Hi everyone,

Sorry for the delay in updates. Since the majority of my social network made up the bulk of the donations, sometimes I forget that the Facebook posts I make aren’t enough! Here’s an overview of Dexter’s current situation.

Overall, he’s much better than a few months ago. It’s crazy to realize just how much time has passed, and yet it also has only been going on 8 months since his surgery on September 2nd. Last month I was feeling kind of depressed about his progress and wondering if he would ever be ‘all the way better’, but then I reviewed the pictures of his injury, and WOW!!! He has come a LONG way.

Okay, from here on, there may be some TMI!

Day-to-day, he’s doing really well. Dexter has settled on the canned Purina One diet as his food of choice, and I’ve tried a few different mix-ins to see if I can help him go regularly, but not have any accidents. Over the last few weeks, he’s reduced greatly in the amount of accidental poop (where he used to just be laying in his crate, and his butt would not be able to hold in what was just a normal, small amount). On walks, when he goes to the bathroom, it takes him a little longer and maybe a few more sessions to get it all out, but he is NOT in pain, which is wonderful!!! Never any whining or sad doggie sounds – just that it takes him some time. During the winter and snowy months, he managed all right, and even played in the snow more than any other year!

However, he still does have a little bit of a messy butt usually after a walk and then at some point during the day. I’ve taken to covering my couches in fabric that can be easily thrown in the wash, just to be safe. It’s down to twice a week or so that I discover a place where his butt has left something behind on the carpet (always without him meaning to). In the morning when he ‘has to go’, he’s 99% of the way able to hold it in until I get my shoes on and get him out the door. If any comes out, it’s just a small smear (though of course this still means more cleaning for me!)

In NON poop related updates, I’m taking him to the cardiologist tomorrow (4/25) for an EKG to check out his heart murmur. It’s been longer than I wanted, but he had about 2 days of enough coughing to freak me out, and then of course after I made the appointment he seems basically 100% fine again. But I’ll still get the workup done and hopefully get him on medication.

All in all, I was first frustrated by his progress but have been able to recognize over the last few weeks especially that he’s doing much better overall. He now surprise-farts and scares himself, which is pretty hilarious (though the stench is not so funny), which he never did pre-surgery. But compared to the crying and suffering, yeah, it’s not so bad.

Thank you again to everyone who made this possible. I’m also still battling my cat’s idiopathic cystitis, especially this month as he’s had 2 vet visits in 7 days – but thanks to all of you, my little family is on the road to recovery and we’ve settled into a fun new kind of normal. <3