Showing posts with label Panda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Panda. Show all posts

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The one in which Panda gets spayed

Momma has a strict rule at our house: "No babies." So last week, she told me it was time to "fix me," so I did not have babies. I did not think I needed to be fixed. I thought I was perfect, just the way I was. But after all, I am the baby of this house, and I do not want any other babies to come along and be more specialer than me, so I agreed to this "fixing" thing.
First, they put me in a cage at The Work. I am not usually in these metal cages. I usually have my own room at The Work, with my toys and bowls and things. This cage is different. I thought maybe I should worry, but somehow, I was so tired, I could not keep my eyes open, let alone worry about anything.
"Katie, I feel really funny. Please hold me close - this room is spinning."
They put a little stick in my arm and then I went from a little bit sleepy to all the way asleep, and after that, I do not remember much, but Momma and Katie took lots of pictures, and this is what they said was next.
They opened up my mouth. I have a really big mouth, and I am proud of it. Look how big my mouth is!
They put this tube in my mouth and all the way into my breathing tube. I did not feel the tube, and I do not remember it, but Momma says it is real, real important to have this tube in when you are asleep, especially if you have a smooshie face like me.
I do not think this is a very nice picture of me, and I do not like it that Momma put it in the blog.They scrubbed my tummy, to make it all clean. I have a bath every week, and I wash my hands and face every day myself, so I did not think I was very dirty, but they told me I had to be extra-special clean for the fixing.

They took me into the room with the bright lights and the table that moves up and down. I see this room every day, and I know that they take sleepy dogs and cats in here all the time and they are all OK, so I knew I would be, too.

They put me on my back on the special table, and underneath me was a blanket with warm water running through it that helped keep me warm. This is very important when you are very little, because being cold makes it harder to wake up later.

They put a thing around my ankle to give me Blood Pressure and tied my arms down so I would not roll around. Then Momma put on some really ugly clothes and covered me all up with a blue thing. You cannot even see me, but I am there, under the blue thing. Kate is checking to make sure I am still there.
Please do not laugh at Momma in her ugly clothes that do not match. She does not have any "fashion sense."OK, now we are all ready to go.
The next pictures might make some of you feel icky, but I think it is pretty neat to see what my insides look like. If some of you have girl dogs, you might like to see my insides, too, so you know what happened to your dogs during the fixing. It is OK - you can look.

Besides, I really like Momma's hands. Her hands are the best part of her. She can do lots of special things with her hands, like the fixing, so you should watch. (I will let Momma 'splain what she is doing.)

first incision, through the skin
second incision, abdominal wall
using a spay hook to find the uterus
exteriorizing uterus
tugging on uterus to exteriorize ovary
pointing out ovary
triple clamp technique
cut between clamps
ligating ovarian pedicle
double ligatures for safety
both ovaries ligated
pointing out cervix
ligating uterine body
complete ovariohysterectomy
(removal of ovaries and uterus)

closing abdominal layer
closing skin layer
surgery finished

Kate thought she would be funny with me while I was asleep. Momma says she hopes the doctors and nurses who do the fixing to people do not make fun of them when they are asleep.
The black clip on my tongue is to see that I have enough oxygen in my blood. It does not pinch or hurt. I am not sure what oxygen is, but I am glad that I had enough.
This picture is when I was starting to wake up, but I could not swallow yet. Momma says it is important to leave the breathing tube in smooshie faced dogs until they are able to swallow, so that they do not choke. I think I remember this part, but maybe I just dreamed it.
It is good to have a friend with you when you wake up from the fixing. I am glad that Momma thought to bring my pink pig that day, and that they gave it to me. It made waking up nicer.
But, it is even better to be held and carried around when you are so sleepy, like Amanda did for me. It felt so good, I went back to sleep on her shoulder.
And so, now I am home and everything is all right, really. Momma gives me a little pill in my dinner every night, which is supposed to help with the belly pain, even though I do not have any belly pain. I tell her I am a big dog, and strong and brave, but she just smiles and gives me the belly pain pill anyway.
The only bad part is Momma says "Cage rest and leash walk only" for at least a week, and I want to run and jump on things and play with Holly and torture the cats and she says "No." Do you know how long a week is? Because I do not and I think it must be a really long time.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

BTs Can Play with the Big Dogs!

We interrupt the Potholes and Prairies posts for a Panda update.
Isn't she getting big? Almost 8 pounds and 4 months old.

