It should come as no surprise to Kojak Nation that Kojak is truly a Rottweiler. If you do a quick search on Rottweilers you’ll find descriptions like “Rottweilers are strong, confident, and loyal dogs with a muscular build, protective instincts, and a calm, affectionate temperament toward their families.” Kojak is roughly as strong as your average small horse (don’t believe me? Try and take him for a walk!) with a head about the size (and consistency) of a bowling ball. He is usually pretty chill (except when we get visitors). Unlike other dogs, he regards loud noises such as thunder, fireworks, gunshots and sirens as personal challenges and barks a challenge to them rather than cowering in the laundry room. He has just the best personality and really seems to be a favorite at the vet’s office; when we arrive all the vet tech appear for some petting time with Kojak – and he just laps it up.
These are all great characteristics and highly desirable (except maybe for the leash pulling) but Rotties also have some not as desirable qualities and yesterday we found Kojak is true to form following the same path Cooper and Xena (our previous Rotties) went down. Kojak took a fall on the ramp getting out of the truck about 6 weeks ago and has been limping on that leg off and on ever since. Our regular vet took X-Rays and didn’t find any sign of damage and treated him with some pain killers. He’s been on the pain killers for about 5 weeks and STILL occasionally limps on that leg or doesn’t put full weight on it.
Finally yesterday we were able to get him to our Veterinary Surgeon who diagnosed a partially torn ligament in that leg. She couldn’t determine if it was as a result of the fall or if it is just part of being a Rottie – they’re predisposed to knee problems and both Cooper and Xena had both of their knees surgically repaired. So Kojak is now scheduled for knee surgery on July 27th and he’ll have about an 8 week recovery.
To help his recovery he’ll probably do some swimming (it really helped Xena) and since we’re in the middle of the summer, Kojak is going to start swimming in our pool. Before he can get in though I have to get him wearing booties (so his nails don’t rip the pool liner) and buy him a life vest.
- Paw Protectors: Protect your dog’s paws from rain, snow, salt, mud, sharp terrains and hot surfaces. Suitable for everyd…
- Soft on the Inside: The interior of the dog shoes is lined with soft fleece, providing your dog’s paws with soft comfort…
- Nonslip: Durable Rubber Soft Sole with Puncture Resistant Tread that Aid in Traction
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I know it sounds funny that a dog should have a life vest since dogs know how to swim. But there are 2 strong reasons for getting the vest. First, dogs naturally swim with their head well up and out of the water which naturally pushes their tails down into the water. In this position the front legs do most of the work with the back legs just doing an occasional kick to steer. The life vest brings the dog more level and encourages them to use their hind legs which is where he’ll need the most therapy. Secondly the vest will give me some control over him in the water and keep him away from the sides. Xena loved swimming in the pool after she learned to swim after her knee surgery. Cooper never took to it and would just lay on the decking next to the pool and watch Xena swim.
- High Buoyant Life Jacket for Dogs: Secure dog life jacket always keep your pet’s head above the water with high flotatio…
- A Life Vest Suitable for Dogs of Various Sizes: The life vest for dogs offering a wide range of sizes, from small dogs t…
- Sturdy Handle for Quick Rescue: The strong and soft textile handle on top of the life jacket is crucial for quick and sa…
.As an Amazon associate Kojak earns from qualified purchases
We’re supposed to be keeping Kojak kind of quiet – no running, no chasing balls, no grabbing gas cans and prancing around the yard, no steps….yada yada yada. We’re trying but it’s hard to explain to Mr. Blockhead why he suddenly can’t run after his toys. We CAN instill some good habits, like swimming, anytime so once the Rottweiler Swimwear arrive we’ll start with the booties. It should be comical, at least in the beginning, so keep your eyes out for another blog post!
We’re also going to have to restrict him to the first floor as it’ll be about a month after surgery before he can tackle stairs. We ordered a bed for him a few months ago that works great, gets him up off the floor for cooling purposes and so far he hasn’t destroyed. I’m going to order him another one so he’ll have one on each floor against the time when he can navigate stairs.
- Chew Proof Design: This raised cot bed has a solid aluminum frame that protects all vulnerable spots from chewing. Pract…
- Durable Ripstop Ballistic Bed Sling: This heavy-duty fabric features a dense weave (1200D) of thick fibers to withstand …
- Sturdy Crate Bed: This bed is also sized to fit inside standard wire crates, making it perfect for dogs that chew or dig…
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Stay tuned, Kojak Nation, for what will likely be humorous attempts to get Kojak to don booties and vest and finally jump in the pool!
