Pet P.T

Eighteen days into Doggers recovery... Is that all? Haven’t we been doing this forever? Didn’t she hurt herself months ago? Hasn’t her crate been in the living room for as long as I can remember? Haven’t I been the worlds greatest cheerleader for years? Hasn’t chanting Youcandoit!Youcandoit!Youcandoit! and Up!Up!Up!Up! and Outside!Outside!Outside! been part of my daily routine always?

It hasn’t even been three weeks.

On day eighteen, I decided to try out some hydrotherapy. I was talking to one of the nurses at work and I told her how Dogger pre-accident hated being outside and would stay out only as long as it took to do what she needed to do and then it was time to go back inside; and now, post-accident she loves nothing more than to go outside and sit in the sun. She really likes it. The nurse told me it was because of the heat. The heat loosens her muscles and helps with her stiffness. I didn’t tell the nurse that Dogger hardly has to go outside to experience the healing wonders of heat.

But it gave me an idea. If  ambient heat makes her feel good, how about hot water? Water is good, heat is good, Warm water would be very good! Do-it-yourself hydrotherapy! All I needed to do was fill the bathtub with warm water and have Dogger stretch out and have a nice therapeutic soak and let the warm water work it’s magic. I thought to myself that she was really going to like this and it will make her feel good and maybe it would help speed her recovery. Dogger has had countless baths and never complained about them, this will be easy and good for her.

Dogger has had countless showers.  I had to get Dogger into the bath tub. Dogger didn’t want to get into the bathtub. She can’t just step into the tub, to get into the tub she has to jump. Dogger does not want to jump, Dogger knows where she is injured and she knows that jumping is a bad idea and she knows that putting too much pressure on her back legs will cause her pain. Hence, she is not jumping at present . Have you ever tried to heft a 90-something pound, recalcitrant, lame dog into a bath tub?

Well I did it and afterwards, my muscles needed a nice long soak. Dogger was not happy about all this water touching her and she would not sit in it and she displayed absolutely no interest whatsoever in soaking in it. I tried. I begged and pleaded and tried to explain to her about the benefits of hydrotherapy and how people with sore muscles really enjoy a nice warm soak...And she gave me a look that said I AM NOT A PEOPLE! AND I AM NOT ENJOYING THIS.

She settled on staying long enough for a shower and I soaked a tee shirt and wrapped it around her knee but I don’t think she was really getting all the soothing benefits of hydrotherapy. She’s not a water dog, it just isn’t in her.