# Back at the vets



## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

A couple of weeks ago Molly came back in from the garden on three legs, I rested her and she has improved and was using her leg again but at times warily so yesterday we visited the specialist vets (300 mile round trip! - but worth it to see the vet I trust) and the conclusion is her knee is very sore, knee cap is looser than it usually is (she has luxating patella) but also very inflamed and the vet thinks she has pulled a tendon. 

We now have 2 weeks of short walks, phyio and icing her sore knee and go back in two weeks for an update and proabably ultrasound on her knee where I very much hope the results to be just soreness which is healing rather than something more serious.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Poor Molly and poor you. Luckily she is in good hands with you 2nd. I wouldn't have the first idea of how to ice the knee of a dog.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

It occured to me this morning that I was not sure about how to ice her knee either  I settled on small bag of veggies wrapped in a cloth and her settled on my lap where she was relatively happy to let me hold it on her knee. She was making up her mind whether to guard the bag of veggies or not though but hopefully that will lessen as her knee is less sore.


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## Lindor (Feb 3, 2014)

Oh poor Molly. I hope she feels better soon.


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## arlo (Mar 11, 2013)

Oh no poor Molly and you. I am glad you have a vet that isn't rushing to put her under the knife and giving her chance to see how things go. You are becoming a very experienced doggie physio.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Molly is really not sure about the knee icing part but as usual enjoys her physio exercises. We are only on short lead walks too in the hope this will allow everything to settle down and heal


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm not keen on ice either ... maybe every two minutes you could open the bag and give her a frozen pea? Mine love them frozen 

Poor Mollywally, hope she mends well and fast.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Back to the vets yesterday and the conclusion was she is doing much better and most of the swelling in that knee has gone. She had an ultrasound of both knees and it does look like the patella ligament on her left knee was not quite as good compared to the right so looks like that was the problem and it is healing. 

We have more exercises to add to our daily physio and continue with short on lead walks then back in 2 weeks for next review.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

What a trooper Molly is. Your love for Molly and your dedication to her recovery is awe inspiring. Love from Lexi, Beemer, and I to you, Molly, and Chance. 


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## Alinos (May 19, 2014)

❤❤❤ to all of you. It's so stressful to have a little one not well - be it children or pets. 


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We were going really well on recovery but Molly has a sore knee again  

We had discussed earlier the point at which this became time for surgery if Molly was not getting decent quality fun time as she was always injured and I think we have now reached that point. Vets yesterday for a check up and vet confirmed leg not as sore as when she first hurt it but sore enough to look at surgery to try and get her sorted


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

2ndhandgal said:


> We were going really well on recovery but Molly has a sore knee again
> 
> 
> 
> We had discussed earlier the point at which this became time for surgery if Molly was not getting decent quality fun time as she was always injured and I think we have now reached that point. Vets yesterday for a check up and vet confirmed leg not as sore as when she first hurt it but sore enough to look at surgery to try and get her sorted




I'm so sorry to hear Molly's hurting again. Keeping you and Molly in our thoughts and sending tons and tons of healing vibes across the pond. 


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh poor Molly -  
However lucky Molly having you to look out for her. Is it just one leg that is the problem?
Prognosis post surgery recovery period hopefully is pain free happiness.
(I'm an optimist!)


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Neither of her knees are great but it is her left which is causing problems and the rehab vet says I should make sure they only operate on that one as they may want to do both 

Been discussing surgeons with local friends and think I have found where I want her to go so need to go to my vets next week to get her referred to him


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## Lara10 (May 9, 2017)

2ndhandgal if you soak a flannel in water and tie up in a bag then freeze much easier to wrap around knee 


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Lara10 said:


> 2ndhandgal if you soak a flannel in water and tie up in a bag then freeze much easier to wrap around knee
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks Lara - I think we will probably need to ice after surgery so that tip will come in very handy and beat my bag of frozen veg


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We have been to vets today and sorted out referral and I have been to see surgeon tonight. Molly is booked in for surgery next Tuesday so I only have a week to stress about it


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

I guess that is good - but :hurt:
Lots of love to you and the Molster - here's hoping that all goes well and she heals quickly. Lots of cuddles needed this week. x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I know - fairly terrified but sorting out all the practical stuff I can as much as possible. I was very relieved that vet said she will not need to be crated as that would be really hard with her


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

How will you manage with Chance? Will you have to keep them separated?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Marzi said:


> How will you manage with Chance? Will you have to keep them separated?


