Road Trip

We have just returned from our ten day road trip to San Diego via Arizona. Both places were fantastic and a welcome change from the cooler temperatures of Montana. In Arizona we were able to continue our walking schedule with our friends and family, all of whom enjoyed Sampsons company, and even my moms dogs got used to sharing their space with him. The same cannot be said for my moms cat! [She opted to stay in the garage the whole time we were there].

In San Diego Sampson did a little swimming, but only on the Bay side so that he wouldn't get any water in his ear. My best friend Audra went with us and she was able to hang out on the beach with Sampson while I was in class.

The cottage I rented was perfect for all of us. It had a fenced yard, outdoor patio set and beautiful lawn, garden area. We were able to do our early morning walks on the beach and the rest of the time the three of us just hang out in our little oasis by the sea.

Sampson is a great traveler! Even Audra commented on how easy going he was. He had the whole back area of the car complete with doggie beds, pillows and his favorite sleeping bag, so he wasn't exactly roughing it. The weather was perfect for the road trip, rolled down the windows and let the breeze blow through the car. He

was only a little scrunched during the 20 minute drive after I stopped at Trader Joes for my summer provisioning! We have no Trader Joes up here, so it was an added bonus to the trip.

After we got home he was beyond excited to see Andy and the two little dogs. After a quick walk everyone seemed to fall right back into the normal rhythm of things. The day after we were home Sampson had a little flare up in his ear, so I am continuing with the medication until we see Dr. Lawson tomorrow. As for the leg, he has been strictly on leash only for all activities outside the house. Even when he went in the bay I held his leash, so we have stringently followed the Dr.'s orders there. His walking stride is looking really good. The hardest thing at this point, is his desire to really run after anything. During our short visit in AZ he was faced with rabbits, ground squirrels, lizards and quail all within the first 100 yards of walking out of my moms front door. Even though he was really tempted, he did great and just kept walking and sniffing all the new smells.

Tomorrow is our big six week check up. This is the scariest part for me. During the surgery on the other leg two years ago, it was at this point where I was able to see that recovery was not going as hoped. We have kept him off the stairs and when going in and out of the car, I physically lift him or use the towel so that there is no strain or pressure on that knee! For our living/sleeping conditions I am still sleeping on the couch next to his bed and after six weeks it has just become "normal". I am keeping my fingers crossed and know that we have done all that is possible for him to recover.

Sampson takes a road trip!

After experiencing two unseasonably beautiful days of 75* weather in Montana, it quickly went back to the normal temperatures of 50* with rain and occasional snow. This only kindled our already blazing "spring fever". With Sampson feeling better, and my commitment to attend a work seminar in San Diego, we packed up the car and hit the open road southbound, leaving the rain and snow showers in our rear view mirror. Sampson is a great traveler. I learned this two years ago after his first ACL surgery when we drove cross country to attend my brothers wedding. We left the other two dogs at home with Dad and know they will all have fun getting back out on the trails and getting a little one on one attention.

The weather was great so we drove straight through, making 1300 miles in 22 hours. We weren't too rushed so Sampson was able to get out plenty and stretch his legs and take in all the new smells along the way.

We left on Sunday and as dawn broke on Monday we were just outside of Lake Powell and though it was only 6:30am it felt so warm and welcoming. Here is Sampson taking in his first sniff of the red rock and cactus.

We are staying in my home town in Arizona for a few days to see family and have a little car work done. This is giving us quality time to take nice slow walks, and watch the Quail and Jack Rabbits cross our paths.

Sampson is even helping Grandma in the kitchen with the dishes!

We are taking our morning walks with his new friend Maggie and her mom Audra.

Tomorrow we head for San Diego. Sampson has not been in the water since his ear flared up, and I have been diligent about keeping it dry and applying the drops twice a day so I think we are in good shape for him to try out swimming in the ocean.

