rhapsodic.org is a weblog by Valette Keller

Olive's New Collar of Shame

The entire Olive-getting-spayed thing has been quite the Issue™ at the Steveolette household. She went into heat two days before her appointment in October and we decided to wait on the surgery.

Her heat lasted forever. Seriously, it went on and on for three straight years. Unending with the grumpies and the woe. It finally subsided enough for me to take her to Homer for my grandmother's funeral the week before Thanksgiving.

We needed to wait 4 weeks after all of her symptoms went away before making another appointment, just to make sure everything was done and over with. I made the appointment, and all was well.

That brings us to today.

On our way to the vet my car was rear-ended. A combination of my using my clutch to slow down and her big pickup riding my bumper meant there was a small collision. And by small I mean disturbed-only-the-dirt-on-my-car kind of collision. I couldn't even find a paint scratch.

I got to work a little late and then the vet called: Olive was just going into heat. The surgery was going to be a little more difficult and cost a little more. I could not believe that this dog, who had been in heat for nearly a decade straight and out for just FOUR WEEKS had gone back into heat. Again. To spite me.

I told the vet to go through with it; I was sick and tired of dealing with her hormones anyway.

When the surgery was finished, the vet called me back and told me that Olive wasn't going back into heat, she was still coming out of it. Longest period ever.

But now the deed is done and she's quite miserable, mostly because of the embarrassing collar she has to wear so she doesn't lick her stitches out. The collar bumps into everything and is surprisingly unhelpful outside where it just scoops snow into her face.

She has to wear it for two weeks, through Christmas weekend.
When we will be in Homer.
This is going to be a fun trip.