Monday, February 15, 2010

Running at Horner Park, Chicago




Caine had a great time running at the park near our place. This was the first time he's been there since his accident. It was more difficult running through the deep snow, but he had a blast! Check out his video and pictures.






Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Moving Right Along

Caine has been back to his happy, fun-loving self. He is running around and goofing off with his dog friends. His fur is growing in again where it was shaved for the feeding tube and various IVs. The new fur is very soft! He is not drooling as much, at least I don't think. He drools right before he eats and when his food is being prepared. Right now, he gets wet food mixed with dry food that has been soaked in water. My mom mixes this by hand and he salivates like crazy!

Every now and then he will grab a piece of Roxie's dry food, just one piece, and then it just gets stuck in his mouth. He will slobber and chew but it just seems to fuse to the roof or bottom of his mouth. We usually have to go in with a wet paper towel and wipe it out. We do this anyway after he eats to get out the pieces and make sure his mouth is clean. Then we go over his teeth and gums with the wipes.

He has a new routine now. Instead of eating first and going outside, he will eat then come back to bed with me. He's too cute. Then he'll get up with me and start his day. It's amazing what a little ball he can curl up into.

We are going to take Caine to get weighed again because he's been eating really well. He will eat 4 cups of dog food (wet and dry mixed) and then sometimes I'll give him an extra half can of Evangers dog food, which he likes, and is all organic.

We are so proud! He also came to visit my work (a school) and met some teachers. They've heard all about him but finally got a chance to see him and give him some loving. He tried to kiss them and hug them. They all thought that he was just beautiful and so gentle. I really am fortunate that he is such a good natured dog. If he weren't, I'm not sure he would have had such a successful story.

Last night I was checking my e-mail and I had a message from a freelance writer. She writes for DogFancy, and would like to have a story about Caine in their June issue! We are so excited for him. The more people who know about this, the better. The interview is tomorrow and then we'll just have to wait.







Monday, February 1, 2010

One Month Later

It has been exactly one month since Caine's horrific accident. It is hard to believe that it has been that long because we are still very much feeling the after shock. I still remember the phone call to me and my mom's shaky voice. I remember catching the flight home and driving two hours from Milwaukee because the Chicago flights were full. That first night at the emergency vet where he was groggy but still managed to give us kisses and wag his tail as blood stained saliva dripped from his lips. Even then, he was such a trooper and had come so far! My family was completely shaken during those first 4 days, an emotional roller coaster. Although he is doing great, we still feel so horrible that this happened to him. We wish we could take that moment back, but the past cannot be changed. We must move forward!

To celebrate his one month, he had some extra meatballs. Although he doesn't need the food in meatball form any longer, he still enjoys it. He has vomited twice in the past 3 days. He has no real trouble getting it up, and it was mostly liquid. Earlier today our other dogs also vomited, so we are wondering if their bag of dry food is bad. Caine has been getting some dry food in his wet. We are going to call the company (Purina One) tomorrow to investigate. He also went for a nice long walk tonight around the neighborhood to smell the smells and listen to other dogs. He came in and drank from his fountain for a while and now he's asleep on the couch. He will be going to the dog park again shortly.

I am still going to update his blog although he is better. I want to keep people posted and up to date as to how he is doing. He is drooling a lot (although not as much as when he first came home) but that is to be expected. Just make sure you have a towel handy!

I'm sure that once the Chicago winter passes he will be out in full swing. I'm curious to see how he does when the weather gets warm. I think that he will realize that he can't run around as much as he did (or maybe he can!) and he will naturally slow down a bit. I will make sure to always have a water bottle on hand during our walks/jogs.

I continue to receive donations. Thank you so much! His vet bills have exceeded $3,000, but at least he is still here with us. You cannot put a price tag on the joy that a dog brings day in and day out. At least he doesn't need meatballs anymore!