see im still on course with the topic here. im thinking about getting a playmate for bernie in the fall. oh i dont know, im thinking on getting a............BEAGLE of course. silly people, what else is there!
whats you opinions on this idea? and can anybody else comment on this reply and my worries? am i freaking out over nothing?
(oh wow, ive typed a page full. see what happens when you get me talking about bernie? i can go on for days /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif )
ok about bernie. hes doing so-so. hes no longer wobbling. hes still weak in the legs, the left mainly. still shakey when trying to pee. every so often when hes walking, he drags his left foot a bit. hes still real high spirited. he got to take a nap with dad on the floor the other evening. boy was he greatful for that too. so was i to be honest. i got his staples removed. when he was at the doc getting them removed, doc had to drain a fluid build up on his spin. he said it was common. well now im worried a bit. where that fluid was seems to be kinda a lump, no big but noticable. its hard. not really tall in size ok, but its there nonetheless. then in his discharge papers it talks of bernies disk issue. it says its degerative, and may happen again. ok, now im freaked out to the hilt. im wondering if that lump is another disk ready to go? he dont seem to be in any pain whatsoever. he just wants to blast off. :animal18: , but i still wont let him.
he even got to sleep 1/2 the night with me on the floor night before last. boy we just laid there and cuddled up. we both feel asleep pretty fast.
i leash him up to the couch leg when we snooze. that way he dont fake me out by waiting til i fall asleep and then go exploring. its killing him to go upstairs and take a look-see.
he hasnt been up there in weeks. his recovery seems to have leveled off a bit. im not sure if thats a fact, or its because im watching him so close and the recovery is taking a long time.
kinda like trying to watch hair grow ya know?
hes continued his new diet and i can see a waist now. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif they say thats what they want to see, the doc's. his hair is starting to grow back too. its just fuzzy. 3 day shadow at this point.
hes got a recheck at UGA this friday i think it is. i better check up on that too.
i think they will be delighted to see him walking and so full of energy too. oh, and his waist too.
the whole "degeneritive" thing has got me wigging out. then his hard spot too. anybody know about either of these issues?
oh, im doing ok too. getting use to sleeping on the floor now.
i got tired of seeing bernie in a crate that he could hardly turn around in. butt rubbing one side, face on the other, as he turned around.
lord how awful that must have been. the docs said limited movement, so thats what i had to do.
so i went to petsmart to do some shopping.
i got him a new kennel. this sucker is big too.
it was made for a german sheppard sized dog.
so i got it for bernie. i can get in it if i wanted to, but im afraid bernie will shut the door behind me to show me what its like.
you should have seen him his first night in there. kickin back and relaxin! he was relieved.
so was i. he can get up and turn around with ease, plus has room for his dinner and water bowels too. i figured it wouldnt hurt since hes this far along. hes still not allowed to run around the house yet. he went for his first real walk saturday evening. we went about 100yrds from the front door. sniffing and leaving pee-mail for the other dogs as we went. it did him some good too. he enjoyed himself like you cant imagine. honestly, i did too. just to see him feeling good and having fun.
i bought him a rawhide when i got his new kennel.
boy was i the goods that evening. best dad in the world. so, if i had to guess, i would say hes about 80-85% of what he was before trouble started a month ago. i dont know if thats good or not, or if he should be a little more along than that. i continue to thank jeff(the guy who loaned me the $$ for bernies surgery) every day. w/o him, lord knows what i would have done.
he lent me a book to read. its writen by dave ramsey. its titled: the total money makeover.
i suggest it to everybody. its a great book.
this guy has it figured out. its about getting out of debt, and staying out. its about setting up an emergency fund too. so im working the steps in this book. ive also added a beagle fund to my financial planning as well. lord what would i have done if jeff wasnt around? i cant make this mistake again, and be w/o an emergency fund incase something happens again. i know i sound like im way off topic, but if you read the book, you will see im still on course with the topic here. im thinking about getting a playmate for bernie in the fall. oh i dont know, im thinking on getting a............BEAGLE of course. silly people, what else is there!
whats you opinions on this idea? and can anybody else comment on this reply and my worries? am i freaking out over nothing?
