A Happy Ending for Buddy

Buddy swimming at Healing Waters

Our family is incredibly lucky.  We are blessed to have the means to make a difference in Buddy's life.

The road to recovery for Buddy has not been an easy one.  After that very first day, Buddy has managed to get better almost daily.  From watching him struggle to stand, to being able to take him for walks again this week, he reminds me nearly every day how resilient and determined our canine companions can be.

From where I last left off, Buddy has made two return trips to the vet.  The first was to get his stitches out exactly two weeks after the surgery.  This visit brought us a huge relief in our home beacuse for the first time in nearly two weeks we were able to leave the house as a family.  Prior to having his stitches out we were scared to death that Buddy would put his determinaton towards removing the stitches himself.  Had this happened it would've meant another $150 to put the stitches back in and another two weeks of watching him constantly.  Buddy's reward would have been two more weeks in an Elizabethan collar. He must have sensed this as well, because thankfully he chose to leave his stitches alone. 

After the stitches were out,  Doctor Owen (Buddy's surgeon) recommended we get Buddy into water rehabilitation.  We took him to Healing Waters in Canton.  At Healing Waters, they specialize in helping dogs deal with the joint pain both before and after they have surgery.  Buddy's 1/2 hour sessions consist of massage and swimming with two therapists in a 90 degree pool.  Not too bad for a mutt born in a ditch.  While not cheap, the cost for these sessions was $120 for five appointments, they certainly have aided in Buddy's recovery.  He will have his last appointment tomorrow and we've learned that despite being mostly Labrador Retriever, Buddy does not like to swim.

That brings us to Buddy's most recent vet visit.  On Monday we went back to see Doctor Owen and he was very happy with Buddy's progress.  In fact, he is doing so well that he has been cleared to travel with us to Spain.  In less than three weeks Buddy will board a plain to Madrid and begin his new adventure. 

We could not have hoped for a better outcome. 

Thanks so much for reading my blog and stay tuned.  There should be plenty of updates and pictures from the land of bullfights, paella and ham flavored chips.

Buddy and Ben