Rockin' and rollin' in the Rockies!

Moxie and Kokoro and Jenna -- up on Brainard off the Peak-to-Peak Highway

-- stopping for lunch under the evergreens on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Moxie is doing great! She had her 8 week check up last week and the doctor says all looks excellent. She has pulled a groin muscle in the leg that has been doing all the work, but that's not surprising. It had so recently only just healed when the other knee went, so we're lucky she's only pulled a muscle. Doc says just keep her slowly increasing in her daily walks and continue doing the strengthening exercises.

We had a terrific time in the Rockies for the Autumnal Equinox looking at the glorious golds and oranges of the Aspens and driving up, up, up, all along Trail Ridge Road to above treeline. Later, in the Fall River Valley, Moxie went crazy for the Elks -- we think it was the smell. It is mating season and the bulls are doing their calls. Amazing to hear and watch. (The pics are in a shared facebook album here.)

Onward for more Big Sky Adventures!

5 Weeks Strong!

It's been a few weeks since I posted. All good news. Moxie had progressed well enough by mid-August for me to take a partial week's trip to the east coast for a family reunion kind of event. When I returned, she said, HEY! When do I get to go on an adventure?!  So, we loaded up for an overnight camping trip in Wyoming. She was in heaven. Total travel dog!

We didn't do any hiking, just a relaxing afternoon and night at a campground in Cheyenne, and then a day's scenic drive under all that big sky. We went west into Medicine Bow, in the Snowy Mountains, Laramie range, and then south on back roads back home.

Today, she got to go into her "dipping lake" for the first time in a couple of months -- a nice trail near a little town west of home called Hygiene (named for a tuberculosis sanitarium that once was there).  Things are moving right along :)

3 Weeks Out -- Winning!

The Muncharelli continues to heal nicely, without mishap or mischief so far.

In fact, I feel confident enough in her recovery to go ahead and make the trip this week to New Jersey for a family reunion, with Moxie in Jenna's able hands. Georgie, Jenna's mother-in-law, is also old hat at helping take care of a recovering pup, so Moxie should be fine without me for a few days.

She REALLY wants to just keep walking and trotting along on our little walks, but I have to keep her at 5-7 minutes 2-3 times a day for another week. Hopefully, when I return, we can scoot that up to 10 minutes or more, and perhaps toss in a ride or two.

Amazing, actually, how quickly she is healing from two major surgeries. I hope if I'm ever under the knife, I'm as resilient!

Christina

1st Gate, Check!

A joy ride with Moxie

Well, she did it again! Today, Dr. Perry did Moxie's re-check and removed her staples. He says she is healing very well and her leg has a great range of motion already. He feels there are no issues of concern.

He called Mox an "on or off" dog, so "I can imagine you have a challenge keeping her slow and steady." THAT is for sure! But he cautioned me to keep her exercise to a slow upgrade and keep up the physical therapy.

So! All is well.

With ongoing 4-paws-up thanks to Moxie's Angels of Donation, we are underway in paying down her expense account. I am truly grateful and awed by the generosity of friends. Thank you so much.

Her next x-ray check is in six more weeks. Other than that, it's just the little walks (with a drive thrown in here and there for fun) for the next few weeks. She should be healed enough in time for more fun cooler weather hikes in September and October.

Moxie's Surgery a Success (Again!)

Hi Fans of Moxie :>

The surgeon called today to say that Moxie went through the surgery "perfectly" and is resting well.  He did find that her cruciate ligament had indeed fully ruptured, but luckily her meniscus (a kind of padding cushioning the knee bones) had remained undamaged. He said I could pick her up Thursday morning 10am.

A relief!

Now for a couple of weeks of round-the-clock meds and back to that silly collar. But I'm guessing the time will go fairly quickly, since we both know the routine now. And this time, she will NOT get to sneak an early jump onto the couch or run down the stairs -- I'm on to her!!

Three cheers, once again, to Aspen Meadow Veterinary clinic here in Longmont. They are just excellent at what they do.

I'll post various updates here, as we move through the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for your many messages of good wishes for her surgery and recovery.

Christina (& Moxie the Bionic Dog)

Surgery Take 2: Weds July 25

Update: Moxie blew her RIGHT knee ligament this past weekend, while running like the wind at the dog park. "It's all fun and games until someone blows their second knee out."

She will go into surgery at Aspen Meadow this Wednesday, July 25. I'm not sure what time during the day, but hopefully in the morning, so she has plenty of recovery time at the clinic. She will stay there overnight as before.