Stalking her target.
Gotcha!
One cannot neglect the older child in favor of the baby, so here's my sweet Holly.


I haven't been able to add the video to this blog post. Maybe if you follow this link, you can see it on my FB page:

Watch the grass at the edge of the pond - Heeeee-re's PANDA!

Who said little short-faced dogs can't swim?

Monday, May 31, 2010

The one in which we break down

After working a 6-day week, I was looking forward to a relaxing holiday weekend. Perhaps a visit to the winery, followed by some light gardening, and of course, traditional Memorial Day weekend food - burgers, macaroni salad, and frozen Margaritas.

I stopped at the grocery store after work, then picked up Panda, who had spent Saturday morning with her grandma. On the way home, I bought a flat of annual flowers, then filled the car with gas. Before I headed back to the country, I thought I might treat myself to a Frosty at Wendy's. While in the drive-thru line, I suddenly noticed clouds of steam rolling out from under the hood of the car.
That maroon red Saturn, the one with the hood up ... That's mine, dead in the Wendy's parking lot. It wasn't until after I saw the steam that the warning light on the control panel lit up. Yeah, I know the car's overheating. Thanks for the notice.

Although I was more than a little stressed about my car, I was freaking out about my puppy. She had already complained about the heat when we shopped for flowers, and I didn't think the car's a/c was functioning as well as it should be. (That makes sense now,
after the fact.)
Sitting for a few minutes in a hot car, even with all the windows wide open, Panda was panting excessively. I was slightly hysterical. I remembered this little factoid:

"A closed car, even with the windows partially opened, reaches 102 degrees in 10 minutes at air temperatures of 85 degrees or more. The temperature will reach 120 degrees in 30 minutes."

After calling AAA and getting a 30-45 minute wait time for a tow, I walked up to the drive-thru window and asked the Wendy's employees for a cup of ice water. I found the only patch of shade in their parking lot, under a bush. It was enough for Panda, if not for me.

We sat together, drinking water and cooling off as best we could, while waiting for help. Panda, thankfully, stopped panting and actually went to sleep.Finally, the tow truck came, I got my purse, my groceries, my flowers, my binoculars, and my puppy stuff out of the car. Panda slept in the cab of the tow truck (with its very powerful air conditioning) all the way to the repair shop, where my car is spending the weekend. We got a ride home (Thanks, Mom!) and I'm now hoping that the car repairs aren't too extreme.

The take-home lessons: Never leave a dog alone in a car when it is this hot outside (mid to upper 80's) and always carry water and a pet bowl with you if you travel with your dogs. You never know when you might be stranded.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Panda in Action

I tried to get some video of Panda running around the yard. She looks like a little rabbit. These short clips aren't the greatest, but they will have to do until I can make a better movie.

In them, you can hear my Purple Martins "chortling" in the background.

The second one is incredibly blurry, but you can get a sense of her speed and energy. (Please ignoring the peeing at the end.)



(I hope this works.)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

How does one get more blog hits?

Feature a Boston Terrier puppy!

Faithful readers will know that I have been waiting (im)patiently for 7 weeks for my new puppy, Panda. Yesterday, I finally got her. After a 4.5 hr trip east, I arrived at Indigo Hill to find that Jane was delayed in the mountains of West Virginia, when a short cut from PA went awry.

I filled in the time eating a lovely lunch, featuring Boston Terrier meatloaf (No, no! SHAPED like a BT, not MADE OF one!!) and a salad with homegrown lettuce, watching Zick garden, peeking in on baby Carolina wrens, and discussing Things We Believe In with Liam. (For the record, Bigfoot - Yes. Loch Ness monster - Yes. Ghosts - Yes. UFOs/aliens - We're not sure.)

I also supervised the play between Holly and Chet Baker, whose nose was a little bent out of shape that his buddy KatDoc actually had a dog of her own and did not need his constant attention.

But mostly, I sat under a tree, facing the driveway, pretending to bird when in fact I was listening for the sound of tires scrunching up the gravel drive.

Finally, finally, they arrived! Let the fun begin!

I know you're not here for words, you only want the pictures. Here you go!

Phoebe, Liam and Panda = love all around
Chet herding PandaPanda discovers Holly's tail
What a great toy!
Jane and Panda
Jane, Panda and ChetFor the record, I am not letting her chew my showstringWho, me? Chewing shoestrings?One very tired puppy
Buh-bye, for now