His leg is also doing great. He wants to do far more than I am allowing him to do. We are at one month and all is well, so better to err on the cautious side of things. The incision scar is healing up really well and you have to really look to see where it is. Hopefully in another week the hair will have completely grown in.

Knock on wood, things are going great. The sun and warm weather make all things a little better!

What a difference a day makes

I am amazed at how quickly Sampsons ear lost the redness and the obvious appearance of the bacteria. Over the weekend I was able to apply the drops three times a day, and it was only on the first day that the application of the drops seemed to bother him. After that he mostly became excited when he saw me reaching for the medication, knowing that cookies would appear soon after. Dr. Lawson showed me how to apply the drops at the outer edge of the ear and then massage them gently into the rest of the ear. He loves those massages! So, another two plus weeks of the drops and his ear should be back to normal.

As the knee recovers, so does his energy level and his desire to test the boundaries is becoming more evident every day. I see him pass by the stair case slowly and with some consideration.... the same way I pass by a plate of doughnuts... [how bad would it really be?]. Today while I was doing some much needed vacuuming I looked over and caught him in the act of trying to move the doggie gate with his nose. I stopped the vacuum and clapped my hands loudly, and he jumped like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

We have been able to get in a couple of walks today in between rain squalls, but as the rain drizzles in he is once again content by putting some of that pent up energy towards gnawing away on a large marrow bone. For now the living room has become Sampsons personal bone yard.

His walking stride is looking every bit normal. If you didn't see the incision mark and the shaved leg, it would be hard to determine which knee had the surgery. Every now and then he wants to leap ahead and jump a bit, but he is getting better at listening to my commands, and will stop with a little tug and a loud NO.

We are on a good path and know that if we are patient and stick with the program, he will be cruising around on his own by the end of summer!

One Knee Forward, One Ear Back

Our two week check up was Wednesday afternoon and he was cleared with a good bill of health. After our swim that day I gave him a full brushing and was so happy that we had reached our first milestone. Thursday night I noticed him scratching at his ears and licking his paws more than normal, but didn't think much of it. By Friday evening I noticed he had a little redness in his ear and I chalked it up to the fact that he had just been scratching at it with his back paw and got a little carried away. I have noticed that he still wants to lick a little at the incision and when I deter him he will start to lick his paws, so I thought the ear scratching may be just another symptom of his frustration. Boy was I wrong! By Friday night Sampson was shaking his head violently most of the night. When I took a gauze pad to it to try to swab out the moisture he literally ran from me with a little yelp. It was so difficult to watch because I was so helpless in being able to ease his discomfort. We made it through a sleepless night and called our vet early the next morning. Sampson had a similar type of ear infection three years ago and it had also flared up overnight. We were able to get into the vet right away Saturday morning.

The vet tech took a swab and I told her what I was able to see the night before.

When Dr. Lawson came in, he began explaining to me that due to Sampson just going off the antibiotics, he was more vulnerable to an infection in his ear, and he probably had some water get deep into the ear canal during one of our swims. He let me see the bacterial bodies in the microscope and I could not believe what I saw! He had a small city of bacteria living in that ear, no wonder he was so incredibly uncomfortable! Dr. Lawson explained that this was a yeast infection and he then applied a topical solution. I remembered this one from the three years prior. We left the hospital with Sampson already feeling better. By Saturday evening his ear was losing the red color and did not seem to be quite so sensitive.

Again the trick is distracting him for a few seconds while I apply the 2-3 drops needed. Thank goodness for doggie treats and peanut butter! They work just long enough for me to apply the drops and massage it into the ear for a few seconds.

We made it through the night without any head shaking or knee licking, so things are looking good. A little bit of solid rest can make all the difference!

We will wait a few days before getting back in the water and I understand my responsibility to swab his ear out immediately after leaving the water, but we are still going to use the swimming as the main form of his rehab.

Brown Eyed Girl ...... Tashi

Introducing Tashi Bella

Isn't it funny how different situations can connect you to people with such a strong, common thread?