I am very grateful there is only a short wait this time for her surgery date, since she has still been unable to use her right leg, and it is hard to see her hobbling around.

I'll post her post-surgery update as soon as possible.  For now, please just keep her in your thoughts for a successful surgery on Wednesday and a speedy recovery over the coming weeks.

Thank you so much!

Christina

Moxie's 8-week X-ray Check

Well... good news is that Moxie's bionic leg recovery looks excellent. Bone is healing well around the plate. Leg is moving well. Her use of it is nearly completely normal.

Bad news is that the surgeon believes her other knee is at a 50% cruciate (ligament) tear, based on what he sees in the x-rays. He wants to do a TPLO surgery (same surgery) on her right leg within two months. He says it's very common for dogs with non-injury-related knee ligament problems to have both ligaments go.

NOT what I wanted to hear.

I've decided to wait on this decision for another few weeks, and watch what happens with her right leg.  Right now, there's some shaking in that leg -- could be all the extra use due to overcompensating for her left leg's recovery, in my opinion -- but overall, she seems to be using it well. 

I have noticed she has not yet returned to using her back legs to push herself up from laying down. She tends to pull herself up with her front legs. So I'm watching that to see if the strengthening exercises I'm doing with her back legs make a difference in that.

Meanwhile, we are really enjoying our summertime walks and hikes and car ride adventures.  She seems really healthy and happy in all other ways, so we're going with that for now.  Let her -- and me -- enjoy some fun times before going through all the stress of a second surgery (if needed).

That's the scoop on Moxie the Wonder Dog for now!  We'll just keep up her excellent recovery progress (and hope the doc is wrong about the other knee) ;>.

Moxie Mountain Dog

Here's the Mox, after a good uphill hike up to Pipe Stones Peak, as I'm calling it -- a lovely cluster of boulders on top of one of the mountains west of Boulder, where we all went last weekend. With all this heat, the mountains are most certainly the place to go. It was in the mid-70's up there. Ahhhh.

The two days of hikes were a great strength-building opportunity for Moxie, and she did very well. And wow was she happy to be out on a real adventure again.

Her PT Amanda has bought a house in our neighborhood! We saw her out on one of our block walks this week. She says Moxie looks just great, "still ahead of the game."

Tomorrow is her 8 week re-check at Aspen. She'll have x-rays to determine the success of the bone healing. I'll be back again with that report!

Upstairs/Downstairs My Oh My!

Now that I have finished my new living space, Moxie and I are sleeping in my bed. Her Physical Therapist, Amanda, said one time up and one time down the stairs per day would be okay....but tell "one time" to a happy muttsky who is feeling her oats these days. Moxie sneaks two or three times, when she can, despite the gate that she hates. When I can, I make her go down slowly behind me and let me use her sling to get her up the stairs. But if Marvelous Monica or the G-mum (Georgie, Jenna's mother-in-law) come by, all holds are off, and Moxie comes flying to greet, right alongside Kokoro.

We're 5 weeks post surgery and so far, so good. Her knee feels good and strong and she is doing very well. Her leg muscles are filling out. She had her first chiropractic appointment since her surgery. Dr. Jason found her opposing front leg shoulder quite jammed. He explained that dogs balance out their gate with opposite legs, so it's common to need a bone adjustment after a recovery period of uneven use. He popped all her toes too :)


I am so grateful for the success of this surgery and for all the Moxie angels out there who have sent love and support.

I never was a "dog person" until Moxie came into my life, but I just can't imagine life without this pup. I'm glad we get to forge ahead with more healthy, happy times together.

Picking bones

Things are progressing nicely. Slightly longer walks around the block (and a half) and Moxie has been less irritable with Kokoro... probably because she's feeling better.

Above is a shot of the two of them chewing bones right near each other. What's funny about this shot is that Moxie is chewing Kokoro's tiny bone and Kokoro is chewing Moxie's big dog bone. Guess the grass is always greener...

Speaking of greener, I've been painting the room I'll be moving into a collection of crazy fun colors: green, blue, orange, yellow, turquoise, ... perhaps a touch of fuchsia! It's a combo bedroom/art studio, so it's got to be inspiring! We stopped at a local art gallery today and saw a really nice treatment of the walls, similar colors with glazed top colors. Looks like I'll be learning a new technique :) 

Photos to follow!

Things feel like they are returning to a new normal, with Moxie feeling better, and my things almost here (pod comes next weekend).  Then I get to settle into just living here.

