Leo is our March 18, 2012 Pup of the Week

One of the reasons I ran up to my Mom and picked her out to be my human is that I knew she was going to need a lot of comfort and nursing in the coming years. I was right, of course. Two knee replacements, foot surgery, wrist surgery, and breast cancer. At times I thought I had bit of more than I could chew, but no, I chewed it up just fine, and took excellent care of my Mom, nursing her to health each time.

When she had physical therapy Pocket and I jumped right in to help. She had to do several leg lifting exercises and I was right there on her thigh to add resistance. When she had to hold her leg up in the air for a certain amount of time Pocket would slip under it to make sure she got some extra torture.

Recently I got contacted by one of my favorite boys: Leo. He told me his Mom has some nasty shoulder problems. This has been going on for awhile. She had all sorts of scans and tests. Finally they told her that she had a frozen shoulder. Oh boy. I love frozen shoulder. You lick it, and lick it, until you get to the meat, and then it’s good eating. But apparently it’s not that kind of frozen shoulder. I suggested Leo lie on the shoulder and use all that Chow heat to warm it up but he said when he climbed on her shoulder she yelped in pain. I don’t know what to do now. Wait for summer?

She also has a HAGL tear. Now this made me angry because every time I play Words With Paws and try to use HAGL I am told it is not a word. So I doubt this doctor’s diagnosis but Leo swears it’s proper. The doctor can operate on the shoulder but he wants to wait until the frozen shoulder melts. So the doctor, Leo, and his Mom, are like dogs with a Frosty Paw. We have to wait until it becomes unfrozen before we can enjoy it.

What Leo’s Mom has to do is improve the range of motion in her shoulder. I have told Leo he should be in charge of his Mom’s physical therapy. What better way to increase the range of motion than to play fetch with a pup? His Mom could also build up strength in the shoulder by playing tug of war with Leo. Walks are also excellent physical therapy. Not the walking part, but where Leo chases every butterfly, squirrel, or napkin he sees. The jerking of her shoulder back and forth should loosen everything up nicely.

I am hoping Leo helps his Mom get better soon. She has done so many wonderful paintings for us, and for our friends, that for her not be able to have an outlet for her work has to be very frustrating, and that frozen shoulder is keeping our beauty from being captured for posterity. So I am asking you to pray that Leo’s Mom’s shoulder problems are over soon and she can go back to a normal life and doing her wonderful art work.

Out of the great respect for Leo and his Mom I am starting a new group called Medical Dogtors for all us dogs who take care of, nurse, and help with physical therapy with our Moms. And if our Moms want to go there to complain about their ailments and see if other Moms are going through the same thing, or have gone through it, we will let them. And don’t forget to leave a kind word for handsome Leo and his Mom.