Right Patella Repair

On 6/13/16 at 9am, Rogue checked in for surgery on his Right patella. By 11:30am Dr. Shelley had called to tell me that surgery was over, Rogue had done well and was waking up... I have never been so impressed with a veterinarian before, Dr. Shelley's bedside manner is impeccable. He asked me to call back at 3pm to see how Rogue was doing and to see when he would be ready to come home, I called at 3pm and was there to get my boy by 5pm. Rogue was very sore for the first night at home but bounced back very quickly, he fought me to take his medicine on many occasions and quickly proved difficult to contain... It took him several days to have a bowel movement but soon became quiet regular again.


By day two post op Rogue was walking on a leash very briefly outside and bending his knee quiet
beautifully, I can't explain to you the joy in seeing his little knee bend while walking, for the first time in his life... Outside Rogue does very well using his leg, he still pulls it up to walk around inside though.


On Wednesday 6/22 I returned to work which has been very difficult for Rogue. My fiercely independent youngest child has become very attached and dependent upon me through this recovery period... Though he has a sitter he is inconsolable at times and acting out during others. Unfortunately I do not have paid leave and am going to be working a significant amount of overtime to make up for the week of work I missed, and in order to finance his next operation and all of the expenses that come with it...   After Rogue's surgery I purchased a very nice stroller which has been a saving grace through all of this, allowing me and his sitter to wheel him from room to room and still contain him when I need to do things besides hold him... When he is content no where else, he is content in the stroller...

On Tuesday 6/28 Rogue has his stitches removed and can hopefully begin swimming to help strengthen the muscles and stabilize the joint more. I also need to address the few instances Rogue has been impossible to contain and has ran or jumped when he is not supposed to... Hopefully everything will check out well in spite of this.

Time a Friend and Foe...

I have been trying to savor these moments before the inevitable... Allowing Rogue to enjoy being a puppy before his puppy-hood ends prematurely, ends due to the cruelty of his breeding. However, the truth is time moves forward no matter how much we want to slow it down and savor the moment. Now we have reached the phase in this process where the time to enjoy running and leaping and wrestling with his brothers has grown too short for comfort. Soon, too soon, we will be facing times slow crawl of solitude, being confined to small areas and the torture of not being able to run or jump and wrestle with his best friends... God help us all...

On Tuesday 5/31/16 Rogue had his one month follow up hip re-evaluation with Dr. Shelley. We were relieved to find that his hips are not in need of surgery, however, his knees continue to become looser with growth and time. The doctor believes that Rogue should be very close to his full size as he will be 10 months old on the 10th of June, for these reasons we have moved forward with scheduling his first surgery.  




On 6/13/16 Rogue will have his right (and worst) knee corrected, he should come home the same day. The news that he will come home the same day is a relief, and at the same time horrifying... When my boys have surgery I am usually terrified of the actual procedure and counting the hours until I have them safely back in my arms... but I know how very different this procedure is from the simple neuters and dentals we have gone through in the past, and I feel so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the road to recovery we are about to embark on... I also have complete and total confidence in Dr. Shelley and his ability to preform this surgery and care for Rogue, that is an amazing peaceful feeling... 

Two months after his first surgery, Rogue will have his left knee corrected. This second surgery will take place sometime just after his first birthday on August 10th. When we reach this point, Rogue will have had surgery every 2 months for half of his first year of life... The tragedy of that weighs heavy on my soul, it breaks my heart for him, and the thousands upon thousands of puppy mill pups that have come before him, and will come after him... But, even these poor pups are the lucky ones... They made it out alive and just in the knick of time... How many more die of the very treatable parasite infestations that Rogue brought home? How many tiny runts die of failure to thrive because no one took the time to hand feed them like my mother and I did with Rogue? How many pups are murdered in puppy mills because of their imperfections, that's one statistic Rogue narrowly dodged... How many pups are abandoned to shelters or put down because the family who purchases them wasn't educated and can't or won't pay for their extensive medical bills, betrayed by the only hands that ever touched them kindly...-

We are more than ready to put Rogue's many medical needs in our past, ready for him to be as whole and complete as he can be... while sadly knowing that he will still develop arthritis, and will never be 100%, but he will have the best life I can give him... While his medical issues will be corrected, they will never be forgotten. There are no words for the journey that the first year of his life has been, but words aren't what is needed... its action, and I will do all that I can to fight back against the horrible disgusting puppy mill industry in honor of all three of my boys. 

