Update on Pona's Recovery

Pona has been a rescue at my home for 11 weeks now. What a journey. I'm happy to report more good news about his recovery -

Pona and Ike in the morning sun.

His leg is healed, and all of the hardware has been removed. I'm really happy about this for selfish reasons...Pona had been pain-free for a week or so before the hardware was removed, and so he was no longer protecting that leg. He was laying on that side, using that leg to scratch is head, and body-slamming. I have the bruises on my shins to prove it. The other dogs and I suffered until that hardware came off!

Once the hardware was gone, Pona started to use his leg a little more, but still "went tripod" when he really wanted to move. It didn't seem like the leg hurt him, but he probably felt like it slowed him down. Then...

Thursday of last week, I dropped Pona off at the vet for his overnight heartworm treatment. They admitted him in the morning and gave him the first injection, then observed him overnight and gave the next injection the following morning. I wasn't able to pick him up until late afternoon on Friday, so he had two solid days in the crate. I felt badly for him with all that crate time, until I got him home and saw that the time off his leg did him some good! He walks on his healed leg 100% of the time now.

Pona's lucky that his case of heartworms is mild enough so that he is able to endure the "fast kill" treatment, and he should heal quickly and completely with no permanent damage to his heart or lungs. He's taking the treatment in stride...he feels fine! No one would guess his little body is loaded with poison. He is naturally a very calm dog (surprising for a one-year old), so I haven't had to crate him to keep him quiet during treatment.

Pona joined me at knitting group and made new friends.

Personality-wise, Pona is a delight. The little victories are so fun to watch...like when he realized he could use the fireplace hearth as a step to get up to the sofa on his own, then when he realized he could jump right on to the sofa, then when he realized he could jump all the way up on to the bed! I can see the surprise in his face, and I reward all of his achievements with plenty of cuddles and kisses.

Now if he would just grow some hair on his hind-end. He was shaved over two months ago!

I'm sure I'll have another update on Pona in my post next month. In the meantime, you can follow Pona on my website as well as my fickr page.