No More Frankendog

Yesterday, 13 days after our dachshund Li'l Girl's hemilaminectomy, we took her to get her staples removed.  Last time she was in the travel carrier, she was left to go through a major surgery and a traumatic stay at the vet.  So being in it again brought on a lot of fear and stress, and she fretted the whole way there, even with my husband sitting in the seat next to her trying to offer comfort.   
It was a Saturday, so a tech removed the staples and we didn't get to visit with the surgeon.  She said the incision looked great - that it looked exactly the way it should look.  After reminding us to make our four week follow-up appointment with the surgeon on our way out, she set us free.  Li'l Girl was obviously very relieved when she realized she was coming back home with us.  She was quiet and even slept a little during the ride home, only fretting a little each time we stopped.
Back at home and in her recovery pen, we quickly gave her a chew stick to help soothe what was left of her worries.  She went right to work on it and laid down for a nap promptly after.
Her movement progress is still going well.  Potty breaks are all good, with her taking care of business all on her own.  Walking is good too... she stumbles a little sometimes and very occasionally falls over as her back legs give way to some weakness, but her gait isn't very wobbly anymore and more often than not, we are having to make her slow down on the way outside.  Sometimes she likes to take a slow stroll around the yard to investigate, just as she would before.  She needs to rest in order for her spinal cord to heal, but she also needs these short periods of controlled exercise to keep her nerves stimulated and help prevent muscle wasting. 
All in all, everything is going as well as we could hope for and we pray that her recovery continues forward without a hitch.  She is due to have her four week recheck on February 8th, at which time she will undergo another scan to monitor her healing and to see if she's a candidate for laser disc ablation.  Laser disc ablation is a prophylactic procedure to help prevent future disc herniations by potentially reducing the amount of disc material left to herniate.  It is a somewhat controversial procedure because not all clinicians agree that prophylactic surgical measures, whether traditional fenestration or laser disc ablation, are beneficial.  It will obviously be something that my husband and I discuss at length, weighing all the potential risks and benefits, before making any decisions.  For now, we are just focused on taking one day at a time in her recovery and trying to enjoy the progress she has made so far.  

Here is my back after my staples were removed.

 

Back home and cozy with my staples out.