‍Henry’s Condition is GOOD and he had only one day of lethargy and sleepiness.

‍Diet: Henry eats twice daily but is more enthusiastic every other day. He had one episode of regurgitation with a more significant amount of kibble. He prefers his drinking water in the bowl at the front door or the bowl on the back patio. His water must always first be chilled in the refrigerator before drinking!

‍While foster puppy Zoie was still with us, she and Henry shared his birthday cakes (plural). Henry will be two years old in July!

‍No changes to medications — still administered with bribery.

‍Henry is a watch dog: he watches me constantly! He will not stay in his room at night and gnaws the plastic tops of the 55” tall gate, somehow shimmies up the narrow, slippery poles, and  vaults over them. To prevent that, I slid his now-unused kennel against the gate. Henry busts out of his kennel and once wedged his lower jaw and teeth in the narrow gap of the gate!

‍Despite my efforts to contain him, the joke is on me: Henry can leap a wire kennel and vault over the gate in a single bound! I still believe he needs to feel safe in his own room as his disease progresses and he becomes more debilitated. I’ll try the taller gate again in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I roll up the living room carpet and he has his choice of sleeping spots.

‍In other news, Henry got a job! He works hard as Chief Cardboard and Paper Shredder at the Confetti Plant! When he receives help from his assistant, Zoie the puppy, it looks like an episode of Lucy and Ethel.

‍After three weeks, Henry is “GOOD” enough that his true puppy-ness has had a chance to flourish. His respiration is still rapid, not labored.

‍His rear limbs 0/4 and he still squats to wet. Henry’s rear limbs shake while he is having a bowel movement. Rear left leg is more able than rear right leg, but Henry has been able to scratch himself using both. While I do not have video of his nightly stir-crazy escapades, I have seen him use his left rear leg to haul his weight.

‍PLAN

‍Status quo for another week. Because this bastard Muscular Dystrophy is progressive, with continuing loss of muscle use, hydrotherapy is most beneficial. Recall that in the muscle cell is a protein called dystrophen that helps to engage the cells in the muscle. The X-link chromosome genetically-altered dystrophin leaks out of the cell and causes havoc. The heart is a muscle, and endurance or strength training are detrimental. Therefore, sub-optimum aerobic is the very best approach.