November 12th 2010

I am so sorry for not posting in such a long time. Honestly, I do not think anyone has found my blog right now but maybe someday, someone will find my blog who has a dog with hip and elbow dysplasia and a luxating patella. Hopefully whomever reads this will find it helpful. Overall Sadie recovered from her surgeries well. It was a difficult 7 months of recuperation. On May 17th we had our final check up. Sadie got the OK to go for walks. The next day we visited the Therapet wellness center. Sadie started doing water therapy with a woman named Janette. She would walk on the treadmill filled with water. We went twice a week. Later we went once a week and presently we go every other week. This past summer in Buffalo Grove IL, was a terrific summer-nice and hot. My sister who lives two blocks away has an above ground swimming pool. We took Sadie swimming practically every day. We would throw a ball in the pool and she would jump in and retrieve the ball. She would swim anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on her mood. She loved it. We also did three walks a day. Right now we walk between 3 and 4 miles a day. One mile in the morning and evening and two miles straight in the afternoon. We also hike in the forest preserve on weekends. Sadie is doing great! I still do not let her play with other dogs. I am always nervous about her. I am constantly looking at her legs to make sure she is walking OK. Maybe after her year check up (after her hip replacement) I will feel better. I also notice since we have not been swimming, sometimes when Sadie gets up, she seems a bit stiff in her left front arm. It quickly goes away but I think it is because a little arthritis set in before her elbow dysplasia was discovered. I will post some pictures of Sadie. One will be of her first water treadmill and another will be what she looks like right now-playing in the yard.