A new Aussie-loving foster home!

One of our pals from Austin Aussie Rescue took dear Jesse James home from our Meet & Greet today to be fostered at his home for a while. It will no doubt be nice for Jesse to have a break from being one of our huge pack and get a little more one-on-one attention. Thanks, Aussie Rescue! And Good Luck, sweet Jesse James!

GREAT week!

Jesse James has had a great week! He got his sutures out on Monday which meant the end of the e-collar-- YAY! Having that helmet gone has made us ALL much happier. Doc said that Jesse's hip looks "fantastic" and that he can already feel some good muscle on that hip. He predicts that Jesse will be fully healed in about four weeks, but he is under NO activity restrictions at this time and he is ready to find his Forever Family now!! He will be at the group's Meet & Greet this Saturday at the Great Hills Trail PETCO ready to show off his new gait. (He almost never does his little 3-legged hop these days!)

Someone asked me why Jesse is wearing a "diaper" in some of his photos. That is actually his belly band and he is wearing it because he had some marking behaviors when he first arrived here. But as he has settled in and gotten used to our routine and begun to feel more comfortable we have noticed much less marking. We do worry he might try to do it again at first at his next home if they do not use the diaper at first so we will send some to his next foster or adoptive home. (Here is another article on marking: http://www.sspca.org/TerritorialMarking.html.)

Jesse has been a perfect houseguest and really just the sweetest dog ever. Can't wait for his wonderful new family to find him!!!

Post Op Day 4: Walking on his left leg!

Jesse James is bearing weight and walking on his leg most of the time now rather than hopping! We are so excited for him. His pain seems under control and he is wagging his tail most of the time again. He is loving the VIP treatment here in his foster home! Yesterday he got up on the couch for the first time and today he looks like he'd like to make it his throne! We plan on getting him a nice cushion to use as a bed instead.

He really enjoys taking little walks outside on the leash-- he seems to prefer that to playing in the back yard even before his surgery, frankly. He has also seemingly accepted his E-collar, which is great because he needs to wear it except for eating and walking (both of which are done under close supervision) until his sutures come out next week.

Post-Op Day One- Touching Down

Jesse James was already touching his left foot to the ground yesterday-- a great sign! He is taking a few steps here and there using that leg, so he is on his way. He was in much higher spirits and seemed much more comfortable by last night.

On our last walk of the night last night Jesse and I were walking and saw a beautiful Heeler wandering the street. She came over to see Jesse and we used some treats to bring her in so that we could contact her family. Right after Jesse & I brought Storm in, it began to rain HARD, so we were happy that she came with Jesse. She spent the night with us because we couldn't reach her family until this morning, but they were very grateful to us for getting her home. So now Jesse James is a dog rescuer too!

Hard Night

Poor Jesse James had a hard first night-- he was hurting and he had to sleep with that darn collar on. We gave him some extra pain medicine so that he could rest and this morning he seems to be doing a bit better and is up walking around the house and interested in everything again.

Surgery Day

Jesse made it through his surgery and back home today-- what a trooper! He is hurting and really dislikes the e-collar, but as we keep whispering to him tonight, "the worst is over"...

He is able to walk by holding his left leg up and walking/hopping on the other three. He has peed and taken his pain meds and nibbled on a few bites of kibble. He is in his crate right by our bed so that we can keep an eye on him and reassure him.

The next few weeks will be hard for Jesse, but every day will be a little better. We will keep everyone posted on his progress. There are several new photos in his album too-- even close-ups of the incision for those with a strong stomach!