Kirby even looks younger now!

Kirby goes for his checkup on Monday.

Three weeks ago Kirby had his left knee operated on. Two weeks ago he started acting like a young dog.

I never knew him when he was a puppy. Was he clever? Was he adventurous? Was he kind?

Now that his knee has been repaired and he is not experiencing pain, the pup he once was can be seen.

Yes he must have been a very clever little guy.

Yes he must have been adventurous.

Yes we all know he must have been kind.

Just look at him now.

He is walking faster and smoother. He is putting weight on his leg more and more. He is happier and he is more active.

We will repair his right knee this summer and I can just imagine this gentle spirit blossoming even more.

I so wish I had known him since he was a puppy but perhaps knowing him at this side of his life is even more important.

I often tell clients who have adopted dogs whose backgrounds are sketchy — it doesn’t matter nearly as much who gave them the first part of their life — it is who gives them the rest of their life that matters the most.

Emily and Dancer - their first day at work

Everyone was shocked to see a cat coming down the hall. Especially a cat being carried in a pouch!

But that’s how Dancer made her entrance to her first appearance as a Pet Partner therapy animal in Las Vegas.

Dancer went through all the training required by Pet Partners and aced her evaluation.

She learned to wear a harness and walk on a leash.

She learned how to Down and Stay and Go to her Blanket.

She learned to cuddle up – oh, she already knew that!

She certainly already knew how to love.

Dancer was now very happy to go to work. She loved being held and petted and especially loved being brushed.

She settled in right away on her blanket on a bed or lap and looked right into the eyes of whoever needed her the most.

She was comfortable being carried and also walked beautifully on her leash. That was something no one had ever seen before – a cat walking on a leash!

Dancer spent about an hour on her first assignment and everyone agreed she should come back again – soon. Some people wanted to keep her and she was so comfy with them, she probably would have stayed with them!

But this gorgeous Russian Blue belongs to Emily and they are an incredible team.

Dancer and Emily will work at a few different facilities showing everyone that the best animal for the job may just be a cat.

Congratulations to the Love Dogs newest member …  or should we sat Love Cats?

To read more about the special therapy cats in Las Vegas, visit these articles:

There are therapy cats too, you know

The best  therapy dog may be a cat!

Bingo is always smiling, even now

When you first hear the diagnosis of osteosarcoma your head starts spinning.  All you hear is cancer.

Osteosarcoma is by far the most common bone tumor in dogs, usually striking the leg bones of larger breeds. Osteosarcoma usually presents in middle aged or elderly dogs but can arise in a dog of any age with larger breeds tending to develop tumors at younger ages.

This type of bone cancer usually has a sudden onset. The owner may notice just a few weeks of limping, the swelling around the mass and then discomfort.

All of a sudden a very active dog is on the sidelines.

One of our Love Dogs, Bingo, is one such dog. Just a few short weeks ago she was running in the desert and enjoying her agility classes.

Now she sits with her owner in a new doctor’s office, shaking and scared. The lump on her left front foot is growing more pronounced every day.

The veterinary oncologist spends several hours discussing this type of bone cancer and the options for treatment and potential results.

They all seem to have the same outcome – a dramatically shortened life.

There are benefits to amputation as removal of the affected limb resolves the pain in 100% of cases. There are benefits to aggressive treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation.

There are also drawbacks.

Aggressive treatment means restricted activity, many visits to the vet, considerable pain and considerable cost.

The average prognosis is months, not years.

So Bingo’s owners started making her bucket list of what once constituted her Quality of Life:

• Running free in the desert
• Playing with her canine siblings
• Jumping with joy when it is mealtime
• Being a therapy dog – a Love Dog

Bingo’s Quality of Life may now be measured differently:

• Is she pain free
• Can she walk comfortably even if she cannot run
• Can she enjoy the company of her human and canine family
• Can she continue to share her love as a Love Dog if only to be admired and petted gently … for a little while longer
• Can she have the best possible rest of her life

This is how you measure a dog’s Quality of Life and the toughest decisions are ones you make out of knowledge and love.

