# It's spay day, best wishes for the pupster!



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I'll be dropping off Halo at the vet this morning for her spay - please think good thoughts for our baby girl!


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

Good luck today!!!! I love that name Halo!


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Awww...poor little Halo!! I'm sure all will go swimingly!!


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh Halo!! Hang in there you will feel better the next day!


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## rokanhaus (Mar 20, 2006)

All paws crossed for Halo!!! And hugs to Momma Deb as well....


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## VALIUM (Nov 15, 2007)

Good Luck with the surgery, hopefully she is just gonna come ot of surgery fine. Is she gonna have laser surgery? GL again.


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## AngelJ (Aug 24, 2009)

Best wishes to Halo today. I'm sure it will all go well!!


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Wishing you both a fast procedure and easy recovery! I am sure Halo will sail right thru without any problems


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## Karin (Jan 4, 2008)

Best wishes for an easy spay and quick and easy recovery for Halo!


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

_*Zooming speedy healing thoughts south*_


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

Best Wishes for a routine surgery and speedy recovery for the baby girl







Waiting to hear is always so hard!

Is Keefer going to be bored while his buddy heals up or is he going to be enjoying the quiet time?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Good thoughts being sent your way!!

Do you have some Arnica around for post-surgery healing? There actually might be a better one for post spay - maybe staphyg-something? I'll have to look it up later. 

Thinking of Halo today


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Thanks everyone. Lisa, I remember reading an article about Arnica in the Whole Dog Journal, and you and Ruth have mentioned it here on the board before too, but I've never used it. I can stop by a health food store and pick some up on my way home from work, but I don't know what kind to get or how much/how often to give it to her. I still have all my issues of WDJ, but I don't remember which issue it was in.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Is Miss Halo coming home tonight or spending the night at the vets?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

She'll be coming home tonight. They don't have regular overnight staff, so spays and neuters are always sent home at the end of the day. I'm to call after 4:00, and they'll probably have me come get her between 5:00 & 6:00.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

Good thoughts and wishes for Halo. May she be romping round the table driving Keefer crazy soon!


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys MomThanks everyone. Lisa, I remember reading an article about Arnica in the Whole Dog Journal, and you and Ruth have mentioned it here on the board before too, but I've never used it. I can stop by a health food store and pick some up on my way home from work, but I don't know what kind to get or how much/how often to give it to her. I still have all my issues of WDJ, but I don't remember which issue it was in.




Darn it, I don't think I got back to this in time!

You want to get the little pellets, preferably in a 30c potency. Typically in a tube that looks like this:







, though some brands are little glass bottles, or white plastic bottles. 

I would give 3-5 tablets 3 times a day for the next three days, longer if she still seems achy. Ruth I think uses a different dosing schedule which will work just as well.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: LisaTYou want to get the little pellets, preferably in a 30c potency. Typically in a tube that looks like this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ack! I had a choice between 30 and 6 - I asked at the store how to know which one I needed, and the store owner said for a dog he'd use the 6, so that's what I bought. I did mention that she's 60 pounds. I also got some tramadol at the vets, (I asked for it after reading about pain management online, some people use it in conjunction with the arnica) but my vet is very old school and he doesn't usually think they need it. So how much and how often would you give the arnica?



> Originally Posted By: VALIUMIs she gonna have laser surgery?


I wasn't actually sure, but as it turns out, she did have laser surgery. She's home and doing well. They always do pre-anesthesia blood work, and everything looked good. I had them do her hip and elbow prelims too, and he said it all looked "beautiful". The only problem we had is that her microchip wouldn't read. It worked at one time because they checked it when I first brought her in for her puppy checkup. They found it on an x-ray and ran 3 different kinds of scanners over it, and it didn't come up, so we'll have to have her re-done, probably when we go back to get the stitches out. On a closeup of the x-ray it looks like it might be broken, which he said can happen during rough play. Rough play? My dogs? Nah!!!











