Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“But what about the lurkers?”

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

The revolution will be supervised.

Why did Dr. Oz lose? well, according to the exit polls, it’s because Fetterman won.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Open Thread: Bixby Rehab Update

Open Thread: Bixby Rehab Update

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Bixby had his first rehab session today and now he’s exhausted. In a good way. Acupuncture and chiropractic adjustment. He’s getting stronger and hasn’t fallen in a few days. More on his recovery here.

Scout has been a sweetheart (you know, except for killing my laptop with coffee – I settled on an HP Pavilion for replacement).  Worried about her best friend and forever patient with my stress.

This cracked me up last night:

https://twitter.com/SlenderSherbet/status/1120795607906562050

I’m easily amused these days.

Don’t forget, we are having a guest author post this weekend for writers chatting on Sunday.  12:30/11:30/10:30/9:30

Non-politics open thread

Reader Interactions

50Comments

  2. 2.

    MisterForkbeard

    I JUST bought that unicorn balloon/cup holder for my unicorn obsessed daughter. This just cracked me up. Then I showed my wife, and she snorted milk out her nose.

    Well done. :)

  6. 6.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    Bixby is a wonderful brave doggie, and Scout is an amazing friend to both of you. You’re all in my thoughts.

  7. 7.

    Omnes Omnibus

    It’s “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him,” damn it!

  8. 8.

    frosty

    Two of the best doggo pix I’ve seen. Good dogs, good photographer. My best wishes to Bixby.

    PS the unicorn pic is great too.

  15. 15.

    Miss Bianca

    Aww, Bixby. So glad he’s getting better.

    And all hail the fourth Hedgehog of the Apocalypse!

    They Kill You With Cute!

  17. 17.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    So glad your beastie is on the mend:)

    I’m late with this as always, but may I just say that contrary to popular opinion around here I’m stoked Uncle Joe is in the race.

    I don’t particularly want him to be the nominee but his gaffes will distract the press—ink-stained wretches will have less time to brood about Amy Klobuchar’s audacious lack of fuckability and the mechanics of Mayor Pete’s sex life.

    Plus he’ll openly slag on Trump in a way the black and/or female candidates can’t—god forbid a woman or POC seems “angry.” And losing one more primary isn’t going to hurt Joe’s legacy; he’ll always have the Obama years and his bitchin’ T-top Trans Am.

    Let’s just enjoy the Joementum while it lasts, folks!

  19. 19.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @hervevillechaizelounge: I share your thoughts on Joe. And not to mention he’s been in the race for five minutes and completely triggered Trump. Keep it up until Iowa, I look forward to IQ45’s daily meltdowns.

    ETA: And yes, I know, I just broke my own no-politics plea.

  21. 21.

    Steeplejack

    @hervevillechaizelounge:

    Thank you, this comment has actually perked me up. I was disheartened today to see how much media headspace Biden was occupying already, but you make a good case that he can get under Trump’s skin in many ways—intentionally and gaffe-wise—that the other Democrats can’t. He could play a useful role as the (disposable) heat shield protecting the other candidates while the Trump dragon exhausts himself or sets his own ass on fire.

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    Come on, Bixby! You have the heart of a lion. May you soon you will have the strength of a horse!

  25. 25.

    WaterGirl

    I was tied up and haven’t seen most of today’s threads. Wondering if we have heard yet how Alain’s FIL is doing after surgery this morning.

  28. 28.

    Steeplejack

    @Jay:

    First, it’s Revelation (no s).

    “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him.”

    This is screwy on several levels. When I did a Google search for “Revelation 6:8 kjv” I got several variations of the verse: Hades/​Hell, behold/​beheld and several different punctuations to try to make the “behold” version hold up. But it really doesn’t. Behold is a verb, the past tense of which is beheld, which makes much more sense in that sentence.

    I’m beginning to think that not everything on the Internet is true.

  29. 29.

    Fenix

    Wonderful for Bixby! And Scout is such a trooper!

    My Esther Bunny is doing great. She’s gone from quiet, calm, timid cuddler to a little hellion with a perpetual case of the zoomies. But she is a world class booper, and has a purr like a monster truck.

    Silver haired and, clearly, dragonborn, I’ve been referring to her as Khaleesi just as often as I call her Bunny.

    Here is a picture caught in a rare and brief moment of stillness.

  30. 30.

    Damien

    I’m trying to find an inoffensive way to phrase this, because I’m genuinely curious, but hell this is Balloon Juice so I’ll just throw it out there and then go to bed:

    Is Bixby getting legitimate veterinarian physical therapy or just acupuncture and chiropractic?

  31. 31.

    J R in WV

    @Damien:

    I think his traditional DVM vets were unable and unwilling to help him. So the PT is more ad hoc and may well be a chiropractor. I’ve done a ton of PT on my neck, shoulders, and back… never wanted to see a chiropractor. Dad saw one briefly, my brother wound up carrying him into the ER late one night after the first “treatment”…

  35. 35.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @Damien: She is a DVM who now only does physical therapy. She uses Chiro, acupuncture, among other things. Based on what the animal needs. Bixby is a very unique case. The acupuncture took down the pain and stiffness from three weeks of inactivity, learning to crawl, learning to walk and falling a lot during all those things. His hips and neck were extremely out of alignment, (you could see it in his gait) and she gently realigned them (no crunching involved).

    Since you neither know my dog or have laid hands on him to see what his condition is and considering the traditional vets wanted to either euthanize him or do exploratory surgery…I’ll just ignore your derision.

    CBD oil has also done wonders on him. But I’m sure you’d rather he be on liver damaging prescription NSAIDS

  40. 40.

    debit

    @TaMara (HFG): A Bixby update was just what I needed to wake up to. And you were a lot kinder in answering that question than I would have been.

