Walking by Christmas...Perfected by New Years...?

We are still hopeful for our little miracle, Cassi, to be up and walking by New Years!  She is coming along very nicely and we see something new out of her every day!  It has been a whirlwind since her "release" last Wednesday, so I haven't had much chance to update this.  I have a lot of new pictures and even some great video to share, so let me get on with it...

On Wednesday morning (12/16), I called PESCM to confirm with Dr. Cheri that, indeed, Miss Cassi could be freed from her confines.  She happened to be right there at reception and answered emphatically "YES"!  That was all I needed to get started on putting the sleeping arrangements back to normal.  Ori didn't mind the arrangements much, as Cassi usually takes the "big bed" that is Ori's...and leaves him her smaller bed.  During this rearrangement, he decided that the SOFA was his bed and he would wait until we were snoring and he'd jump up on the sofa with all the removed covers and extra pillow from our bed.  The picture on the right side, under "The brOTHER Side" shows this pile that he claimed.  We are retraining HIM now to sleep in his own bed...and Cassi in hers.  At least they are back together again.

I just wanted to share a couple of pics from earlier this month.  Cassi's hair is getting longer than it has been since their (her & Ori's) first haircut.  She was fresh off the surgery and had the incision last time they had their appointment.  In order for Cassi to see, we need to clip her hair back with a borrowed hair clip.  Seems to only last a few minutes (if that) until she shakes it out.  The hair is just long enough to be in her eyes...but not long enough to hold with the clip.  Good thing she'll make her next appointment on January 5th.  The other pic is of, what we call, her "poodle paw" or "chicken leg"...which is where they had to shave her for the IV at Pet Emergency and Specialty Center of Marin in San Rafael.  Hopefully, Leslie Craig of Wizard of Paws Mobile Grooming can bring this "poodle-paw" and her "reverse Mohawk" back to life and form them into some blend of a haircut.  Until then she is, affectionately, our Poodle Paw...

Since her release, she has become more active.  She would do alright on the throw rugs that we had placed in our office and living room, but would have difficulty on the Pergo floor.  She is ok when she goes slow, but slips around when she hurries around corners.  The picture above shows the "runway" I have created out of the runners and throw rugs for her to exercise on.  She still lacks some strength and we are working on that daily!  I have posted a short (7:12) video of one of our exercise sessions on YouTube. I have also posted some other videos including our wagon walk around the block (don't miss Part II), one of the first recorded incidents of her trying to walk, and even a short Christmas video of Ori & Cassi getting dressed up!

Today, Cassi is venturing out more on the Pergo floor as she feels more confident.  She is gaining strength in her legs daily and we are seeing changes very rapidly.  We can't really let her outside right now, with the wet ground and all...but she is wanting to go!  We are still hopeful that she will walk before 2010, but will take what we can get...one day at a time!

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S...L...O...W...progress, but progress nonetheless...

A little bit at a time...one day, one hour, one 10 minute exercise session at a time.  Cassi is working REAL hard.  She will stand, with my balance assistance, for 5 minutes at a time.  She's still a bit weak on the right side, but both legs stiffen when she shakes or when I massage them.  Her tail is responding (video link) more and more to us (mostly Diane, as I am the "task-master) and other visitors.  She really wants to run to greet everyone...but we still have to keep her tethered or confined to her "area".

However, Dr. Cheri at PESCM said Miss Cassi could "go free" next Wednesday the 16th.  Now, we aren't going to be attaching her collar to let her run out behind her brother, but she doesn't have to be tethered in the office or confined to her cage anymore.  We still have to be cautious about where she is, i.e. on the bed or sofa, so she won't "plunk" to the ground.  But we can get things back in order...at least in the bedroom.  Orion's bed has been sort of "floating" back and forth depending on the time of day.  We move it closer to Cassi at night because they are used to sleeping close to each other.  We will be able to unite their beds once more in the corner.

And Cassi SO wants to play with Ori!  The play what I call "face-wrestling"  (video link) where they bite each others faces and tails.  It starts out quietly when we are watching TV, but turns into a full-blown wrestling match on the bed...OUR bed.  And they really, really want to do this!  We have had to stop them a couple times because Ori got a bit rowdy.  Hopefully, this will be ok with the doctor and we can let them play a bit more together. 

I've told Orion over and over that it is going to be up to him to help Cassi get back to her "doggie"self by teaching her things again, like potty outside, chasing the ball or birdies.  I think Cassi is milking this, because I see movement in her hips and upper thigh.(just kidding)  Dr. Cheri said the "hip flexor" muscle is one of the first to come back, so we will see movement there.  It just needs to translate to the lower part of the legs....she is trying real hard!  I will update more when she is free...after Wednesday!

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Doctor visit today!

Cassi had her appointment at the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center of Marin with Dr. Cheri Nielsen today and Dr. Cheri is seeing the same progress we had hoped we were seeing!  Prognosis is looking good!  Christmas may be a little optimistic, but I am still hopeful...

Cassi has been progressing a bit more each day.  She is actually waiting until I take the diaper off (most of the time) to defecate.  She is standing when I change her and, when I place her feet right, she is squatting to urinate.  I have to hold under her tummy to keep her off the ground, but she is doing it herself.  Dr. Cheri said we could stop using the diapers, but we think it will keep her cleaner to continue using them until she can walk and hold herself off the ground.  Baby steps...a little at a time.

