tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45807344098066346842026-01-12T09:03:24.491-05:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-50764882357176698882014-10-13T19:02:00.002-04:002014-10-13T19:02:39.919-04:00

Still doing very well!  Taj just turned 7 years old and is enjoying himself to the max with Brother Rumi. We'll have to update you all on successful stem cell therapy for one of Taj's shoulders (with excellent outcome!).

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-31653341238694406012013-05-24T16:39:00.002-04:002013-05-24T16:50:27.256-04:00

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to send out a quick update.  Taj and Rumi are doing very well and have had no complications or lasting effects from their breaks, for which we are all very thankful. We swear they do more than just sleep or lay around but these are some recent pics of them.  Enjoy! If you haven't already, do check out a favorite blog of ours: http://

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-8596577420959241462012-06-28T20:42:00.000-04:002012-06-28T20:42:12.272-04:00

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-71598410832859602652012-06-28T20:35:00.002-04:002012-07-01T21:50:10.850-04:00

Baby Roo did the best today! Simple dog simply walked down the ramp, was like "oh, guess i have to swim now," swam across the length of the pool quite easily, was like "wow look another ramp" got out and was like "yay let's do it again" with no problems. Since Roo could only do it about 15 minutes with breaks (we did 5 swims), the owner said to come back with Taj/Tanzy to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-47320346012988491342012-06-28T19:48:00.005-04:002012-06-28T19:48:51.875-04:00

This was Taj's first time off leash since he broke his leg a year ago.  Mom was in her "happy place" as Taj sprinted on Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA. Success! 

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-62197203924328251382012-03-19T20:44:00.000-04:002012-03-19T20:44:04.298-04:00

Rumi is doing very well.  So well in fact he thinks he is "all better" now and life is back to normal.  Video to come shortly. Thanks to Roberta for the great selection!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-81312746039884571552012-03-01T20:36:00.000-05:002012-03-01T20:36:32.470-05:00

Woohoo bandage removal today - leg doesn't look too bad! Some old blood stains, but good circulation and Rumi of course slept right through it and is still sleeping.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-79413637958694620552012-02-27T23:45:00.001-05:002012-02-29T20:28:04.632-05:00

Flyin' high on tramadol or just Roo being Roo? Well you all aren't going to believe this but Taj's brother Rumi broke his front left leg in a freak accident last week.  As much as Heather can tell, Roo probably was trying to get up onto the deck by jumping four steps instead of walking up - typical saluki!  She thinks Roo lost traction on one of the steps and his leg went through

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-66881500124067597062011-11-04T19:30:00.000-04:002011-11-24T12:18:12.168-05:00

Can you spot what is missing?! Sorry for the no-posts: everyone here is transitioning. These pics are of Taj at rehab! quit measuring me! quit bending me! quit stroking me! What's this kid stuff?  I used to be able to jump onto counter tops standing still! how did you know I just *love* water mommy you will pay for this ...plotting... scheming...

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-59513407298228839472011-08-04T13:17:00.000-04:002011-08-04T13:17:15.696-04:00

We have 2.5 fixator weeks to go - and it can't come soon enough. We'll start with the good. The good is that Taj is putting much more weight on the leg again. We walk quite a bit longer - relatively speaking - still only 10 minute breaks but now it's mostly walking instead of standing and sniffing and looking around. His spirits are up, and he tries more 'dynamic' moves with it (e.g. leaps,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-67036061228211423032011-08-04T12:38:00.000-04:002011-08-04T12:38:30.382-04:00

I've been trying to make a point to have some special time with Rumi since everything has become Taj, Taj, Taj. We've been to a few conformation handling classes, and I've taken him for some dog park trips and on a special hike. I had the chance last weekend to shoot up to the Nita Nee (State College) Kennel Club shows for some show practice. This was our second show, and at our first show (in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-83073824694275459402011-07-27T17:04:00.000-04:002011-07-27T17:04:33.063-04:00

I have been emailing with the technicians at VOSM regarding the Exogen treatments, and they encouraged me to travel down to VOSM in Annapolis for our 12-week recheck appointment. We were about 1/2 week early for this recheck, but I was a bit concerned with how Taj has been using the leg the past couple weeks and wanted to have it looked at asap. We all piled in the SUV and headed down to VOSM -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-1081419179057791972011-07-24T15:04:00.000-04:002011-07-24T15:04:05.390-04:00

The vets at VOSM got back to Dr. Rider regarding the 8-week radiographs and suggested that because the bone healing is so painstakingly slow, that we try ultrasound therapy. Dr. Canapp suggested that we buy an Exogen 4000 Ultrasound Bone Healing System made by Smith & Nephew. This system is actually intended for human use and has been proven with clinical FDA studies to accelerate bone

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-76743758110980953552011-07-18T14:55:00.000-04:002011-07-18T14:55:09.486-04:00