    @Damien: My own vet, very old school, is a big fan of alternative methods and has seen first hand positive results. Not every animal and not every treatment, but enough to convince him there’s merit in them. Are you, yourself, a vet?

  41. 41.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @debit: Thank you. CSU vet school is big on acupuncture, chiro, massage and holistic methods. Which is probably why most vets here are comfortable recommending alternatives.

    He must have missed the update where Bixby was treated by someone who did acupressure in my home because I couldn’t get a vet to see him. And after that treatment was the first time he stood up (promptly fell down again, but his progress was steady after that).

  42. 42.

    Damien

    @TaMara (HFG)
    @debit

    Ok, look, I am not deriding you for doing whatever you feel is necessary to get Bixby back up on his feet and recovered. However, I am also not willing to overlook the fact that there is no legitimate scientific study that has ever shown a single ounce of repeatable benefit to acupuncture or chiropractic that rises above the level of placebo, as of 2018. I am not judging your decisions, or questioning your experience, but I was concerned that this wasn’t augmenting legitimate PT, but replacing it. I am sorry that all of this is happening to Bixby, he is a sweet good boy, and seeing his progress is a source of joy. So forgive me if my concern is misplaced and these treatments are doing what they’re supposed to: make the patient feel better while the recovery continues, not forming the central plank of that attempted recovery.

    Debit, before the art of “medicine” became suffused with the science of actual medicine, doctors used Heroic methods and were also convinced that they saw benefit. Spoiler alert, they didn’t, and Heroic medicine probably killed George Washington. Anti-vax parents see their children get a shot and then regress into autism, and they’re convinced they’re seeing harm. Spoiler alert, they’re not. These same parents of autistic children feed them bleach, chelation enemas, programs of dozens of pills and drinks per day, and even enough colloidal silver to turn them blue, all because some quack doctor out there is saying that they’ve seen some benefit. Spoiler alert, they’re just torturing these poor children. Experience doesn’t trump actual evidence.

  43. 43.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @Damien: Forgive me if I take my advice from actual medical professionals and not an anonymous commenter on a blog. Spoiler alert – animals cannot have placebo effects, placebo effect is based on the patient’s belief in the treatment.

    And since you have no idea what treatment Bixby needs, you get no say in what his treatment should be.

    And you comparing chiropractic and acupuncture to anti-vaxxers renders all your comments useless, at best.

    Take your judgmental and presumptuous attitude far, far away from me, maybe go give those smart-pants as CSU Vet school a piece of your mind. I’m sure that will go over well.

    Or in the words of the great John Cole, ‘fuck off’

  44. 44.

    luzeelu

    So glad to hear about Bixby’s progress! Sounds like you’re doing exactly what he needs.

  45. 45.

    Damien

    @TaMara (HFG):
    I’m not trying to give you advice, a prescription, a course of treatment, or anything like that. I am not judging your decision to use whatever treatment you decide. I am concerned that PT with legitimate scientific basis is being supplanted completely by things that are AT BEST lacking positive evidence, so forgive the fuck out of me for expressing a genuine worry.

    Because whether you would like to acknowledge it or not, you are closer to the anti-vaxx stance than legitimate science. Despite there being an entire branch of the NIH devoted to researching CAM there are no, repeat no reputable studies that validate the effects of acupuncture, chiropractic, reiki, TT, Ayurveda, essential oils, or any other number of alt med treatments that I could name; they always, always statistically come back to placebos. Which, incidentally, there’s actually a fairly deep base of FIFTY YEARS of research to suggest animals do, in fact, experience on several levels. Have you ever used PubMed or Medline? Go look it up if you don’t believe me, because I know any comment with a dozen links is going into moderation, and I’m also pretty sure they’re behind paywalls. I actually did find a good summary of the issue for you, though I suspect you will reject the source.

    Anti-vaxxers have no science backing them up either, nor is there evidence supporting the healing power of prayer, homeopathy, cold fusion, flat earth, a static universe, or red mercury. But you know what alllllll those people say when you bring it up? They’ve seen it first hand, so they know it works/is flat/causes autism/generates energy/etc. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you very justifiably mocking the people who think global climate change isn’t real because it’s cold where they are, or at Sen. Inhofe brings a snowball onto the floor of the Senate; but they’ve seen it! First hand!

    Please explain the difference between seeing something first hand that has no scientific evidence for you, and seeing something first hand that has no scientific evidence for them?

    I just want to say clearly that I didn’t want this to turn into a whole thing, but I guess you just needed to attack me.

  47. 47.

    debit

    @Damien: You are just weird about digging yourself in deeper. You could have said you’re glad Bixby is getting better. You could have said nothing at all. But you chose to pick a battle and now you’re crying about being attacked when you fired the opening salvo? And then just keep attacking? Whatever. I have no interest in interacting you with ever again, so welcome to pie town.

  48. 48.

    Damien

    @debit: I asked if Bixby was getting legitimate therapy, out of concern because the other therapies DON’T FUCKING DO ANYTHING; I tried to phrase it as nicely as possible, not judging the choice to use the therapies, but worried they were being used in place of treatment with a scientific basis. Then you and TaMara took that as me judging and came back at me guns blazing.

    I didn’t pick this fight, you did. I’d rather be pie’d than so pathetically fragile.

  49. 49.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @debit: The pie filter is an amazing thing. The moment he compared chiropractic and acupuncture with anti-vaxxers he was pied. LOL Not worth wasting my time on. Blueberry is yummy.

  50. 50.

    Laura Too

    Cute story about Riverbanks Zoo using acupuncture on an arthritic koala in FreeTimes but I couldn’t get the link to work. Bixby has god company.

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