Awww… Zielig!

Well today was the big day for Pixel.  Now six months old it was time to have her sterilized.  The poor little thing!   It was so heartbreaking for me to have this done to her now but I know it is the best thing for her.   We learned our lesson by putting it off too long with Bailey, and weren’t going to make that mistake again.

It was so hard though, she is so little!!!  It really was like sending a baby in!

While she was under they checked her eye which still shows the damage but is healing well.  They also removed two of her milk teeth that didn’t seem to want to come out on their own.  Apparently if they don’t come out it can cause some problems with her adult bite so we figured we may as well have it done while she is going to be under anyway.

Before the surgery they did some bloodwork to make sure that everything was ok with her and that there would be no complications.  That all came back fine.  We got the call to go pick her up at about 3pm and we couldn’t get in the car quick enough.

The ladies at the vet clinic are crazy about her.  They have been ever since we took her in there for her first set of shots after we got her.  It seemed like ages before we got her in our arms for a cuddle because all the girls who worked there were crowded around her kissing and hugging her and threatening to put her in their bags and sneak off with her.  She is always so popular.

When we got her home we put her in her bed with her towel, which she seems to always have to have in there with her.  It was in her little bed since she was a baby and now that she has her ‘big girl bed’ she still makes a point of sleeping on the towel rather than the pillow that is in there.  Strange little creature.

The other animals were curious and it was obvious that they could tell something was up with her.   Bailey went over for a lick and was promptly told off, so he knows now that she is not in the mood.  Both he and Spencer are watching over her from a safe distance.

One thing I find very cool is the new alternative to the ugly plastic cone head!

Instead of having to figure out how to get her to keep the ‘lampshade’ on, we were given the option of buying this Medical Pet Shirt for her to wear instead.  Of course, we jumped at the opportunity and got one in her size.  It’s light weight, stretchy and she doesn’t seem to mind it at all, which is great.  It keeps her covered and stops her from being able to lick at her stitches while going without the added irritation of trying to get around and get comfortable with the ungodly plastic cone on her head.   We just have to undo the little straps around her back legs and roll it up when we take her out to pee.

All in all it was a pretty big expense, between he bloodwork, tooth removal, surgery and the medical shirt it cost us €375 euro.   Definitely more expensive than having a male sterilized but it’s also a much more intrusive procedure.

Plus, it’s always worth it to know she will be healthy and happy for it later.