Poorly Pip!

PIP’S BEEN TO THE VET TO HAVE HER OP....

WHEN I LEFT HER THE TEARS WERE HARD TO STOP....

HOPE SHE DOESN’T GET TOO MANY ITCHES....

REALLY DON’T WANT HER TO BURST HER STITCHES!!!

Hello again,

This week I am nursing a poorly dog! It was time for Pip to be spayed. She is not yet three years old and when I rescued her from the centre she had just given birth to her third litter of puppies. She must have spent roughly half of her life either being pregnant or nursing pups. After my own experiences of childbirth I have all the sympathy in the world for her and thought the time had come for her operation.

Even when you know something is for the best it can still be very hard though. I felt like the worst person in the world walking her up to the vet’s yesterday morning with her tail wagging, knowing that she wouldn’t understand why she was being left there and waking up in pain feeling wobbly. As soon as we got there she stood by the door in the waiting room trying to go back out. Her only other experience at the vet’s was her initial check where she objected to having her temperature taken and tried to bite the vet!

I was surprised at just how emotional it felt walking out and leaving her, I’m a grown woman who understands the logic of the situation and yet I still felt I was abandoning her. To try and make myself feel better I popped into the pet shop on the way home. She already has a dog bed but I had an idea to get her a big bean bag cushion, or fluffy blanket to sit on after the op. In the end I found another fluffy dog bed with a roof on top that I thought she might like to hide away in to feel safe and warm. She probably doesn’t need two different beds, I do realise that, but it made me feel better to get it whilst I waited for the call to say it was all done!

They called shortly after lunchtime to say it had all gone well and she was sitting up watching the nurses and I could collect her at 4pm.

I couldn’t wait to get there and bring her home. The house had felt strange all day without hearing her bark at the postman, and her name tag jangling on her collar as she walked around the house. I think this proves how she really is part of the family now; it just wasn’t right without her. Her legs were very wobbly when I picked her up and she was extremely subdued. She normally goes mad in the car and barks at everything that moves, but this time she just sat quietly on the seat looking at me.

Luckily she doesn’t have to wear the collar, or as Luke describes it, the"doggie satellite dish" on her head unless she starts playing with her stitches.

She stayed very quiet for the rest of the day but still wanted cuddles. She had painkillers but I could tell it still hurt as she was shaking slightly and when you got up close to her she was making a very quiet crying sound. I couldn’t help sympathising again and remembering how I felt following a caesarean!

Anyway, today she seems a lot better. The tail has started wagging again and she has eaten. She also barked at a scooter going down the road so I know she is getting there! I’m not allowed to take her for a really long walk, or let her off the lead for 10 days but she seemed quite happy to go round the block.

Also this week Luke had his friend Harry round for tea and we had our famous "sausage surprise," and yes, we did get the inspiration from "Eastenders." In the programme Stacey’s Mum seems to make this a lot but you never get to see what it looks like, so we have created our own version. It is sausage and mash with veg and gravy but the trick is getting the sausages to stand upright in the potato! We also then do our own impressions of Stacey’s Mum shouting "sausage surprise "as I present it onto the table. I think a lot of your own personal "family ways" sound quite strange when you write them down but Harry seemed to find it entertaining anyway! We finished this off with the Iceland Lemon Sponge Pudding which I had to buy again after having it on my list of test products, because it was so nice.

Other than all that, this week I am just making the most of the last few days of being "in my thirties". Only three days left before I have to buy sensible shoes, cardigans, and "slacks"! The big day is looming and am sincerely hoping I don’t have to see pictures of myself as a baby tied to lampposts as I drive to work on Thursday, Rob if you are reading take note! That is NOT necessary - a few balloons at home will suffice!

Please come back next week when I can tell you whether anyone was strong enough to give me the bumps
and how I celebrated!

Thanks for reading

Ellie

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