Thankful Thursday

Mommy ordered this painting by Quint and it arrived a few days ago. It is one of Quint's Autumn pieces. Isn't it beautiful?

Whisky : Remember my mobility troubles due to my osteoarthritis? Mommy got impatient waiting for someone who volunteered to make the booties (it's been almost 2 months now) so she went and bought herself a sewing machine! And 218 prototypes later, she finally made a set that fit properly and does the job! She says it is still work in progress but I wanted to show them to you this Thankful Thursday!

Whisky : The booties give me such great traction and I can now run REALLY fast! Can you see how impressed Tutu is? BOL!

Whisky : I can turn quickly without slipping

Whisky : And when I stand, I'm STEADY! No more slipping or sliding. Woo hoo!

Whisky : Mommy made me lay down so I could show you how quickly and easily I'm able to get up. Ready?

Whisky : One strong push...

Whisky : And I'm UP! That took all of 1 second. Thank you, Mommy!

Mommy here : I am letting Whisky test out these booties to see if any further adjustments are necessary before using the better (and much more expensive) anti-slip material.

A special THANK YOU to Annette S for her guidance. :)

Soaking Saturday

Whisky : Oh no no no no no!

Whisky : OH NOES!

* S I G H *

Whisky : Hey, TREAT!

Whisky : Errrr, Daddy? Do you mind bringing the treat nearer? I can't move
Daddy : Of course you can move, just take a step forward

Whisky : Oka...uggg

Whisky : Why are you laughing, Mommy?

Whisky : There goes that treat again. Darn it!

Whisky : I know! I'll go on reverse and back up to the treat

Daddy : Silly girl. I'll guide you to the treat, okay?
Whisky : Won't it be much easier if you just guided your hand with the treat toward my mouth?

Whisky : That's it. I'm going to lay down, close my eyes and when I open them, this would all be just a bad dream

Whisky : Oh CRAP

Tutu : What is going on down there?

Whisky : Call the SPCA, Tutu. Mommy and Daddy are trying to drown me

Mommy : Why are you sticking your bum so high up?
Whisky : I don't want a wet bum!

Whisky : FINALLY! 

Whisky : Can you stop taking my pictures? I am nekkid!

Mommy : Okay, sweetie. Time for a bath
Whisky : WHAT!? *THAT* wasn't a bath? I hope effuryone is having a much better Saturday!

This is our first attempt at Water Physiotherapy to strengthen her hind legs. There should have been a little more water so it reached her tummy but we thought we'll just let her experience being partly submerged in water. She wasn't very willing to walk in the water but we'll keep trying!

Monday Whisky Update

When the Puffy Paint didn't help add grip to Whisky's socks (infant socks), I ordered some non-slip fabric to see if that would work better. It arrived late last week and after a few tries, I managed to get it at the right spot

Whisky : Hey, I'm not slipping around anymore!

Whisky : I can run without worrying about falling!

Whisky : This non slip fabric works great, Mommy!
Despite the success, Whisky was still having trouble trying to get up from a lying position. I ended up having to videotape her trying to get up. That was when I discovered her ability to get up depended very much on her front legs being able to hold up her body while her back legs got up. Every time her front paws slipped, she would fall with a thud (as would my heart)

Whisky : Mommy made me non-slip socks for my front paws too!

Whisky : I like wearing socks. They don't bother me one bit  :)

Whisky : Mommy used shorter infant socks and sewed the non-slip at the "top" of the socks so I'm wearing the bottom at my top and the top at the bottom. Get it? BOL!
The heel part of the sock is exactly where her wrist is so it worked better the *wrong* way

Whisky : Wanna see how it works better this way? Watch closely and don't blink!

Whisky : I use my front paws to push myself up and the non slip makes sure my paws don't slide...

Whisky : Now my back legs jump into action

Whisky : And TA DA! I'm up!

Whisky : How do I look?  :D

Whisky does very well in her non slip socks. The front socks do slip off easily so we're still trying to figure that out. Thank you to those who responded to my request for suggestions on how to help my girl. Old Kitty (THANK YOU!) gave me a website that sold "breathable orthopedic shoes", suitable for indoor and summer use. I am considering getting her those shoes for outdoor use.

Monday Musing

Whisky : Hello Furriends! Mommy says I am like a carpet when I lie down this way...a carpet that yelps if stepped on. BOL!
Whisky has osteoarthritis in her hips and muscle wastage in her hind legs

It's all good until it's time to get up. We notice she is most able to get up with the right motivation (read : TREATS), although there are times she can't, and ends up "swimming" in that position until we help lift up her back end

She uses her front legs to push herself up. Sometimes she ends up sliding backwards. Whisky has been going for regular acupuncture and it has helped. Now, we have started her on physiotherapy to help rebuild her hind leg muscles in a safe manner

Whisky : But once I'm up, I'm ready to chase anyone for treats, even if I sometimes slide around as I walk / run!

We ended up buying her an array of baby socks to see if the little rubber dots are able to help. The blue booties are good as they have a rubber sole, giving very good traction but are a little too big. The others fit better but have the rubbery stuff at the wrong areas. She needs them to be closer to the top part and at the sides (to help when she gets up)

After doing some reading, I read that puffy paint can mimic the non slip qualities. It took a while but we finally found 2 types of Puffy Paint!

We got to work with her older socks. It wasn't as easy to get nice uniform shapes...but that's probably because we aren't very crafty. LOL

Whisky : Chasing after my treat ball is part of my exercise routine...this is one exercise I really enjoy!
The puffy painted socks didn't seem to make much of a difference. Looks like it's back to the drawing board!

I've ordered some non-slip fabric so we'll see if that works better. Doggy boots might work better but those aren't made of "breathable" materials so might be rather uncomfortable.  If anyone has any other suggestions, please leave us a comment!

Hot Dog

Whisky : Oh oh. The car's stopped...

Whisky : I feel conflicted. I wanna leave but yet, I wanna go in...

*sniff sniff sniff*

WHISKY! Were you thinking of going potty?
Whisky : Of course not!

Whisky : That doggy just came out....and that can only mean one thing...it's MY turn!
*hides behind Daddy's legs*

Dr S : Open wide......
Whisky : Hrrummpf. Dr S says my tongue color tells her I'm a *hot* dog

Whisky : Mommy! What's Dr S doing back there?
She's taking your pulse, sweetie. Hold still

Whisky : She's needling me! Can't we skip all these and get to the last bit?

Whisky : How long more?
Just a few more minutes and it'll be happy time!

If you biggify, you should be able to see the needles around her upper thigh and hip area

Whisky : HAPPY TIME is here!

Whisky : Give the *hot* dog the hot dog! Yum yum

Whisky was recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her hips during her annual checkup. She is able to move around fine, but will occasionally struggle to get up. The acupuncture sessions are for her general well being and also for management of the osteoarthritis. Once we get the go ahead from Dr Susanna (her acupuncturist), we will start her on physiotherapy to strengthen her hind legs (most likely swimming, to minimise the stress on her hips).

Whisky doesn't mind the acupuncture sessions and will be going for her 4th session on Monday.  :) Other than the occasional struggling to get up, Whisky is doing very well and still chases the kitties for fun.