Sedatives, surprises and lots of support

“Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” ~ Misty Copeland

Nursing a dog who is seriously injured can be confining, but the next few weeks are especially critical for Coco’s recovery. I’ll do whatever it takes to help her — even though it means altering my own plans to accomplish that. As we begin Week Two of Coco’s eight-week healing process, I remind myself that major recoveries can’t be hurried. One small step at a time.

Our house looks like an infirmary and will stay that way through the holidays. The Christmas decorations are still packed in the attic, where they’ll remain until next year. With no apologies, I can’t muster any energy or enthusiasm for holiday festivities. I’m just exhausted.

Along with a variety of canine supplies, we’ve got a dog crate in the middle of the TV room. There’s a veritable pharmacy of Coco’s medications spread across on the kitchen counter — pain pills, anti-inflammatories, probiotics, and sedatives. I’ve found it helps to keep lists to log the timing of her various pills throughout the day and evening.

As I type this post, a drowsy, sedated Coco rests on a bed in my small home office, where Doug and I can watch her closely. She’s confined to a crate at night and every time we leave the house for short errands. As the veterinarians instructed, we take her outside on a leash to poop or pee.

The goal is to keep Coco’s bruised body as quiet as possible while time and nature do the work of mending her hip fractures and broken ribs. Our job is to discourage harmful moves that could result in paralysis of her back legs. That means no jumping on furniture; no running to bark at the mail carrier. (This is why dogs are given a longer course of sedatives after a serious injury, I learned.)

It’s often said that traumatic events and emergencies show us how resilient we are. But I also believe they bring us closer to others who recognize our pain. All said and done, I’ve been touched by the outpouring of kindness and support we’ve received after Coco’s accident.

Since we’re practically housebound with a newly injured dog, we had to cancel our plans to have Thanksgiving dinner with Doug’s family. But our niece and nephew showed up at our door on Thanksgiving afternoon with a complete dinner and dessert for the two of us. We were surprised — and grateful for their thoughtfulness.

After the accident, the teenaged daughters of a neighbor delivered a box of dog treats and a sweet get-well note for Coco — one of several cards Coco has received. A dear friend dropped off a bottle of wine and homemade shortbread. Another neighbor, who’s facing much bigger challenges than I am, called to ask how I’m doing — because she knows how much I adore my dog. And I can’t forget to mention the incredible staff at North Main Animal Hospital, who went out of their way during a holiday week to run Coco’s follow-up lab tests and fill a last-minute prescription.

It’s easier to be hopeful when we have so much support along the way. ~CL