Life in a day of my Patou

patou and lambs

patou

Wow… 3 weeks post amputation and it seems like it was months ago. We are a week and a half post 1st chemo treatment. It all seems like a bad dream only the dream was weeks ago. It’s amazing the way these guys adjust so quickly. (better than us) Patou really didn’t have that bad a time post amputation, thank God, but I know it’s still early. I did notice today for the 1st time that his only back leg buckled once or twice today… like he/it was fatigued. Since our visit to the sheep which was more than likely overdoing it I have kept him quiet. He still seems to sleep ALOT, but that’s what Pyrs do during the day. Seems they like to sleep all day and bark all nite, but even Lucy (my other Pyr) has adjusted to Patou’s schedule of sleeping all day AND most of the nite. She still likes to be outside more and does most of the barking… always has. (like I said.. she is my true guardian) But on a more encouraging note, for the first time since the amputation I saw Patou do his backing up thing. It’s a weird thing the Pyrs do, and maybe it just might be any big dog, but if they get themselves into a tight spot… they just back up, like a horse or a big truck. Sometimes I think to myself while they are backing up if they are going to start beeping like the big trucks do when they are in reverse and backing up!!! LOL It’s kinda funny to watch, but with Patou only having one back leg.. that backing up trick is alot trickier. I think he’s got it down finally though today… it’s kind of a hopping backing up now. It’s still a bit tricky getting him to eat just his dry kibble. He likes a little bit of canned food in there to wet his whistle. (or maybe he’s just spoiled now) Hard to tell. We will get his 1st CBC post chemo next Tuesday. That will be interesting. I need to start getting some more pics of Patou. It IS a hard thing to think about from now on, all his pics will be without his other leg. He is still constantly by my side. My son will be heading back to college next week and it’s going to be even more quiet around here. I’ve been glad he’s here to help keep an eye on the dogs and Patou while I am away for long shifts at work. I am worried  about his next round of chemo and no one being here when I work to keep an eye on things. Dr. Newton was not real keen on having Patou in the outside weather post chemo. I will have to rig up a heat lamp in the barn for him if he feels he needs to use it. I’ve never once worried about my Pyrs being cold. They just don’t get cold. I never once worried about my sheep or Pyrs being cold. I do have a half bloodhound/beagle that I have worried about in the past but she is pretty self-sufficient. This year we have the lab pups and I will worry about them in the cold while I am away. They are 6 months old now. They are brothers, a chocolate lab named Zink, and a yellow one, mine, named Dudley.  Again, I suppose I need to get that heat lamp rigged up for not only Patou but the pups who would probably need it more than Patou. I remember the first time those pups saw Patou come home from the vet clinic after his amp. They were really frightened of him, but I think it was more the cone and not his leg. Poor little things ran behind my legs and just trembled. After the cone came off, everything got better!!! I had just read Misty and Bandit’s blog earlier this eve. and keep thinking about them. It’s just amazing how everyone has practically had the same feelings, same emotions, same reactions after our horrifiying discoveries for our very special pets. These truly are our journey’s, and all will have similarities, and differences with different outcomes, but it’s obvious that we all love our special pets the same way.

Janet and Patou