Though Rogue's surgery will be emotionally draining, we know that it will be the easy part, the hard part will be the months of recovery and rehabilitation that are to follow. For two months after each surgery Rogue can not run or jump, that's a total of four consecutive months, while that is a long time for humans, it equates to years for Rogue. We thank all of your for your prayers and support, we need them now more than ever, please circle June 13th on your calendar and say a prayer for my little fighter... We will meet with the doctor at 9am, and surgery will happen later that day.

If you feel so led, please consider making a donation to his GoFundMe account here: https://www.gofundme.com/rogues_new_knees

If you'd like to send Rogue a get well present items he could use are things to keep hims occupied while he is confined for the majority of 4 months, chew toys, bully sticks, etc., nothing too high in calories because while he is on the skinny side, he wont be getting much exercise for awhile. Please message me for my address.

Rogue Goes To School...

Whats This Place?

A little over a month ago I found a hidden gem in our sleepy little town, a dog training school. I made a mental note to investigate this as an option for my boys in the near future. Then I got the news about Rogue and for financial reasons had to put those plans on hold. When Dr. Shelley told me I would have to keep Rogue "quiet" for three months following each surgery, I was overwhelmed...

Watching Future Police Dog's On Their Climb's

Rogue is high octane, nothing holds him back, he runs, leaps, jumps, and climbs with the best of them despite his physical challenges. I knew I would need help to accomplish the task of keeping him calm. Last week I sent a lengthy email to Pappaws Dog Training Center and asked them if there was any way they could give him a crash course in obedience and help me with some things to keep him calm, as we likely have no time to complete the entire obedience course. I received a very prompt reply that there was a command that they could teach him, likely in a single one hour long session, which should do the trick...

Rogue On His Climb During Our Session

So on Monday afternoon Rogue and I went to class. While there I received a wealth of information, and in under 30 minutes Rogue had learned the command "climb." Basically "climb" teaches him to go to his special place, we are starting with a pet cot, and hope to be able to transition this command to a dog bed by the time he has surgery. Once he is on his cot, he can do anything except go to the bathroom, bark, or get down until I tell him to. We have been working on it every day sense we went to class, and each day he amazes me. Yesterday I added in distractions and he didn't respond to a single one! I am hopeful he will have this command completely mastered by the time he has surgery.

Rogue Working On His Climb At Home

The Good Doctor

It was a little shy of two weeks before we could get in to see Dr. Shelley for a consult about Rogue's knees. In that time Rogue managed to remove all of his stitches by himself (less one which I removed for him) in-spite of the cone he had been sporting. Rogue's handy work saved us a dreaded follow up appointment to the clinic where he had been neutered. On Friday 4/29, Rogue and I made the 40 minute drive to Bradford Park Veterinary Hospital to see Dr. Shelley. It was pouring down rain which honestly paired well with my mood, I was a ball of nerves and anxiety after the experiences of the past month.

From the moment we arrived at Bradford Park, I was impressed... This two story veterinary hospital is beautiful with its own in house lab and state of the art medical equipment, it is truly a human grade hospital. We were seen by the Doctor very quickly, he was AMAZING! Dr. Shelley not only examined Rogue but interacted with him, speaking to and playing with him. He went out of his way to answer questions before I even had a chance to ask them, bringing out medical text books to show me what specifically he was talking about.

He said that Rogue would indeed need not one, but both of his knees corrected. He will need to shave away portions of bone to make a new tibial crest, deepen the patellar groove, relocate the tibia into the correct position, and secure it all with pins. This will be a two surgery process focusing on one knee at a time. Dr. Shelley noted during the examination that Rogue seemed more tender in the hips than his knees, though the x-rays do not indicate any hip issues, he wants to see him back in a month to re-evaluate his hips to see if an issue is beginning to present itself, or if he is simply sore from his recent surgery.

