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We miss all our IG friends!!! It’s been so overwhelmingly busy around here - we have new twin grand babies who are even smaller than I am
- our grandpa is 86 and just had major spine surgery. He is very brave and doing well
-our oldest human brother just landed his dream job and is moving back to the East Coast (yay!). But he’s going to stay with us while he decides what city to be in. We ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM
-our first floor is completely torn up because when our refrigerator broke and ruined the floors my mom decided the whole first floor had to be fixed
-I have been limping around here with a luxating patella but am finally doing better and this afternoon the surgeon said things look so good I don’t need surgery right now.
-mom had the nerve to go back to teaching when summer ended (well, it IS her full time job) and she is “too busy for words.” LITERALLY. She hasn’t written a thing in 6 weeks.

We hope to get back to some semblance of normalcy in a month or so. We keep creeping on everyone’s pics and we are happy to live a calmer life vicariously through all of you.

Here’s looking at October!!

#busydog #smalldoglife #havaneselove #401dogs #smalldogcoach ...

Summer, we hardly knew you 💕

#ridogtrainer #dogtrainingri #smalldoglife #smalldogcoach ...

Nothing is EVER calm around here!
🌟 Scouty’s Journey with a Luxating Patella 🌟

Our sweet little redhead Havanese, Scouty, is taking some time off her paws after being diagnosed with a grade 3 luxating patella. For those unfamiliar, a luxating patella occurs when the kneecap slips out of place, and it’s a condition that’s quite common in small breeds like Havanese, Yorkies, Pomeranians, and Chihuahuas.

Luxating patellas are graded from 1 to 4:
1️⃣ Grade 1: The kneecap can be slipped out but goes back in place on its own.
2️⃣ Grade 2: The kneecap dislocates and needs manual adjustment to pop back in
3️⃣ Grade 3: The kneecap is out of place most of the time but can be manually adjusted.
4️⃣ Grade 4: The kneecap is permanently dislocated and can’t be manually adjusted.

In many cases, luxating patellas can be managed without surgery, especially in the earlier grades, with treatments like rest, anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy. However, since Scouty is already at grade 3, we’re keeping all options on the table, including surgery if needed. We’re also exploring alternative therapies, like a promising plasma injection therapy discussed last year in the Journal of Veterinary Science.

And yes, she’s in a stroller right now to rest her leg, and we did get a few amused stares on our walk today, but no shame here! Strollers aren’t just for pampering—they’re practical, especially when our pups need some extra care. We all needed to get out and enjoy life, and Scouty came back in much better spirits, which is what matters most.

We will be doing a surgical consult in the coming weeks, as luxating patellas can leave our pups prone to additional injuries and arthritis down the road.

If you’ve got any experience here, please share! This is a very new journey for us.

#SmallDogLife #LuxatingPatella #DogStroller #smalldogcoach #HavaneseLove #AlternativeTherapies #ridogtrainer ...