Sweet Oakley is slowly healing mentally and physically. His feet still have a long ways to go, but the good news is he does not have any new infections. He gets daily cleaning and bandage changes. Dr. Marikay Campbell has been the main person staying on top of his wound management at Port Royal Veterinary Hospital. We are both pleased with his progress and the granulation we see on his deepest wounds.
Oakley is petrified of everything and everyone. He is fearful that if he looks in your eyes, something horrible will happen. He does his best to avoid eye contact whenever possible. We are a very stubborn bunch, so whenever he gets fearful, we gently cup his face in our hands and rub his ears. He has now come to enjoy the ear scratches and leans into our hands when we do it.
Baby Steps is what it is going to take to win him over. Oakley is a young pup that appears to have been tormented most of his Life. I do not believe he has had many loving pats on the head, given the conditions he was found living in. How anyone would ever want to hurt an innocent Soul like this precious Angel is beyond me. Sadly, the World is not like you or me. All the Hate in the World seems to be taken out on innocent creatures that want nothing but a kind word.
We are getting great at putting old and new rehab carts together for each pup we take in that needs one. We move tires and bars around all the time to get the best possible fit. If we can't fit a dog with what we have, we order a new cart custom fitted for them.
Yesterday was Oakley's maiden voyage with his refurbished cart. He was very fearful at first but soon realized moving had its rewards. He started backing all over the place and then starting turning and going forward when he saw the goodies we had placed around the training room. We stepped away so he could relax, and when we looked back, he was gobbling up all the treats.
Oakley can go to the bathroom some on his own, but we have to express how bladder throughout the day to make sure it is empty. He tolerates the expressing without any issues. Our precious boy will be an easy pup to take care of once his feet have healed.
We will be introducing Oakley to Archer and Tibby once he has gained confidence in his cart. These two wrestle and play all day long in their carts without a care in the World. Oakley is young and will soon be running and playing in his cart. Baby steps for this precious boy.
We have noticed that even though Oakley has some feeling in his rear legs, both legs show signs of atrophy from not having functional motor skills. We do not see this improving. Bullet fragments in his spinal cord are the reason for the atrophy. This will become worse over time, and there is nothing we can do about it. Removing the fragment could take away all feeling that he has and make him even worse. We are not going to take that chance.
We still need funds to help with sweet Oakley. Please, Donate whatever you can to give him the best chance possible of having a great life. Archer and Tibby had both rear legs removed, and they are the happiest pups imaginable. Life does not have to end when you become paralyzed. It is a new beginning filled with lots of adventures. Thanks for helping us with the sweet pup.