Christina, Dog Guardian

It's been three weeks since Moxie came home from surgery. Her recovery has been some steps forward, some backwards. When she overdoes it, the next 2-3 days are a pullback to little or no exercise. She lets me know when she's in pain and I freak out for a while about what it means before I can chill out into, "Self, she's in pain, just put her in her pen for rest for a while and get out of her way."  Thanks to my angels for talking me down from those crazy moments of worst case scenarios, to just dealing with the present.

The staff at Aspen tell me she's doing fine, and that when she's limping, just slow things back down to bed rest. Occasional pain pills as needed. Major surgery, after all. I don't have to explain who I am when I call now... they all know me -- Moxie's crazy person -- or "guardian," as Boulder city ordinance denotes pet people, (and pets are "companions" rather than property). I do find interesting places to live, don't I?!

So, we go on very slow walks around the court so that she is encouraged to put her weight on her leg. Otherwise she tends to want to be a three-legged dog hop-a-long Cassidy, so she can go at her customary speedy clip, to investigate all those new smells along the way.

We also do leg stretches, massages, and some strengthening exercises, such as sit, stand, lean, and step up's. She gets stinky liver treats for some of these...loves those.

And, when she's laying down, I sit with her and play with her new favorite toy (thanks, Monica!), the plastic water bottle stuffed pig. The crunchy sound keeps her busy for a while, and it's actually preferable to the squeaky toys. Though she also loves those horrendous squeaks...and I suffer them out of love for her.

It's been quite amazing to spend this much time in concentrated contact with her. I realized I haven't played like this with her since she was a puppy. Sure, I've walked with her everyday, and thrown her toys for her...but usually I'm multitasking (phone or dishes or computer, etc).

These days, it's just me and her for hours.

It's a special time.

Water Treadmill Today and "Our" Mountains

Moxie had her second PT appointment. Amanda did her yummy muscle massage and then tempted Moxie into the treadmill for some underwater walk therapy. Here's a series of shots... Moxie was nervous at first, but quickly figured it out. And the liver treats didn't hurt...

Moxie's left hind leg muscles are pretty atrophied from her lack of use, so we've got lots of stretching and strengthening exercises to be doing each day at home. I'll also take her for a few treadmill sessions over the next few weeks to assure her leg muscles are developing at an optimum rate.

Amanda is great. Again, big kudos to Aspen and associates.

On the way home, I snapped a couple of the views we have around here. The first one is right before turning into our neighborhood:

 
I like this one for all the layers of blues... makes me want to paint!

No Cone Zone!

Yay -- Moxie's two weeks post-surgery re-check appointment went well! Her staples are removed. Doc says her incision cut looks well-healed and her knee feels solid. She's hobbling along, but at the pace, says the doc, that she should be. Cone is off!

Still needs very low exercise, but I can start her daily 5 minute walks this week and slowly build her up to 25 minutes a few times a day over the course of the next 6 weeks.

Meanwhile, no jumping, climbing stairs, running, bolting after squirrels, etc, until after her 8 week check and xrays.

So, we went on a joy ride after her appointment -- I wish I could have taken shots of her with the wind blowing her ears back as we drove along. She loves car rides. So perhaps I can help her into the car over the next few weeks and go on long drives at least, if not hikes. Let's see... is there someplace around here to go for scenic drives?!

This morning, we're all hanging out (Jenna is inside telecommuting, but the whole pack is home). That's Kokoro, the Shiba Inu pup there in the front. Today, I'm studying Stephen Quiller color theory. Good stuff :)

Happy Face!

Here's the happy face I love to see!
She got a cone-off, bone-chewing break yesterday.... until she sneaked some licks on that knee, and the cone went back on.
She's been out of her pen on a couple of occasions and seems to be using the leg more.
She gave me a scare the other day by climbing out over the couch...

She seems like she pulled a muscle perhaps from that caper... not quite back to where she was before then, so she's under strict watch and low exercise. 
Quite the nerve-wracking couple of weeks -- I'll be grateful when she gets her re-check next Tuesday. I hope all is well!

Convalescence Art

One of the really nice things about Moxie feeling better is that I'M feeling better, and can do some things now besides waiting and watching her. Today I set up a table in the living room near Moxie and explored my Prismacolor pencils and Faber Castell black ink pens.

Here's a little portrait of a sweet moment I caught in a photo from some years ago...

Love that dog :)

We're into the second critical week of the post-surgery recovery, and Moxie is doing great!

Today, she and I took the first of this week's 5 minute short-leash walks around the block -- this one was just halfway around the court where we're living, but to see her, you'd think she was going for a big adventure.  I had to keep her from trotting along -- anything beyond a slow walk is not allowed yet. She's also been responding well to our physical therapy exercises, various knee bendings/stretchings and muscle massages. Who wouldn't?!

