The rear end rescue blog - an anal gland surgery diary

It’s a week since their surgery, and Molly and Éowyn are doing fine. The stitches still are where they should be, and apart from occasional attempts to scoot over the carpet to get relief from the itching, and attempts to get to their behind, the biggest challenge is now to keep them calm.

The night was good, they didn’t howl, or had pains, but I do wake up a lot. Every time they shift position in the crate I hear the noise of the plastic cone banging towards the iron lattice. I think both the dogs and I long for Friday night, where they have had a bath and we can move back to the bedroom and they can sleep next to me again.

In the morning they got breakfast and medicine as usual, and outside things went as they should. No yelping or sudden jumping or sitting on the behind while pooping; and they were almost clean when I washed them. This still has to be done to keep the stitches clean; and they both have developed the habit of sitting on the wet cloth for a while. It’s rather cute. I didn’t use ointment for Éowyn neither last night, nor this morning. She seemed fine enough, and her rear end is no longer swollen and irritated.

I managed to get some desk work done this morning, but now they have so much extra energy that needs attention, and it was a challenge to keep them away from the curtains at the window. They wanted to go out! We went for a very short walk, just a few hundred metres, and then their paws felt cold again. I wonder if they realise the connection between snow, cold feet and short walks.

Then I tried to activate them quietly by giving them each a new ball – bad idea! I forgot that the cone prevented them from playing properly with the ball, so when they dropped it, it was a struggle to get the ball back in the mouth. I took the balls and exchanged it with a bigger toy, which was easier to grab with the mouth from the cone. Then they fell asleep again, after a lot of restless activity around the living room.

Tonight I have to go the work, I’m hosting a lecture at the museum, and I have to be there early to greet the lecturer and prepare coffee/cake for the attendants. Luckily my colleagues have stepped in with some of the other duties tonight, but I have to (and want to) be there at my own arrangement. This means that Christian is on “dog duty” when he gets home half an hour before I leave.

- LATER -

The evening went well. Molly and Éowyn are always very well behaved when they’re alone with Christian. He claims it’s because he has more control over them; I claim it’s because they miss me so much that nothing else matters, ha ha.

Before I left they had their evening meal and antibiotics, and they both pooped as they should. When I came home Éowyn needed to go again, but again she did it without pain, and washing was easy. Finally we could go to sleep.

This is no fun.



It’s much easier to play with big toys.



Molly day 7



Éowyn day 7