In a quick email exchange regarding business with a WAG [Whitefish Animal Group] Board Member whom I had never met in person, I discovered that his newly adopted chocolate lab Tashi Bella was going to have the same surgery as Sampson less than a week after Sampsons. We quickly began sharing our thoughts and concerns of the standard surgery vs the TPLO, natural recovery options, etc. and discovered that for many of the same reasons we were both going with the traditional surgery.

Randy found Tashi abandoned at the dog park. She was 96lbs and estimated to be about 6 years old. Though I had never met Randy I recalled seeing posters of "Dog Found" at the dog park and seeing this beautiful creature, wondering how could anyone abandon something so sweet looking. One look at those eyes and you are hooked! He took her in to his home where she met his Weimaraner Mix Liam. Big Brother Liam

Randy noticed Tashi's limp, and worked diligently to get her weight down. Even after getting her down to 72lbs she was still limping, and had now become a part of their home. Then came the inevitable decision to commit to her well being and provide her with the surgery.

It has been nearly a week

and from the sounds of it, the surgery went off without a hitch, and like most of us, the main problem Randy is having is just trying to contain some of that energy that is bounding from her.

She is a such a sweet looking dog and we will be following her progress. Hopefully by the end of the summer she and Sampson can be walking together or at least meeting each other at the dog park to celebrate their recoveries!

Two week check up

First let me say that I have been looking forward to this day with nervous anticipation for the last week. It's at this stage where the vet performs a couple of different tests, checking to make sure the surgery has taken and that the technique he used has remained secure. I felt like I was taking a pass/fail exam that would determine the next six weeks of our lives. I knew the responsibility was mine and it would not be Sampsons fault if something happened that would send us back to surgery. Any actions he has taken since surgery are that of him just being a dog but it was my job to watch him closely and deter that normal behavior

that got us in this situation.

Our appointment was mid afternoon and we were again hitting near record temperatures for this time of year. Sampson surely sensed my anxiousness because he was also breathing hard even with AC on. Again, at five miles away as we made our turn to the vets office he began getting excited like he does when we head to the dog park or his favorite trail. We were greeted like family and shown to our waiting room.

First came the vet tech who has known Sampson since his first surgery two years ago. He took to her again immediately, rolling over waiting for her to pat his belly. He was weighed and had gained about 1/4 lb. I was expecting at least that with all the extra peanut butter in his diet to mask the taste of his pills. Then came our vet. He is truly one of the most sincere and genuine human beings I have ever met. Maybe it is his southern way, but he never makes you feel foolish or overly sensitive when it comes to your pet.

We chatted briefly and then he got down to it, performing the "drawer pull" test.

It involves using two hands and placing the thumb at a particular point on the knee. If the ACL is secure there should not be any movement. If the ACL has torn, there will be up to an inch of movement in what is similar to pulling out a drawer. This was my nail biter moment. With a smile on his face the vet looked up at me and said "it feels really good". I was elated. We discussed his exercise schedule and my big question was whether or not we had the green light to get in the lake and he replied with an "absolutely"! Swimming is one of the best forms of rehab for dogs that have had this surgery. We discussed a few more things and I was told to check back in a month or sooner if something needed to be addressed.

We headed home with thoughts of the lake on our mind and since the temperature was topping out at the high for the day we geared up with the other dogs and paddle board and made our way to the water. Our neighbor dog followed so I had two dogs on each hand. It happened to be a bit of a rush hour with boats putting in and getting out.

Normally this lake is very quiet, but with the nice

weather everyone was taking advantage of it.

I walked into the water with the dogs and they all took off swimming which is what I expected. What took me by surprise was their desire to climb on the paddle board when we launched it. The white and orange dog Olie is a "wader" of sorts. He doesn't need to jump around and get his head wet, but this time he quickly swam out to the board and got on during the paddle. Sampson swam alongside and soon little Olu [the small black dog] was also on board. I paddled from my knees, because I wasn't sure what the other eight legs were wanting to do.

