Friday, May 25, 2018

Tie-Back Surgery Completed - Riley

Riley came through surgery fine. My vet does tie-back surgeries first thing before morning appointments so Riley's was started around 7:45 AM.  This allows him to observe her all day in case there are complications.
   Brought her home around 6:45 PM.  She pottied, ate a few Fresh Pet meatballs, and went to bed.
Riley made it through the night with just a cough periodically and a couple of potty breaks. She was definitely feeling perkier in the morning.
Since her larynx is permanently tied open now, I have to be very careful with what I feed her. Soft chunks or meatballs is recommended.
To replace kibble, I am feeding her FreshPet Select. It comes in a roll and can be cut into chunks and squeezed into meatballs.
To replace chicken backs, chicken necks, and veggie mixes, I am feeding Instinct Raw.
It too is easy to pull apart and squeeze into meatballs.
Lastly, to try get some extra veggies into Riley, I cooked up some power greens egg frittatas. When I used to eat eggs, I would make these little muffin frittatas.
I put a dozen eggs into my Ninja blender and several handfuls of leafy greens and blended it all together. Poured the mixture into a muffin tin (each half full).  Cooked at 375 degrees for 17 minutes and out came these little veggie filled egg patties that are easy to pull apart into small chunks.
Drinking actually seems to give Riley more trouble than eating.  I make her take breaks so she does not start gagging.
Hopefully the next few weeks fly by quickly and Riley returns to mostly normal life.  I can tell already that her hoarse, raspy breathing is gone.