Rogue will be 9 months old on 5/10, and closer to 10 months at the time of his next appointment. By this time his growth plates will be nearing closure, and I would not be surprised if his first surgery is scheduled soon there after. Dr. Shelley advised me that for three months following each knee surgery, Rogue will need to refrain from running and jumping. We have already been working on the use of a ramp instead of jumping on furniture at home, but he is young and feisty and not the best listener. For that reason I contacted a local dog trainer and told them of our situation, and asked if they could give him a crash course in obedience coupled with some commands to keep him calm.

On Monday 5/2 at 2pm we go for a session where they believe they can teach him one command that will help greatly with our needs. I would love to send him through their entire obedience class, but we don't have the time right now as it can take up to 6 months. We have been so blessed in the last couple of weeks to find the right people in our community to provide answers, reassurance, and help in a time when we need it most! After meeting Dr. Shelley I have a lot more peace about the entire situation, I know he will be in the most skilled hands he could possibly be in when he has surgery.

You'll Never Walk Alone...

After recovering from all of his parasitic issues, which took quiet awhile, Rogue finally began to grow. Things were really looking up for him in the health department, and we enjoyed the holidays, and began to look forward to Spring and warmer weather. In Spring and fall I love to take hikes and bring my pups along, I had neglected leash training Rogue until such time, so that when coupled to his brothers on hikes, they could train him. Before we could hit the trails though, the boys were due for heartworm prevention renewal, and flea and tick prevention.

In December our amazing vet had retired, and the boys were not due for anything until April, so I didn't search for a new vet until that time, knowing that in a pinch we could just see another vet at the practice we had been going to. On April 1st we tried out a new vet, going just for a well check to renew prescriptions for Heartgard and Nexgard... Julian and Maurice went first, everything was in order and they received clean bills of health, then it came time for Rogue. After palpitating his knees the vet on duty told me that his knees were in very bad shape, the left being the worst, and that I needed to act quickly before arthritis set in, and have them repaired. She said it was one of the worst cases she had ever seen... in just 4 months his knees jumped from a grade 2 to 4.

Before I even left the office that day, I booked an appointment to have him neutered and evaluated by the vet who does their orthopedic surgeries. I spent the next two weeks researching, crying, and feeling helpless... Some wonderful friends established a GoFundMe account to help with the cost of surgery, and gifts from an amazon wishlist began pouring in. While I strengthened my resolve to support Rogue in any way possible, I grew to love him even more fiercely. He would never walk alone, and I learned, neither would I...

On April 18th Rogue checked in to be neutered, he had a retained testicle that would also need to be located and removed, as well as several retained baby teeth that needed to be pulled, while he was under they also did xrays of his hips and knees to evaluate. When I dropped him off that morning I asked the secretary if they would call me when he was finished to let me know he was ok, she curtly replied "No, he will be ready between 3-5pm." Those 7 hours were some of the worst in my life... left to worry and wonder if he was ok. I arrived promptly at three to pick up Rogue, and asked to speak with the vet who preformed his surgery, I was told I would have to go speak to him while he semen checked bulls if I wanted to speak with him at all...

He told me that Rogue would need three procedures combined into one surgery on the left leg, and then they would see if the right leg would self correct. I thanked him for his time, and asked the vet tech to show me the xray which I snapped a photo of knowing full well I would not be using this practice again. Nearly an hour later they finally bring me my boy, he is a trembling mess and has TWO incisions and 5 stitches total, even though the vet told me that the testicle was in the canal... I left before realizing I had not been given pain meds, so I turn around and go back, to be told that they do not give pain meds... I demand that they give me pain meds and am only given enough for 4 days.

The next day I call a highly recommended veterinary surgeon  and schedule a consult for 4/27. It takes Rogue a good two days to fully pull out of his anesthesia cloud, this being because they used old school injectible anesthesia. Three days post op he falls over from the standing position, pulls his left leg up and begins screaming, I massage the leg until I feel a pop and he lowers the leg again. Before surgery he showed no signs of pain, now he needs PRN Rimadyl for pain and discomfort, he falls, slides, and his gait is even more compromised than before. I begin counting the days until he can be seen by the new surgeon...