My biggest problem is likely to be if Molly is too grumpy she is apt to try to take it out on Chance  Chance is very good and will leave her alone so will just be a case of managing things and keeping the peace. 

The vet says the recovery period will be 8-12 weeks and from day 1 she will be allowed to walk around in the house, but must be on a lead outside to stop her running. I am not sure at what stage she will be allowed to go for short walks but know from when she hurt her back last year that makes life very much easier with the two of them however short the walk is as I can throw Chances ball and they can both have a mooch and sniff together. I have also made her first physio appointment for 2 weeks after surgery so we will be as on top of things as we can be to get her fully fit.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We had a walk to the posing tree today. She is mostly on lead at the moment but came off for a few photos - was a bit windy. I have also clipped her quite short so we do not need to worry about her coat while she is recovering.










Last walk tomorrow and I have to say I am dreading taking her in on Tuesday


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

I have been thinking of you... 
Just have to hope that there are better days ahead and frankly now better to get the operation over with - then can concentrate on the recovery.
Lots of love to you and Molly.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks - she is definitely struggling at the moment even with short lead walks so I know it is time but as you say I just want to get her home again so we can start recovery.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Today I have sorted more steps for Molly to get on and off chairs and we have had a play with them now so she is confident in using them before her op.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Hope it all goes well tomorrow.
x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Thank you 

The vet has reported that the operation went well and she is settled. He has kept her in tonight to better manage her pain (made more complicated by her pancreatitis meaning she can't have most of the usual painkillers) and as long as all well I can collect her tomorrow morning.

Chance and I had a lovely long walk but it is very quiet without my bossy girl


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Thanks for letting us know. 
Here's hoping that managing the pain is achievable without causing her pancreatitis to flare up.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

She is home 

Struggling to get comfortable with huge bandaged leg and we have a long recovery period ahead but I am very pleased to have her home


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

That leg looks as if it is just asking to be chewed..... in a few days Molly will probably be resource guarding it! 
Poor girl, it will get easier, you just have to take it slowly.
Lots of love to Molly and patience to you and Chance.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

Her leg looks so long bandaged up like that. I'm glad she's home so you can take care of her. I'm sure she's happiest recuperating with you. Healing thoughts to Molly. 


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Hope you all got some sleep and the bandage is still intact....


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Sleep was a little on and off as she was quite restless and insisted on being pressed against me for most of the night. Bandage has survived unchewed but has now been removed as instructed. Even removing bandage was traumatic as being Molly she had a reaction to the dressing used so that stuck to her skin and was really painful to remove, leaving a sore area under her leg. The wound looks clean and dry though so we are having a chilled out rest of the day. 

She is not using her leg at all at the moment but still very early days.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

More hassles when I found she could still just manage to reach her leg despite the cone - the soft inflatable cones are no good at all for her as she just fights to get them off so now improvised with a much bigger cone as a second layer


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh Molly - you poor thing.
Hopefully she will heal well and quickly and not hold a grudge


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I am going to be a nervous wreck by the time we are done  today she managed to get the huge cone off despite it being fastened on her normal collar, I did her collar up even tighter - and she could still get it off 

After discussions with friends the collar is now fastened to a harness in the hope that defeats her 










On the positive side she has very briefly touched her toes to the floor a few times when standing today


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Sort of knew Molly would not make it easy for you


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

You are right Marzi - never going to be an easy ride with Molly 

We had to go for a vet check today and despite Molly being totally unimpressed by short walks in the garden she got very excited at the prospect of going out  so after the vets (all fine) we stopped for a very short walk at a field I was sure would be empty of other dogs. She was so pleased to be out and did a few steps putting her foot slightly to the ground  she tired very quickly and I carried her while Chance had a few more minutes run but I think that means we have now added a daily outing to our routine 

The collar remains undefeated so far but I have another from the vets so I am ready with that as soon as she beats this one - hopefully being prepared will mean she does not beat it


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

How long until the stitches come out?
Great that she is beginning to toe with that leg, clever girl. My mother had a hip replacement when she was 80 and in the early stages of dementia ... recovery was a bit of a nightmare as she could not remember what she should not do!! However she did get through it and her new hip was a huge improvement on her old one!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Gosh that must have been hard going for you and your mother Marzi 

