otto had spinal surgery nine days ago. this morning he wagged his tail for us!!!! oh how i missed seeing his little tail go! this is a really positive sign that he has a lot of hope of walking again.

LOOK AT HIS TAIL GO!!!!!!!

i'm so fucking hyped to show these videos to otto's physical therapist in the morning https://twitter.com/socialistdogmom/status/1468076553145929734?s=20

it’s almost time for our first dog physical therapy appointment!
because of the pandemic, i have to wait outside in the car. what is the least insane way to explain that otto has thousands of supporters who would really appreciate it if they could take some video of his session?

otto is gonna walk again, i’m sure of it https://twitter.com/socialistdogmom/status/1468284262029971468

they’re not strong yet, but those leggies are MOVING!!!

OTTO STOOD UP!!!!!!!

he is working so hard

THE BOY IS MOBILE

THE MIRACLE BOY

otto got the OK from his surgeon to start hydrotherapy at his next appointment! he should be walking on the water treadmill on thursday!

and the vet said he could start taking short trips outside on the grass to practice walking!!! he had his first pee on the grass since the day after thanksgiving!

otto is showing off his strength & power by eating standing up

a week ago, he couldn’t even stand up. we didn’t know if he would ever regain voluntary control of his bladder. now he’s outside peeing in the leaves with his brother

i’m so thankful for all the love & support we’ve had for sweet otto! when we rushed him to the emergency vet a few weeks ago, he was paralyzed & in so much pain. now it’s all we can do to keep him from running wild! buck is so happy to have his brother back

otto was not so sure about hydrotherapy

he is gonna be a pro by next week, don’t doubt him

i invented a new physical therapy activity for otto: scooting his yogurt mat a few inches at a time so he has to take a step & adjust his stance to keep enjoying his snack

he’s supposed to be taking it slow but he really loves it when we can go outside to practice walking

he has trouble lifting his back legs up onto the ramp & needs a little assistance walking up the incline, but otto is back to getting onto the couch whenever he wants!

buck has been such a good boy during his brother’s recovery

the physical therapist said to use cones but i think the seltzer slalom really suits us

the little shark has been working on his fitness!!

still working on that hind end coordination

otto’s physical therapist said his strength is good and he has no remaining neurological deficits. he just needs time, patience, and practice to get his coordination back. we have our 8 week post op checkup with the surgeon next week!

we upgraded our seltzer slalom to real cones that match his sweater. he’s worth it!
we’re also practicing sit-to-stands, which help him improve his coordination, balance, and strength

that is buck barking jealously in the background while otto does his exercises… we let buck take a turn, too, so he wouldn’t feel left out. turns out it isn’t as easy as otto makes it look!

otto’s surgeon cleared him to resume walks around the neighborhood! i thought some little boots might help him keep his footing & prevent scrapes when he drags his feet a little but… these are not the right size he’s been such a sweetie about all this chaos.

otto’s physical therapy is progressing wonderfully - here he is strengthening his legs by pulling a little sled full of cans. he’s almost ready for the wiener dog iditarod.

the boys are back on the block - otto’s first walk around the old neighborhood walk circuit since his surgery at thanksgiving

otto’s first walk around the block after nearly three months away meant he had a LOT of smells to catch up on. we took it slow and he sniffed every post, pole, fence, mailbox, trashcan, and location where he’s previously found discarded food.

the little man is BACK in a big way, hiking like he never got paralyzed at all. he walked for almost 2.5 miles with some hills & uneven terrain! we’ll be back at full strength & hiking the shenandoah trails by summertime

otto has been working really hard at physical therapy. he’s gonna become the world’s strongest wiener dog.