Dobby's Surgery

So I mentioned that Dobby was having surgery today. It was the 3rd time that he'd had cancer in this spot-so the 3rd time he had had a non-neutering, non-teeth cleaning (though he did get his teeth cleaned this time) surgery, going under anesthesia. And all 3 times, it was in the same spot. And he's 12 years old, so the risk was higher than usual. We weren't planning on having this 3rd surgery, because he is older, but the vet said at Dobby's last check up, that it would start affecting his quality of life soon, and if it was removed, he could have a longer life, so might as well do it now, when he is younger, because of the anesthesia, so we did. And I'm telling him now, like I told him after the previous surgery-No more cancer! 

But got through it OK, and though he's already sneaked a jump onto furniture twice now, well, I'm so relieved that he got through it OK. He's already less groggy than he was when we brought him home.

This is him 2 hours after bringing him home:

And this is him half an hour ago, now. And it does show his stitches. I didn't notice any blood, but I am going to put a page jump here, just in case.

This was the largest that the lump has gotten, it was bigger than a golf ball. And apparently it was attached to the skin, whereas before it was attached to muscle, which means that some skin was removed. That plus the fact that there wasn't any fat under the lump, because of lump (as it was explained to me) meant that the site has to stretch a bit more. So we have an appointment to see the vet on Monday. Plus, this incision looks to be the longest. Previous incisions were mainly up and down, which if you look closely at the picture, you can see the scar. This one was left and right, and a pretty long one at that.

We have the doggies separated right now. Jax just has too much energy for the old man to be around, and if we put a cone on Dobby, which depends on if he tries to lick at his stitches, how Jax would react, if he'd think it was a toy. Because Jax has thought a weed wacker, and the lawn mower, was a toy. Jax hasn't been hurt, but he's now not allowed at all in outside when there's yard work going on.

But we brought a blanket for Dobby, the same one that we brought for Winky when she went in to the visit that ultimately ended with her passing, with him, so it smells of the vet, and we're having Jax sleep with it tonight (he's currently dominating it, because he loves to dominate-bite-blankets) so he can get used to the scent, and so we can see if we can have them together tomorrow.

Hopefully, because I have work tomorrow, and right now Dobby is trapped upstairs, and Jax would be trapped downstairs, well, my Mom's the only one going to be home tomorrow, and Dobby shouldn't be jumping up on furniture right now, even though he has done it. We don't want that happening, so hopefully they can be together without aggravating the stitches.

I'm just so happy that he got through the surgery, and now it's just time to recover, and hopefully we have plenty more years with Dobby having a good quality of life!