Stitches are due out on Friday - I do have a feeling the cone may be around for a bit longer though as can't see her having a gentle lick and then leaving it alone 

Been a rubbish day today - she got up and wanted to eat grass, has been sick and on the chair ever since. Finally managed to hand feed her brekkie late afternoon and had to make coffee to get her to drink anthing. Barely moved all day and what she has done has been on 3 legs - 2 steps forward one back 

Far too hot here today and she is fed up of cone as well as sore and poorly tummy all means very unhappy Molly today


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Poor Molly it must be miserable for her.
I'm assuming that you have cool mat for her? Will she play with ice cubes..... Can you make hr frozen ice treats that won't upset her tummy. If it melts away she won't be able to guard it?
Give her a gentle hug from me.
:hug:


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Still too hot here and means we are not really going out. Around the house she is pretty much on 3 legs all the time. The cone means she would not really be able to play with ice cubes and would just get frustrated I think and she is not overly keen on any other attempts to cool her so sleep is a bit mixed for us both and I am hoping this is the last hot day.

We did manage a few minutes walk today and she used her leg not too bad as long as I could slow her down enough.

Stitches out Saturday now as that was the only appointment I could get with her surgeon and we are off to see the physio on Tuesday next week to see what she thinks and to see what we need to do.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

A fair bit cooler today so we have been for a short walk and she used her leg pretty well for most of the walk (have to keep her slow or she hops if she tries to go too fast) 

Video of her from today via Facebook link (hopefully this will work - set as public so you should be able to follow link even if not on facebook) 

https://www.facebook.com/dawn.tranter.67/videos/a.10155400411349859.1073741987.756089858/10155430144069859/?type=3&theater


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Stitches out today  surgeon was very happy with how she is doing (and was very amused by her huge slightly battered, taped up cone  ) 

Cone has now been removed and leg has been licked rather too much for my liking but I am trying my best to trust her as would much prefer not to put something else on her if I can get away with it as I know she will be much happier. 

We are doing 2 ten minute walks a day at the moment where she is using her leg pretty well most of the time which is great  still lots of 3 legs around the house but she is starting to use leg more and more - reverting to 3 legs if she wants to go faster 

Cone just off photo - apparently standing with sore leg on the floor and eating is just not possible 










Down to see physio on Tuesday to see what she thinks and start the real work to recovery - although I am really pleased with how far we have already come (and so is Chance as they may be short but at least she is getting walks)


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Excellent news - glad her appetite hasn't been effected. 
Recovery can now begin in earnest! 
Well done you x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We did have a couple of not wanting to eat spells and it was hard work getting her to drink with the cone on resulting in her having coffee several times as at least I could be sure that way she was drinking something. 

However - she is now pretty much back to her usual self, demanding biscuits and last night slipped past the gate and zoomed upstairs (which she is certainly not allowed to do at the moment  there is a piece of bone which has been moved and is pinned in place which needs to heal in that operated on knee  ) 

Looking forward to tomorrow and hoping vet is as pleased with her as I am


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Rehab vet is very pleased with how she is doing so far  she has lots of movement in her leg and really nice stable joint so we have some physio exercises to get her taking more weight on the leg and back in two weeks. We are allowed three 10 minute walks a day and I need to slow her down far more than I have been to get her using the leg better.

Coffe break on the way down 










Our homework book


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Well done. Can she start hydrotherapy soon?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Marzi said:


> Well done. Can she start hydrotherapy soon?


She had the full works on Tuesday to massage of scar to break down scar tissue, acupuncture, laser therapy, a go on the gait machine to try and assess how much weight she is putting through her bad leg (walk sensibly down a strip not as close to me as you normally want to be - hmmmmm - we are not very good at that) and then hydrotherapy in the treadmill. She did 4 lots of 30 seconds and she found it quite hard, particularly the last one 

She is now using her leg almost all the time even in the house, she limps quite badly at times but it is still very early days and only two weeks since her operation so I know all good progress.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Back to light posing duties  (albeit with a somewhat 3 legged stance!)


