# Big day tomorrow



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I hope it all goes smoothly all around.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I will be thinking positive thoughts for you and Merlin tomorrow! It'll be good to have everything taken care of at once. I hope you feel better


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> I will be thinking positive thoughts for you and Merlin tomorrow! It'll be good to have everything taken care of at once. I hope you feel better


Thanks ! I hope too. I'm currently awaiting neurologic tests to see what is wrong with me.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I hope you get an answer. Are you having dizziness or headaches?


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Have a safe trip. You are a good Poodle parent to drive so far for an experienced and breeder approved toy vet. He should be fine for the drive home - sleepy and full of pain medication. Let us know that it went well.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> I hope you get an answer. Are you having dizziness or headaches?


Dizziness, sometimes. The symptoms are complex and aggravated with physical activities such as walking or anything physical. I'm basically weak and feel a great fatigue, on and off. If I don't rest, symptoms will worsen and can include sensitivity to light, nausea, dizziness, diificulty ealking, etc.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Make sure to look into anemia and migraine-associated vertigo. I have had both of these conditions. The anemia made me nap every day and made me out of breath easily. I have taken iron for over a year and now my hemoglobin is normal, although my ferritin (reserves) is still kind of low. For the vertigo, I went from doctor to doctor and finally got on Celexa, which has helped me to stabilize and be able to live a normal life. I still get some vertigo bouts when I'm under stress, but not nearly as frequently as before.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> Make sure to look into anemia and migraine-associated vertigo. I have had both of these conditions. The anemia made me nap every day and made me out of breath easily. I have taken iron for over a year and now my hemoglobin is normal, although my ferritin (reserves) is still kind of low. For the vertigo, I went from doctor to doctor and finally got on Celexa, which has helped me to stabilize and be able to live a normal life. I still get some vertigo bouts when I'm under stress, but not nearly as frequently as before.


Thanks for the idea ! I've had blood works twice and they were all perfect. Also urine and stool analysis, all perfect.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I left Merlin at the vet's this morning. His breeder was there also, he was happy to see her and her husband ! 

With the morning traffic, it took me 90 minutes to get there. It should be better tonight, I'll leave at six, so traffic should be ok. I'll be the opposite way so it will help a lot !

I hope my baby is ok and the surgery goes well. He'll be home for dinner and his night walk, which will be really shortened to a few steps...


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Thinking of Merlin! Let us have an update of course!


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

Waiting to hear about your boy. Hoping all went well for both of you.


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Hope all went well today!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I went to pick him up at 7 tonight. They had trouble finding his file because I gave the breeder's name and they had put it under her kennel name, which I didn't know. Also, my breeder had another female in for teeth cleaning, and they kept mixing the two... She was a small brown toy and he's a big apricot toy, so go figure...

Anyways, 45 minutes later we got out of there and started the 1 hour drive back home. Poor guy looked so worn out, and his eyes were really dopy. They gave him morphine, and I guess he was still under the effect. I took him outside at the vet and he peed, I was happy about that.

When we got home, I fed him and he ate a little more than 1/3 of his usual meal. It is raw meat, so good for his teeth that were just cleaned and still sensitive. He'll get the rest of the feed tomorrow morning. I skipped the ear treatment, he was so tired and shaking, I opened the bottle but didn't have the heart.

We went for a good pee outside before going to bed and I put the dreadful cone on his head. I feel sorry for him i had to do that, but I can't take the risk of him tearing up his sutures. How long did you leave it on, for those who remember ? I intend to keep it off during the day, I will keep an eye on him. He'll rest better.

I have pain medicine for three days, starting tomorrow morning. It should help.

We have an appointment to take the sutures off in 10 days, but I'll check how much a vet nearby would charge me. Just in gas, the two hour drive is at least 20$. So maybe it's not worth it to go back.

I hope he feels better tomorrow. Poor dog, I feel really bad :-(


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Aww, I know it's hard to put them through the surgery, but he'll recover quickly and he'll also feel much better after the dental. 

After having a rescue boy who ripped his sutures out and then had to get staples, and Zooey ripped hers out from her tumor surgery, I would highly recommend keeping the cone on him 24/7 for at least a week. He'll adapt to it, trust me. Just make sure it fits properly so he can eat and drink, yet can't reach his hind end. 

