Quick Recovery Update--More Tomorrow

She's better. So-sweet Jen was right--I left a message for the vet this morning, and when she called back late in the morning and listened to all that was going on here, she immediately said, "Let's get her some more meds for the pain and the nausea." Brandi zoomed off to the vet's office (I'm still desperately trying to meet a deadline amid all this, so Brandi worked from home today to help out) for three medicine-filled syringes--one for pain, one for nausea, and one antibiotic--and Mabel took the shots like a champ, not even flinching (I, predictably, did flinch--I am obviously not the one who actually gives shots around here; Chance needs them every other week, and I just can't do it). An hour later, Mabel was getting up and walking around for short bits at a time, and with the pain and nausea apparently under control, her appetite returned. Watching her eat, seeing her tail wag, and getting her to go down into the yard without having to drag her out of her bed--all of that brought much relief and lots of smiles. She's still a little slower than usual, and she's not as happy and overly affectionate as usual (though she still graced us with a couple instances of face-licking this afternoon and evening), but that's to be expected--she's going to need more than one day to recover. Possible emotional stuff aside, this wasn't a simple or easy surgery, and Mabel's body has been through a lot (the substantial puppy complication aside, I think people tend to forget that even a standard spay isn't a minor matter--it's so routine and recommended that its status as a full-fledged organ removal, a hysterectomy plus removal of the ovaries, isn't always kept in mind). But when, this evening, she started drinking water again and a couple times wandered over to the side of the deck to bark, like usual, at passersby, I knew she was going to be all right.

I so love this dog.