His Old Self

It's been a few days since the last posting and such a change in our little guy. He's acting and feeling better and if it weren't for the cone, he'd be almost like he was prior to surgery. It's been two weeks since the day he had the full maxillary upper jaw removal and he's doing well. Eats like a pig and we know from that, that he's feeling ok. Has not had a pain pill in almost three days and basically that is because he appears to be no different with them as without. He runs outside and sits on the porch, shakes his head and goes where we motion for him to go. He has fewer snuffling sessions than he did and he sleeps with a lot fewer of the heavier breathing sounds he was having the first few days. In fact I've been able to sleep without earplugs for the last few days and I woke up once last night when I heard him trying to clear his nose. There are still signs of some congestion, but the fact that it's minor is great news. He will probably always have a runnier nose than most, but it's not blood tinged like it was, which is another major improvement.

We are blessed to have him home with us and he's happy.  The stitches come out on Wed. and we are hoping they can do this without being put under again. We will have to be patient and hold his head steady. He won't like us getting close to his nose and eye, but we have to take them out.  I fear they'll want to put him out again and I don't want anymore of the anesthesia. That stuff has to have an effect on him having it too many times and plus it takes a few days for him to be normal afterwards.
So we're hoping that the vet. doesn't say we have to and let's pray that he'll let her get near him...or they can teach me to do it and I'll take them out!

The whole experience has been a stressful one but I keep saying how grateful we are to have him home and even if he can't hear us, that he's here. The fact that he is doing well with this kind of massive surgery, it is a testament to the kind of dog he is. Most of the time I know he is just the same as he always was and that comforts me, because I feared I took something away from him, but he's adapted to this new way of feeling which I'm pretty sure has to be different for him. He doesn't seem to hear what we say, but for all intents and purposes, he does just what we expect him to do, which is uncanny since we are pretty sure he can't hear what we are saying. He just does stuff that I know he didn't hear me say to do, but he does them and I think to myself, he is picking up something from somewhere and it makes me think that he is listening in a new way to us. Almost like ESP, as if I'm able to communicate with him in a different way than verbally.  We always have had a special relationship than most people have. I have a kinship with him, I feel his pain, or when he doesn't feel well or when he wants something, it's like I know without having him to show me.  Perhaps it's a sixth sense that we share with animals. I believe I've been shown that this is true and can happen. Once when I was sitting on the floor with Mack and petting him, his little sister Oreo was playing fetch with a frisbee. I would throw it and she would go get it and come back to me. But this time it went where she would not go and she sat down and started to whine. She could reach it but because she is an odd dog and has her fears that are unfounded and unexplainable, she was not about to attempt it. In frustration and in a very calm and quiet voice, I said to Mack, Oh Mack can you go get her toy for her....never thinking that he would get up, go over to the toy, pick it up and drop it at his sister's feet as he came back to me and laid back down.  It was truly amazing.  I had never asked him to do this before and he knew exactly what I wanted. It also can't be explained as just a fluke because he did what I asked without hesitation and without further prompting and by giving her the toy it was not like he thought that I wanted it. His ability to do and act on something I said to him that wasn't a command or a trick told me that there was an extraordinary intelligence working in this dog's mind.  Since then he's learned to do so many things by only showing him once, and sometimes without telling him at all what I want, but just doing it. Even if he can't "hear" me in the traditional sense of the word, he still 'gets' it.  No matter what I ask he does it without needing to hear me say it and that is truly amazing.  As one person said, they pick up their cues from things we can't even see, so this has to be what he does.  The to and fro of life in general would be confusing enough but somehow he has this sixth sense to allow him to know what is next for us and for him.  A truly amazing and intelligent dog and we are so blessed to have him coming back to his old self.
Love you little Diggie Dog Mack, you bright little dog you~