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Showing her good side


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Molly was getting a bit bored so we tried a different walk yesterday somewhere a bit busier. It was a huge mistake as Molly got wound up and jumped around and hurt her leg. We had made really good progress with her using it more and more around the house and we have gone back a couple of days on that as she is clearly a bit more sore  She is still using the leg on walks so I am fairly confident there is no real damage so just a lesson for me in being more patient and sticking to the 10 minute boring walks for now


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Do you and Chance get to go out for a romp or are you unable to leave Molly alone. It must be tough - but in the scheme of things this period of recovery time is quite short..... just doesn't feel like it, I know.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I am going to places for Molls walks where Chance can be off lead so I do slow lead walk with Molly while Chance zooms around - occasionally with her ball but I don't want her to get too reliant on me having that so more often not.

It was really for Molly I tried somewhere different but it was a huge mistake


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Happy to say she is back to using her leg as well as she was this morning so looks like she had just jarred it and was sore for a day but OK now


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Molly has been licking her knee more over the last few days and has made it sore  so resorted to soft cone tied to a harness in the hope that she leaves it alone and it is just caused by her licking and not a problem inside the knee where the operation was










She is continuing to enjoy her walks - quick photo from yesterdays walk


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I guess predictably it took her less than a day to figure out how to still reach her leg despite the collar 










I have added a smaller cone inside this which is not enough to stop her on its own but does work combined with the inflatable collar










She is not at all happy and refused her walk this evening even after I took the inner cone off  I am going to try to get an appointment tomorrow with the surgeon to check all is well with the operation site. She is still using her leg but I am not happy that nearly 4 weeks after the operation she has suddenly decided to obsess about it 

Edited to add - surgeon is not around this week and we are going to see rehab specialist on Thursday so I will leave it until then


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh Molly  . I hope for once, 2nd, that your intuition is wrong and all will be fine with the leg x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Back from a long day. The vets big concern with suddenly starting to worry at the operation site would be infection inside the wound, but she shows no sign of pain at the site when touched, the scar tissue is reducing nicely and she is using her leg better and putting more weight through it. So conclusion is it seems to just be Molly - being Molly 

She also cautioned me that we still have a long way to go - but we are going in the right direction - we also managed coffee


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Phew - I think xx 
Literally one step at a time Molly and please find something else to obsess about quickly and leave your leg alone!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

She managed to get the pink cone off today so I gave up and took off the other collar and harness and gave her a bath to take her mind off being newly cone free. Back to see her surgeon on Monday so I was going to try them off after that anyway - hopefully she will leave it alone enough to stay cone free as she is a lot happier without it (and I don't blame her) 

Working hard on her physio 










She loves doing physio stuff thanksfully and once she knows what to do cooperates pretty well


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Surgeon very happy with how Molly is doing so has discharged us 

Leg is licked and chewed a bit more than I would prefer since cone off but not too bad


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Brilliant news - may chewing be boredom and her learning it provokes a response from you? I wouldn't put that past Miss Molly at all


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Marzi said:


> Brilliant news - may chewing be boredom and her learning it provokes a response from you? I wouldn't put that past Miss Molly at all


That is very much how her mind works but I don't react to her chewing. Learned my lesson a long while ago with her that if something is sore she will guard it from any attempt at looking it it so I have just been leaving her to it and getting quick glances when I can to check up on how it is doing.

The surgeon said yesterday that the bit of bone he moved and pinned into new position will not be totally healed yet (probably another 4 weeks he reckoned) and the area she has been so interested in was right there so I suspect it was an odd feeling from that maybe


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

A bit more chewing than is good over the last few days resulting in a slightly sore leg again so this time trying a sock to cover her leg in the hope that will deter her slightly - not perfect as she can get it off if determined but it is helping a little 










Back down to rehab vets yesterday and she is pleased that she is using leg much better so new physio exercises and she can start to go for slightly longer walks  she is very chilled out in the car whilst we wait to go in










....and very unimpressed by the needles during acupuncture


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Such a brave girl, never mind unimpressed I would have left the building! 
The sock is quite a fashion statement!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

A very boring photo of Molly off lead 










She has done really well over the last couple of weeks so we visited the vet yesterday and got the go ahead to start building walks up again and start with some off lead time, back in 4 weeks 

Need to build things up slowly and not let her overdo it but very pleased  she had her first off lead today on the way back to the car towards the end of the walk


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Really pleased to see this - hope Mols continues to get stronger and happier every day!


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