The shallow part of the lake felt nice and refreshing but since the ice only melted off two weeks ago I wasn't quite ready for a family tip-over. We paddled and swam, taking turns on the board for about 40 minutes until I decided to end play time injury free and save some energy for tomorrow.

It was a fantastic day and I look forward to the days ahead and easing Sampson back into swimming and longer walks.

Here is a short clip of the whole gang!

Days 10 - 11

Yeah, we are in the double digits of the recovery stage! It's amazing how slowly eleven days seem to pass when you are dealing with something around the clock, but it's a great mile marker and good hopes for the next ten days. Sampson had a great night. I had made the mistake of thinking I could wean him off of his painkillers early, so two nights ago he was already asleep during the time I would normally give them to him, so I thought to myself, "maybe he doesn't need them". Uffda, was that a mistake! Always follow the Dr.'s orders. We made it through that sleepless night with many quick trips outside to avoid waking the household. We sat on the porch and looked at a clear and starry sky, listened to the owl hooting from the other side of the lake and walked around the yard sniffing all the fresh scents from the deer that had just ran away. The next day was filled with short naps and more short walks. Needless to say, I did not make the same mistake last night and even though he gave it his best effort to spit out the pain pill that I thought I had cleverly disguised between two dog cookies smothered in peanut butter, he still managed to spit out only the pill... cheeky bugger. He did finally swallow the pill with a cookie following as a reward and we all got a much needed sleep filled night.

Today has been wonderfully sunny so we made our usual walks to the entrance gate of the lake where we turned around. I don't know who wanted to go in the water more, but we both turned away with our heads hung low, knowing that if we obey the rules and don't walk the long slope down to the lake [the vet told us to stay off of any inclines] then maybe in a few days we can actually drive down there and swim in the lake. We have two new paddle boards that I have yet to take a spin on, and I look at them with the same desire that Sampson does when he sees a

squirrel. My hope is that I can paddle along side him while he swims. It will be a great and much needed exercise for both of us, so hopefully the incision will look as good to the vet as it does to me!

Here he is is looking at the new paddle board. I don't think I'll attempt putting him on it until the end of the summer when he is further along the healing process, but for now I think he will love swimming alongside of it.

His posture is looking really great during our walks. He has always had a lumbered gate, and as a rescue dog there was no certainty as to what breed he actually is, but I chalk his walk up to

some of the charm that is Sampson. He is a big, loving dog who actually gives hugs when you scratch his belly. He has been a great patient and I hope the next ten days go as well as the previous ones.

Day 9

Today has been a slower day for Sampson. I wanted to stay on the cautious side because when he woke up this morning he seemed a little stiffer than in the previous days. This could be due to the fact that he slept soundly through most of the night, only stirring a little bit, so his leg may have stiffened up a bit without our usual midnight walk. I gave him a good massage and did some small leg movements with him, and after that he seemed to be back to normal and was ready to head out the door for our short morning walk to the mailbox. We were all caught off guard and jumped a little when we came upon three pheasants just inches away. I'm not sure who was more startled but we jumped and they flew off high through the trees making more noise than you would expect of three birds. I was a little worried that Sampson may have jumped as high as I did so we made our way very slowly back home.

After checking his incision and seeing that it seemed to heal even more during the night, I decided not to take any chances so it was another bone chewing afternoon and only two short walks to do his business.

He made a few successful passes on his new ramp. It should really help when he gets in and out of the vehicles, but for now it seems he doesn't see the point in using the ramp when there are two perfectly good stairs right there. That will be something we continue to work on.

Overall a good day, looking forward to getting past the ten day mark then our big check up with the vet on day 14! I know we are doing everything possible to make sure the recovery is a success, but I still get nervous. All we can do is give it our all!

