Post Surgery Recovery Collar

 *she's in there..... I promise you.....she's in there*

Her surgery went well.

Routine is what we were told, and Izzy has had no adverse effects.

 The day prior to surgery I bought her a ZenCone brand cone of shame/recovery collar, so that she would not be subjected to sleeping in a clear, hard plastic cone that animal hospitals send their patients home wearing.

Do the cold, hard, clear ones do the trick?

Of course they do, and they are most likely the most affordable way for an animal hospital to send their patients home.

 BUT

our pups are our fur babies and we feel that they deserve comfort after the stress of being in a hospital,

having an incision, waking up a bit confused, and recuperating for a few hours without their human parents there to soothe them.

That's not to say that they are not treated with 100% love and care by the doctors and techs we entrust them to, but home on your own bed and snuggled into you own familiar blanket always feels best when recuperating, whether you be human or canine, a kitty cat, hamster, bird or snake.

Love is Love for all creatures with a beating heart.

 Izzy's first night at home was very comfortable for her, other than she did not like sleeping with a cone on her head. 

There was a little bit of complaining going on late into the night.

No pain.... she just didn't want to wear the cone.  I mean....who would??? 

Until you get it figured out, it's hard to see out the front of the thing, or around it.  

The cone was doing what it was designed to do, but it still upset her a bit and she would rise from her bed and put her head on the side of our bed in a definite 'cone of shame position' looking downward.  A definite sign of 'post surgical unhappy camper' look.

A 'get this stupid thing off my head' look.

 But I need to give a shout out of kudos to the makers of any brand of soft cone.

 I purchased a size Large for Izzy after watching an online video about cone style options, and the cone needs to extend beyond the end of the nose so that a pup cannot reach any areas of the incision on their legs.  Izzy has left her incision alone at this point since she is on Rimadyl for any pain and the foot is not yet bugging her, but once healing really sets in I will not be surprised at her wanting to lick or chew at the site of the surgery on her foot.

 Rowdy has sniffed the incision once when she came home, but he seems to know that it should not be messed with.

 Our little tulip head has awakened and will be going outside asap for a potty break,

  Petco sells this brand but there are similarly made collars in other brands as well, all of which I recommend for your pet's post surgery comfort needs.  It lays flat when your pet is in a lying down position making post surgery sleeping a snap for them.  You can wipe them clean and re-use many times with easy velcro closing.

Did someone say "OUTSIDE?"

Where's my leash?

Let's go!!

I am not affiliated with or being paid by Petco or ZenCone to show this product and the opinions expressed are my own

Our thanks to Valley Animal Hospital in Roanoke, VA and Dr. Staley for the kindness and expert care you ALWAYS show our pets.  You ROCK!

 

 Here's a video on The Comfy Cone and how to purchase the proper for your pet.

This video shows a comfortable option.

Here are a number of options for your pet.

If you prefer to shop from home, there are many options available on Amazon.

 

 

Readying For Winter

 Autumn comes and goes too quickly, leaves change, leaves fall, and so does the amount of light in the house.  The table lamps are used so much more often, even mid-day due to a bit of clouds and rain.  It sets the mood for winter which will be here soon.

 But if nothing else, it makes for a cozier feeling throughout the house.

 Dear little Izzy had the tumor atop her foot removed on Thursday, and Rowdy seemed a wee bit lonely without his side kick with him.... he spent some time walking through the Bradford Pear leaves,

 that change from green to their vivid golds and oranges ALWAYS during the last week of November... you can set your calendar by this change.

 The boy loves drinking from the bird bath beneath their branches since the water there comes from the outdoor spigot, directly from our well with no salt added to soften it.  Check out that pink tongue!

 We've readied our outdoor areas for the winter, removed all seat cushions, stacked the chairs, and wrapped them all up in tarps until springtime returns to us.

 Were there red bows on top, you might just think Santa had been here already. Or maybe not.

 The outer deck is empty except for the gas grill, and I purchased a new cover for it since the old one was simply too tattered and torn to serve us throughout the winter ahead.  We have had this grill since shortly after moving to Virginia in 2007, and although my husband has had to replace just a few parts, grills can be pricey, so we give this our tender loving care to keep it going a few more years.

The last hurrah of color before the snow flies.

Here's our two furry little ones begging for a biscuit from BJ at the vet's office on Monday just after their shots and check-ups.  And yes.... those are turkeys on their scarves.  How appropriate!

 

Izzy giving me a loving look.

Her surgery to remove the tumor atop her foot on Thursday, went well, and we await the pathology report from her doctor very soon.

She's being quite good about her stitches so far, and I bought her a soft cone of shame to wear, because we all know how dogs lick and chew once the itchiness of the healing process sets in.

She cried off and all most of last night, but today she adjusted nicely to wearing the collar and didn't cry.

I told her it's for her own good.  

By the way.... if you like brussels sprouts *my husband does not* but I DO.... so I made this recipe and they were quite yummy, so I'll be baking them again soon.  

Here's the recipe.

 Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I also thoroughly enjoyed the green bean casserole recipe I used for our Thanksgiving meal, and I'll see if I can locate it on line and get that for you also.  Best recipe I have ever used for green bean casserole!

Thanks for stopping by today....

it's late, so I'm off to beddy bye.

Happy December!!

Izzy's Sweet Toes

This photo was snapped by my husband this morning as he was walking the pups.  Rowdy sometimes puts the leash in his mouth and leads my husband, and today Isabelle joined in and helped Rowdy.  They are the sweetest pups we have ever had the joy of sharing our lives with and they ALWAYS make us laugh.  

 By late morning it was time to take a ride in the Pathfinder, off to the vet's office for updating a shot or two with the hopes of keeping them healthy another year before more shots are due.  Those check-ups on their teeth, eyes, ears and heart are oh so important, and the pups don't mind.... Rowdy does get over-exuberant. but Izzy remains calm throughout the check-up.

 Rowdy simpy wiggles from one end of his body to the other and cannot stay still to save his life.... and Izzy simply keeps an eye on the door, listening for the sounds of people and pups in the lobby as they await their appointments.

 Rowdy gets the okay, but he is in need of having his teeth cleaned, so we hope to schedule that appointment soon, in fact we would have scheduled it for next week, until we got Izzy's news.

 Izzy has a histiocytoma which after an examination/scraping, showed that there are some bad looking cells in it, and it needs to come off ASAP, and hopefully that will be the end of it.  My concern is that the location looks to me as though she could possibly lose a toe.  The vet did not say this, but that is a possibility if you ask me.

 So, this Thursday morning Izzy will undergo surgery to have the tumor removed.  These are fairly common in the boxer breed, as are other tumors that can appear on their body.  

We are hoping for the best with our little girl.

 Here are the two of them, Izzy on the left and Rowdy on the right, as they beg for one more biscuit from B.J., who greets every pet as they enter into the office for their appointments.  She spoils them rotten and these two take complete advantage of her loving heart.

 On arriving home they took to the front yard to keep an eye out for any squirrels or deer who happen to be roaming the property.  It's the job of these two to watch over their domain.

 Please toss some good vibes out into the universe that Izzy's surgery at Valley Animal Hospital on Thursday goes well and that she comes home with all of her sweet little toes in tact.

She's such a sweet girl.