esrosedotblog

ANGELS

I am three quarters through Angels in America and feeling pretty good about it. It is a roller coaster.

SMART DOG

It is interesting to watch Booker deal.

He has had the cone on his neck up to the tip of his ears for three or four days now. It seems longer.

At first the complications of the first bandage made the cone very awkward but after it was off he has been able to experiment. First, we could see him accept the situation. It was visible.

I think he needed to know that it was not a punishment, that we were with him, he got that it was going to be there for awhile and he began to "integrate" that information. He quit fighting it.

He first managed to find sleeping places that worked. He did the floor the first night and not much sleep, I think. We left the lights on dimmed and he walked around a lot. Some whining. We got up early Saturday morning (I usually sleep later, score one for me on the sacrifice board) and that helped. His peeing was out of whack and that got him back on his schedule.

During the day he walked around and got a connection between his view and how to fit the cone through narrow spaces. We went in at noon to change the bandages and that helped a lot. They were actually hurting him by holding him still. And the meds were kicking in.

Next he covered every inch of the house working out the dimensions.

By that night he had figured out how to get into his small bed in our work room/study and spent most of the night there. Then he worked out his own bed. A problem is that you can't sleep against a wall which he loves to do as the cone will be in the way.

He figured out how to sleep in the dining area, against the wall, by putting his head out in the walkway. Let Dads work it out.

Then yesterday we saw him get up on the sofa with his front feet, look around, think about it and then give up on trying.

This morning, he went to the same sofa, got up on it, found a way to get his head on a pillow and slept away for quite a while.

Just an hour ago, I saw him go to the toy box and get a tennis ball out to chew and roll around. He hasn't worked out how to dribble the ball as he normally does with the cone on but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets there soon.

Eating is working out very well. He even has the spit the pill thing down but I am always ahead of him on that.

If it is good for the patient to participate in his own care then he is well on his way to recovery.

And the bandage still holds tightly in place. A worry because it does rub on the inside of the cone some but so far so good.

Now, if I can find a way to keep his mouth and chin dry and not smelly I will be happy. I guess just a little soap and water and a towel. Same thing but more often. And clean the cone out of food and slop.

Have we learned anything? A lot. Mostly respect for his own skills and ability to ask for help when he needs it. He is also beginning to discover that hitting the back of our legs with the edge of the cone is a good attention getter.

Labels: animals, Booker