smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/17/2012 8:47 PM |
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Bella's spay surgery is tomorrow. It's about a month later than I had hoped, but I decided I would rather wait a few extra weeks for a week I would be off of work and at home to help her keep her energy level down. I am glad we waited, but I do feel like I'm more nervous about it than I would have been taking her in as a pup. I feel silly, especially in lieu of what others have gone through surgery wise (and are currently going through). I know it will all be fine. It helped that her breeder reminded me that Bella's momma (now officially retired from breeding) just had her surgery and faired phenomenally.
We've had a fun past few days in prep for being low key for some days to come. Here's a few pics from a recent afternoon of hiking.
I stopped for a photo of the lake and she was SO worried I was planning to leave her behind.
and...this is what I anticipate the rest of this week to look like 
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gsplover
Houston, Tx.
MH
Posts:382
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| 12/17/2012 9:21 PM |
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Wishing you the best!! I had two GSP's spayed, one at 4 months, one at 8 months and one Aussie/Brittany mix spayed at 5 1/2 years. The two GSP's acted like NOTHING happened and were completely themselves in less than 24 hours.....it was CRAZY trying to keep 4 paws on the ground! The Aussie Brittany mix milked it for 2 weeks!! She did not MOVE for 1 solid week. I had to carry her outside to go potty, and bring her food to her! It was a good 4 weeks before she was running again and acting normal. GSP's tend to rebound super quick! I'm so glad!
Will be keeping Bella in my thoughts and prayers, hoping for her to bounce back quickly! I have no doubts!!
LOVE the pictures! Looked at them several times. THanks so much for sharing! Bella is a beautiful GSP, you are a wonderful GSP owner! I am amazed at how well she is trained! She definitely loves to hike and explore! |
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"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
-- Unknown |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/17/2012 9:28 PM |
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Thank you Gsplover! Feel so silly being anxious especially when you're handling an absolute major surgery(ies). I just have no experience with a later spay, always the usual 6 months. I also very rarely leave her behind (I guess I have sep. anxiety lol). I know she will be just fine, and the hardest part will be making her take it easy  . I hope Maybrie had a great first day back home!! |
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3164
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| 12/18/2012 3:46 AM |
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Beautiful pictures!
We had Shiraz spayed at 6 years, and she was definitely slower bouncing back. I'd say she was pretty out of it for 4 days and just slower than normal for the rest of the first week. Starting week two she started gaining more energy every day. Here's hoping she pulls through like a champ! |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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Max2
Oneonta NY
MH
Posts:1111
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| 12/18/2012 4:48 AM |
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| Nice pic's ! These guy's are tuff little bugger's ! She will be back to her old self in no time I am sure . |
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Chris |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3134
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| 12/18/2012 6:29 AM |
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you will be surprised that once the anesthesia wears off they act like nothings happened... our adopted doxie was spayed by the clinic at the shelter the day before we picked her out and she wasn't even 2 months (which I personally am not found of) but the next morning she was full of piss and vinegar lol!
Lovely pics! Glad you have the snow and we don't yet!
Good luck with keeping her calm so she doesn't pull a stitch... |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 6:34 AM |
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| Dropped her off a little bit ago. She's not typically up this early so when she saw me putting on shoes she bounced out of bed SO excited. It broke my heart lol. Little did she know... the tech asked if I wanted any pre blood work done and then told me at her age, and if I felt she was acting her normal self it wasn't necessary. I'm sort of regretting not telling them to do it, just to cover all bases. My husband told me "you have be strong for her when you drop her off...don't make a big deal...I know you." lol. Well I was strong for her, but I cried the whole way. I'm such a baby. |
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3164
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| 12/18/2012 9:33 AM |
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Meh, I always phone well before the vet tells me to so that I can make sure they came out ok. These are my babies and I feel guilty for leaving them anywhere on their own, even if I know they are being well taken care of.
Joce |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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Kristivl
New Orleans, LA
JH
Posts:29
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| 12/18/2012 9:34 AM |
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| Bella is such a beautiful girl! I'm sure she will do fine. We had Zoe spayed at 7 months. I have to admit that I did spend the night on the floor with her next to her bed. The next morning she was jumping around and attacking me like nothing ever happened. Like others said the hard part is keeping them calm. |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 12/18/2012 9:39 AM |
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| good luck and gorgeous photos! |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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NixiesMark
Texas
MH
Posts:120
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| 12/18/2012 9:54 AM |
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Aw, I'm sure she'll do great and that was very thoughtful to schedule it when you have time to care for her well. I'll be thinking of you guys this week!
The pictures are stunning with all that snow! So jealous. I think the one picture that shows more of the car should be in an ad! I love that decal too of the pointer!
