Day 1905

Rain, rain go away. The dismal weather we've been having this week is really beginning to wear me down. Wet is bad enough, but freezing cold wet is even worse. I tried to use the weather radar on my iPad to take Dash to the park to pee between downpours, but both times I failed. If Dash wasn't so particular about where he poops, we might have made it home relatively dry. Since he insisted on finding just the right place, we got drenched.

It has rained almost continually since Dot's discharge from the hospital, so she hasn't been able to get any outdoor physical therapy. We are continuing to walk up and down the hall, but I think Dot is as bored as I am. We've all got a bad case of cabin fever.

Dot was in a stubborn mood today. I wanted her in the dog bed next to my desk in the office, but she decided she wanted to be in the kitchen instead. Every time I lured her back to the office with a dog treat and got her situated on the bed, she tried to get up on her own and return to the kitchen. Needless to say, she can't make it to the kitchen on her own, so I had to jump up from the computer and quickly grab her harness before she could hurt herself. Eventually, I just gave up and grabbed Dot's harness with one hand and and my laptop with the other. I set up shop on the kitchen counter and everybody was happy again. Dot went to sleep on her kitchen bed and I finally was able to get a little work done.

It's really hard to get anything done when your main role is to be your dog's legs. I could have just put Dot in her new crate while I was working, but that wouldn't be fair. The whole point of this early-stage physical therapy is to encourage Dot to move. She needs to keep using her rear legs to prevent further muscle atrophy. If she sits up in her dog bed and appears to want to go somewhere, that's a good thing. I don't want to discourage her by continually telling her to stay or lie down.

Dot and I are still working things out. I wish her recovery was measured in weeks instead of months, but it will take whatever time it takes. I've just got to be patient and take things one day at a time. Dot is certainly doing her part. She remains in good spirits, despite what has happened to her. At times I even get the impression that she enjoys being the queen of the house, with her family waiting on her hand and foot.

It is supposed to snow tonight, but I hope this forecast is wrong. Since it is only 27 degrees outside, we could easily have slick, frozen roads again tomorrow morning. Conditions are supposed to improve by the end of the week, but that isn't fast enough for me. I've got a bad case of nurse fatigue and cabin fever all rolled up into one big ugly ball.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. It would be nice to see the sun again. It would be nice if Dot slept all the way through the night too. That's unlikely, because her prednisolone dose has been temporarily  increased. We're back to going outside to pee at 4 AM again. It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I'm delighted that Dot is slowly getting better. It's just very tiring trying to keep all these balls in the air.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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