I left the house at 8:30 yesterday to take Molly to her acupuncture appointment.  I stopped at Suzette’s Organics for a matcha latte. The barista asked what I was up to today and I told her Molly had an acupuncture appointment. Her eyes got big and her face fell as she asked how Molly was doing. She said she thinks about Molly way too often. 

I don’t even know this woman’s name yet she thinks of my dog regularly.

Molly and I arrive at the funky strip mall on the highway not quite in any town, just “in limbo” as I used to tell my kids when they asked where we were on our drive to Missoula. Most of the doors had no business names on them. Brett told me to go to the third door. There was a quilt shop and what looked like a religious place, maybe a strip mall church. Molly and I were early. I opened the tailgate and set up the ramp, put on her one booty to protect her foot and helped her out of the car. She three leg walked dragging the bad leg that would occasionally get tangled up under her. We walked to the back of the building where I told her to pee and she did. We walked the sidewalk in front of the businesses waiting for Linda to arrive. There was a Harley parked on the covered sidewalk in front of the quilt store.  A big burly man with a goatee and leather vest walked by us and commented on how much better Molly is doing. I agreed. I had never met this man I thought as I watched him walk into the quilt store. He knew my dog and knew she was doing better.

Six weeks ago. Brett, Molly and I were on our afternoon walk up Tin Cup. Planning on doing our loop, when Molly started missing a step with her left leg. Then she started dragging it. I heard it first; the sound of her paw dragging on the dirt road. We walk in the forest and Molly always runs free. She doesn’t even wear a collar. Eventually she started walking behind me struggling more and more to use her left leg. Her paw started buckling under or knuckling as we later learned was the term. I realized she was not going to be able to walk home. We were maybe two miles from the house and I told Brett I would run home and get the car. And I did. A run walk in my hiking boots. We got her home and called the new local vet in town. They said they could see her in five minutes. Away we went as we live five minutes from the vet. They took X-rays and could not determine what was wrong. Gave us some options and sent us home with a bottle of ibuprofen. They said she would have to get an MRI to really know what was going on. The nearest pet MRI being in Bozeman or Spokane. Possible surgery after they determined what was wrong and even that might not be the fix. He said to call in the morning if she got worse.

Damn

Next morning; Molly couldn’t use her right leg either. Her whole back end was paralyzed. We called and went back to the vet. Brett carried our 85 pound yellow lab into the vet.

They gave us options again. None of them sounded promising. We took her home. Brett started researching for alternative solutions. He found a holistic veterinarian north of Hamilton. She was able to take Molly that afternoon. It was Friday. Molly and Brett were there for three hours. She did chiropractic work, acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy, laser therapy and prescribed homeopathic remedies. She requested to have Molly’s x-rays to be emailed to her. She set up another appointment for Monday as Brett carried Molly back to the car. Linda send her laser home with Brett to use over the weekend. The next day Linda called and said she would come to our house on Monday so that we wouldn’t have to move Molly. Linda also told us to stop feeding Molly dog food. We’ve been cooking for her ever since. 

Molly saw Linda again at her office on Friday that week after the house call. Brett had set up a chiropractic appointment for himself on the way. Brett’s chiropractor asked him what he’d done and he explained to her what had happened to Molly and he’d been picking her up and carrying her. Mandy asked where Molly was, Brett told her Molly was in the car. Mandy said; “Bring her in, I’ll do her first”. After that Mandy set up another appointment for Molly on Monday morning; before she opens. That night Mandy called Brett and said Monday was too far out; come in tomorrow and she’d meet us at her office on Saturday after her swim at the gym. I asked Brett how much Mandy was charging for Molly’s treatments. He said, nothing. She won’t take my money for Molly. 

A couple of weeks later (after rolling up our rug, laying down a full box of pee pads, setting up a number of different sleeping options including the water proof baby bed mattress) Molly started using her right leg again. This was a very hopeful sign and a huge improvement in getting around even if it was off balance. Her final bed set up in the living room was a river mattress (poco pad) and Brett slept on the couch so he could help her out when she need to pee/poop in the night. She was stuck on her little island in the house as she could not maneuver unbalanced on three legs on the hardwood floor. 

Even though she still doesn’t have use of the left leg yet, she has come a long way and she is improving. She now sleeps through the night, eats well, pees and poops outside on her own, and is happy. We’ve laid yoga mats on the hardwood floor and she is able to get around the house now and sleeps in our bedroom. We’ve built a ramp for her off the front porch and a portable ramp for the car. I’ve started making Molly burgers that are full of deer meat, grains and vegetables that I prepare and keep in the freezer. 

Molly goes to another vet for physical therapy that Brett, who videoed the session on his phone, then does with her twice a day. That vet had Molly fitted for a custom made boot that we will pick up Monday. 

One night Brett was on the floor with Molly and I asked what he was doing. ”Acupuncture on her bladder meridian”.

Molly takes 12 different supplements to help with her healing. I’ve had two people tell me that when they die they want to come back as mine and Brett’s dog. 

Our active yellow lab has lost all muscle on her back side and and she now weighs 65 pounds. Her lean hips should help when she does get that leg back. 

What’s my take away on all of this? It’s a big one. And a slap in my whole foods, plant based, vegan ass!

Food. What the heck have I been feeding my animals? Why did this societal rebel fall so easily victim to the belief that animals should eat processed, un-fresh food, shelf stable, out of a bag (or can) with very little variety, food? I’m so frustrated with myself. Ease? Convenience? What the fuck? Our animals ate our food until the 1950s. Commercialism flipped the switch. Now everyone thinks dog food is the best especially the expensive stuff from a high end pet store. Why? How can that be better than fresh homemade food? In the 50’s we invented wonder bread, boxed mac and cheese, hot dogs and dog food. This morning Molly had a burger that I made last weekend and froze. I take them out as needed, thaw them and she loves it. The burger includes deer meet, rice, spinach, peas, carrots, celery and oatmeal. I added a slice of homemade bread and some leftover lentils, smashed it all up and she loved it. 

The book I’m recommending is “The Fresh and Flexible Meal Plan; The Easiest, Most Nutritious Way to Feed Your Dog and Cat” by Jan Allegretti. If you have an animal, I highly recommend reading this book and re-thinking how your animal is nourished.

We have so many people cheering for Molly. All of her practitioners, including Brett’s chiropractor who won’t take our money but sure appreciated the nice bottle of wine, the holistic vet who offers to do house calls in her old Volvo, the matcha latte barista, the quilting Harley guy, the people that work in the vet offices, our families and friends, co-workers, the pet store owner who let us return our unopened bag of dog food, the neighbors who don’t recognize us when we’re out walking without Molly. Molly Girl has lots of good energy coming her way. We are grateful for it all. Go Molly Go!

More book recommendations and adventures (with Molly) can be found at Wild About Books. Click follow.