Yawn . . .

What a night!  Fed Joey and gave him his 3-times-a-day pain meds at a little after 6 (that's when they told me they'd be due again).  And sure enough -- at 1:30 AM he was whining and carrying on.  Couldn't tell if he was in pain again, or had to go out, or just needed help turning around in the crate.  But whatever the reason, I had to get up and check.  So I put on some shoes and helped him go out, then I gave him more pain meds and put him back in the crate. 

So time to go back to sleep right?  Ha!  He continued to whine and carry on for another half hour.  Finally I got back up and helped him rearrange himself in the crate (he can't seem to figure out how to pull his head back when that collar gets caught on the crate wall), got him covered back up with his "blankie" and eventually he went back to sleep ... for all of 2 more hours.  Sigh.  Then I had to help him rearrange himself AGAIN.   (I can't WAIT for the new giant crate I ordered to get here so he'll have an easier time turning around in there.  It's due on Tuesday.)

Today I'm going to run over to PetSmart and see if they have one of those inflatable collar things that replace those plastic collars.  If it works well enough to keep him from reaching his stitches it will be a LOT easier for him to make himself comfortable, I'm sure.

I have to say, though, that compared to a lot of photos I've seen of legs after this kind of surgery, Joey's leg looks like it will take a LOT less time to heal.  The incision is shorter and finer (no staples - actual stitches) than many I've seen.  And once those stitches come out and the incision is healed the collar thing can GO.  It can't be soon enough!!

Here's Joey's best pal, Rocky, checking out his friend.  (Joey isn't able to lift his head to him since that collar is stuck there at the bottom of the crate door -- again.)

But it's morning now, and the horses have been fed and turned back out.  (It stormed last night, so they were kept in their paddocks overnight so they wouldn't trample the grass in the pasture while it was soaked.)  It's interesting to see how the three of them relate from week to week.

Initially, Duke and Lizzie were inseparable and Bug would hang out a dozen yards away.  Now?  The girls stay right  together and Duke is generally a distance away.  Wonder what the heck he did to piss Lizzie off like that?  She used to follow him everywhere!

Poor Duke - hanging out by himself at the HayHut (sounds like a bar, doesn't it?  Maybe it's the horse equivalent).

Anyway, it's 9 AM now, so I'll have time to go make myself a nice iced coffee and kick back for a half hour or so, then it'll be time AGAIN to help Joey go outside, feed him, give him his meds, do the exercises for time 1 of 3 today. 

And then ? . . .  

You know what, I think I just MAY go back to bed!