WEGIAN'S PAGE

AKC Registered Name: Our Wegian Elkhound, CGC, TDIA, TDIAOV, TT
Wal-Mart Ol' Roy Dog of the Year - 1999, Woodriver, IL Store
Wal-Mart Ol' Roy Dog of the Year - 2006, Mountain Grove, MO Store

Wegian, Summer 2006
Taken at our new home in the Ozarks!

Wegian was born January 5, 1996. She is also called "Two-Dogs" because she has a split personality.  She can be "Good Dog" OR "Bad Dog" - we never know which one to expect!!  She is fearless and will try just about anything. She has taught the other Elkhounds to be sled dogs, by pulling alongside them until they get the idea! . Her favorite food group is baked goods, especially hot biscuits! Ham is a close second! She is too smart and would love to be the boss of all the other dogs (AND us).  

If Wegian had her way she would live in the wild. She loves to be outside, and would stay out all the time if we let her! Her favorite place is on our front porch, where she can survey our property for intruders (squirrels, birds, deer, armadillos).

She loves to play and go for rides in the car, especially if the car is pulling in at McDonald's, where she tries her best to mooch every French fry in the bag. If you're not quick enough, she'll just dive in and help herself!  If we leave her in the car at a restaurant, we sure better bring out a doggy bag!

Wegian is a registered Therapy Dog and has earned  the TDIAOV title, which is awarded for making 150 visits. She continues working as a Therapy Dog at our new home in the Ozarks, where she visits two nursing homes and a children's facility every month.  

Surveying her domain.....

Cruciate Ligament Injury and Repair

In December 2004, Wegian injured her left knee. We don't know how it happened, but she came inside one afternoon limping. Our vet diagnosed a ruptured cruciate ligament and performed surgery to repair it. Things went well for a while but she continued to favor the injured left leg, which resulted in  more stress on the right leg.  

In the fall of 2006, she apparently pulled the ligaments in her right knee, as could not put any weight at all on it. We took her to the vet and they anesthetized her to check the knee joint. She about gave us heart attacks when she momentarily stopped breathing under the anesthetic and had to be revived and given oxygen. Although surgery was again recommended for the right leg, we did NOT want her to have any more anesthetic. Researching the internet, we found the A-TraC Dynamic Brace from Woundwear.com. The brace allows stabilization of the knee joint while allowing limited range of motion to increase muscle strength. The brace must be fitted by a veterinarian and requires an x-ray and measurement of the dog's tibia to be sure you order the proper size .  

 Prior to ordering, Marilyn had called the company and had a long talk with Dr. Spatt, the inventor of the brace. They concluded that the brace was a good idea for Wegian, and our own vet felt that we were opting for the right treatment as well. When the brace arrived in October 2006, our vet made sure it was on correctly, and then Wegian wore it almost continuously until January 2007. At that time we began taking it off her for longer and longer periods of time. 

In March, 2007, Wegian got to take her first walk minus her brace. She is doing great. She walks the same on both legs and does not limp at all. You would never guess which leg had the surgery and which did not! We highly recommend this brace as an alternative to cruciate surgery, especially for an older dog that you do not wish to have anesthetized. 

On the left is Wegian in October, 2006, the day after she was fitted with her brace. 
As you can see she is already putting weight on the leg. The picture on the right was taken March, 2007,
on her first walk around our farm without her brace. She is ready to go!

If you are interested in seeing how she walks after treatment with the brace - you can view 2 videos here.

Video 1 - View from the back

Video 2 - View from the side

Her interest in cooking is obvious!

Wegian at 13 weeks old.  Playing with her favorite toy - a Floppy Flyer!

Wegian on Jon's lap

Wegian - Summer 1999 - 3 1/2 years old.

Wegian has a sense of humor! 
Sometimes she wears a silly outfit to the nursing home.

Nothing's better than a good game of ball!