Traction! Non-skid rugs for any wood floors made it easy for Kermit to learn to hop. We also have a ramp from our back door down into the yard.

I put an extra mattress on the floor next to our bed because he was used to sleeping with us but he can't get up into our bed and he needed help every time he went out to pee; that way I could sleep down there with him.

My husband was also away on business when Kermit had his amp surgery- the hardest part of that was reminding him that when he came home he HAD to be cheerful & pawsitive & NOT start crying!

Your other dog should be fine, but I've had to REALLY get after my other one when she gets excited because she crashed right into Kermit's incision after about 3 days home.

I can't help you with the toddler; I don't have any of those!!

Well that was not a good birthday present for Jordan or you.    Make sure your pup stays well hydrated when she comes home, even if you have to take the water bowl to her.  You can add low sodium chicken broth to some water to make it more enticing. The elevated food dish is important.

You will find lots and lots of helpful info on this site as well as many knowledgeable "pawrents" ready to help you.  I look forward to reading your updates.

It's hard to tell if Monday will be long enough to leave your pup alone, but I'd have to think that it'd be OK.  Jackson was left alone for a few hours, cone-on, just a few days after amp.  I wasn't worried about leaving him alone.  I felt badly that when he was alone he'd be wearing that darn cone, bumping into things, and not resting well. If Monday is too daunting, maybe there's someone who can stop by for an hour midday to check on Jordan and make sure all is well?  As for taking Jordan home the day of Sx, some folks here have done it.  Listen to your vet and if its recommended Jordan spend the night away, that may be best.  So long as she is stable, I'd think you could bring her home rather than check her into a ER vet.  Be prepared, though, if you bring her home - she'll be tanked on super drugs.  She'll be weird!  As for recovery, the toughest thing folks seem to face here is pain management .  Until she's on those drugs, it's hard to tell how she'll be.  Let's hope they agree with her and she sails through!  Jackson never had a problem eating, drinking, or using the bathroom, or getting around - some dogs do.  Keep us posted and informed!  We worry around here and like to know how the surgery went, when she's home, when she eats, when she first poos, and all the wags and wiggles that come thereafter!  Take recovery one day, or one moment at a time.  Relish in those first wags and wiggles!

Um, happy birthday, Jordan?!

~ Katy

Just my two cents but not in a million years would I have brought Kermit home the day of surgery.  He stayed overnight in ICU and the next day when they weaned him off of his pain drip he was still loopy & very unsteady on his feet so I left him another night.  I'm no stranger to critical animal care, as I was a horse trainer & farm manager & we also had a private dog rescue on site, but I know when to leave things to the pros.

When Kermit got home he was pretty mobile but still wet the bed twice & the floor once when he was either too drug-addled to get up or too painful to get up or too unsure of himself to get up. .. who knows why, but I can't imagine how hard it would have been a day earlier.

He was also on prednisone so he was drinking & peeing a tremendous amount, so he couldn't have been left alone for hours on end within a few days. It has gotten MUCH easier now that we're done with the pred.

Again, just me but I truly believe that the care of specialists can make all the difference and if you can swing it, it's by far the best choice.

anniekurtz said
Any advice on taking Jordan home the first night vs transferring her to the pet emergency hospital to stay and be monitored?  

I'm assuming your vets office isn't staffed through the night?  This was our experience....we were told by our vet that if all went well with the surgery Libby would come home the same day. Imagine our surprise when I called to check on her and was informed she would be staying the night. My first thought was something went wrong because we were to bring her home.  It turned out that's just this surgeon's preference so she could make sure Libby was well hydrated and her pain was under control. I was pretty upset (if you search my posts, you will find the event I'm talking about) because I knew the office wasn't staffed all night.  The surgeon called us in the early evening to basically reassure us that Libby was doing well, she had no worries about leaving her alone and she would be working late that evening anyway.  It was only a little comfort.  We chose not to transfer her to the emergency clinic because we would have to do it ourselves and I didn't want to confuse her by leaving her once again, in a strange place.  We didn't have the option of having the surgeon do the transport.

Looking back I'm glad she stayed overnight.  They were more equipped to keep an eye on her (while they were there) and tend to her until we picked her up the following afternoon.  Libby has had a relatively smooth and uneventful recovery (we are 5 weeks post amp).