I haven't posted in a while. The holidays were busy. They were good. It was a quiet one, for a change.
It was a big time for Echo, as well.
Let me explain:
Part of the original deal from the breeder that put Echo in the AAD program was that she be spayed as soon as it was feasible.
According to our vet, and everyone else we talked to (Jean, primarily), she should not be spayed before she turned 6 months old.
Well, she turned 6 months old on December 14th.
It was originally scheduled for the 12th, but there was some kind of communications snafu.
Echo was spayed on the 26th of December.
---
The surgery went fine.
She came home that afternoon.
She was, obviously, in discomfort, but we kept her medicated.
She never appeared to be in any real pain.
She slept most of that night, generally, cuddled up next to me.
You have seen pictures of "her" pillow, the maroon one. Well, we put that with another large pillow, in the floor, in front of the couch facing the fireplace. I put the mat, that came with Echo, on it. I built a nice warm fire in the fireplace, and we settled onto the pillows together.
---
She felt somewhat better the next day.
---
Basically, over the next few days, we kept her medicated with everything the vet gave us.
The goal was to attempt to keep her as still as possible for the first few days.
Of course, that was only going to be somewhat successful. According to information I can find, physically, she is the human-equivalent of 5-6 years old. Mentally, and emotionally, she is in her early teen years.
She isn't going to be kept quiet, and lying down for very long, no matter how she is feeling.
It's cute, though. She will do something that is "all puppy", and then look up at you, with this endearing look. You can hear a little girl's voice in your head, saying: "I'm 6 months old."
---
I'm happy to report that the sutures are healing well. She doesn't even seem to be conscious of them. We have not had to use the "cone of shame" even once. The only things that seem to bother her are the section of her belly, and the part of her left foreleg that were shaved for the operation, and the IV. Even that is pretty minimal. The main thing that bothers her is the edges of the shaved area on her belly.
---
So, Echo is spayed, recovering, and doing fine.
---
If anything, I think this entire process was rougher on me than her, given the way that she is acting. It was especially rough on me that first day.
I took her into the vet shortly before 8 AM. I received a briefing from the vet that would be doing the surgery, with her in the room. She was led off, after that. I was told that I would receive a call, if everything went okay, after she went into the recovery room. AND, if something went wrong, I would receive a call immediately.
So, I kept my bluetooth earpiece on ALL day, and my cell phone was always within reach. (My cell is rarely too far from me, but, I only put on the earpiece when I need it.)
FINALLY, I received a call, shortly before 2, saying that I could pick her up at 5.
I picked up Amy from work, and we went to get her together.
Once we were in the vet's office, it seemed to take FOREVER for them to bring her out. ... It was a nice visit, though. Our vet, Doc Jo, was there. All of our favorite support staff were there. Heather, Doc Jo's long-time tech, ran through all the care that Echo would need with me, and gave me a detailed, 3-page, "after surgery" care handout, with all the meds that they were sending home with her.
It was nice.
It was caring.
It was "due diligence", in terms of what needed to be done for her over the next few days.
It was ANNOYING!
I, just, wanted to see "my little girl", and make sure she was okay.
FINALLY, Heather brought Echo out. Echo wouldn't look at Amy or I, in the eye, BUT she laid back both ears as soon as she saw us. When I walked up to her, and went down on one knee, she kept her ears laid back, and did the "big dog lean" into me. She wouldn't look me in the eye, but she did everything else.
Heather remarked that, because Echo wouldn't look either of us in the eye, she must be mad at us.
I'm pretty sure that Heather was right, but not for the implied reasons. ... Because, as Heather was saying this, Echo was circling me, doing "the lean", while not making eye contact.
I don't think Echo was mad at me for the surgery, or her pain. I think she was mad at me because I wasn't there with her. Because I left her there. ... She has a history of reacting badly to me "handing her off" to others.
So, while Echo is "greeting" me, and I am, on one knee, returning the greeting, I hear Heather ask Amy: "So, she's 'Daddy's little girl'?" ... And Amy says: "From the first day we had her." ... AT THAT POINT, there was a collective "AW!", from EVERYONE in the waiting room (it was, mostly, staff, at that point).
THAT was the only part of that entire day that I find gratifying.
Because Heather had noticed that her old halter was chafing Echo (because it was too small, now), we took her to Mud Bay, next door, and got her a new one, quickly. ... I think the new one looks rather good on her.
Then, we took her home, as quickly as possible. And, as stated before, we settled as quickly and comfortably as possible.
---
This was stressful, for me.
The last female dog that I have owned, and was spayed was Bandit, my 5th Birthday gift (1970).
ALL of "my dogs" (those that I have wanted, and claimed me) have been male, ever since. Most of those have been "snipped", but that is VERY different. It's not major surgery.
Most of that first night, we sat in her space, and she snuggled up to me.
---
In the end, though, I think the process has made us closer than ever.