All of Bingo’s fellow Love Dogs wish her the best as she and her family deals with this new challenge.

To read more about Bingo click here

Rygambo (AKA Gummy) got a lot of petting today

The day began with a ride out to Boulder City. It was a beautiful day and the trip was very pleasant.

A stop along the way for some lunch and they were close to their goal – spending time with an incredible animal.

The client brought her family and we invited a few additional guests to make the experience even richer.

Rygambo’s owner and handler, Sandy, showed everyone how she feeds her M & Ms, her favorite treat.

Then we were able to meet her up close. Our special guest went right up to the railing and watched as others feed her carrots and licorice. She was not sure she wanted to feed or touch Rygambo, but she certainly admired her and enjoyed watching.

Then Sandy asked everyone if we wanted to see Rygambo RUN — fast as the wind. “Oh yes” everyone replied.  So Sandy let her loose in the arena and we could all see the amazing speed this Thoroughbred still has at age 24.

It was a very windy day but we all enjoyed the privilege of spending quality time with Rygambo.

We then had a few home-baked cookies and watched as Sandy led Rygambo back to her coral. Job well done!

After two weeks off, Kirby was so happy to be back to work

Kirby had the stitches out of his knee and is doing remarkably well. He walks steadily and puts his weight on that leg to stand and pees like a big boy! He hasn’t done that for months. I remarked to the doctor at our last visit that he is “leaning really well on his bad knee” and he reminded me that this left leg is now his good leg!”

Kirby went to visit with his friends this week – still a little bit slower than usual but he enjoyed the car ride. And he perked up when we got inside. He was very happy to see everyone again and lay on his blanket quietly and enjoyed gentle petting.

Sweet boy will work again today and tomorrow and each day get stronger and stronger.

The goal is to get healed and strong enough to repair the right knee. Then he will have no more bad knees!

Kirby is the ultimate therapy dog

Most people are familiar with animal-assisted activities when animals are brought into health or educational facilities to spend time together, enjoy the closeness and comfort of an animal. There is no direct supervision by a related professional, the visits can be spontaneous and involve many people at a time and have no stated outcome or goal. This is what is known as the Meet and Greet visit.

Or a dog that is proficient with the Pet Partners technique of walking with a double-leash. Where the second leash is attached to the dog is critical to the success of this therapy technique.

Or a dog that can be extremely still for long periods of time while someone uses a weak hand to brush, clip on leashes, stroke or lift a paw.

A Love Dog Adventure combines the two modalities and harnesses the power of the pets to bring about a unique experience for the client or clients.

Simply being with the animal provides an enriching environment, coupled with being outdoors or in new surroundings can bring about miracles.

It may be ongoing scheduled sessions with a blind child working on the concept of making direct eye contact with someone speaking to them. The goal is “turning towards the sound.”  The original Love Dog, Coco, spent many months working with one child having that child turn to the dog when she barked. You needed a very steady dog that would not bark inappropriately or too loudly and a dog that would sustain the position chosen. As the child turned towards the dog’s vocalization, the child was directed to put her hand out and she got a sweet Coco kiss. That kiss was the reward for both child and dog.

Our therapy team is called Love Dog Adventures to carry on Coco the Love Dog’s many adventures over fifteen years.

Today six dogs went on a real adventure with three very special kids. The Love Dogs have partnered with a program that provides group homes for children living with multiple challenges.

There were cuddles and tickles, cool breezes felt on warm faces, dogs all snuggled up close to the children and each other.

Kirby has a bald chicken leg!

Kirby is shaved thoroughly and still has a row of black stitches on the inside of his knee and thigh but he is smiling through it all.

He needs to start putting weight on the leg so we are walking slowly but it is difficult for him. He needs to wear the collar so he doesn’t fuss with the stitches and he hates that.

Then he came in and was so tired. I put him up on the bed and let Benny be with him. Benny wanted to cuddle and I think this made Kirby feel safe and happy.

