Dog cruciate ligament recovery- Back to normality? ?
Following on from my previous post ‘cruciate ligament recovery- the vet verdict’ the vet had confirmed that all of our hard work was paying off. Clovers dog cruciate ligament recovery was working, her leg was healing and she was getting stronger day by day. We were now walking a good distance again together. I was told by the vet that once Clover was at a stage where I was walking her twice a day for half an hour each time, (with no limping or other signs of pain afterwards) twice a day for two weeks straight, I could begin letting her off the lead again for short run arounds. The thought both terrified me and excited me at the same time.
FINALLY, after months of being in pain and sad and on the lead, Clover would be able to run around again… it was what we had both been working so hard towards. But being the anxiety ridden person that I am, negative thoughts started to creep in. What if she hurt herself immediately again? What if I let her off the lead and instantly we went back to where we were two months ago? What if I let her off the lead and she ran and then needed an operation? What if the operation didn’t work? I tried to reason with myself.
But WHAT IF it was the opposite? What if she was ok? What if she was happy and energised? What if it made her lose that extra few pounds she’d gained over the last few months and made her healthier again? It was now the Christmas period. Christmas means going to my mums house which is also the home of four spaniels and which is located near a beach and near miles of beautiful woodland. I had so desperately wanted Clover to be ok for our Christmas trip, to be able to walk with the other dogs and enjoy herself. Not only was she able to join in the walks, I was able to let her off the lead… if I wanted to.
I did want to. More than anything. But I was so scared.
One thing to mention is that my Mum is completely my safety blanket with everything in my life, but particularly when it comes to owning Clover. Everything that I know about dog ownership, I learnt from my mum. She taught me how to train Clover and how to socialise her from a young age and how to get her used to sights and smells as a puppy. She taught me the do’s and the don’ts and how to make sure that Clover grew up to be a well rounded dog. It was with my mum by my side that I felt confident enough to let Clover off the lead for the very first time as a puppy. So, it only felt right that she was by my side three years later to be there whilst I let Clover off the lead for what felt like the very first time again. We walked down to the field by the beach, and I let Clover off.
I waited with baited breath whilst Clover figured out she was free. She trotted by my side, and then she paddled… and then she ran.
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LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE LOOKS!
I knew instantly that I had made the right decision by letting her off. I didn’t let her run for too long and, after she had got some energy out, she went back on the lead. She was fine. Her leg was fine. It remained fine for the rest of the day and it was fine again in the morning. I let her off the lead again for a short burst the following day, and the day after that. No limping, no crying… just one happy floppy eared girl.
We live opposite a park. A park which, until this point, I had been avoiding during Clovers cruciate ligament recovery. It would have been so unfair to take Clover to the park surrounded by other dogs and sticks and balls and to keep her on the lead. So, we’ve been walking past it and every single time Clover has stopped by the entrance and looked at me as if to say ‘please can we go in?’ and then I literally have to drag her away. But not anymore. I have never seen a dog’s walk turn into a happy skip as quickly as it did the day that I said ‘come on then’ and took Clover back to the park.
So that pretty much brings you all up to speed with the cruciate ligament disaster, and Clover’s cruciate ligament recovery. Clover is now ok again. Her leg, at the time of writing, is still absolutely fine and she is running, jumping around and playing with other dogs. We visit the park frequently, but I am still much more careful than I previously would have been. Dog cruciate ligament recovery is hard work and it has taken a lot of patience, time and effort to get to where we are. But the truth is, I can’t wrap Clover up in cotton wool and protect her from everything scary in the world (as much as I want to), let alone wrap her up in cotton wool to protect her from herself! She needs running, she needs playtime, she needs fun. Clover has been a ball of energy since the moment I got her and, despite everything, I wouldn’t change her for the world. ?
If you missed any of my previous diary updates, you can find them at ‘the diary of my ruff reality.’
More information relating to the day that Clover was diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease can be found on our post ‘cruciate ligament disease- my ruff reality.’
Alternatively, head to ‘nobody warned me about…’ to read about the dog ownership topics that I wish someone had told me about before I got Clover.
Thinking of getting a dog? Visit my ‘top tips page’ for important things that I probably should have considered further before buying my floppy eared hound!
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*Disclaimer- I have no animal related qualifications whatsoever. Which begs the question as to exactly how much of my advice you should take. This isn’t really an advice blog- not properly. It’s more of a ‘these are my experiences- maybe we can all learn from them’ type of blog. You should probably seek actual qualified veterinary/animal behaviourist/dog dietician advice if you genuinely have any dog related concerns. I’m just here to share the things I’ve learnt in my three years of dog ownership. Some of which may be useful- some not.*
