tropic of cancer

My brave, but embarrassed, post-op pup.

Back in December, I took Sadie for her regular check-up. Unfortunately, the doctor noticed a small lump in her leg that she had been gnawing at. After a biopsy, it was discovered that the lump was malignant and would need to be removed.

So we went back two weeks later and Sadie had surgery to remove the lump. She came through okay, but would need to wear a "cone of shame" to keep her from licking at the wound and messing up her sutures.

The first night was the roughest, as I wasn't allowed to give her more than a cup of water and no food for several hours. This was to make sure the anesthesia had fully worn off and avoid any regurgitation issues. I was totally cool with keeping the dog from retching all over the joint, but it was torture for her and us to have to withhold food and water.

Sadie lumbered around the house - bonking off of everything with her new cone - and cried and whimpered to be watered and fed. It was like watching a heroin addict deal with the DTs, and not a pretty picture. It would have been completely heartbreaking, if it weren't for that damn cone, which, evil as it may be, is inherently comical. Sad, but comical.

To help counteract the aforementioned comic nature of everything, I spent that first night walking around cleaning up the drips of blood that occasionally emanated from her wound. Then, to add insult to injury, Sadie needed to be lifted up and carried upstairs. Let me add here that the dog absolutely detests being picked up. Good times.

The cone of shame was in place for ten days, until Sadie went back to the vet to get her stitches out. Then, in another evil twist, we had to keep the cone on for an additional two days post-stitches, to make sure she didn't muss with one part of the wound that still needed to heal.

No one around here misses the cone, especially the backs our legs and the doorways - which were all targets for bumping. I hung onto the plastic torture device, but let's just hope we never have to use it again.


Sadie feels much shame. And anger. And probably hunger.