When she does her doggie "shake-it-off" shake, the legs go stiff...if we have them tucked under her, she "springs" up and sort of lurches sideways to the right side, which seems to be a bit weaker or slower in coming back than the left.  She has a tendency to lean to the right when standing on her own.  Dr. Cheri said to start gently "batting" her rear end back and forth when she is standing so she can get her stability back.  I am also working the right leg with pulling exercises (she is doing the pulling, not me...) and started to also gently lift her left leg off the ground so she has to use her right leg to stand.  She is standing for 3-5 minutes at a time with my balancing help.  Cassi is able to do this 4-5 times a day, but she does get tired and does her Lhasa "I'm done" thing and just lays down.  I did get her to "sit" the other day.  Here's a link to a video I posted on YouTube the other day that shows one of our exercise sessions. I will post more as she progresses.


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Two steps forward, one step back...

OK, so Cassi is still moving forward...she is improving every day.  We see more and more movement in her tail, like when Diane came home yesterday...it was wagging like crazy, up over her back where it belongs.  She is getting more muscle tone back in her upper thigh and when she does the head to tail shake, her legs "stiffen" out straight.  If they are tucked up underneath her ( I try to keep her legs in "normal" doggie positions...), it causes her to "stand" on her own. 


She is definitely waiting for me to take off the diaper before she defecates which is fantastic for me (as the diaper changer) and keeps her really clean!  She is urinating on her own, albeit less now that she is almost done with her meds (the steroid was making her drink a lot of water).  We are doing as much exercising as she can "stand"...literally.  She is standing for a long time now, but she is a bit weaker on her right side so she "lists" a bit to that side so I help her balance.  When she starts to droop a bit, I tickle her tummy and it makes her rise back up.  Eventually, she just is "done"...she lays down and says "no more, Dad".  Kind of like her eating...when she's done, she's done.  All in all, we are very happy with her progress. 

The one step back is...her parents.  Us. Diane and I.  We were so happy to see the progress that we got a bit overzealous and started allowing her more freedom around the house.  She would rest in her normal area of the house, but would follow her brother, Orion, to the doggie door or to bark at the front door.  As you can see, we have Pergo floors and the lack of traction on the front end is not good for the back end.  She moves faster when she hits the area rugs. 



But thanks to a note from our friend, Sandi, we started thinking this "freedom" might not be such a good thing.  Diane asked me to call PESCM and talk to Dr. Cheri.  I placed the call and got a call back from a nurse after she had consulted Dr. Cheri.  Irregardless of her progress, we were (and are) to keep Cassi confined to an area no bigger than 4' x 4'.   Makes sense.  She is improving with the exercise AND the rest.  We are still allowing her out in the office with us, but she is tethered now.  When she needs a change of scenery, we put her in the confined area of the bedroom.  Orion is so kind and stays in there with her willingly and without complaint.  Cassi has a tendency to whine a bit even if we are in her line of sight.  Ori is a calming effect.


We still have yet to use the wagon for "walkies", but I think we will get out today.  Cassi will be bundled up though...still suffering from the "reverse Mohawk" haircut...


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The tail wags the dog...

Yesterday, I ended with "today we saw her tail wag for the first time...", which isn't exactly true.  On Thanksgiving morning, our friend Ashely stopped by and we saw a slight twitch in her tail...another of those "did you see that...?" moments...the three of us WANTED to see it, but it was fleeting...


Yesterday, we KNEW it was wagging!  And it was holding (for a few seconds) in the Lhasa "corkscrew" twist above her hind end...AND wagging!  She was very happy to see Jeni (Paige's assistant) so we know there is some connection between the brain and the tail...


Cassi's surgical scar is healing great also.  The last scab fell off and the hair is getting longer and softer around it...she still has the "reverse Mohawk" and she is past her usual grooming appointment (Orion went the Friday before Thanksgiving) so her hair is getting longer than we have seen it since they were puppies.  We are hoping the patch grows in enough to allow our groomer, Leslie (Wizard of Paws-Sonoma County) to even out the cut.  We won't have to worry aboyt that until January 5th...their next appointment.

Here are some of the accomodations we have made to turn our office area and bedroom into the "recovery" area.  At left, you see the "changing table" that is really a grooming table.  The doctor said we should take her outside to her "usual" potty place...but I am not doing that in the middle of the night, thank you...it's COLD out there these days!   Below that is her "taxi" (carrier) that we use to keep her contained.  Now that she is moving around a bit more, we use this less.  We will use it to go to the doctors office...and in the wagon!

Thank you Ashley and Mark Vallee, Marley and Madison for loaning us this wagon for Miss Cassi!  We will take good care of it and have it all nice and clean when we are done with it!

Here is her corner that she sleeps and spends a good part of her day in.  She can see both our desks from the corner, but she still will whine for attention.  Before this happened, we would allow the puppies on our bed at first light in the morning and Orion lets us know if we forget to call him up.  At the first sign of light, he will let out a high-pitched whimper...ever so softly, but oh so annoying.  I pat my hand on the bed twice and he is up.  Cassi usually waits until we get up to use the bathroom and wants to be picked up to the bed.  Still the same scenario, except now we have to have a towel in case the diaper leaks.  They are holding well though.  And we all snuggle and snooze until we get up a couple hours later.

And the spare panel from the bedroom pen (I had to remove one so it would fit the corner) fits nicely across the bedroom door now that we have expanded Cassi's area.  We are trying to keep her on the carpet where she can get traction.  She is standing 5-6 times a day for 2-3 minutes at a time.  When she drags herself across the rug, I can see her trying to "walk" with her upper thighs and knees, but the signal isn't getting to the feet...yet.  She is getting better balance when she stands also.


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