Post Op Recovery

[Gambit62]

This is Sephie after she was spayed yesterday morning. She has been very lethargic ever since and hasn't had any food yet - sniffs and licks but I think her throat is a bit sore and she doesn't want to swallow. I took her back to the vets this morning and he was able to reassure me that she wasn't showing any sign of dehydration. He even thought she was back for her post op check up (3 days after the op) so wound must be healing well, even if she is still knocked out - probably by the pain killers - not surprised as the notes on care said that they included an opiate. Opiates can totally knock me out! I was quite astounded in December when I was in hospital waiting to have an ankle pinned and on codeine which was totally knocking me out and said that I didn't want to be using an opiate based painkiller for a while - with the result that the next medication was tramadol (also an opiate) ... not really sure what was going on but I know I only took the paracetemol ... despite the fact that I actually like tramadol - or may be because I like tramadol

I've taken a few days off work so I can be around whilst she is recovering and rather glad I did because I'd probably be fretting about how she was if I was at work and not really managing to get stuff done. Mind you it was time for a break - not quite hanging on by my finger nails but could feel myself getting closer.

Sephie's next visit to the vet is due on Monday but I expect that she will be back to being full of beans by then and my problem will be keeping her in until Saturday!

The vest is supposed to stop her scratching and over grooming the wound and getting it infected but I'm not sure she is comfortable in it and the vet thought it might be something that is stopping her from eating so I may try taking it off for a while and see how she gets on without it. At least I can do that if I'm around.

Have been for some nice long runs - first since the accident that left me in hospital for the incident mentioned above. Have had some lovely bits of light and good views through hedged paths and across open fields. Yesterday morning there was a large group of house martins gathering around a particular tree - not seen that sort of activity before - or may be I have but haven't noticed it.

[ThemysciraDrive]

Hey Gambit,

Massively cute picture

Glad you got out for some good runs. Enjoy the time off! I'm hanging on for two weeks leave in October at the moment.

This one's from my lunch break, for you:

Persephone

And so she sleeps,

Sephie,

Tired from her exertions,

Walking in waking dreams

Where she receives the eternal souls of mice

There are so many trees to climb;

So many souls rent blind

By the purchase of her name upon their lips.

She glides like a willow

To the great bowl of her harvest bounty,

Sniffs and licks inquisitively at each new curse to conduct,

Savouring but not yet taking.

And so she sleeps,

Sephie,

And we leave her to her dreams,

With one thought escaping as from the Styx we shrink;

The underworld has more cushions than you would think.

[Photogeek in reply to ThemysciraDrive]

What a Poet , I like this. Poor little Sephie hope she recovers

Very soon and gets back to her self. Cats are all so different , when Luna

Was spayed last year she was as if nothing had happened, a bit quiet, whereas before my other cats were just really poorly. It's probably

The drugs, once they leave her system she should be fine. You feel

So sorry for them. Give her head and face a little pet and rub from

Me.

It's great that you have a bit of time off work, so enjoy it too and treat

Yourself as well as Sephie.

Hannah

[ThemysciraDrive]

Thank you for posting that Gambit. I felt bad this morning. For lunch I took my phone and pad and went to an empty meeting room to read the site and try to write to feel better. Sephie was perfect inspiration I hope she is feeling a bit better.

[Gambit62 in reply to ThemysciraDrive]

Thanks for the poem though, as a overprotective mother I'm not quite sure that I should approve of handsome turtles writing poetry for a daughter of such tender (lack of) years

She is feeling better now - still not up to wolfing down a bowl of chicken but she is managing a few more mouthfuls and is walking around. I've taken her out of her jacket and haven't really noticed her doing a lot of licking or anything so risking leaving it off - which she seems a bit happier about.

Glad that she provided you with some inspiration ... So far she hasn't really shown much interest in the local wildlife beyond the odd butterfly, fly or spider but guess the time will come when she starts bringing other things home ... had one cat - my first who brought home 3 mice one night and laid them neatly in front of the TV as an offering to the god that the family spent so much of its time sitting around :). I can also remember having a quiet word with my last pair of cats after one of them left a big juicy rat on the front door telling them that, whilst I appreciated the gesture, I wasn't so sure that the neighbours would so it would be better to leave them outside the backdoor in future ... so a few days later there was another one by the backdoor - such funny creatures.

[Photogeek]

Hi hope your feeling better now. It's good to take even a five minute breathing

Space when things get toomuch at work. I used to go to the water cooler. , pour myself

A paper cup of water then go to the ladies and that little break used to

Interrupt my negative spell.

Be nice to yourself tonight and tomorrow is Friday.

Hannah

[Gambit62 in reply to Photogeek]

Thanks Hannah. I don't really have any plans - some reading I want to do but just watching some bits of tv, the longer runs and making up for doing something healthy with lots of sweet creamy coffee - need to keep the universe in balance. Need to make a trip to the tip at some point and dispose of a number of dead appliances - following the death of the toaster my kettle died today. Strangely though, the bike light that I thought was dead came back to life. Still, got through the mourning cycle on the old kettle quite quickly and quite taken with the new kettle.

Take care of yourself.

[Photogeek in reply to Gambit62]

Gambit I hope poor little Sephie has a good

Night. I'm sure a night will make a big difference to her.

Give her a snuggle from me.

Hannah

[Gambit62 in reply to Photogeek]

She's a lot livelier today - still not quite eating properly but has been running around with her brother and nearly escaped into the great outdoors.

Have given up on using the vest - she doesn't seem to be licking or scratching the wound so will see how it all goes.

[missrat]

I'm glad Sephie is improving - I'm sure she'll soon be back to her normal self. By now her wound should be sufficiently healed that even if she does groom it a bit it won't do any harm - in fact may even be good. I've only had rats spayed! They have varied a lot - one was climbing only hours afterwards!

That poem is great!

Best wishes

Ann

[Gambit62 in reply to missrat]

She seems to be a lot better now - showing interest in food. Think she really wants to go outside but she will have to wait a while for that.

How are you managing with keeping all the rats cages clean ... and the dreaded housework? ... I should really clean and polish the kitchen floor - think I'm using the excuse of having a second cat litter tray down there as well as the one in the conservatory as an excuse for not doing that :). Means I can use the conservatory as an 'escape hatch' to minimise the risk of the cats getting out.

[missrat]

The rats' cages are pretty good. The floor and sofa are still very untidy but improving! I have a few things to get ready for the show tomorrow. I need to cut Revel's nails and clean his tail - that way he is less stressed than if I do it tomorrow! I've sorted out 8 photos for the competition. I have to watch it because this morning my pain was almost off the scale. It improved, but is getting bad now.. I can't take an opiate now or I'll scratch all night - so it;s paracetamol and ibuprofen. I'm hoping my GP will give me meloxicam - it works well on animals!

I have a couple of animals with nasty abscesses. I went to the vet with one as treatment would require four hands! The nearly hairless ones seem much more prone to problems.