Olive is officially a house dog - she figured out the couch

On Thurday Olive Oil made her visit to the Vet for her spey and vaccination. She was already microchipped as young greyhound pups are chipped here at 5 weeks old. The vet nurse said that her chip had moved and was right at the front of her neck. She told me that she once found a chip in a labrador's foot! If they can move around that far, it's no wonder that sometimes microchips aren't found sometimes! 

The nurse warned me that she was being a sook and that she would probably yelp when I lifted her into the car. Yelp she did, but she continued on for a little bit just to make sure I knew she was hurting.

When I got home it was a huge struggle to get her out of the car, but eventually she got down herself, with a lot more complaining. She yelped every time she went to lie down on her bed too, looking right at me and doing some good old open-mouth whinging. 

For some reason she decided the couch would be more comfortable. It must have been because she didn't yelp when she laid down. I expect she will be spending a lot of time on the couch for the next few days. 

Mouse's Spey and recovery - the first day

Mouse went to the Vet yesterday and came home minus her reproductive organs. I am a big supporter of speying pets - it eliminates a lot of health risks, like mammary cancer in females, and prevents accidental litters coming into the world. 

They did it keyhole style so she only has two stitches in one fairly small incision, and another small incision with no stitches. It is much nicer to look at than the big zipper-scar that Barbie had when we got her. It is also less worrying that she is going to somehow burst herself open the first time she jumps in the air.

Turns out we didn't have to worry about Mouse jumping though. She is quite the sensitive little lass and was struggling to get on and off the couch last night as she was obviously feeling some pain. 

She showed a bit of a tendency to lick her stitches so I put a yard muzzle on her when I put her in her crate to sleep, and she seemed comfortable enough. The muzzle doesn't have a poop guard but she would have to press pretty hard to make her teeth reach her stitches, and I knew she wasn't going to do that. 

She is better this morning and can get on and off the couch by herself but she definitely isn't going to be running or jumping around. This recovery period is going to be easier to handle than I thought. The last female dog that I had speyed was a little Blue Heeler x Border Collie with very little sense in her head and it was very hard to keep her quiet. I think Miss Mouse will take things slowly. 

Here is a cute video of Mouse which encapsulates how happy she is finally having couches and beds to sleep on.