3 week appointment 7/20/2010

Despite doing his new excercises we have been having a hard time getting Guinness to put weight on his left leg, he will do it with slow walks only, but not when he comes back into the house walking around. We had his 3 week appointment today-laser therapy.


I told the rehab therapist that Guinness doesn't do his excercises properly and bears weight on the left leg only with slow walks. She started doing ROM exercises on him and when she fully extended his leg back he growled at her some. She rubbbed on his groin muscle and he growled again, she concluded from this that he probably pulled it somehow. She put him on a prescription for Robaxin, a muscle relaxer to be given twice a day. She also said to restrict his activity for the next 2-3 days and refrain from doing his new exercises until then.

So, a little set back that's prob. our fault. He was probably been doing too much and that's what caused him pulling his groin muscle. At first we were restricting him to his room and if let out of his little room we leashed him to nearby furniture with us when we could watch him, prob up until week 2. We have since become more lenient and with him and not putting the leash on indoors, so he has been able to walk/run (I'll confess) downstairs in the basement--we started letting him off leash because of his whining due to confinement. But excuses aside his 2nd week instructions states "No off leash exercise, no running, jumping, or playing until surgery site is healed (approx. 12 weeks). "

It is extremely difficult to keep a 9 month old puppy confined. When alone (if I confine him to his little room) he whines excessively, eventually (prob. 30 min. or more) tires out and stops for awhile. I try to spend time with him through out the day....bring him in our comp. room, door closed and play with his toys while he is laying down but of course he wants to get up and walk around, and I have to correct him. After 10 minutes of this he whines some, I'm sure because he is tired of being restricted and wants to do more. This is hard for both of us. And because I'm spending so much extra time trying to keep him occupied, I'm not getting much done around the house. I haven't found a good balance yet.

I'm still giving him the calming pills although I don't think they are working too well, but he does sleep a good bit during the day since he has been taking them. I've started the Robaxin as ordered and put him back on the Tramadol for pain.