(oh wow, ive typed a page full. see what happens when you get me talking about bernie? i can go on for days /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif )
Joined
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419 Posts
oh, thank you folks for keeping bernie in your thoughts/prayers.
thing is, im worried about judymaggie's lil beagle too. this week is the return of the test results for her.(unless things have happened since ive been away) anybody have a word on her condition? shes been on my heart pretty heavy these last 2 days.
thing is, im worried about judymaggie's lil beagle too. this week is the return of the test results for her.(unless things have happened since ive been away) anybody have a word on her condition? shes been on my heart pretty heavy these last 2 days.
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Rick,
Its good to hear he is coming around. I know about the sleeping on the floor.
As for the fluid, I believe its under the incision, not the spine itself. Just use hot compresses on it to help keep it down. Thats what we did with Murphy. Verify this treatment with your vet.
Keep up the good work!
Its good to hear he is coming around. I know about the sleeping on the floor.
As for the fluid, I believe its under the incision, not the spine itself. Just use hot compresses on it to help keep it down. Thats what we did with Murphy. Verify this treatment with your vet.
Keep up the good work!
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murphy's dad
ok the fluid was drained, but theres a hard lump left. unless thats just more fluid. the lump came several days after the draining.
ok the fluid was drained, but theres a hard lump left. unless thats just more fluid. the lump came several days after the draining.
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419 Posts
jassy
oh it seems real slow, i know bernie thinks so.
we both fell asleep on the floor last night. he never left my side. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
oh it seems real slow, i know bernie thinks so.
we both fell asleep on the floor last night. he never left my side. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
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1,194 Posts
HI Rick and Bernie, So glad to hear Bernie is progressing. I know it seems slow, but when you write it all out to us, it sounds steady! Be sure and ask the dr. about the lump when you see him, but in the meantime maybe the hot compresses that Joe suggested will help. I imagine that must be scary to have read that his disc problem is degenerative. But maybe it doesn't necessarily mean he'll need more surgery. I hope the dr. can ease your mind about that. Bet Bernie is enjoying his new giant kennel!! Thanks for the update.
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Good to hear that our Bernie is recovering well. And as always...your story telling brings me big smiles and laughter /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif By the way, sleeping on the floor is really nothing if you do it long enough. I've been sleeping on the floor with my beagle for so long that when I go back up on my bed, I can't sleep because it's too soft /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif .
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419 Posts
thanks folks. honestly, im not to sure what degenerative means exactly.
hes been acting kinda funny these last 4 days. he kinda drags his left foot(sometimes standing on his knuckles when peeing) a little. you can tell hes favoring that side a bit, but has since the surgery. hes really hyper though and very energetic. he still seems a little drunk in his rear legs a bit. seems to want to set down a lot, not much standing, unless we are walking. im wondering if yet another disk is about to screw up? does it sound like it to you folks, or am i just over worried? i wonder if that "hard spot" is yet another disk about to pop out of wack?
hes been acting kinda funny these last 4 days. he kinda drags his left foot(sometimes standing on his knuckles when peeing) a little. you can tell hes favoring that side a bit, but has since the surgery. hes really hyper though and very energetic. he still seems a little drunk in his rear legs a bit. seems to want to set down a lot, not much standing, unless we are walking. im wondering if yet another disk is about to screw up? does it sound like it to you folks, or am i just over worried? i wonder if that "hard spot" is yet another disk about to pop out of wack?
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Rick,
Give Bernie time. He has just had MAJOR back surgery. There was probably some damage done and it will take time for Bernie to compensate for the changes. For now, do as the vet says and keep him quiet and still. Allow him to recover.
FYI: knuckling is not normal, but should improve over time. If you see him standing on his knuckles, correct it for him. If he starts scraping the fur off the tops of his pwas, consider booties (Paw-tectors work great).
Give Bernie time. He has just had MAJOR back surgery. There was probably some damage done and it will take time for Bernie to compensate for the changes. For now, do as the vet says and keep him quiet and still. Allow him to recover.
FYI: knuckling is not normal, but should improve over time. If you see him standing on his knuckles, correct it for him. If he starts scraping the fur off the tops of his pwas, consider booties (Paw-tectors work great).
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892 Posts
Thanks for update on Bernie! You are such a wonderful dad. The big crate was a good idea. My do I love your stories. You are such a good storyteller. How sweet of you to sleep with your baby on the floor! What a kodak moment that would have been! :heart: Keep us updated on the lump but I am hoping it is nothing serious.
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