> Originally Posted By: AK GSDIs Keefer going to be bored while his buddy heals up or is he going to be enjoying the quiet time?


I think he'll probably enjoy the peace and quiet!







A lot of their play is initiated by her, so I don't think we have to worry about him pestering her too much. He was very interested in sniffing her when she came in the door, but he's here in the office with me, and Halo put herself to bed in her crate.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mom
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: LisaTYou want to get the little pellets, preferably in a 30c potency. Typically in a tube that looks like this:
> ...


No worries, just give the 6c more frequently. I would give it about 4 times a day if there are no signs of pain. If there are obvious signs of pain, you can give it for sure hourly.

I've never used Tramadol, but I know lots of folks have.




> Quote:
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AK GSDIs Keefer going to be bored while his buddy heals up or is he going to be enjoying the quiet time?
> ...


Rest up Keefer, you'll need the rest when Halo gets better!


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

> Quote:She's home and doing well. They always do pre-anesthesia blood work, and everything looked good. I had them do her hip and elbow prelims too, and he said it all looked "beautiful".


Glad she is home and resting. It is always such a peace of mind to have the blood work and xrays done and find that everything looks normal.



> Quote: The only problem we had is that her microchip wouldn't read.


Now that is interesting. We have never thought to have ours rechecked over the years to see that the still work. Good idea!

p.s. we weighed in +4 today


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Becky, that's a good thing, right? Halo was actually about 2 pounds down from her previous weigh in, which I think is a good thing. She was looking a bit "fluffy" when I weighed her at a year old, and then I realized that if Keefer wandered away from his food (he's not such a fan of the Bug Off garlic so he was eating his breakfast slower than normal) she would dive on his bowl and finish it off, so I started closing the gate between them for breakfast so she was in the pen and he was outside it. In addition, I cut her food back by about a quarter cup per meal. She went from 61.8 pounds to 59.7 pounds, which I think is a better weight for her. As she matures she'll fill out a bit, but for now I don't think she needs to be over 60 pounds. She gained a few pounds from 11 months to 12 months old, and she really didn't need it.


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## Smith3 (May 12, 2008)

good to hear everything went well. that day after was such a blessing, ours laid around and did nothing!


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

> Quote:Becky, that's a good thing, right?


For skinny boy Boss... yes, +4 in one week is a very good thing!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

She wasn't interested in coming out of her crate once she came home last night, so I didn't worry about feeding her but I brought her a little bowl of water, and she drank most of it. 

This morning she came right out with a little tail wag, got a couple of kisses from Keefer, and jumped on the bed like she usually does, the one thing she was NOT supposed to do!







I carefully helped her off, and she went back to bed in her crate for a little bit. Tom coaxed her outside to pee, she drank a little more water, and I offered her about half her usual breakfast, which she inhaled, so I gave her a little more. When I left for work she was laying in the office with Tom. 

She's still pretty sleepy and is obviously not feeling great, but her incision looks good, and she seems fine. Keefer isn't bugging her, but I asked Tom to crate her in the house if he goes out rather than putting her out in the garage pen with Keef. He'll be around most of the day so she'll be in the house with him, but he may be gone for a couple of hours.


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## DianaB (Jan 3, 2007)

So glad things went well with the surgery. Also glad to see the hips look great! I only have one other to refer it to and those were lousy


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

Keefer better enjoy the piece and quiet today because it sounds like Halo is on the mend and by tomorrow will probably be back to her rambunctious self.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I called Tom a little while ago and he said she went outside, peed and pooped, half heartedly bit Keef on the neck once.....and then took another nap.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

Good to hear the surgery went well!


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

LOL, glad to hear that she's doing well, even though it was only a half-bite


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

> Quote:half heartedly bit Keef on the neck once.....and then took another nap


thatta girl!


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## DonP (Apr 13, 2009)

Glad to hear Halo is doing well. Sounds like she's smart enough to take it easy - at least for a little while.


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