Hi Taylor - Jetta is adorable!  Look at that huge smile, soulful eyes, and possessive paw on the ball!  Thanks for sharing!  The Big Barker Bed looks awesome with the bolster on one end.  Griffin wasn't a big dog bed kinda guy during the day (he uses one in my bedroom at night about half the time), but I put one in the living room so that he has options and he uses it all the time since surgery.  He also still snuggles up on the couch!  After surgery, some dogs come home with bandages and others don't.  Griffin's stitches were internal and he was not sent home with any covering (the Animal Medical Center did send him off with a dog shirt since it was raining when I picked him up).  For the first few days, I used a human neck gaiter as a body sleeve (I cut a hole for his remaining front leg) to cover the incision when we were outside, but after a few days, I didn't use anything at all.  You can see photos of Griffin's early days at home on his blog, Griffin's Journey (his surgery was on April 2nd).  If you will need to use the harness while Jetta still has stitches, you definitely need to use something like a t-shirt to provide a protective layer to prevent rubbing and irritation.  It's great that you already have experience keeping Jetta quiet and resting after she tore her ACL.  I'm not sure what kinds of meds she was on then, but that is a big topic on this website as many dogs require tweaking of the meds after they are home to make sure that their pain is managed well.  Do you already use an elevated feeder with Jetta?  A forelimb amputee of her size might have issues balancing to reach a bowl on the ground.  Keep the questions coming - I'm happy to provide whatever insights I might have or refer you to the right folks on here.  Fingers crossed that you get an update on your girl soon!  ~ Stacy

Hey Taylor.  Firstly - thank you for what you do!  Nurses are heroes all the time, and especially during pandemics.  And YAY for Jetta sliding through surgery!  She is so strong!  I totally get the perspective of wanting to get Jetta home as soon as possible and waiting until evening to do so seems awful.  However, keep in mind that she just had major surgery and will be hopped up on meds.  Having her stay at the hospital for a few extra hours means she is in expert hands and she likely will be sleeping all of that time anyway.  Some pups wind up staying 2, 3 or more nights in the hospital, so if she is cleared to go home tomorrow, waiting a few extra hours in the grand scheme of things will not be that big of a deal.  And, how amazing that your fiance and mom will be around to help and ensure that she is cared for around the clock.  What a blessing to have such a support team!  Thanks for the update and get some sleep tonight!  Stac

Yay!!! Jetta is home!!!!!

If you feel you need to take time off to be with her that's fine, you don't need an added stress on top of being at work! Lean on your partner and mum to help out when you can though, as you will need a break. It can be really stressful but you need to take a little time for yourself too. Simple things like cooking yourself your favourite meal or taking time to sit with a cup of tea is enough  

I won't lie and say everything is easy, but you'll be surprised how quickly and well dogs adapt. Enjoy your time together, celebrate the little victories and keep us all updated (especially with adorable photos!)

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