Hi Kami and Laurie, thanks  .... it's good to hear those stories.  I won't pick Ajax up until Wednesday but it clearly can't be any more upsetting than sitting around imagining a parade of horribles, which I'm trying to avoid by being on this site all day!

ps he is pretty, isn't he?  i'm thinking that he's already planning how to use his new tough street 'cred as a three-legged dog to become a rock start

I just wrote a long reply to this and it didn't post - I don't know if its just a delay or I messed it up - so now only time for a short reply

Thanks!

Ajax doing well after surgery - no complications.

We pick him up tomorrow, maybe Thursday.  I'm not going to visit because if I visit and leave, he'll be esxtremely unhappy about that.

Hopefully my better, more detailed post will show up.  If not, I'll write more later - have squeeze in a lot of work today between yesterday's anxiety and tomorrow's pick-up.

Hi everyone.  I typed a long response this morning and somehow deleted it so here we are:

Ajax is now 3 legged (my stomach drops when I write this) and his surgeons say he is doing great.  He had a peaceful night and the residents (he's at a teaching hospital) reported that he pulled them down the hall this morning when they opened his cage.  (It's not clear whether he was powering forward on 3 legs or whether they were helping him - but he's a very neat and clean guy so I imagine he was "holding it" until they took him outside).

He still has his IV for pain and one for drainage from the surgery (these are routine).  We expect another call from the surgeon tonight after she finishes with her procedures, and he may come home tomorrow.  We are permitted to visit, but since he is a spoiled only child dog I think he would strongly and loudly and long-ly object to our coming and then leaving without him - so as long as he is settled and not showing a lot of distress, I think it best to leave him alone until we pick him up. 

I've looked at the great posts on this site to get prepared, but I'm sure I will not be ready for what I see ... our surgeon does not bandage, so he will only have his incision and clear fentanyl patches.

Last night we redecorated in anticipation of Ajax's homecoming.  I have used this as an excuse for retail therapy - we have hardwood floors so we moved our old, too small living room rug to the kitchen, and got a new one for the living room.  We also got rid of my giant coffee table (originally purchased for an LA, not NYC, apartment) and got 2 small square ones - this has resulted in about tripling the size of free carpeted area for him.  Given that we in NYC live in 4 rooms, I thought a more permanent solution was in order rather than just temporary runners.

Tonight he received a care package from some lovely "dog friends" who have a female chocolate Lab who has been trying to get Ajax interested in her for years ...and his walker is waiting to come over as soon as he gets home.  I understand he'll be loopy for a couple of weeks but I think visits from his "peeps" will still be good for him. 

Has anyone used the buga board that Jerry brought up?  I'm thinking this would be a fun thing to do with Ajax while he is recovering (after the stitches are out of course).  It's about a zillion degrees in NYC right now, and I doubt he'd want to go out even if he was in perfect health, so I'm thinking of games for the hallway.  Also the children in the building might come out and play with him if he's doing something interesting ...

I'm worrying about all this, and meanwhile I bet Ajax is just trying to figure out how to use his new three-legged status to get more food ....

Based on the tips on this site, we've also bought air mattresses and plan to be sleeping on the floor with him for a while. 

Last time he had the tramadol (when they took a benign thymoma out of his chest), he was wacky and didn't stop whining until it wore off.  I'm intersted in a) how people have been able to tell the difference between post op pain and post op behavior that is just due to the meds; and b) has anyone been given anything other than tramadol to administer "as needed" for pain?

OOPs - I now fear I have made Ajax look like a mama's boy.  Well, he may be , but I should also add that he is a super strong, super active, super independent 75 lb black lab (with brindle markings), able to jump tall fences in a single bound, body surf in the ocean and find soft cheeses remaining in the park after picnics in 30 seconds or less. 

There, I feel much better now.

Ha ha ha lesliec that's the best laugh I've had in weeks.  You are completely on my wavelength.  We we "adopted" Ajax from Guiding Eyes Released Puppy Program, my husband (then boyfriend) wanted a yellow, female Lab.  Suffice it to say, that we got a big, black, male Lab for exactly the kind of reasons you describe.