The rear end rescue blog - an anal gland surgery diary

Apart from Molly’s complaining about being in the crate again, the night went well. They woke up 5 minutes before the alarm bell, and ran towards the scullery as soon as I had prepared their breakfast and medicine and could let them out of the crate.

They both pooped as they should; Molly managed it last night, too, but Éowyn was “one behind”. It went effortless, though. Molly was a bit more difficult to clean, she has started a bad habit of jumping over my arm that holds her; so I had to keep her in a short leash, sit on the leash, hold her and then use the free arm to clean her. I’m getting quite good at it, I think. Besides, Molly was a bit filthier today compared to the other days, so it took some time.

Today is the last day on antibiotics, and the stitch removal is tomorrow morning. I called the vet and asked if I could feed them and if they could get one last dose of painkillers in the morning. The vet nurse said yes to both; since it will be easier to remove the stitches if they don’t feel pain.

They have spent a lot of time sitting at the window looking out into the garden. It’s tempting to let them out, but not before tomorrow. When they come home from the vet, I have to attend a work meeting, and they will be left alone in the crate for the first time in 10 days. Then I will go home, and no matter the weather they will be let out in the garden to run free, before a much needed bath.

The smelling hasn’t been as bad as when they came home from the vet, though. Actually, this morning we talked about the last 10 days, and we thought it would be much harder .The involuntary poo dropping stopped after a few days, even though it took a bit longer with Éowyn. We had both understood that they would be poo dropping for almost a month afterwards. I now know that it is the case with some. I might have mentioned before that it depends on the surgery method. The “old” method was more pruned to cause poo dropping for a longer period, while this “new” method with paraffin is safer in that aspect.

Tonight they have eaten and got their medicine, but none of them have pooped yet. Now I’m not worried, it will probably happen before bedtime, and I know their intestine system works.

Just a few of my friends outside CavalierTalk have read the blog (one should always limit information about dog’s poo when talking to friends and relatives without similar experience ;-) ), and one of them commented that she wasn’t aware how shaved and open the wounds would be. The pictures explain the dogs’ vulnerability, and that had been hard to explain without a camera. To a few of my colleagues I had to be more descriptive than I really wanted to, when telling them why I NEEDED to stay at home during all this. Maybe I should just use the irremovable picture of them getting the inside of their buttocks shaved, cut open and sewn together while suffering from mild diarrhoea?

Molly day 9


Éowyn day 9


Looking out at the land of milk and honey – and snow!