You've said you're from the South originally. Did it take a while to adjust? I've lived in the North during two winters and I love it but that was probably because it was still fresh and exciting!
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 10:14 AM |
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Thanks everyone for making a worry wart feel better. I can go and get here in less than two hours. Everbell, they told me I could call at 10...I called at 9:45 lol. The tech said she was actually standing right in front of Bella's kennel and that everything went fine. She was just waking up. Hubbs is coming home to go with to pick her up in a bit.
Nixie's mom, I did grow up in the "deep South" about as opposite as you can get from where I live now. The winters have taken quite a bit of getting used to (my mom also moved here before our wedding a couple of years ago so now I am helping her get used to things lol). Though, it helps that winters seem to be getting milder and milder (I find now I enjoy the snow and hate the warmer winter). For instance, those photos were taken just days ago, and the we got another warm spell that brought rain, and now the majority of what was accumulated is gone again...for the third time this year. It will build back up quickly, but I would much rather have a white Christmas, than a wet muddy one. B loves the snow. She does get cold, but is usually too busy to notice. I'm not sure you ever get "used" to such a climate change...I have just learned how to handle it better (except I am still a TERRIBLE winter driver). |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 10:17 AM |
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@kristivl, I already started thinking about tonight's sleeping situation and how I won't trust her if we put her on the bed, not to get up in the middle of the night like she sometimes does for water. So, I had already decided the only plausible solution is that I sleep on the floor with her lol.
The pointer decal was a Christmas gift from Bella's breeder. It had writing that said "Who says pointing isn't nice", but it was too big and flashy with the writing so I cut the pointer out, and I'll craft with the left over letters Not sure where she got it. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7843
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| 12/18/2012 12:12 PM |
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I am sure she will be fine. I find the shorthairs bounce back fast even when they are older. I didn't spay Halo until after she had a litter of puppies. Even then I waited until she was about 6.5 years old. With Ringo I neutered him at 3 years. Neither had any issues and both were bouncing off the walls pretty fast. Halo took about 24 hours, but Ringo was ready to as soon as we got home. I was worried about Ringo too, so my vet did a double stitch on him. She knew that I was going to have a hard time keeping him quiet, and she was right. He actually popped several stitches, but because of the double stitching he had no issues. BTW with Ringo the sedative that the vet recommended worked in reverse with him, so I had double the fun keeping him quiet. Needless to say I only gave him one dose of the sedative.
Also I have found that the pain killers sometimes work too well and make them feel too good. With Belle and her shoulder surgery I ended up taking her off the pain meds a little early just so she would quite trying to jump up on stuff. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 1:16 PM |
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| She is home. They said she has had nausea after and I have to hold off a little longer on water and trying a little food. I can tell she doesn't feel well, but is happy and more comfortable to be at home. She is snoozing pretty heavily. She will be able to rest better here for the next couple of hours and will hopefully feel a little better when she wakes. They sent me home with nothing in the way of pain Meds and said she should be fine. |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 1:21 PM |
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| @werubbertummy, I'm on the floor with her now. I made us a big pallet before I went to get her. I cleaned the entire house keeping myself busy. My husband called and asked if I could give him a half hour longer to get home to go with to get her, but they Said she could go home at 2:00 and he called at 1:50, so mean ole me told him nope...can't let her be there any longer than necessary lol. Luckily, he figured that was going to be my answer |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7843
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| 12/18/2012 1:30 PM |
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| Glad she is home and doing well. It is the anesthesia making her nauseous. As that wears off she will be better. I wouldn't worry about the eating and water. She will eat and drink when she comes out from under the anesthesia a bit. And I am sure she is happy being home. Lot's of hugs and kisses. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1190
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| 12/18/2012 2:13 PM |
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| Thanks Texasbelle. Trying to be close but without making her feel like I'm expecting too much as well. Just want her to rest. She pooped right away when we left the vet's office. After being home and sleeping about an hour she got uneasy so we went outside to potty. She urinated, but seemed to not know she was done going. I imagine it feels a little different now? Maybe uncomfortable? She pooped again, which made me wonder if she didn't finish at the vet's office due to pain, or just anticipation of getting in the car and getting home. She tried squatting to pee again before coming in, but nothing happened. She seemed hesitant to come back in like she wasn't quite done yet. She is shaking off and on in her sleep, but other than that seems to be resting well right now. |
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Kristivl
New Orleans, LA
JH
Posts:29
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| 12/18/2012 2:57 PM |
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| I'm glad she's home. I don't blame you for not waiting to go get her. I don't like them staying longer than they have to at the vet. Zoe had a little nausea after but was fine. She slept from the time we got home til the next morning. |
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