Rudy Gets a "Cast" and "Shoes"

Rudy's legs have been strapped in the proper position for the last few days. Though, we have been exercising the knee joint and some progress has been made, Rudy is still unable to stand unassisted. On the positive side, Rudy IS eating and drinking regularly. On the negative side, without getting those knees unbent and moving properly, Rudy's future life prospects are dim.

Since we are able to straighten Rudy's legs more, almost three fourths of the way straight, we felt it was time to try casting each leg in a soft cast around the knee joint. This completed, we added band aids to keep Rudy's legs the right distance apart. This left us with the problem that Rudy's feet, having never been used for standing, were flexed in a horrible position. What to do? I cut a template from index card stock around Rudy's toes and taped his feet to it. This created support and stretched his toes into the correct position and made a larger surface area to balance on... in theory. In practice, Rudy has never stood before and has a hard time finding his/her balance.

We are giving him/her some time to flounder with this new contraption taped to his/her legs. To see if he/she will be able to figure out how to stand and move properly. An hour later and Rudy can lean properly to get food unassisted, but tips over frequently. I think we may need to revise our design some, but I think we are on the right track.

Please, keep sending your positive thoughts and prayers this way. This little guy sure can use all the help he/she can get at this point. We are improving, but we are nowhere near "out of the woods" yet. I am so touched at how scrappy this little one is! I just want him/her to win this fight and walk, really walk someday. Sooner, than later.

When we were not busy thinking up new ways to help Rudy, feeding the other critters, taking Fenn to the dog park (for the first time today) milking Ellie, or making cheese, we spent a few hours today removing the unsuccessful wooden fencing not securing the dog yard and replaced it with six foot tall chicken fencing. This only took a few hours, but working in this 90 degree weather in the hottest part of the day made it feel like it took much, much longer. We hope that this new fence will allow the pups to be able to come and go as they want through the day without allowing them to escape into the neighbor's yards or anywhere else.

The dogs did not seem impressed with this turn of events, even with getting their yard freshly mowed thanks to Daddy Dale, but I think they will appreciate their new freedom to come and go, in time. We have the intention of extending the size of the yard later, but for now, it gives them a safe place to tussle with each other in the fresh, green grass and bark menacingly at any geese or chickens who might wander into their line of vision.

"Do not think this will contain me." -Buster

Thanks for visiting with us today.

Sean & Sonja ♥