Well we were going strong and flying high through Week 8, but Week 9 seems to have become the mega slump - for both Taj and I. Taj is markably more bored, apathetic, and somewhat depressed... despite my efforts to keep him entertained. He has been living relatively confined now for over 2 months. It makes me sad to have to have to mandate such a drastic change in his lifestyle and I think we are

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-1022183050071177062011-07-06T14:19:00.002-04:002011-07-06T14:24:04.160-04:00

We have made it to the big landmark of 8-WEEKS post-surgery! Woohoo! We are now (hopefully) half-way through the fixator process - I think I've earned an honorary veterinary technician degree! ;)   Taj is definitely feeling more active. I have to be much more careful with him now out on a lead. He will attempt to get up on furniture if I am not watching him like a hawk. Furniture is not

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-89967487005863189082011-07-01T00:36:00.000-04:002011-07-01T00:36:26.178-04:00

Good news! In case you missed it, go to the Monthly Radiograph Progress page to check out the X-rays and see what the vet has to say.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-4901367589569919182011-07-01T00:08:00.005-04:002011-07-01T09:50:09.994-04:00

Shooter & Hottie on set with Dawn Carlson and Patrick Dempsey The third installment of the Transformers movie franchise Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon is out.  Surprisingly, there are two beautiful salukis from Aeolus Hounds of Southeastern Wisconsin featured in the movie as Patrick Dempsey's dogs!  My brother Jo and I chuckled in disbelief when they twice appeared on

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-40703240358149094072011-06-23T22:23:00.005-04:002011-06-28T16:33:07.493-04:00

So another of Taj's "quirks" is that he is nonchalantly petrified of various and sundry insects. Yes, he has canine entomophobia. This condition, of course, has only been heightened and intensified by the relative lack of stimulation as of recent days. If he detects any slight insect movement in the house -within his super sighthound visual vicinity- he will let me know that I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-87764097595811279242011-06-23T16:58:00.001-04:002011-06-23T17:00:03.581-04:00

Week 7 has come and is almost gone! Taj is definitely starting to be able to start to put regular weight on his leg (maybe bearing 85-90% now). When we do our morning 'walks' (all of about 700-800 feet round trip), he walks the WHOLE time (he used to hop half his way back) and this is with the tail-end of his pain-killer medication in his system. To my delight, he has also started to do his

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-67688918996675550862011-06-19T22:49:00.000-04:002011-06-19T22:49:39.809-04:00

We made it to 6-weeks with no major (or even minor) incidents! Taj has had excellent care and lots of TLC from all the vets, his mom, and all his extended human and canine friends and family so far. Fortunately, I can say that this was a rather mundane visit - just another fixator check - but the pins are still tight and absolutely no infections around the pins so far! Taj not too happy about

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-43160674579833077972011-06-19T22:12:00.003-04:002011-06-19T22:52:59.397-04:00

So we've made a weekly tradition of wagon-ing Taj down to Duffy's Tavern at least once a week. Duffy's Tavern is one of the only local restaurants to offer outside dog-friendly patio dining (and the food is excellent too)! Luckily, Duffy's is just a short 1-mile downhill pull from our house. We managed to figure out the trick of pulling Taj down in the wagon and then driving him in the car back

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-58404335434276394362011-06-09T21:39:00.001-04:002011-06-09T21:41:01.168-04:00

Taj walking 4-weeks post fixator surgery!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-73423038757435830502011-06-06T06:34:00.000-04:002011-06-06T06:34:14.511-04:00

Taj at the Penn State Creamery After walking through the Botanic Gardens at the Arboretum, at my friend Roberta's suggestion, Taj's first adventure continued.... Taj got pulled all the way down to the Penn State Creamery for a special treat! Taj had a very small dish of Peachy Paterno ice cream and a big water break.  Taj enjoying Peachy Paterno All Refreshed and Ready to Roll!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-5753366009149219832011-06-05T22:28:00.000-04:002011-06-05T22:28:08.017-04:00

It is a gorgeous day in Happy Valley, so we decided to take Taj to Penn State's Arboretum to soak up some fresh air and sunshine. Technically dogs are not allowed, but since he was wagon-confined, we thought we could stretch the rules a bit. This was Taj's first big outing (aside from the Vet) since the accident happened just over a month ago. I wanted to keep his movement confined as possible

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4580734409806634684.post-69366802955202124022011-06-05T19:07:00.000-04:002011-06-05T19:07:26.296-04:00

Week 4 Leg Inspection We made it - Week 4! This was the first exciting recheck because we finally got to take new radiographs to see how the bone is healing. Dr. Rider inspected the leg again - flexibility and joint mobility still look good - pins look great as well. Dr. Rider also observed that the Taj's muscles are retaining decently - especially for such high mobility restrictions.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0