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.