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Day 7: He’s Home - let the spinal injury rehab begin! - Our first night

  • Writer: Samantha Knight
    Samantha Knight
  • Feb 9, 2022
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 6, 2022

A mix of excitement and apprehension in the air whilst on my way to collect my baby boy.


I’ve cried endlessly like my whole world is ending since he injured his spine sending him paralysed last Thursday, just 7 days ago now!

It’s the following Wednesday late afternoon and he’s being discharged. I’m not sure i‘m ready! I‘ve ordered all I think I need for his rehab stint from Amazon and it’s not arriving until tomorrow! They tell me there is nothing more they can do for him now, its time for him to come home and it’s now all down to me.. well him really…. team work!

I’m really not prepared for this. In my head he would come home Friday night and be at least standing and controlling his toilet habits by then. Oh how wrong could I be. Get ready, this is all about to get VERY real!

The stench of doggy pee in the car on the way home leads me to believe the update the vet gave me that said he was much better now at controlling his peeing was not quite accurate. An area I will come to realise more as his first evening home continues on!

His puppy crate is now up from the garage and ready for him for his 4 week stint of cage time. I carry this lump of a pup (17kg) up the stairs and into his new home. He’s far from impressed and the peeing starts. Shooting all over the place.

All proud of my organised fore thinking, I grab a puppy nappy and put it on him, having pre-thought such a scenario prior to him coming home and ordered a pack from Amazon. I am pleased this was the one item that has arrived early… 1 to me! Although such a minor victory is to be extremely short lived.



So what do I do with him now?

We watch the physio video the vet sent me where Lloris stars in it himself. Although I do wonder if it’s really him when he’s being all wellbehaved and going through all of his exercises like a pro. The ‘suck up school kid wanting to be teachers pet’ springs to mind!

Ok ok, so maybe he’s following suit from his mothers school days!

We have a go at the exercises together but everytime I move him, pee is shooting everywhere. How come he’s not doing that in the video? I watch it again and zoom in to really check it’s him - yep it’s my boy. Clearly mummy is being punished for allowing this to all happen to him. Awwww

We’re only hours in to his home coming and the enormity of the task ahead of me kicks in. Still recouping from my own major surgery less than 5 weeks ago, I’ve got to lock him back up for ’cage time’ whilst I head for a ‘legs bums & tums’ class to try and build my core strength back up. I somehow think I’m going to need it!!


Almost bedtime and I think I’ll go in for the cuddle on the sofa time. So we’re currently nappy off, I’m struggle to lift him onto me whilst putting a towel over me in case he has any little drips. Before you know it, he lets out one almighty yelp and with that piss shoots up in the air, clears the coffee table and hits his favourite fluffy rug in front of the fire.


Oh dear, such manoeuvring of him is clearly too soon. Lots of kissing, cuddles and apologies later I seem to be forgiven and his favourite fluffy rug is washed and tumbled and lives to see another day. No harm done!

He’s sprawled out snoring in front of the fire his favourite place to be and it’s nearing midnight. The thought of him yelping if I try to manoeuvre him into his tiny cage is just too much so I’ve decided to doze on the sofa until he wakes up, letting him stretch out for a little longer. Then I will pop him in his cage and go to bed myself.


It’s actually 2am before he stirs! As predicted, he does yelp out when pushed into his cage … a better set up is needed, tomorrow (well today now) shall be a busy day!

Good night my sweet baby boy. Mummy will get better at playing nurse. I promise!

His whimpering in his cage continues for the rest of the night ….



Lloris’s discharge notes - page 1

Lloris’s discharge notes - page 2


 
 
 

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THANK YOU’s

Whilst it goes without saying that a big chunk of credit for Lloris’s rehabilitation to being a walking puppy dog again goes unquestionably to him! There have been many helping hands along the way that are more than deserving of a mention … 


Thank you to; 

Davies Vet (Johnny & Alex) for their remarkable surgery, prompt action and after care. He came home a calm and happy dog…even if his legs weren’t working…his wound has healed remarkably well without scaring.


To Dr Rinnert van den Bergh - The Holistic Vet who never raised an eyebrow at his little accidents and always progressed him further after every treatment.  Lloris is especially grateful for the liver paste you would win him over with! 


To Nisha from Paws & Hooves - Hydrotherapy.  You have been remarkable in your patience with Lloris. Thank you for answering the phone when many others didn’t that day.  Finding you was meant to be.


To Willow Vets in Newport Pagnell who took Lloris on as a new case for his cancer straight away and operated within two days. The entire team of staff have been nothing but kind and professional and whilst Lloris will continue to hate you all (hate may be a bit of strong word…. But I’m not so sure?!) I on the other hand think you are all amazing. 


To his Uncle Cristian for building his ‘Frenchie Bouncer’ was a big game changer in our rehab! 


To his Grandad for building his Pig Pen which he has grown to love 


To his Nanny for his the daily love and company not to mention the endless cleaning of him and my house!  We truly couldn’t have got through this without you, you gave me the break I needed to keep my sanity. 


To Matt the Chippy for his back door ramp! 


To the IVDD Facebook support group.  I learned so much from you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/178483559398659/?ref=share


To my friends and family who reached out to help me. Everyone of you that messaged, read our blog and paid an interest in both his and my well being made such a difference on both the dark days and the light.   Lloris loves people so the visits and gifts all lifted his spirits and snapped him out of the sulks!


To Dan, Lloris’s dad. You stepped up when he needed you the most and answered our cry for help to get him to the hospital that day.  It will always be a shame we couldn’t stay the family unit we had wanted for him. We certainly tried!  Thank you for letting him live with me, I can’t imagine the heartache of giving him up. 


To the friend in my life that gave me focus from day 1 when I asked for help bringing him home … he said something like  “I have the dentist so can’t help you that day, I would if I could but … you’re going to have to get used to handling him and lugging him about on your own, so you may as well just get on with it now”. I thought he was being an unhelpful arse at the time but actually that was the best piece of advice I could have been given. Man up and get on with it.  You can’t turn back time or change anything. You are where you are, so take a deep breath and in the words of Nike - Just do it. 


And that we did! 

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