A Rogue By Any Other Name...

When I took Half Pint in, even though it was only as a foster, I knew his stay would be a long one. I also knew he needed a real name. In the mean time I called him "HP." HP challenged me on EVERYTHING, puppies are a lot of work, but he was something different. HP and I struggled and butted heads constantly. He was very much a feral animal having spent his entire first 9 weeks of life confined to a wire cage without human interaction.

HP did not know how to trust, how to accept love, or kindness. He preferred the company of my two adult Havanese, he felt safe with them, safe enough to challenge them. I can't explain to you the sight of a 2 pound puppy taking on a 17 pound dog, but know it was equally frustrating, terrifying, and comical. I sought the advice of a dog behaviorist, and was able to teach HP proper behavior if not with me, with my adult dogs. As he learned proper behavior, and his position within my pack, my boys took on a very nurturing role with him, and accepted him as one of their own.

HP's attitude, and behavioral issues earned him his new name, Rogue...

Rogue rōɡ/ noun

1. a dishonest or unprincipled man.

   
   

   • a person whose behavior one disapproves of but who is nonetheless likable or attractive (often used as a playful term of reproof).
     

     
     
2. an elephant or other large wild animal driven away or living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies.

   • a person or thing that behaves in an aberrant, faulty, or unpredictable way.

     verb

 
And somewhere in the space of that first month, in the hundreds of dollars spent to liberate, heal, and provide for him... somewhere in the endless battles, in the attempt to teach love and security, this little Rogue one found his way into my heart. Not gradually, or with love, and affection, but all at once by force... His plight overwhelmed me, and I knew that there was no way I could ever entrust his care to another human. Rogue's needs far exceeded his physical ones.

Eight months later, we still butt heads, my little Rogue Warrior and me... Knowing what I now do, facing the battle before us, I know my boy isn't just this way because he had to fight to live for the first 9 weeks of his life... I know he is this way because he is built for the battle he must endure, and I am grateful that in spite of all of my attempts to "reform" him, he has retained his fight! When I gave him the name Rogue, I never knew how fitting it would be... I have gone Rogue, gone against the status quo, all for the love of a two pound (now 10lb), sickly, crippled puppy mill runt... 

Saving Half-Pint

There is a puppy mill located less than ten miles from my home, I happened upon its existence in 2013 when looking for a hypo-allergenic pup. I found 10 week old Shadow listed on a website, he was about to be taken to a dog auction, Shadow became my Julian... Since that day I have monitored the activity at this puppy mill closely.

On 12/10/14 I rescued another Havanese from Craigslist, Pappy, now Maurice, had suffered significant abuse and neglect... it was no surprise to me when I learned of his origins in the same puppy mill as Julian... Fast forward to October 2015 when Maurice was finally over his health hurdles, and our vet bills were about to seriously decline as soon as Julian had his dental cleaning, all major work was behind us for at least a year...

Half-Pint's Listing Photo

For a month I had been following three puppies on the puppy mills website... every day their price would fall because they had "loose knees" I had contacted rescue organizations and begged them to pull these puppies but they ignored me... It reached a point where these puppies could no longer wait... a friend was able to foster two of them but could not take the third... In my heart and my conscious I could not leave that pup in the mill to be murdered... I asked her to pull all three puppies and I would take the third, the runt, the sickest, little Half Pint...

On 10/16/15 I dropped Julian off for his dental cleaning, and went over to my friends house to pick up Half Pint... he was so tiny he fit in the palm of my hand weighing only 2.2lbs... later that night at his first vet appointment he was diagnosed with every form or parasite you can imagine including coccidia, and several weeks later Giardia as well... At this time Half-Pint's knees were diagnosed as a grade 1-2 nothing to be terribly concerned about... looking at all of his primary medical costs those first few months, and all of his behavioral issues we had to work through, I thought I had dodged a bullet!

 Hailey, Half-Pint, and Hunter's freedom video...