It has now been two weeks since Jasmine’s back injury, and I’m happy to report that she’s better. I picked Jasmine up from the kennel yesterday, and it was all I could do to keep her from jumping and re-injuring herself. She was so happy to see me…it was so nice to be greeted with such unbridled joy. She cried all the way home. I had to coo and calm her the entire time so she would keep from wriggling and moving around too much.
She is back to her old self. She is squatting as she does her business, she seems to have lots of energy, and she has her spirit back. Of course, it could be the “honeymoon” period of being home–when that wears off, she generally rebels a little to let us know that she DOES remember that we left her. However, the “back to the crate” routine hasn’t been a rousing success. She’s less inclined to desire to spend her time there. Before we left, she was on pain killers, and that tended to put her out. She’s now whining a bit to “pretend” to need to go outside to get let out. Of course, she had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. this morning to go out (not pretending), and it was tremendously hard for me to crawl out of bed and do it, especially with this cold/flu that I picked up during our trip. Hubby and I are both fairly ill and slogging it out as we go through the pain of remodeling our house. Oy.
I’m still going to continue the crate rest until she’s fully recovered. I have to speak to the vet about tapering her off her meds (she’s still on anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants) given her more positive disposition. I want her to be pain-free, but I also want her to be able to let her body do the healing. She’s off to a great start, and kenneling her was actually good for her (she was on strict crate rest at the kennel except for bathroom breaks). I just have to remember that feeling good to her can push her towards behavior that could cause further damage. This is probably the most dangerous time for her…she’s feeling better, but her back isn’t completely healed. I have to keep telling myself that…it’s SO tempting to give her a little more lee-way and let her romp and play as she’d like.
While she’s not thrilled with the crate, it’s what’s best for her right now. I know that, and I *am* the adult here. 
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Here’s wishing continued healing for Jasmine. I am also a weiner dog owner….aren’t they just the best dogs!
I’m so glad to hear how well she’s doing! And I’m sure she is absolutely DELIGHTED to be back with her people.
Yes, the crate is best. She will thank you for it down the road, when she can play without pain. The time will go fast.
Ruby
So glad to hear she’s doing good, and that you’re continuing on with more crate rest. That’s the most important thing for her. Joey had 6 weeks of crate rest (I believe the recommendation is now 8 weeks) when he was in back pain 2.5 years ago. He’s been great since….knock on wood. The couch is always blocked, and I carry him up and down the stairs to minimize his jumping. I also give him glucosamine/ha supplementation. He’s a happy boy.