Tuppence at home!!!

[Boondox]

We brought her home this afternoon! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] She's resting comfortably in her baby jail (we cannibalized an old crib to give her a pen of her own to keep the others away) with Molson, the crusty old Alpha male, standing guard. Well, maybe not exactly guard, but at least he's snoring near her pen where the others would have to step on him first to reach her! She sure looks funny with that pale white butt exposed!

Poor little thing saw us at the vet surgeon's office this afternoon and hobbled on three legs -- dragging the poor tech -- over to see us with much crying and kisses. The vet and his staff, though technically competent, have the bedside manor of toads! Wouldn't even discuss "the patient" until we'd settled the bill! [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] Spent twenty minutes going over the itemized bill, and five going over instructions for her care. So the right knee is fixed and the left knee still needs to be done...but I'm looking for another surgeon!

But my baby girl is home, listening to light jazz, and warming up by the woodstove. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[Inspector507]

Pete,
Thats great news. I'm so glad she is home where she is loved.

Jerry

[kokopelli]

hey that great to hear that she's home and doing oaky! i wish i knew of a good surgeon up in your area.

hope all keeps going well!

[GaryM]

Glad that "baby's back home!".

I don't blame you about looking for another surgon. All vets, and vet surgons, I've dealt with have always been interested in the animals first, business second!

My smiley still has a spot on the back of her thigh where the hair hasn't grown back, and she had her surgery in November.

[TimSullivan]

Glad to hear that Tuppence is home and doing well. I like Molson's style, he sounds like he has the whole world figured out.

It is strange how some vets just don't get it. Just do the best for our dogs and treat them and us with the priorities we hold. The bill is not the most important item when we come to pick up a family member. They don't have to justify the bill unless I ask. The vet sure does need to explain and help us with the recovery of our dog.

Pete if you are satisfied with the treatment and surgery maybe just a heart to heart talk with the doctor would help the situation. I do know how you feel as we drive 35 minutes to our vet when we have 15 or so other vets that are closer.

[Boondox]

Here's a photo of baby jail. Poor little thing thinks she's done something wrong, as isolation from the pack (time out) is the only punishment we use for misbehavior. We're supposed to keep her confined except for trips outside to pee or poop, but she's already running around on three legs at the end of her leash! Gotta keep a tight rein on this little girl!

Pete

[GaryM]

You're right, I'm sure that she's confused by her isolation. How did she do handling the pain the first night? It's a heart breaker to have a pet in pain.

[Boondox]

Gary -- She's actually been doing pretty well as far as pain goes. Once or twice she's taken liberties while going outside to do her thing, and she would pant and lick the leg a lot as a result. So now she goes nowhere unless short-leashed.

A real blessing is that she is the best pill taker we've ever had! Pass any pill over an open jar of peanut butter and she'll gobble it right down.

I think the separation bothers her more than anything. So at night we've put her on a leash and allowed her to sit with the family on the living room floor. She's one of those dogs that has to be touching someone when she's anxious or in pain.

Oddly enough, all of our other dogs are ignoring her. Molson defends her, but refuses to play. Glenfiddich never had a thing to do with her anyway, but Tetley, who has cared for more sick, injured or abused dogs than you can shake a stick at, is acting like she's invisible! That really surprised me!

Pete

[GaryM]

It sounds like you don't have an E-Collar on her, is that right. We had to keep one on Smiley until the incision was all healed up. That was about a month. Well it may have been less, but it seemed like a long time. When she'd try and turn around by the bed the collor would get jammed against the wall and she had a hard time completing the turn.

[RichZ]

Pete, I'm glad Tuppence is home and doing well! She looks great in the picture, and she seems to have very little swelling.

I know it's far, but if you're looking for another surgeon, the one we used was outstanding with a very caring and loving bedside manner. In fact the whole staff is very caring and loving. The surgeon loves Mulder so much he insists that he's Mulder's Uncle Paul, and has stayed in touch with us long after Mulder's surgeries. In fact after the surgery, the vet techs took turns laying with Mulder is his "room" until we took him home the next day.

Not that this is the most important thing, but the cost of each of Mulder's surgeries was also less, $1700 each, and that including everything including all follow-up visits. As I said though, the problem is the distance, the veterinary hospital is an hour west of us.

But if you're interested, you're welcome to stay at our place while she has her next surgery and for her surgical follow-up visits. She should have at least one a month for at least six months. Of course that goes for the pre-surgical visit, too!

Let me know if you're interested. We'll even go with you guys to the hospital, and we'll tell everyone there that Tuppence is Mulder's cousin, and she has to get red carpet treatment.