Checking in...Ivy has a new home

Ivy has had an eventful summer. We sold our condo suddenly in May and had to find a new home very quickly, within 30 days!! But, we did and have settled in nicely. The house is in a 55 and over active adult community, and is on the golf course. Ivy absolutely loves having her own backyard again! There are wonderful areas to walk and Ivy loves that. We tapered off our leashed walks during the summer because of the heat, but have just started that routine up again, with some cooler temperatures this week. We took Ivy to the beach the other day, where she was able to swim and run off leash. She had a blast!!! You would never know that she has 2 rebuilt knees! I'll admit that I still am very nervous when she charges into the ocean, but there were no after effects from that outing. It's been 11 months since TPLO number 2.

Ivy is out of sorts

Ivy has been acting a bit out of sorts for about 3 days. Nothing that we could really put our finger on, though. She seemed a bit more fatigued during our long walks. Plus, she was a bit lethargic during the day and not interested in playing with her inside toys. Her appetite was fine and she was not drinking any more water than usual. Pee and poop normal. She was just not right. So, off to see the Vet. Her temp was normal and both knees seemed stable and pain free. Her physical exam was fine but the vet also agreed that she did not seem right. She had some crystals in her urine so he put her on an antibiotic in case of a UTI, which she does have a history of. We have had some strange weather here in VA recently...lots of temperature swings from hot and cold and big rains. So, he thought maybe her joints were bothering her. She was given an injection of Metacam, an NSAID used to treat osteoarthritis. Well, the next day she was a different dog. Back to being the Ivy we love. Raring to go on her walks and playful. A good outcome and a week later she is still normal, so we are back to breathing easier once again.

These paws are made for walking

Ivy is now coming up on the 7 month post op mark. Time has been flying by! We do the two mile walk about 4 or 5 times a week now. She still does not seem stiff or sore following the walks. The main issue now seems to be with the heat and walking certain trails with fallen gumballs. I think the gumballs must hurt her paws because she will be walking along and then just stop and hold up a paw. We take a look an brush it off and then she is fine. The heat does wear her out though, so on the warmer days we will walk where there is some water so she can take a short swim to cool down. She is a water loving Lab!!

Milestone: Ivy walked 2 miles today

We had a nice 50 something degree day here today, so we got out just before lunch to try a 2 mile walk with Ivy at Oak Grove Lake Park. This is one of our very favorite places to walk as it is a 2 mile unpaved loop around a small, man made lake. On warmer days, she can swim there. She did most of the walk unleashed, and at a steady pace, occasionally trotting. I think she would run, but she just did not see anything to run after. We had been walking her about a mile and a half a few days a week. But, the goal has been to get her back to where she was pre surgery, so I am happy to report that she seems to have made it. She will be 6 months post second TPLO in about a week. We have been back a couple of hours now, and she shows no signs of limping or stiffness. She seems to be hungry, but of course, she is a Lab!

Ivy is sitting normally

This might not seem like a big deal, but I noticed when Ivy went out into the yard to do her business, she sat down for a couple of minutes, just to sniff the air, I suppose. But, she was sitting like a normal dog! Both back legs tucked in! Not one or the other stretched out towards the front. This was really a first. We are now about 5 months post op from TPLO # 2.