My brave boy drove off this morning on daddy’s lap. I made sure to send a comfy crate stuffed with a bed and his favorite satin blankie. I told Bob to tell them that he brought a crate for Linus after his surgery. I knew that if he “asked” if they needed his crate, they would obviously say no.

In his bright red coat, he stoicly stood with his fat front feet on the window edge as they drove away.

I had to turn away. I didnt want Linus to see me crying (er, uh, or the neighbors). I worry so much about that boy. I know it’s just a routine teeth cleaning…but ANY time you knock your dog out, there is always a chance that something could go wrong.

I called Bob about 25 minutes later to see what happened. He said they took the crate and that they’ll call the minute Linus comes out of surgery…even before he wakes up.

10:30 AM: Bob called. The vet called him and said Linus had to have three teeth pulled and one is questionable. One of the teeth they pulled was so deep, that they are concerned about the jawbone. They packed the socket with some type of bone-like material. Probably some sort of collagen. Dr Ramm said he was just waking up. I was sooooo relieved..but felt awful that some very painful days were ahead for my big boy.

2:00 PM: I picked up Linus. They had his teeth in a little envelope : ( The tech said he was really groggy and that she tried to walk him. I was shifting from one foot to the other. I wanted to see my boy. As she went to get him, I yelled, “Linus!” When she came back with him, he was sooo groggy. He had a bad cough that the vet was looking at. Dr Ramm was asking if I had any questions. “No, not right now.” They want to see him in ten days. I made an appointment for Linus, Teena, and Jeau. Teena and Jeau are the same age and older than Lign and have never had their teeth done. Their “old” vet sees them probably four or five times a year for various items, and never told us we needed dentals (Linus, either, which is why I’m taking the other kids in)

3:00: Linus says, “Mom stopped and gots me a vanilla shake on the way home from da hospital. I am soooo tireds. And my moufs hurts. She gave me some vanilla while she was driving. I licked it twice and decided that it HURT to move my tongue and swallow!” Linus did tinkle big and I brought him in the house and made a big nest for him. I tried some more shake, and he slowly ate some! I thought that the cold might feel good on his poor throat. The trach tube was still making him cough.
I sat on the couch holding him. He is quaking every five seconds or so. I HATE that. That means pain

5:00: I made dinner for the all the rats. My usual hungry rat, Linus, was still in his nest. I made him a big bowl of Cesar canned and some shredded cheese and his antibiotic pill (THAT was hopeful of me). As I put the last dog bowl down, I saw him trying to get up! I brought him over and stood him over his food. He licked at his dinner for ten minutes and finally ate the whole thing! Jeau was his best friend while he was eating.
I put him back in his nest and put his two favorite squirrels next to him.

6:00: He is totally, totally a sad, unmoving sack. I HATE seeing him like this. He barely even opened his eyes when Bob got home from work and came over to pet him. WORRY~~~~
This pic is of him NOT moving… and not giving my camera a single glance. He usually poses and gives me a sappy look. I would give ANYTHING for a sappy look instead of this look.

Sigh….isnt a “dental” pretty basic surgery? I know that Linus is such a “princess”…but he is just so out of it. I suppose I wont worry until he quits eating. Severe lethargy is usually not a good thing in dogs. Yes, I realize he had major surgery today… but it was a dental. Even Telly was bee-bopping around the evening of his dental, and he had FOUR teeth pulled! Sigh….like I said, Linus is a princess, though, and he NEEDS the pampering and fuss. I tell him alllllll the time, “You wouldnt last a day in the wild.”

10:30 PM - I carried Linus upstairs and put him in his nest that I made on the bed. I decided to give him a pain pill, even though it said to wait until morning. I figured that a pain pill would help him sleep and he wouldnt wake up in so much pain. What a booger he is to give a pill to!!! I had it in a little piece of cheese and he sucked on the cheese and got to the pill…and violently shook his head to get the pill out of his mouth. Suffice to say, it took me about ten tries of just putting it in his mouth on the back of his tongue before he swallowed it. I brought him over the water dish and scooped a little bit into his mouth to rinse it down.

He slept well….was a little restless. I helped him rearrange himself a couple of times, as he was so groggy.

Halloween Morning
5:00 AM - I was leaving to go to Boot Camp (seriously…more on that later) and I always have to give the dogs treats when I get up in the middle of the night (I dont know how that started. I think it was from my zombie migraine trips to the kitchen for drugs and having dogs following me and “talking me into” a treat…but I also have to deliver treats to the lazies who dont bother coming down…………..and I do) I sliced a Pupperoni with a steak knife and shoved his half-pill into it. I smashed the pupperoni back together. It worked perfect!!!! Plus, Pupperoni is very stinky and will hide the smell of the pill. Now, hopefully he was in the mood for a treat. He took it… YAY for Pupperoni! By the way, his pain killer is Tramadol 50mg

9:00 am - I had to get him up. He was too out of it to get out of bed this morning. I DONT RECALL A DENTAL CREATING THIS WIPED OUT STATE? I carried him outside and set him down. He crumpled to the ground. My heart started pounding. He then hoisted himself up and walked a few steps and peed. I went over and filled the bird bath and he slowly walked back to me and the deck. I carried him up the ramp and into the house. I set him down in the kitchen and put his food and water down in front of him. He ate it very slowly, but he ate it all. I carried him over to the couch and put him in the nest I made for downstairs. He is passed out right now. Sigh…..sooooo wiped out. I dont know HOW he made it through three major abdomenal surgeries last year!