Silver's At The Vet

[KF_in_Georgia]

I dropped Silver at the vet this morning to get spayed. She was fine when I dropped her off--enthusiastically growling at a huge German Shepherd and threatening to eat him in place of the breakfast I didn't let her have.

 

I'm a little less thrilled. My first dog died when she threw a pulmonary embolism in surgery. (That was six years ago this week.) Silver is fairly healthy, considering she's been at the vet a lot in the seven months she's been here; but she's not the typical fresh-off-the-tracks, healthy-as-a-horse youngster the vet usually sees. (She's nearly seven, her last race was three years ago, and she often suffers from chest congestion.)

 

On the plus-side, the vet is SEGA's regular vet, who neuters or spays more than a hundred greyhounds every year. I love my regular vet, but I can't count on him to "think greyhound" in an emergency the way SEGA's vet would do.

 

I decided to get her the pre-op blood work, even though she had the full senior lab work at her own vet in November. And she's had chest x-rays now at two different vets. (My vet saw worrisome stuff; SEGA's vet did not on new x-rays taken two weeks after the first set. SEGA's vet just says her lungs are "prominent.")

 

I've done everything I could do to make things go smoothly today, including worrying myself sleepless. I'm just going to clean house and fret until I hear from the vet's office. No call by noon means the lab work was fine. Surgery should be sometime between 12 and 3, and I should call them at 3:30 to find out what time I can pick her up. I'm taking today and tomorrow off from my regular job, although I'll probably have freelancing to do at home, so I can keep an eye on her and make sure she's not bothering her stitches.

 

Sam gave me the stinkeye when I came home without her, but now he's sacked out on a bed in the living room, having eaten the breakfast he didn't get earlier. (There's no sensible way to feed one dog and not the other.)

 

 

Please keep my girl in your thoughts today.

[MaryJane]

Hope the spay goes OK.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Wow, she's BEAUTIFUL, and the bling and collar are perfect! Prayers sent! Please up date when you can.

[Patsy]

Sending all good thoughts to both of you.

[Guest goofydog]

Dr Toby will take good care of her Kathy. Though I know how hard the waiting is.

Adding my prayers for sweet Silver.

[sabrina]

Silver hope all goes well for you today with your spay surgery

[tbhounds]

Good thoughts being sent- update when you can.

Edited to add- she's beautiful.

Edited March 26, 2012 by tbhounds

[KF_in_Georgia]

No call from the vet's before noon, so presumably her blood work was fine. (It was fine when my own vet did the work-up in November. He stared at the numbers in disbelief: "Good grief, even her thyroid numbers look good!")

 

In fact, she's the first greyhound I've had with a hairy belly. I even took a picture since I figured the shave for today would destroy most of the evidence.

[PatricksMom]

Good thoughts for Silver and her nervous mom.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Vet's office just called: She's waking up and doing well. I can pick her up any time between 5 and 7 this evening.

 

~whew~

[Jenbo]

Oh that's EXCELLENT news~

[Remolacha]

So glad to hear everything went well! It is impossible not to worry

[heartdogs]

Glad she's ok. What a beautiful girl, my girls 7 is just a youngster!

[Guest JonathanGreyh]

Happy to hear Silver is well. She needs more snout kissses, though

 

Sam gave me the stinkeye when I came home without her, but now he's sacked out on a bed in the living room

LOL

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Yay!!!!

[KF_in_Georgia]

She's home, but she's not a happy camper.

 

To add insult to injury, the vet pulled two teeth at the bottom front. She now looks like a 6-year-old kid with a little gap down there. (They said the roots were exposed on those two teeth, and the teeth were wobbling during the dental. I'm a little unhappy that they didn't tell me they planned to do a dental, but the rescue group is being billed for it. She had a dental just last July, when the first rescue group had her.)

 

Anyway, at least I have an old (somewhat blurry cellphone) photo of those now-missing teeth:

 

 

No food or water tonight; chipped ice only. A little water in the morning; about half her normal breakfast at lunchtime tomorrow. No stairs (they're already blocked off), no furniture (not a problem), leash-walk only (I'm in a condo; it's always leash-walk).

 

I've tossed a lightweight throw over the lower half of her body, which will make it a little awkward for her to indulge in any stitch-licking or -chewing. I also have a muzzle with guard, if I need it. And I'm home with her until Thursday morning, so I can keep her out of trouble.

 

Thanks for all the good wishes.

 

Photos of the tooth-gap when she feels like opening her mouth...

Edited March 26, 2012 by KF_in_Georgia

[Guest goofydog]

So glad Miss Silver is home! Did Sam get over his snit when you brought her home! Both are just great companions and I know she'll all the 'proper' care now that she's home. Please give them both a kiss from me and a slurp from The Pirate!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Did Sam get over his snit when you brought her home!

 

Sam wouldn't leave her alone for several minutes. As rotten as she was feeling, he kept sniffing at her and I kept trying to get him to back off before she removed an ear or two from his head.

 

She's gotten up a couple of times, stood there swaying, then decided she wanted to lie back down. So far, she's shown no interest in her stitches. I suspect the "dangerous" time may be when the incision starts healing enough to itch.

[GreyPoopon]

Glad she's home. Hope you all have a restful night.

[Batmom]

Fingers crossed that she will feel much better tomorrow ... AND keep ignoring the stitches!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Poor baby is throwing up even her little bit of water this morning.

 

And she's giving me a look that says it's all my fault.

Edited March 27, 2012 by KF_in_Georgia

[Riverhound]

Oh, that's pitiful! I hope she feels better soon!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Vet's office called to check on her. I told them she'd been vomiting up water (and bile--she has turned her front feet yellow from vomiting), and they said to bring her in.

 

No fever, no sign that she's in pain. They gave her a shot of Cerenia (yeah, they refrigerate it, and yeah, she screamed, but she's my drama queen). I'm to limit her water in order to give the Cerenia a chance to work, then give her a small quantity of something bland tonight. She certainly wants to eat (they gave her a taste of baby food to see if she had an appetite).

[Remolacha]

Poor baby, the anesthesia really is hard on them Hopefully, once it's been about 24 hrs and most of it is out of her system, she will start to feel better.

[greyhead]

Poor baby! Nothing like this ever happened until you came along! Hope the Cerenia does the trick.