another update:

Earlier today we went to the Vet's office and paid Ligia a little visit. She was totally unaware though. We had one of the staff take a couple of pictures for us instead of going in. We thought she would get too excited if she saw either of us and too upset if we didn't take her home after she saw us. So....... although it felt cruel not to go in, we think it would have been meaner to her if we had and then left without her. Here are her pictures: The top one you can see her leg is all bandaged but this is because she has an i.v. in and they don't want her to be able to bite it off. She looks so sad and in pain. The bottom picture is a bit better. I don't know what's all on her chin, maybe something from when they put the tube down her throat??? Don't really know but the way she's standing she looks awkward and in pain. They are giving her narcotics for the pain. The reason she doesn't have the cone on around her little neck is because they had just tried giving her some water. These pics were taken about 24 hrs after her surgery.


Earlier in the day they tried some water and she wouldn't take any. They tried a bit of very watered down soft food and she took a couple of licks. This evening around 7:15 pm my cell phone rang and it was the Dr. She told me Christaligia took some water finally and those few licks of food. This was good. She wouldn't take the food or water in the cage, they had to let her out and then she ate a bit :-) She took a very short walk earlier today in the clinic too and pee'd. :-) Hopefully they took out her catheter. She's still on i.v. and pain meds. The Dr. told me we can bring her home tomorrow (Saturday). We can't wait. She is not to get her tummy wet at all. She'll have antibiotics and they're going to shave her back and apply a pain patch that will last her for 4 days. By then she should be over the worst of the pain I hope. That will be 6 days. Ligia can ride home on my scooter. The Dr. was worried she'd get off but she never has jumped off before. (I use a mobility scooter, I'm not talking about a motorcycle type scooter). I'm going to take her bed and put it on the floor of the scooter and slowly ride home with her. I could take a cab however I'm not comfortable with picking her up and carrying her right now with such fresh stitches and I can't carry her from the cab all the way upstairs, I'm not able to. The scooter will be fine, I'll also put her pink blankie in there too, it's nice and soft as well as her bed. And bumps along the way that we feel should be buffered for her with how slow I'll drive and the blanket and bed. Matter of fact I'm taking both her beds and maybe will use both so she's double soft.

Anyway, she's to be fed 5 times a day, tiny meals of special food so she can disgest it and it won't hurt her little tummy incision. This will be for about a week then we can start to introduce her normal food back in slowly with this food until we are all her old normal food. She's not allowed to jump or play right now. I'll make her some stairs so she can get on the sofa to her favourite place in the corner. We take her back in about 10 days to get all her stitches out. I'll get more directions tomorrow I'm sure.

I'll try to get some more pictures tomorrow after she rests a while at home. I'm sure she's going to be upset with us for some time and it will take her a while to trust us again. After all, look what's she been through, she's been held in a cage for some time, and all strangers and lots of pain. Poor thing, I feel really guilty although there is nothing I could have done. I'm thankful she's ok now and on her way home to us.