Friday, March 23, 2012

Nurse and Hostess

We picked up Smarty-Girl's boyfriend from the airport late last night.
They look so giddy, don't they?   
We left Colson home to monitor Big Ole' Nasty Dog.



This morning, I adjusted Big Ole' Nasty Dogs bedding by making it bigger.  The egg crate mattress turned out to be perfect for him.  He even got a linen change.

He was still so mopey.  Not drinking, not eating, not urinating.  I put a call into the vet's office.  
Here was the advice:  

  • #1) don't worry about him drinking.  He received a lot of IV fluids yesterday;  
  • #2) if his appetite is still poor, try one part chicken to two parts white rice;  
  • #3) because he's in the 'elderly' category, it takes 24-48 hours for them to fully wake from anesthesia.  Give him more time.

That's what I did.
Around 4 pm, he was on his feet.  I fed him a whole can of Alpo.  One spoonful at a time.  Literally.  Along with a lot of praise after each bite.    
For dinner, he ate one part chicken, two parts rice.  In a bowl, held up to his lips.  
To encourage him to drink: I held a small coffee cup of water so he could take four laps.  Then he was finished.

This is how we give him pain meds and his antibiotics.  We let him lick a spoon of peanut butter with the pills hidden inside.


It takes a while to do this.  His appetite is generally poor as it is, never mind recuperating from surgery.  But he's slowly bouncing back.  

In the meantime, I think while the dog is recovering, this young man is in for a big tour of our small town.  

Nurse and Hostess signing off now
from Whippoorwill Road,
Bernadine

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