Xanadu – Day 2 – Patience and Love

February 11, 2011
Xan Stands On Three
Xanadu is still getting used to this 3-legged-dog gig.  He has periods of time when he seems completely comfortable as a tripawd and I will breathe a sigh of relief, then he will have an hour of so when he just whines and complains.  Patience is absolutely necessary when dealing with a new tripawd.  While Xan can get up on his own and move about, he needs help getting outiside. 
Today, he acupuncturist came over for post-op treatment.  The Circle of Dragon should aid his recovery. He was very patient and laid still for 25 minutes.  His incision looks great. 

We spent a good portion of Day 2 outside in the backyard, enjoying the unusually warm February weather. We are in California, but it isn’t usually this nice in February. We took advantage of the weather and sat on a blanket for several hours.  We watched the squirrels chase each other in the trees and Xan snoozed.

Enjoying the Backyard

 It was nice to just “be” with Xan.  While I am inside, I am often on the computer and not paying 100% attention to him.  He loved the focused attention and never whined the two hours we were outside.  I kept a t-shirt on him to protect his incision from dirt and grass.

Xan & Zoey Relax
Watching the Squirrels

Taking care of a recovering tripawd is tough.  The actual incision is very little trouble, just needs to be observed and a cold compress applied 4 times a day.  But the pain and discomfort caused by the surgery is another story.  Xan seems very confused. He is medicated, but I don’t think that is the problem.  He is anxious and a bit freaked out.  He wants to move about the entire house, but I haven’t allowed him to do that yet. 

Nights are the worst. I’ve been sleeping on an Aero bed next to him since he came home. I’ve been getting 30min-60min stretches of sleep, sometimes  2 hour stretches, but it is exhausting. He whines and cries and nothing really settles him. I just pet him and talk to him and try to calm his rattled nerves.  I do this purely out of love.