Worried about Layla

[cathys]

Originally Posted by celstu1

YAY! Layla stories make me smile! I am so so so glad to hear about the tail wags!!! I really feel so positive for Layla and her recovery! I am glad to hear that you do too! Linz you are an inspiration to us all if ever something like this were to happen and it could to any of us. Keep doing what you're doing! This bonding time with Layla is really strengthened your relationship with her too!

[linz06]

I feel so much closer to Layla now. I am learning to know what she wants and needs. Mostly, she just wants to be by me all the time. If I'm near her, she's happy. If I'm not, she cries. In the mornings, Scott takes her downstairs while I'm getting ready upstairs, and he gives her breakfast and expresses her bladder. And most days, she will cry until I come downstairs, and she doesn't eat her kibble until I'm eating my breakfast! She's been weird like that too, not eating any meal until we're sitting down eating our meal. She can have her food an hour before we do, but she will just let it sit there until we eat! She's so polite lol!

Yesterday, she did pretty good on the exercise ball but didn't do as well as last week on the treadmill. The vet can't figure out her big changes from day to day. Instead of a steady forward pace in her recovery, some days she goes forwards, and some days she goes backwards. Maybe it's just her state of mind, or how tired she is, or maybe even the time of day they work on her.

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by linz06

I feel so much closer to Layla now. I am learning to know what she wants and needs. Mostly, she just wants to be by me all the time. If I'm near her, she's happy. If I'm not, she cries. In the mornings, Scott takes her downstairs while I'm getting ready upstairs, and he gives her breakfast and expresses her bladder. And most days, she will cry until I come downstairs, and she doesn't eat her kibble until I'm eating my breakfast! She's been weird like that too, not eating any meal until we're sitting down eating our meal. She can have her food an hour before we do, but she will just let it sit there until we eat! She's so polite lol!

Yesterday, she did pretty good on the exercise ball but didn't do as well as last week on the treadmill. The vet can't figure out her big changes from day to day. Instead of a steady forward pace in her recovery, some days she goes forwards, and some days she goes backwards. Maybe it's just her state of mind, or how tired she is, or maybe even the time of day they work on her.

Even my girl is different day to day. Some days she's more tired than the day before. I'm sure it is no different for Layla. Or perhaps she just wants to be on vacation permanently and spend all of her time at the cabin having fun instead of going through therapy. Oh! If only they could tell us what they're thinking! On a more serious note, though, people are the same way when they are recovering. They may do better one day in therapy than the next. I wouldn't put too much thought into the reason just now.

[christiers]

Originally Posted by linz06

I feel so much closer to Layla now. I am learning to know what she wants and needs. Mostly, she just wants to be by me all the time. If I'm near her, she's happy. If I'm not, she cries. In the mornings, Scott takes her downstairs while I'm getting ready upstairs, and he gives her breakfast and expresses her bladder. And most days, she will cry until I come downstairs, and she doesn't eat her kibble until I'm eating my breakfast! She's been weird like that too, not eating any meal until we're sitting down eating our meal. She can have her food an hour before we do, but she will just let it sit there until we eat! She's so polite lol!

Yesterday, she did pretty good on the exercise ball but didn't do as well as last week on the treadmill. The vet can't figure out her big changes from day to day. Instead of a steady forward pace in her recovery, some days she goes forwards, and some days she goes backwards. Maybe it's just her state of mind, or how tired she is, or maybe even the time of day they work on her.

It is my experience that as she continues to progress, she will have days where she is just "off". I finally stopped rushing Belle to the vet everytime she seemed to move slowed than she had been, or if her gait seemed different than the day before. Belle had a day over the weekend actually. Gave her a dose of metacam (she keeps a Rx for that at the house) and the next day she was back to herself.

Keeping all of you in our thoughts and prayers!

[roseslevi]

Originally Posted by linz06

I just got home and wanted to come here with an exciting update!

On Friday night we arrived at the cabin and took Layla in and put her in her crate, brought everything else in, and it was kind of hectic. My mom, of course, was all over Layla and petting her and talking to her, and when I finally got a chance I came towards her and put my hand out to pet her and her tail started going! I was like "She's wagging her tail! She's wagging! She hasn't wagged in days!" and I called to Scott but I couldn't even think of grabbing a camera. All four of us saw it! It lasted for a long time. I was ecstatic telling my parents what it could mean, and saying that I wasn't sure earlier that we would ever see it again!

We were ready and armed with a camera for the rest of the night and all of Saturday, but to no avail. There wasn't any more wagging.

This morning, Scott got out of bed around 6 or 6:30 to express her bladder. He put her back in her crate beside our bed. I kept waking up periodically and looking at her, and she was awake and would look at me too. Finally I decided to get up, and it was almost like she was waiting... she started shifting weight on her front legs like she always has done when she's excited about something, and she looked so eager in her eyes, and when I bent down to give her a good morning pet, her tail wagged! I was like "You're wagging your tail! Oh my gosh!" and I was fumbling around trying to grab my cell phone and get the camcorder setting on (which takes awhile when I just wake up and don't have my contacts in!) but by the time I got it figured out, she had stopped wagging. I set the phone on top of the crate and pointed it down while recording but I didn't get another wag. But I am so glad we saw two wags this weekend anyway!