Aspen Meadows has just been fantastic, contacting me to check on "our kiddo" every other day. They have continued to allow Moxie's account to remain open for donations, so I'm relieved from the pressure of having to pay the bill right away. I'm so grateful to have found a gem of a veterinary hospital right here in Longmont.

Lucky me. Lucky Mox!

Physical Therapy A+

Moxie's lovely physical therapist Amanda said Moxie is doing great -- in some ways well beyond where dogs often are at this stage (minimal swelling, nice range of motion in her leg, calm disposition during the appointment). Well, no wonder about the calm disposition -- Amanda massaged her the entire time we sat there (about 45 minutes). Of course, the Mox is generally a putty-in-your-hands kind of pup, anyway.

The physical therapy room is like a playschool for dogs -- really fun place with lots of toys and things to get nosy about. It was good to see Moxie walking around the place without me assisting with the sling. Amanda wanted to see how she used her leg. She pretty much stays off it so far, not hopping, but barely toeing down. Normal, says Amanda.

She showed us how to massage Moxie's back and hind end where her muscles are tight from holding her leg up when she walks (hobbles) outside to potty.  Her incision is healing nicely as well. Cone stays on though, until those staples come out, in another week and a half.

She says after next Tuesday we should start leash-walking her 2-3 times a day for 5 minutes each time, and then start to add minutes up to 10 minutes, 3-4 times a day for the second week.

Painstakingly slow, it feels, but we're on our way up!

Next appointment, in about two weeks, Moxie will get to do the underwater treadmill. I'm interested to see how she handles that.

A leg up, soon!

 Awww. It's pitiful :(

But she's apparently not in pain -- thanks to huge quantities of Tramadol and lots of sleeping. 

I've never seriously celebrated Mother's Day in relation to pet care, but somehow this time with Moxie reminds me a lot of what we all need in mothering, so...I guess it makes some sense. Besides the joy of spending time cleaning her hind end from where she soiled herself during surgery, I have spent long hours just sitting with her, stroking and cooing while she settles down from whimpering into a dopey snooze. She's my pup for sure.

Tomorrow she goes in for physical therapy where they'll test her leg use, and show me the things I'll need to be doing with her for the next two months.  She gets a swimming PT appt later on. Aspen has just been wonderful.

As has Jenna -- who has taken great care of both of us during this time. And some wonderful emails, posts and donations from Moxie's fan club.

I'm grateful for all the love in my life!

Queen Moxie

Awww.
Pitiful, but at least home on her own blanket.
She's on some serious pain killers (Tramadol, for those of you who are medically aware) and is out of sorts.
But she seems to be doing well enough.
Tonight I'll stay out in the living room and sleep nearby.
The leg looks surprisingly clean -- the incision is on the inside and I'm amazed at how unscary it looks. She's got a poodle haircut on her left hind leg and, as you can see in the pic, a shaved ring around her right front leg.
The vet gave me a sling to support her hind end when we're walking outside for a bathroom break. Alarmingly, she wants to walk faster than she should. So we're a strange-looking pair, me puppeteering her movements; her in that Elizabethan collar.

So, off we go on the next phase of the adventure...

Thank you for all the cheering.
Keep sending those healing thoughts -- and calming ones for me :)  Thanks!

Howl, Grasshopper, Howl!

I received a call this morning from Aspen Meadow:
"Hello Christina. We're just calling to let you know that Moxie is doing great this morning. She is eating, is happy, and is doing a nice job teaching the Golden next to her how to howl."
That Mox is a master howler... I love the little "o" her mouth forms when she goes. Jenna's neighborhood is one of those where all the dogs get to howling at the sirens...and she lives a block or so from the fire department, so lots of music.
We'll see if she teaches Kokoro (Jenna's Shiba Inu) to howl...so far not yet.
Looking forward to picking her up at 11... :)

Surgery went without a hitch!

Great news! The surgeon called me and told me that Moxie's surgery went without any problems. She's resting in recovery now. She'll be there, monitored all day and night. I'll be able to pick her up tomorrow morning at 11am.

YIPPEEEEEE!
And a shout-out, right here in Longmont, 5 minutes away, to ....

Sketching the Mox

 

Looking forward to some nice opportunities to sketch my pup during her recovery. 

Surgery one week from today...

The Goal...

     Moxie's first Colorado Hike, April 13, 2012

Our "teaser" hike up Rabbit Mountain in Longmont -- one of the Rocky Mountains foothills. This hike and others like it are the goal! Happy, healthy Moxie, up for relatively leisurely, but fun hikes!

