He's Home!

We picked up Behren today! It was so great!

First off let me say that we took Behren to Camboro, and I cannot say enough good things about them. They made us feel so comfortable and always seem to know what they are talking about and don't care how much we bother them. They tell us to call as much as we want. I really like all the staff and doctors there, and completely recommend taking your pets there!

When we first got there we went in one of the exam rooms and the one assistant told us about the meds that he needed to take (inflammation, pain pills, antibiotics). Then the doctor who did the surgery (Dr. Sliker - Orthopedic Surgeon for 17 years or something like that . . a very nice and very educated guy!) came in and we got to talk to him about questions we had and about what to expect and what Behren can and can't do. Pretty much . . he has to stay in the house for the next month and can only go out (on a leash) to do his thing and then has to come back in. No running, no jumping, no climbing stairs, no digging. After a month then he can start going for walks on a leash again.

So after we discussed all that, Dr. Sliker took us to the xray exam room to show us Behren's xrays (and they gave them to us on a CD . . how fun!).

Pre Surgery
(you can see on the right how much farther his knee is separated . . this is because his cruciate ligament was 75% torn, and the rest was just stretched out)

Post Surgery
(you can see where the metal clasps are . . if you look really good, you can see a darker line where the "tunnel" is that they drilled)



When we were in the xray room, they took him past to do some laser therapy (which he goes back for once - twice a week for five weeks) . . this is supposed to help stimulate cell growth and help him heal faster. He saw us when he walked by and did a double take. When we finally got to see him, he did his normal smile and wagging of the tail and was so excited to see us. You could tell he was definitely ready to go home though. He was very anxious.


Here is his suture on his leg. He goes back in two weeks to get the stitches removed.


They shaved off so much hair! He looks naked!


After a while at home, he seemed a lot more content and started playing with all his toys. We fed him and gave him his pills, and then he was passed out. (p.s. - Our 20 year old kitty is behind Behren).


It is so great to have him home again. We have a long road to recovery, but we just hope we can get him back so he can painlessly run on all fours again.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. We greatly appreciate it!