Cookie loves going for rides and adventures. He enjoys seeing new things, smelling new smells and, occasionally, getting into a little mischief.
Cookie Hurt His Leg…
Several weeks ago…
Following our usual pre-bedtime routine I had let Cookie outside to go potty before we hiked upstairs to hit the hay.
Being deaf, Cookie never goes outside by himself. So, we walked out the door and Cookie continued across the back deck out to the yard so he could do his thing.
I turned to make sure the door didn’t lock us out (again). It was then that I heard a “YIPE!”.
Cookie Can’t Walk…
I turn in the direction of the “YIPE” and see Cookie… in the middle of the yard… flailing around… walking like he forgot to have his V8.
My first thought was “he must have flown” because he was out in the middle of the yard.
Then, I realized that something was seriously wrong with his back, right leg. I thought maybe he stepped on something but, after thoroughly checking him over, I saw nothing that could cause his lameness.
Deciding What To Do…
Other than the first “YIPE!” Cookie never made a whimper. No whining, no nothing.
After a short while, Cookie seemed to walk a little better. He still limped but it looked like it was improving.
Since it was bedtime… and he seemed to be improving… I decided to wait until morning and see how he was doing.
Cookie sleeps on his pillow next to me. Throughout the night I checked on him and he slept pretty well.
The Next Day Cookie Was Worse…
The next day Cookie couldn’t walk at all. I would try to stand him up and he just went splat.
When I took him out to go potty I had to hold him up while he pee’d (yep, I did that and, yep, he pee’d while I held him up!).
Cancelling My Own Appointment…
That morning, I was supposed to see the Surgeon about my gallbladder.
I felt Cookie’s problem was a higher priority than mine so I cancelled my appointment and took Cookie to the Vet.
At The Veterinarian’s Office…
After an examination and a few x-rays the Vet said nothing was broken. He said Cookie had a bad muscle injury to his knee-cap (in addition to the arthritis that he already has).
I asked the Vet how he thinks this could have happened.
The Vet’s best guess was that Cookie fell into a hole in the back yard.
Hmm… I remember wondering how Cookie got out into the middle of the yard so fast. My guess is… Cookie saw a squirrel, tried to chase it and fell into one of the holes in the uneven terrain of the back yard.
Cookie’s Recovery…
After a couple of weeks of pain pills and rest, Cookie is walking better but he’s not the same as he once was.
He still can’t put too much pressure on his back, right leg. He does fine going outside to go potty and sniff stuff but he can’t walk far or fast.
I Need To Walk More But There Are No Ocean Beaches Here…
I still consider myself on a temporary hiatus from travelling long distances.
In my prior travels, I spent a lot of time in coastal areas. I love my walks on the beach (especially at sunrise!) and I miss the coast tremendously.
Being here and helping Dad, I got off-track with my walking and I also seriously need to get out and start walking again.
More activity might help my blood pressure issue and I was planning on doing some walking with Cookie.
But Cookie can’t walk far and I can’t carry him far.
Pet Stroller To The Rescue…
The problem I needed to solve was how to go on more walks, take Cookie with me and not have to carry him.
Dad isn’t able to watch Cookie anymore. I put Cookie in his crate whenever I leave the house for longer than a few minutes.
Cookie does fine in his crate but I want to bring Cookie with me whenever possible.
My good buddy Google has a massive library of information. After a little searching, I bought a pet stroller.
Related Article… Pros and Cons Of Living In A Van With Pets (includes links to products and more)
Hittin’ The Road For An Adventure…
Sunday, July 21…
The 3 day heat wave with heat indexes over 100 degrees and high humidity just ended.
Today feels like heaven and it’s perfect weather for a walk!
So…
I put the stroller in the van and lift Cookie into his seat on the passenger side so we can head on out. Cookie eagerly looks out the window in anticipation of the adventure we’re about to embark on.
A Walk In The Park…
We drive to Freeport because I had to pick up a prescription.
I have a new blood pressure medication to try since I had a pretty bad allergic reaction to the last one. My Doctor suggested I wait until Monday to start taking it, though, in case I’m allergic to this one too.
After picking up my prescription we head to Krape Park.
The park has several walking paths and I decide to park down by the dam (in the lower part of the park) so we can venture around on those paths.
Cookie goes potty. Then, he looks up at me, takes a step or two and wags his tail for me to pick him up.
I put Cookie into his stroller (The Buggy) and attached the little leash that keeps him from jumping out.
I’m positive Cookie can’t jump out (with his bum leg) but it’s best to be safe.
As we walk across the bridge it shakes gently as the waters of Yellow Creek flow below. We stop in the middle of the bridge to take a gander downstream.
Once across the bridge, I stop because I just HAD to take a picture of Cookie in The Buggy 😊
Cookie seems to be LOVING The Buggy!
Truth be told… I love The Buggy too!
Further down the path, we stop to take a peek through the greenery and gaze at the bridge we just crossed.
There’s a little path here (in the grass) that leads down to a popular fishing spot.
Strolling further… we stop to simply enjoy the nature that surrounds us.
Thankfully, the gnats and other pesky bugs aren’t attacking us today and it’s nice to be able to stop and enjoy the moment.
We reach the end of this path only because there are stairs and I’m NOT carrying Cookie and The Buggy up the stairs.
So, we turn around and wander back the way we came.
Through the trees, I see Bella (my van) on the other side of the creek waiting for our return.
But, first… we have more exploring to do!
As we cross the bridge (again) I stop to get a picture of Cookie.
A lady coming across the bridge stopped to ask about Cookie and The Buggy so we chatted a while.
She thinks it’s great that I found a way to take Cookie on walks even though he can’t walk far.
The lady said she can tell Cookie is enjoying it!
We round another corner and head towards the Duck Farm (I’m not sure what it’s actually called – that’s just what I call it).
The Duck Farm is a fenced in pond with a miniature barn where a flock of domestic ducks spend the summer months.
These ducks get fed lots of goodies by people visiting the park.
I see the flock of ducks lounging on the pond. There’s a bridge that crosses the pond so I walk onto the bridge to check the ducks out.
The entire flock eagerly swims over to us. Sadly, they probably thought I had food for them.
Maybe next time duckies!
Cookie and I head around the pond.
As we walked around the pond the flock of ducks followed us. They followed us the entire way!
Back in the van it’s Poodle nap time.
It’s also time to get on down the road and head home to see what Dad’s been up to while we’ve been gone.
Spoiler Alert: Dad was sleeping. He either sleeps, does word search puzzles or watches TV and usually stays out of trouble.
#PoodleAdventures
Simply Connie 