Hello Friends of Moxie Muncharelli,

As you know, Moxie and I have been settling into our new digs out here in beautiful Longmont, Colorado with my pal, Jenna, and her Shiba Inu pup, Kokoro. We set out right away on new walks and a fun hike up Rabbit Mountain, one of the Rocky Mountain foothills nearby. There is also a big backyard here at the house with lots of squirrel action for Moxie and Kokoro.

About a week and a half after we got here, Ms. Moxie began limping significantly, not wanting to use her back left leg. I had noticed in the past six months that she had been having trouble getting up with that leg, but our vet did tests that showed no health problems, and suggested it might just be the beginnings of arthritis. Moxie didn't seem any different than her usual "Let's Go!" self, so I started her on joint meds for older dogs and looked forward to increased daily exercise to strengthen her legs once I quit my job and moved out west. 

Moxie's new vet, last week, diagnosed her with a torn CCL -- essentially a blown hind knee ligament. For her mix of breeds, the best option, if the dog is healthy, is a knee surgery called, TLPO, where they re-set the tibia bone against the femur and add a plate, so there is no more tibial slippage (the slippage is a result of the cranial cruciate ligament no longer doing its job).

The surgery and the attendant costs come to close to $4000 -- a figure that gives me pause for a number of reasons. But my beautiful Moxie, while a senior dog at 10 years old, is so happy and vibrant that it just breaks my heart to see her hobbling around with something that will only get worse if something is not done. Additionally, she is overcompensating with her other leg, which could cause additional problems. So I set out doing a lot of research on line and with vets and dog-wise friends to learn about the options.  Also, I took Mox to a specialist this week for a second opinion. I had X-rays and blood tests done to determine the extent of damage and her overall health.

In her usual way, she immediately won hearts at the clinic, with the staff remarking on her vitality and her "big smile."  The x-rays confirmed that her left hind CCL is almost fully torn, and since she has no apparent signs of heart disease, cancer, arthritis (amazingly), or other health issues at all, the surgical vet says she's a "really good candidate" for the surgery and recovery process. The recovery process is very measured and strict -- 8-12 weeks of restricted exercise while the scar tissue forms a solid response to the tibial plate. No guarantees, of course, but after the positive test results, and from his assessment of her and the other options he and I discussed, this vet feels confident in recommending this approach for Moxie.

In my way of collecting info, I then discussed the full options with Moxie's California and Ohio vets, who both opined that the TPLO surgery is an ideal choice for Moxie. It really helped me to hear confirmation from Moxie's life history vets; this pup's got quite a team :)

As luck would have it, I have the time to attend to Moxie's healing process, since my time here is about settling in, taking art classes, enjoying time with Jenna, and deciding what happens next in my life. Interestingly enough, Jenna went through this surgery some years ago with her family dog, so she's knowledgeable as well. Seems like "the stars are lined up," as my mother says.  And I feel grateful that I'm available to help Moxie; she has been such a wonderful part of my life for this past decade.


A long sweet moment with Mox...

I know Moxie is well-loved, so I want to let you know what's going on with her. Please send good wishes for her surgery and recovery. She'll be in surgery on Tuesday, May 8 and will be staying overnight at the clinic. Her first two weeks after that will be bed-rest only. The surgeon says she'll likely want to be up and on her leg far sooner than we can allow, so she'll be a bummed pup stuck in a crate wearing one of those cones until her 2-week suture check.

If you'd like to donate to her fund, any donations would be so helpful to me. I've set up a credit card only for Moxie's vet costs. Also, the animal clinic has set up an account that can receive donations for Moxie's medical costs. The clinic staff are available 24 hours and can take credit card donations over the phone to put into Moxie's account, anonymous or named -- see info below. Or, if preferred, donations to me directly will help me pay off the costs as well -- please call or email for my new address. If an electronic funds transfer seems best, you can safely send a "Personal Gift" via PayPal to my account by using the email: christina@cappellettidesigns.com.

So I feel it's all systems go.  Here's to "imagining that everything will work out perfectly," (thanks for the perspective, Eva!) and Moxie will be her happy, adventuresome self in a few short months, just in time for late summer, early fall hikes in Big Sky Country.

If you'd like to see how it's going, I'll be posting about her progress on this blog, so just keep checking in.

Thanks for the puppy love!
Christina & Moxie

"Moxie Cappelletti"
Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists
104 S. Main Street,  Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 678-8844
info@aspenmeadowvet.com