When it comes to my pups, I get protective. Adding bad customer service when it involves my pups makes the momma bear in me rage. It was surgery day for Elsbeth who if you read Part 1 you would know she was on her way to have knee surgery in Montana. We got up extra early before the PNW was awake and hit the road. We had buckets of coffee, all the dogs tucked in the van, all supplies to make it through the day ranging from potty pads for after surgery, frozen TOPPLS for the other dogs to devour during downtime, and snacks for us. We also packed up our prayers it wouldn’t snow on the pass and headed out.
The pups settled in nicely and went to sleep right away. It is so nice having good travelers on board. As a side note, it’s important to take your puppy in the car a lot so they get used to it so when you need them to go with you, it’s not a big deal.
We motored the whole way there, about 3.5 hours, door to door. We allowed enough time for all the dogs to get out and potty, but we didn’t. They were sacked out, so we just kept on going. The roads were clear, so we put the pedal to the metal and kept those wheels turning. We arrived with just enough time to potty all the pups and get Elsbeth checked in with 20 minutes to spare. It worked perfectly.
To give you a little history, when I made the appointment, the receptionist said to be at the clinic no later than 8:30. This allowed us to get in, get the surgery done and be back on the road. It all sounded perfect. We were planning on driving back the same day so it would be a long day, but best for everybody.
Back to checking Elsbeth in for her surgery….we were early so I was patiently waiting. My patience waned when the clock ticked by and ticked by and ticked by. We were not seen until 9:15. I was losing patience. Why do I show up on time and you don’t?
When the tech finally came into the room, we did the whole story of how we got there, they in turn informed us they would need to see what happened once she was cut open because it was still uncertain at this point what was going on inside her knee. I signed the “please do” resuscitate papers and they led Elsbeth off to the back. We were told we would get notifications when she went into surgery.
We were hungry so we thought we would get breakfast. Friends had just been to the same vet, for the same surgery, the day before with their boy Romeo.
Nikki, Romeo’s mum, recommended the Paul’s Pancake Parlor in town. It must be the place to be because on this Friday morning, it was packed! We mainlined breakfast and more coffee and wandered around the bookstore next-door. Then we were off to a holistic pet store we passed while on our way to the vet clinic. It was perfect timing as I had read a lot about green lipids and their benefits for Elsbeth’s recovery, I thought I may be able to purchase some here.
They didn’t have green lipids, which I will go into later, but what they did have was algae. Most everyone knows fish oil is good for dogs. You will often see salmon oil or krill oil in stores. I hadn’t even heard or considered algae as an option for OMEGA 3’s until now. Algae oil is sustainable and considerably more renewable unlike marine life. This algae oil can reduce inflammation, maintain healthy joints and coat, as well as, increase the overall wellbeing of the dog. It has a less fishy taste so it can be more palatable for dogs who are sensitive to flavors and is easier for their bodies to digest. It contains less mercury and contaminants found in fish. As it was described to me, why process the fish who eat the algae when you can go straight to the source. That makes perfect sense to me!
This oil will be great for Elsbeth and all my pups. I left the store with bison chews wrapped in mango to give to the pups immediately and one big bottle of algae oil. Screw buying shoes and jewelry, I am one happy girl when I buy dog stuff. This is the algae and chews I happily carried to the car.
Once the pups gobbled up the mango jerky, we decided it was time to take them on a hike and at this point we still had not heard back from the vet office that they had started her surgery.
We looked on the All Trails app to see if there was mild hiking trail nearby. We found at 2.8 mile loop that sounded nice and hopefully, being a weekday, it wouldn’t be busy. We made it up to the trail head which was not far from Missoula proper. As we parked, we noticed a dog off leash. Being a dog trainer, I certainly do NOT trust dogs off-leash. Rarely do I see dogs who have a good recall, much less a recall with distractions such as other dogs. I will never put my pups in danger if I can help it. I never know if the off-leash dog is friendly or not, so I just do not take the chance. Scarlett, my 9lb dog is a snack to many dogs.
So, we carefully watched as the man and his dog went down the trial. We decided to leave Emmy (my deformed pup) and Scarlett (my 9lb pup) in the car when we go on our hike. We did let Emmy and Scarlett run around on the hillside where we parked to get their ya-yas out and to relieve themselves. As we were on the hillside, we noticed another car pull up, and 2 off-leash pups jumped out. What is it with off-leash dogs in Montana? I love having my dogs off leash, but my dogs have a super recall AND I never do it in public places so that others feel comfortable. Oh and not to mention, they are dogs. I do have them trained but nothing is 100% guaranteed, 100% of the time. They are dogs being dogs. Having said this, we warily watched the dogs go down the trail and we made our way back to the car to leave Emmy and Scarlett. It was not too warm so they would be ok while we walked a bit.
As we started down the trail, we immediately came head-to-head with another person and her two off-leash pups. Warren and I have all our dogs on leash and step off to the side, you know, like polite humans. Please insert sarcasm HERE! My hackles went up and I was laser focused on those dogs. One was old while the other was young and out front. She did not have a recall and my body language read, “DO NOT COME NEAR MY DOGS” as I stepped in front of my dogs. This gal passed us back toward the cars; I sneered and moved down the trail when we heard the pitter-patter of feet behind us. Oh, look, two more off-leash dogs. Are you kidding me? My blood was boiling at this point. I was stressed about leaving Elsbeth for surgery, I was stressed about not hearing from the vet as it’s been a couple of hours, and these humans allowing off leash dogs to entice my dogs put me over the edge. I could not wait for this day to be over. Get me back home!