If you feel comfortable--and especially if you have a helper to hold him--you can remove the sutures yourself with curved nail scissors. However, if you don't feel comfortable doing it, leave it to a vet.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> Aww, I know it's hard to put them through the surgery, but he'll recover quickly and he'll also feel much better after the dental.
> 
> After having a rescue boy who ripped his sutures out and then had to get staples, and Zooey ripped hers out from her tumor surgery, I would highly recommend keeping the cone on him 24/7 for at least a week. He'll adapt to it, trust me. Just make sure it fits properly so he can eat and drink, yet can't reach his hind end.
> 
> If you feel comfortable--and especially if you have a helper to hold him--you can remove the sutures yourself with curved nail scissors. However, if you don't feel comfortable doing it, leave it to a vet.


I'll keep that in mind. If I see any risk, I won't take it off during the day. I'll give it a try tomorrow and see. I can't sleep now because I am worried about him. He was crying a few minutes ago so I went to see him and took him outside, thinking maybe he needed to go poop, since he hasn't today. He basically just sat in the grass, looking helpless. I brought him back in his crate. He then started crying again somI went back to tell him to shush. He did. So now hoping he won't cry again, i am sure he hasn't slept one bit. And me neither...

I would be comfortable taking the sutures off; I've done it on humans, but it was almost 30 years ago. I would just need to see a video first. Maybe I'll do it, I'll think about it.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

It's normal for them to be constipated for a day or two after surgery.

I'm sorry he's in some discomfort  I would put his crate on your bed so he can be close to you. Although you may have already gone to bed. I hope you both sleep well!

Keep us posted on how he's feeling tomorrow.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> It's normal for them to be constipated for a day or two after surgery.
> 
> I'm sorry he's in some discomfort  I would put his crate on your bed so he can be close to you. Although you may have already gone to bed. I hope you both sleep well!
> 
> Keep us posted on how he's feeling tomorrow.


Nope, not sleeping yet. I wish I could put him in my room but I won't sleep all night if I do that. He has his sister with him in the room. She's sleeping right next to him. 

I'll keep,you posted tomorrow. I'll try to sleep now. Good night !


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Well, after a short night, I had a surprise this morning. Merlin had taken off his cone ! I didn't put the collar on the cone, thinking it wouldn't make a difference and just bother him more. It did make a difference !

He hadn't touched his sutures, or so it seems. The incision looks very good and there is no redness anymore. I was very happy how it looked. I took him outside and he did a very big pee in just one spot (never did that before, he had to sniff and mark multiple spots when he was intact) and a number 2 as well. I was proud because he is in the process of housebreaking and he sometimes pooped in his crate, and he didn't last night. He just waited to go outside.

So we went back inside as soon as he was done. I had to figure how to give him his pain medication. This dog would not take food from my hand just a few days ago, so I was a bit worried. I took the rest of his evening meal from last night from the fridge and just microwaved it for 5 seconds to make it more appetizing. I tried a first small bite, fed from my hand. And he took it ! Since it's raw and soft, I just hid the pill into a small ball and gave it to him. He took it with pleasure. I handfed him the rest of the meal, and I was really happy ! I am son glad I waited a bit before the surgery, because this handfeeding would not have been possible last week. Tonight he'll have his regular meal, with a little more than usual, to help him recover (also I'm still working ont the Mount of raw he needs per day, he needs to gain weight).

After that I also gave him his ear treatment and now he is resting. He's not bothered by the sutures at all, not touching it, but I am watching him.

Poor guy looks like a rag even more; the tooth cleaning added more suspicious fluids to his hair around the face and ear. With the ear ointment making him look like a backstreet dog and this, he is a pitiful thing to look at. And no bath for 10 days... Grrrr !


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Here is Merlin resting. His manly jewels look even bigger than before, I find that odd but they said it was from swelling.


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## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

Hi
Be real careful about the suture site. His privates are swollen now, but they will 'deflate'. How old is Merlin? If he's a pup, he should heal nicely and you won't have any excess skin or anything...The older the dog, it seems, will sometimes leave a flap of skin.
The sutures may get itchy as they heal, which is why you want to be super careful.
My foster boys adjusted to the cone and managed fine. I used the cone faithfully as I didn't think I could trust myself to watching the foster well enough. 
I usually use a tie on the cone and attach to the collar, therefore the cone will not be pulled off by the dog. It ties on two sides.
If you see anythign odd, puss or extreme redness then phone your vet. Usually the boys heal quickly and are back to their old selves.
GOOD LUCK


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

PoodleFoster said:


> Hi
> Be real careful about the suture site. His privates are swollen now, but they will 'deflate'. How old is Merlin? If he's a pup, he should heal nicely and you won't have any excess skin or anything...The older the dog, it seems, will sometimes leave a flap of skin.
> The sutures may get itchy as they heal, which is why you want to be super careful.
> My foster boys adjusted to the cone and managed fine. I used the cone faithfully as I didn't think I could trust myself to watching the foster well enough.
> ...