Day 8

Today has been a little bitter sweet. Our temperatures skyrocketed from 32* and snowing a few days ago, to nearly 70* today! Blue, sunny skies and warm temperatures would normally be a day to be celebrated and taken advantage of by engaging in any outdoor activity, however, with a dog recovering from ACL surgery, it means you get to sit out in the sun with a good book in one hand and a leash in the other. Sampson is a fairly relaxed dog, at least in comparison to his energy level of two years ago when he had his first surgery. He loves sleeping in the sun with his brothers, occasionally snapping at the bees that disturb his nap time.

The only down side of today was that with the sun and warm temperatures came lots of activity with kids on bikes going up and down the street and other neighbors walking with their dogs, and whenever anyone or anything passed down the street it would set off the choir of dogs in our area, and Sampson would of course want to jump up and see what all the commotion was about. Those lunging motions to get up quickly are the scariest thing I can think of him doing at this stage in his recovery and I knew I had to avoid this temptation. So we ditched the book and the sunshine and went inside with all three dogs and they were duly rewarded with frozen marrow bones. These bones have been a saving grace for me not only during this recovery, but on those rainy days or long road trips. They are a great distraction and are a "normal" activity for dogs.

Here are his two brothers waiting patiently for their bones. They have been great sports and don't seem to mind the rehab process as long as they get their treats too.

His incision is closing and healing nicely. His desire to lick it and the loss of the pink color in the skin mean it is healing as it should be.

We only have another two days of the anti-biotics and pain killers. I have been told I can use the pain killers beyond that, but it is my hope that he will not need them beyond the standard ten days, especially since he has figured out how to lick the peanut butter off of the pills and spit them out, but still eat the cookie that I attach them to. Giving him his anti-biotic last night was like feeding brussel sprouts to a five year old. I had to be impressed by his ability to make his way through my five attempts and several cookies later, until I finally just opened his mouth, and tipped his head up until I heard him gulp them down. He may be down, but he is still one clever canine.

Day 7

It's been one week since Sampsons surgery and the recovery process appears to be going smoothly. We had a good night's sleep with only two quick potty breaks and after that he rested soundly until 6am. Last night when he went to sleep I was a little concerned with his incision. It appeared to be getting pinker throughout the evening because he kept wanting to lay on that side, but a good dose of the bitter spray kept him from licking it any further and seemed to change his mind about wanting to lay on it. This morning when I woke up I heard him licking at it, so I quickly jumped up and applied more bitter spray. I noticed it had closed quite a bit and lost that pink color. I know this is the stage where it gets itchy as the skin forms together, so I anticipate that as my challenge for the next few days.

His posture during the short walks is looking great. He is slow and steady and continues to place even more weight on the bad leg, using it as he relieves himself. When he wakes in the morning or gets up from a nap he doesn't appear to be so labored as he stands up.

Even with a house full of dog beds he still opts for the comforter while resting his head on the coffee table. I wish I could be this comfortable while sleeping on the floor.

At this stage I am happy with his progress and keep my fingers crossed that we can stay on this path!

Days 5 - 6

Day 5 - I had some hesitation in using the extra medication for Sampson, but after dinner he once again began his pacing and appeared to be struggling to find a comfortable position in which to lay down. I waited until bed time and gave him the extra medication and I was so glad I did. I fell asleep with him on one of the dog beds while massaging his back and the sound of his gentle snoring lulled me and the other dogs into a deep sleep. He only stirred twice that night, needing to go out to the bathroom, and sniff around in the snow a bit, but other than that he came back in and cozied up next to the couch so we were able to get a fairly peaceful nights sleep.


The next morning he woke up a little sore, but within a few steps was putting full weight on the bad leg and during his short morning walk he actually stood on the bad leg while he relieved himself. He is slowly getting back to the same old Sampson, just not liking the baby gates at every turn blocking him from going up and down the stairs.

His brothers are patient enough, but overall it is a bit of a juggling act getting everyone exercised without too much excitement.