The third set of off leash dogs went ahead of us as I would like to watch them go as opposed to hearing them behind us. We came to a fork in the road. The nonchalant couple and their off-leash pups went left, Warren, the pups, and I went right. I had no idea where we were going, but it was an established path, so we walked on, feeling 80% confident we could find our way back. We did not see another dog on the trail. With each step, I was able to unravel. I was able to take a breath. I was able to point my face to the sun and relax my shoulders. I started to enjoy myself. I truly do belong in the woods. The further out we went we let the pups off leash for short periods. For any blind corners we recalled them and put them back on leash. We laughed and just enjoyed being out in nature.
We walked about 3.5 miles and made our way back to the car. It was exactly what we all needed. We drove it back into town and stopped at the grocery store for water for the dogs and vanilla wafers for me. I got the phone call Elsbeth had just went into surgery. It was 2:30. What? She JUST went into surgery? We were told we would be picking her up mid afternoon so we could get back on the road to Spokane. I was fuming. What is midafternoon in your opinion? I was thinking about 4:30. I calculated what they had said about her not being able to leave until she could stand and walk on her own. There was no way, if they just started surgery, we were going to be headed back home at 4:30. I sunk.
We continued on and found a place to have our picnic, the pups could enjoy their frozen TOPPLs, and we could just snooze or relax. We enjoyed our lunch and watched the launch of the rocket ship that was to retrieve the stranded astronauts from space.
After lunch was done, we let the pups out for a potty break and to stretch their legs again. We found what seemed to be a quiet park. There wasn’t anyone there. We got the pups out and started to make our way when two runners, with, you guessed it, two off-leash dogs, came running toward us. Luckily, the two dogs stayed with their runners but boy does that increase my adrenaline every time! What is it with the off-leash dogs around here?
We loaded the dogs up and thought we had better make our way back to the clinic. We could sit there and wait. We got a phone call right as we were pulling into the parking lot that we could check out Elsbeth. Wonderful! It was 4 and by the time we got her, we may be on the road at 4:30. This might all be just fine and I didn’t need to get upset. We went inside, paid the balance and sat quietly for someone to come and talk with us. After about 30 minutes, a vet tech came out and sat down. She went over all the ins and outs from what to expect to medications. Then she said, we could come back and pick up Elsbeth at 6:30. My heart sank. I was a tired toddler at this point. It is my understanding that 6:30 is early evening, NOT midafternoon. I know, I know, I have no idea what is happening behind closed doors but watching the locals come and go and we were still sitting there with a 3.5 hour drive back home, made me wither. I was unpleasant at this point.
We sat and we sat.
Finally got called to take Elsbeth home. I could not go any faster. She was loopy which was to be expected and we had her orthopedic bed all ready for her.
As she was walking out I noticed her bum. It was stained and her anus was noticeably inflamed. I took note of it and carried on. They mentioned she had pooped while under anesthesia, but I had never seen a bum like this before. How many times and how hard did you wipe her? Ouch! Thank goodness for the puppy pads we packed as she did leak a little on the ride home.
As we were driving, I did some research on the green lipids and where to source them. The holistic store didn’t have them but they did give me the name of a company they recommend. The reason for the green lipped mussels (GLM) is how powerful they are.
The American Kennel Club states, “Researchers at Clemson University have evaluated GLM’s components and found a high level of omega-3 and other fatty acids, as well as other naturally occurring compounds that can improve joint lubrication, reduce inflammation, stiffness and joint pain, and improve mobility and range of motion. GLM is also one of nature’s best sources of eicosatetraenoic Acid (ETA) a widely studied ingredient that has been shown to provide equivalent pain relief to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The components of GLM additionally include building blocks needed to limit additional deterioration and possibly regenerate damaged joint cartilage and synovial fluid.”
WOW! Elsbeth can benefit from all of this! Get in my cart! I have used this company before and really liked them. It’s based in Seattle, they are ethical, woman-owned, are carefully sourced, and produce their line of products in small batches. As we were driving and I still had cell service, I placed my order. It comes as a powder you can sprinkle on top of their food. You can source it as whole mussels. I will investigate this next. I just needed something on the way pronto so I can help her heal and I trust this company. It’s right here in Washington state and women-owned.
We arrived home, exercised all the pups, put Elsbeth to bed, and went to bed ourselves because work was calling early, the very next day. It was a long day, and I was miffed at the vet clinic, but if the surgery and recovery goes well it will all be worth it. Now we are preparing for the next 12 weeks of recovery.
And as if the fun doesn’t stop, come back for Part 3! Elsbeth’s frustration increases, and I ended up in the baby aisle in the grocery store. I assure you, on any other day of the year, I do NOT need to be there.
If you have questions about socializing or training your dog let me know. I'm happy to help!
Please email at Stephanie@pawsitiveconnectiondogtraining.com
Happy Training!
~ Stephanie
What a lovely write up! I can totally feel your anxiety while Elsbeth is in surgery. Good job mum! Oh – and those off leash dogs! You were definitely more patient than I would be.
And GLMs – Tasha will gladly share hers with Elsbeth when we see you. Much love to Elsbeth and hugs to the care brigade!