He's almost 17 months old. I'm home during the day for now so I watch him. Tonight I'll put the cone on attached to the collar, so he won't be able to take it off.


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

Poor wee man, he won't know what hit him. That being said, he should be feeling better really soon. My grand pup was just neutered 10 days ago. The "privates" were not touched, but rather a small incision up on the belly a little bit. No difference in look so we are guessing they will shrivel over time. He was back to normal within a couple of days.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

He has one lip sort of sticking to his gums, so one teeth is showing. This is making me worried that he might be dehydrated. Anybody ever seen this ?


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

It could be dehydration. Keep an eye on what he's drinking, and you can also give him little squirts of water with an eye dropper.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> It could be dehydration. Keep an eye on what he's drinking, and you can also give him little squirts of water with an eye dropper.


I'll do that. It seemed to go down later tonight. I brought him to his water bowl before going to bed and he drank a bit, so I was relieved. Boy they make us worry a lot those little dogs !


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Yes, they sure do!


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Glad to hear he did well! As I was reading through this thread, it occurred to me that your care taking during this time may actually help with some of his trust issues.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Carolinek said:


> Glad to hear he did well! As I was reading through this thread, it occurred to me that your care taking during this time may actually help with some of his trust issues.


You're right ! He's letting me pick him up outside from the lawn to bring him up the stairs, because I don't want him to walk up stairs. He's never let me approach him outside without a leash, that's a first ! I guess he knows I'm helping him.

His scrotum is still pretty swollen and bruised so I guess it's uncomfortable to go up stairs, or even sit for that matter. The sutures look fine though, at least. I read that in older dogs, the scrotum is much more vascularized than in puppies, so it tends to swell a lot more.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

His stitches or his scrotum seem to be bothering him. He'll be walking and suddenly make an abrupt sit. He started doing this yesterday, which was the 3rd day following his neutering.

I check the stitches many times a day and they're fine, almost no redness and improving everyday. His scrotum is also less swollen than the first day. Could it be the " shrinking sensation " that is feeling weird to him ? I mean, suddenly you have no more balls, it must feel different ?

Anybody seen that before ?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Anyone ?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Well I never had a boy neutered but what you say makes sense. Just from having had stitches myself, I recall that as it heals they feel tight and the pressure is annoying. Does he have absorbable stitches? I remember feeling quite a relief when mine were removed...


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Thanks Tinypoodle ! No the sutures don't absorb, I wish they did. He'll get them out on the 21st if all goes well.

If I have enough energy, I'll try to walk him tomorrow since it will be day 5, it should be okay. Maybe walking more will help stretch it. He's been running around a bit and walking to do his business, but that's about it. And a few excited greetings also !


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I bet that is it! Just make sure you do what you need to prevent him from chewing on it when you are not looking.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Dechi said:


> His stitches or his scrotum seem to be bothering him. He'll be walking and suddenly make an abrupt sit. He started doing this yesterday, which was the 3rd day following his neutering.
> 
> 
> Anybody seen that before ?


Yes! I've seen this with every neutered boy I've had. Totally normal. As long as incision area isn't swollen or red, he's probably healing well. Just may be a little itchy or sore.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Thanks Zooeysmom !


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Day 7 today and Merlin is doing great ! Skin around suture is no longer swollen or red and scrotum has deflated 50%. He hasn't needed the cone, I was sooo glad about it ! I had bought the cone but he is still very shy and shut down and this would have been a great deal to him.

Today we went for his first walk, although he had been doing the zoomies in the backyard for a few days... Not for long but it's hard to keep them from having fun all the time !

On monday he's having his sutures removed. I cancelled the appointment at the vet where he was operated on, 1 hour away, and will be going to my vet, 5 minutes from here. They said they do it free as a courtesy since I am customer and I have been there recently with him. Yeah, I'll be 25$ richer !


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I had a surprise today when I looked at Merlin's stitches. In the morning when I looked they were looking really good. In the afternoon, around 4, there were no more stitches !

The vet hadn't told me, but they were melting stitches. So I guess that's it for us ! They fell on the 8th day.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I thought the vet's office told you to come back for suture removal? You'd think they'd know what kind were put in--sheesh! But anyway, I'm glad your boy is healing well


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> I thought the vet's office told you to come back for suture removal? You'd think they'd know what kind were put in--sheesh! But anyway, I'm glad your boy is healing well


Yeah, they did, I had an appointment for the 21st that I cancelled because I was going to my own vet. Strange. Maybe they just assume people know ?


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