Day 6 - It continues to snow and while it makes great sleeping conditions when Sampson is inside, he is one of those dogs that LOVES the snow! Loves to run in it, play in it, and throw it up in the air and catch it. So today was a little challenging on our walks to hinder the puppy play. The thing I remember from days 5 - 6 on the surgeries with his other leg, was that the incision appears to be tearing when it is actually healing. It is hard to look at because it looks so painful, but after speaking with my vet, I am confident that this is a sign of healing. I am continuing to saturate a small cloth with the bitter apple spray and it is really helping to quell his urge to lick at the wound. We have had a good day and look forward to another [fingers crossed] quiet night.

Days 2-4 Recovery

The first day I brought Sampson home was probably the easiest so far. The other dogs were out of the house for the day and he was still rather sleepy from the surgery so he cozied up to me on the camp mattress set up in the living room and we took turns napping away and icing the leg with frozen peas. In the past this was part was a real challenge, but this time around I massaged his back and neck while holding the frozen peas on the surgery area and he didn't seem to be at all bothered by this. He slept through the first night without any issues.

Day 2 - Sampson was obviously feeling better today and to have the other dogs around put him back in play mode. He was already putting weight on the back leg so we decided to try a very slow walk to the mailbox. It worked out really well. Once out of the driveway they all got in their normal walking rhythm, but we kept it slow and easy. We continued the day this way, with lots of little breaks outside and an occasional slow walk back to the mailbox. It was all seeming pretty routine and as normal as can be expected.

Day 3 - Sampson was appearing to be a little restless, taking more caution in how he would lay down for rest. The camp mattress didn't last long so that was replaced with five dog beds, comforters and sleeping bags set about the living room so that he could lay down anywhere for a little rest. The other dogs loved it, the only one that didn't seem to take to it was Sampson. The problem was that he had begun to favor the back right leg throughout the process of the previous surgeries on the right leg. To watch him try to lay down was like watching dog gymnastics. He would hold himself up by his front legs and swing his back end from side to side while trying to figure out how to lay down comfortably. It was hard to watch and no matter what I did to help out it only seemed to make it more difficult for him. That kind of restlessness lasted throughout the rest of the day and when night time came around he began pacing around the house with even more frustration. It was a long, sleepless night for everyone, because the only way to settle him for any length of time was to take him outside for a quick potty break and then do some massage on his back. Luckily I had stocked up on a good supply of frozen bones and those got us through the night.

Day 4 - After a sleepless night, it was looking good that Sampson was going to rest up and relax a bit, but those hopes were short lived. He was obviously ready to head out the door so out we went. We ventured a little further than the mailbox and again he was walking really well, at a nice, easy pace. At this point the knee area was looking really good, no redness or obvious swelling, and he was letting me do some slow stretching with leg and seemed to almost enjoy it.

From the previous surgeries we learned how priceless "Bitter apple spray" was to prevent licking the area that had stitches / staples. It saved us again. When dogs undergo this surgery they must shave such a large area and in the days that immediately follow and the hair starts growing back in, that is when he became almost fixated on the entire leg and would want to lick and bite at the leg incessantly. The only problem I found with the spray was that it was cold and kind of shocking to him on the bare skin, so I have started putting it on a warm cloth, then dabbing the entire leg with the saturated cloth. It has worked great this time around and has deterred that licking behavior that can sometimes reopen the wounds. What I found so funny about this day is that I had almost covered the floor in large, puffy dog beds and comforters and found it funny that his place of comfort turned out to be a small, oval rug in front of the kitchen sink. As long as he was resting, it really didn't matter where he chose to lay down, as long as he was relaxed. I had called the vet during the day and told him of Sampsons restlessness the previous two nights and he gave me a slightly stronger pain medication, and assured me this was not going "sedate" him. So when ten pm rolled around I gave him the new pain meds with his favorite cookie. We started off on one of the doggie beds with a little leg stretching and massage and by 11pm he was resting easy and didn't wake until 1am for a potty break and another at 4am. Even though this was another night of broken sleep, it felt heavenly and we all woke at our normal time of 6am with a short walk to the mailbox. It started snowing as we walked so the dogs had no problem coming back in the house and cuddling up on their warm beds. With bloodshot eyes, I am hoping that the day ahead will be one of rest and easy walks.