On Saturday, Scott, my dad, and I went golfing at this little course near our cabin. We noticed a group of people with a dog on a leash and thought, hey, Layla's in a stroller, why can't we bring her? So today, my parents, Scott, Layla, and I all had a golf outing Layla's stroller also has perfect storage for snacks lol! So she was our "snacks and drinks" girl. She seemed to really enjoy her time out with us!

Lindsey, I was reading this post with tears in my eyes. I am SO happy for you and Scott and Layla. I hope she continues to improve...and if you do manage to get a tail wag picture, I for one will be waiting anxiously to see it...God bless you all...prayers for Layla continue from all of us!

[linz06]

Layla had some time on the weekend where none of us seemed able to find her bladder, and when we did only a tiny bit would come out. Well, that just happened here. I tried to express her at noon with no luck (although she did poop, as soon as we hit the bathroom, and after she had cried in her crate. Possible correlation? I'm wondering if she's getting some bowel control back) Anyways, I took her back an hour later and after 15 minutes could only get a little squirt out. I'm going to continue trying the "sniff and pee" test, where I will get her to sniff an old spot and see if she can go on her own. Either we're just getting really incompetant with expressing her, or she's not letting us express her, which would be a great sign of gaining control back!

[AddieandMiaMom]

I hope this is good news! I can't imagine you've all become incompetent at expressing her given how long you both have been doing it, so praying that Layla is getting back her bladder control!

Maybe try putting her on a piddle pad to see if she will go herself? If it won't harm her, of course.

[linz06]

It won't hurt her, we usually express her over a pad anyway! I've been trying to just hold her back end up while she sniffs around and I tell her to pee, but she hasn't done it yet. Maybe if I use the sling more, she might. I know she wouldn't do it even before being hurt if I was hovering around, especially if I were to be kneeling down beside her! We'll see how well Scott does with expressing her tonight, he's usually better than me.

I forgot to write the other thing in the last post! There was some big board meeting here today and a bunch of trays of food were ordered, but they ended up going out for lunch so the rest of us got to eat I had already eaten my lunch (and Layla ate her breakfast at the same time... I skipped breakfast this morning, so she did too ) but I decided later to go get a plate of fruits and veggies for Layla and I When I came back, as I was walking around my desk, her tail was wagging slowly as she was trying to see what was on the plate! It wasn't for very long, and I got my camera out within about 3 seconds, and she had already stopped! I really need to rig up a 24 hour crate cam!

We just went to her laser therapy appointment and I sling walked her in and out... no carrier for her today! The waiting room was packed and she got so much attention! I hope some people go away knowing that just because a dog doesn't have working legs, it can still be happy! She had no problem even getting up and down off the sidewalk!

[AddieandMiaMom]

It seems like she does the tail wagging when you just enter a room, and often when you have food for her. Ever think about setting up the camera, focusing on her lil tushy, leaving the room for a couple of minutes, and entering with a treat or something that might pique her interest? Just a thought.

[linz06]

Lol Scott has tried that, but maybe we should try it more often. We haven't been setting up the camera in the mornings yet this week, and that's usually a good time for her wags!

[BanditSocks2]

That's such exciting news I'm so happy for you. How accurate do you have to be to express her bladder? That'd be so wonderful if she's gaining more control over her bladder. All that tail-wagging is wonderful too! Hooray

[christiers]

Do you sling walk her often? Belle was walked outside in a sling more often than not after both of her surgeries. We would even let the tip of her toes occasionally barely drag over the ground, just enough to try and remind her that her you have legs back here (Dr's instructions).

Belle never liked the crate and was always so happy to walk in the sling or just be carried...just not the crate. Although at times it was unavoidable.

Reading her progress truly brings tears to my eyes. She is making such wonderful progress because of her AWESOME mommy & daddy! Keep up the outstanding work!!

[yorkieusa]

I can't wait to see if she might potty on her own. Tail wags and sling-walking! Go Layla!

[linz06]

The hard part about expressing her bladder is just finding her bladder When it's full it's like a water balloon shaped like a small plum. It's somewhere between her back legs and her stomach lol. And it slips out of my fingers a lot! When she's a little bloated or her stomach's tight, it's really hard to squeeze around and find it.

We hadn't been sling walking with Layla much, maybe once or twice a day to go to her pad to be expressed. Today we let her sling walk into the college for rehab and as soon as she walked in, ALL of the reception ladies were impressed! The tech who came to take her from us commented on how proud she looked!

I will need to post some pictures I have some from our golf day too! Maybe I can find some time for that today.

[christiers]

Originally Posted by linz06

The hard part about expressing her bladder is just finding her bladder When it's full it's like a water balloon shaped like a small plum. It's somewhere between her back legs and her stomach lol. And it slips out of my fingers a lot! When she's a little bloated or her stomach's tight, it's really hard to squeeze around and find it.

We hadn't been sling walking with Layla much, maybe once or twice a day to go to her pad to be expressed. Today we let her sling walk into the college for rehab and as soon as she walked in, ALL of the reception ladies were impressed! The tech who came to take her from us commented on how proud she looked!

I will need to post some pictures I have some from our golf day too! Maybe I can find some time for that today.

I think sling walking helps their psychological disposition. Perhaps help with their determination....but that is simply just my opinion. It is so funny, since I have shared your story with my hubby, he asks me daily if there are any updates on Layla....yes he asks by name. Continuing to pray for all of you!