Max is Standing!

Hello everyone!
I am happy to report that Max can now stand up on his own!  (Provided he has something to lean up against!!)  He can hold himself up on all 4's, and is starting to try and make an effort to walk (but that hasn't been working out very well yet)  Can't wait for that Eddie's Wheel's cart to get here!!

Video's to follow as soon as I figure out how to video him and be close enough to catch him if he falls!

Max sits up on his own

Max sits up on his own.. sort of.. he managed to put himself in this position and curl up and take a nap while hanging out on the couch watching the olympcs.. Normally he's laying on the side that's up..

Frankenstein

Max had a busy day today!  He woke me up at 5am with a good hard kick to let me know he had to go potty... apparently right then... so then he took a shower and had a blow dry...  and then he had an appointment at the vet for some electric acupuncture!   We re-measured him for his Eddie's Wheels Cart  and then he came home to nap and work out some more.  Around 4pm he let me know he had to go potty again while he was working at his "desk" so I picked him up and though... maybe we can figure out a way to get him to use the toilet.. without him being able to hold his head up longer it wouldn't work, so I then took him outside and held him up on the grass so he could stand... it started to get hot.. nothing... finally I brought him back in the house and no more than 3 steps in I started to feel a warm stream of liquid running down my leg... At least HE knew he had to go and he knew how to tell me had to go... I just have to give him a little more time.

We also ordered his quad cart from Eddie's Wheels Today!  It should be arriving in about 2.5 weeks! Can't wait!

Max Napping during his electric acupuncture

All hooked up, Frankenstein style (and yes! If you turn the dial too much his arm will move!)

Max getting measured for his Quad Cart from Eddie's Wheels - he's cheating and standing on his tippy toes

Max the Toddler

Sorry I haven't written in a while but Max has been hard at work. He was measured for an Eddie's Wheel's cart but the measurements were apparently all out of proportion so we need to have them done again. Since then he's been doing his exercises with his peanut ball that Dr. Lessinger suggested and right now he's working hard - very hard  - on lifting his head and turning it to the left and then back to the right.. In the process he's also been throwing himself off his desk.. Once he managed to get back up on his desk but I have squshed him in with 2 beanbag chairs - don't need him breaking his neck at this point.. and of course.. Max being Max has figured out how to get up and over the bean bag chairs..   EXCELLENT!

This is good but also what I was worried about - when he can be more mobile and gets up but can fall over because he's not super stable yet... Practice Makes Perfect though - he just needs adult supervision. Yesterday we sat on the front steps and he practices pushing himself up with his right front arm.. and he was doing pretty well!  He even tinkled standing up yesterday with some support! (It was not my plan but maybe he had it all planned out.. We'll have to keep working on that!)

Anyway - still making steady progress!  Max is now getting electric acupuncture 2-3 times a week and I think the increase  has really made a big difference in his progress. The electricity makes his muscles flex and relax and kind of jump starts them... now if we could just get him to start eating on his own!  He'll eat liquid if it's syringe fed, and he did lick a peanutbutter molasses cookie until it was soggy and then Buttercup ate it, but if food is put in front of him he's not going for it, but he is sniffing it. 

He can hear everything, and he's still grunting and huffing when he gets frustrated, and every so often we get a whimper. I know he's really frustrated but he's trying so hard and hopefully that will all pay off soon! Max doing the Butt Dance..

 

Neck works!

Guess who sat up on his own and turned his head!!! Over and over and over tonight!  So far he has only turned his head to the right...but we'll get there!  He lifted his head up and held it all on his own and then turned it very very slowly to the right at first.. and then he got faster at doing it.. still no speed demon.. but he's definitely controlling that movement!

Poor little guy is now getting so frustrated that he can't move more. He'll work until he's exhausted...

Max at work

Max now has a "desk" and a "chair" and he goes to work and does squats... on his own!

Max in Action!

We just had some bad storms come through and I left Max in my office to go find the cat... the other dogs followed me. When I came back to my office, Max was working on trying to get up and follow. He looked like he was in a little bit of a panic that he was left alone!!! (good sign!)

As promised... some videos of Max working out... (please excuse any shaking of the camera - it's a bit challenging to video tape and support Max as well!)


Max having a drink of water:

Max working on his walking exercises

Max working out:

Max standing on his own... and then taking a well deserved rest!

The Karate Dog!