Every day I expect him to get stronger and use his leg more. Next week the stitches come out and we start physical therapy.

Once this knee heals, we will consider repairing the other one.

For the next few weeks and maybe months he will work from his stroller and not be handled too much. But he can sit up and give kisses and be petted gently. Just as Coco did for many of her last year.

He is anxious to go back to work as this past week has been very boring for him. Every time I took Benny out with his vest on, Kirby gave me that look “Why are you leaving me home?”

So the healing continues and our home is much more content now.

No one can resist Cricket’s smile

Cricket is a gorgeous black toy poodle. She has completed her Delta Pet Partner training with her handler Toni and today started what promises to be a stellar career as a therapy dog with the Love Dog Adventures animal-assisted therapy team.

The first place they visited is a dementia / hospice facility. About twenty clients reside there, behind locked doors. It has a warm, welcoming atmosphere and the staff love when the dogs come to visit.

She saw where she is to go potty and smelled all around.

Cricket was joined by Benny, a mini poodle, and he showed her the ropes. First they greeted everyone briefly and then settled in with the “regulars,” a small group of residents who particularly enjoy the dogs and look forward to their weekly visits.

She really liked Benny so the two of them spent a little time gazing into each others’ eyes! The residents enjoyed seeing this budding romance!

Everyone agreed she is quite beautiful and extremely soft. They enjoyed brushing her and holding her and learning all about her.

This first visit lasted about an hour, long enough to see how well the team fit into this environment and population, but not too long as to stress the dog. During the visit Cricket went outside to the garden to relieve herself and take a little break.

A first visit speaks volumes about the training and temperament of the therapy dog. And it tells us so much about the human end of the leash. Cricket did a superb job and was calm and gentle and loving and happy to work alongside a dog she had never met before. That is expected of Pet Partners – all animals must be quiet and happy working with all other animals, even the first time together.

And Cricket’s person, Toni, was such a joy. The residents appreciated her bright smile and upbeat personality.

This group of residents may not remember much about their own lives or the lives of others but they always know it is Monday because the dogs come to visit!

Soon as she returns week after week, Cricket will become part of their very limited memory.

Kirby was so happy to see me and to go home

Kirby’s surgery was a success. He came through the anesthesia and spent two days at the Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center resting and adapting to his new condition.

It is not uncommon to have combinations of patella luxation and a torn cranial cruciate ligament, but Kirby also had a torn meniscus. Instead of sutures, the doctor put in a pin to stabilize the X-Cap and because of his arthritis they deepened the groove where the patella sits (an MPL procedure).

The cast and bandage should be kept clean and dry at all times so we are putting a plastic bag around it when he has to eliminate. Any water or urine on the cast would require returning to the vet to re-bandage his leg.

He was able to walk around the exam room but it was slippery so he started to fall and that was the end of his walking!

His ride home in the car was interesting. I brought a little soft bed for him to lie on but he just could not get comfortable. I took some blankets to fold around him to cushion his body and that helped a lot. I drove slowly because bumps made him whine. The little whimper is so sweet but also heartbreaking.

When we get about two blocks from home he always gets excited and knows he is home. This time as we approached the spot he usually realizes is “home,” he stayed in the down position but his eyes widened. He knew. But he did not have the strength to wag his tail or wiggle his little body.

He has to wear the E-collar at all times until the cast is off but I removed it so he could eat and drink water. He was very hungry. Back it went and we went outside to try and manage the rocks. I wish I had grass for him but he has to figure out how to maneuver on the rocks. And he did. He even pooped – what a boy!

He was exhausted – eating and pooping is the extent of his activity today.

I put him on the couch for a while and he finally rested comfortably. If I can’t be with him he will be in his kennel.

And he will wear a doggie diaper in case he pees in the kennel so the cast stays dry.

Kirby gets the cast removed in a week and then the sutures out in two weeks. Six weeks is the critical check up … until then Kirby will not work but will rest and get strong and show us how an old dog can still have pep in his step!