Herbie update (Part 2)

It’s my birthday today and what could be better than having the family around and watching Herbie make more and more progress everyday. If you missed part 1, here is the link: https://olivehickmott.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/our-lovely-herbie/

Since coming home on Monday he has progressed daily, with new milestones crossed every day.  We have let Herbie help us see what he needs and he has rewarded us handsomely.

1. First it was something about his fur. When we picked him up all he wanted to do was rub himself on us and he has repeated this with several people since.  His fur felt really clogged up with all sorts of energies he had collected during his week long stay in the clinic.  It was like he was wearing someone else’s coat!  Maybe he had been helping others, as is his habit, but taking on their stuff, and getting “clogged up” in the process.  So a quick reminder of how to release other’s energy, a good brush and a few shakes late, his fur was silky again

2. Returning to normality. He loves his own part of the living room we cordoned off for him, where he feels safe and really relaxed.   For the first day he was there a lot but soon wanted to venture further, initially on a lead both inside and outside the house, to ensure he didn’t fall.  48 hours later he was off the lead in the house and showed us how he could step up onto his sofa, no jumping.  Another 24 hours and he could walk in the garden without the lead; we just watched from a respectful distance.  It has been so important for him to return to normality with friends and some “selected” dogs popping in to keep his spirits up.  Another 24 hours later and we were up his favourite field, first one field, then two, then three, and finally today the edge of the 4th field ; continually building his strength and fitness.  Boz, our 6 month old puppy, has been a star.  He has made major adjustments, is being very respectful of Herbie but at the same time encouraging him, to start thinking about playing.

3. I am an Energetic NLP practitioner, so I have shown him some of the processes, converted with Anne Smith’s help, for dogs. He particularly loves resetting all the cells in his body for his true essence, canine grounding and validation.  He WON’T let me do them for him, he wants to work them out for himself and even more delighted when he is teaching me a thing or two. He has given me an excellent demo into phantom limb pain – before the amputation he was of course in extreme pain for some time.  He was scratching madly to start with, round his neck and side and only narrowly missed his stitches – a major worry.  First I cut his nails and then thought about it.  We know from adults that phantom organ/limb pain can be shifted by moving energy blocks.  So to help him out I just brush the energy away, without touching him and hey presto he relaxes.  It works every time.

4. It has been amazing to watch Herbie working things out for himself on 3 legs; walking, sitting, just stepping not jumping onto his sofa or bed, crouching under a post at the field, the list goes on. Today’s project is rolling onto his back, this one is work in progress. He doesn’t  need teaching, just the trial and error instinct he used to learn to do all these things then he was a puppy.  Tomorrow he is going to hydrotherapy, I am sure he will catch on to swimming  just as easily.

5. “Herbie is a legend”. Our friend Jo, who has been his chief cheerleader, calls him a legend and he is already.  He has only been out of the Fitzpatrick clinic for 6 days, after surgery just 7 days before and he has achieved so much already.  Noel said he had done well, but could do a lot more.  He is doing more every day.  He has inspired people to realise how you can get back to normal so quickly and really just dismiss and let go of what has happened to you.  No regrets or rationalisations, just getting on with life.

We don’t have the results of his biopsy back yet so meanwhile the Natural Medicine Clinic has supplied us various supplements and homeopathic remedies to support his immune system and help release any residual cancer cells that have moved elsewhere in his body.

If his happy demeana and his rapid hair growth over his operations anything to go by he is a healthy 3 legged dog; the space we are all holding for him.

6. Herbie is doing his own healing too. Since he started to limp he developed some different habits and he has now added more to the list.  I am being respectful and learning from him.  First thing in the morning he goes out and eats grass; just as well the mower is broken!  After breakfast of Honeys low fat raw meat, ground bone and vegetables,  he is then on to the Michalmas Daisy’s, being very selective about which leaves he chooses.  Then a few new shoots from the sunflower plants that grow under the bird feeder.  This one he repeats a few times later in the day.  After his early morning walk he has made himself a “nest” of laurel leaves and bamboo under the olive tree.  All 3 have healing properties.  Together with the cool and the extra grounding is apparently just what he needs to set him up for the day. During the day he sometimes returns to his “nest” for another rest.

He seems to be a very happy healthy 3 legged dog and all in less than 2 weeks, after surgery.  We have much to be thankful for and learn from our animals.

I will keep you posted.