Sampson's Story - ACL Surgery

On April 2nd, 2010 My big, goofy, Marmaduke like, 4 year old rescue dog named Sampson came bounding the stairs on Good Friday to let me know how excited he was that he found me down there and he would be ready for his walk very soon. As he and one of the smaller dogs [Olu] fought to make it to me quicker by jumping on the couch simultaneously I heard "the cry". I had never heard him whimper or cry like that before and my stomach sank as I knew immediately what it meant. He knelt down at the edge of the couch, ears back, looking at me with big eyes as if wondering if he had done something wrong. Olu even became nervous with the sound of the cry and stood by his brothers side until we were all calm.

I knew what had happened because two years earlier in the spring of 2008, almost to the date, Sampson had his left ACL repaired. In that situation it was a slow tear that resulted in weeks of occasional limping until we finally realized that this was more than just too much time on the trails. After a visit to our amazing vet we were given our options and with an incredible amount of information he told us we could and should get a second opinion as well as do our own research and compare that to the information he had given us. Ironically some good friends of mine had just begun the process with their Australian Shepard mix. He was going in for TPLO and so we shared information about the pro's and con's of the whole process. Luckily I was working from home so I would be able to attempt to keep things as normal as possible during his recovery. The surgery was quick and he did really well during the first stages of recovery. Short leashed walks, ice packs and motion therapy, he showed lots of patience and seemed to be doing well with all of it. It was with in the fourth week that I started seeing him limp a little more than normal on the bad leg, and within a few days he was back to only touching his toe to the ground. It was at that check up that we discovered that the surgery did not take, and we had to reschedule for another within two weeks and start the whole process over again. To make a long story not quite so long, this happened another time leading us to three surgeries within a five month period. It was agonizing for all of us, mostly the dogs that were missing their normal summer activities and the ability to play freely with each other. We are a three dog household so the hardest part was just keeping them from playing with each other in the normal way that two year old puppies will do. The whole process had started in mid March with snow and ice still covering most of the ground and we did not achieve a comfortable routine with Sampsons new knee until late September. From that time he recovered beautifully and we eased him into the longer walks, swimming in the lake and a little more open play in the yard. We thought we had seen the last of the vets surgery room.

When the initial tear happened this year I thought that there was no way we could go through it again, that I could attempt to contain his energy as well as the other dogs, keep him confined and separated from the rest of the house all over again. The vet had told me he had an opening within the next week and that we could get in right away but he knew of our concerns from the previous surgeries. Let me add here that this veterinarian is incredible! He is personable, sincere and leaves the decision making to you with all the information you could possibly want. He felt so awful about the previous surgeries failing to take properly that he did the last two surgeries at no charge. And let me add that to this day that whenever I turn on the road that leads us to the town where the vet office is located Sampson starts letting out little barks and by the time we pull up to the office he is jumping out of the car to run inside! Even the staff can't believe how much he likes it there after all he has had to go through, so clearly they are treating him well and providing care and compassion in what otherwise could have been a horrible experience.

After some very serious thoughts on every aspect of it I decided to go through with the surgery.

He went in on Thursday and I was able to pick him up on Friday. Your heart just breaks when you see the shaved leg and the stitches and the fragility of an otherwise happy, bounding dog. We have turned the living room into "Camp Sampson" with dog beds at every corner, and baby gates set up to block off stairs and other temptations.

I had some great advice given to me through the blogs that were posted two years ago when he had his first surgery and I was so grateful for that information. I hope this blog will help anyone else going through, or considering this surgery for their dogs.