Update from Lava’s Foster Dad

I feel like all I do is give you guys gloom and doom, but I also feel I have an obligation to let you know what’s going on with your Lava.  The good news is Lava does not have a scraped-up throat.  The not-so-good news is he has a disc problem in his neck.  Knowing where it hurts does make a big difference in the way we handle Lava.  Collars are now out of the question for this guy forever.  Harnesses for tripods could be a challenge.  Cindy is researching special harnesses for front tripods.  If you have any ideas or can think of a way, that would help us out a lot. 

I want to leave this update with some highlights of the past two weeks.  Lava has adjusted to walking without his bum leg.  If you watch him walk from behind (just his rear legs), he has adjusted so well you’d never know he has a leg missing.  His side, just before his stitches came out, looked really pretty good.  The surgeon even took time to line up the stripes on his skin so when he’s healed he won’t have crooked lines. 

Finally the best part:  When I came home from work yesterday, Cindy reported that Lava made a special effort to come into the living room and sought out her affection.  Way to go, Lava!  Last night Lava made another effort when he came back into the living room and stuck his head across the armrest of my recliner and rested his face in my lap; his tail was wagging as happy as could be.  I don’t know if it was the sudden release of anxiety or the surprise, but I started laughing and the more I watched his tail, the more I laughed and the more I laughed, the more he wagged his tail.  I hope last night is our indicator for what is to come…

~Ted Ski