Roope's "Operation"
Roope was eventually neutered at 2 PM on 26 September 2003. The operation went well and the wound was really small. It was stitched with self-dissolving stitches. Roope was also given a shot of antibiotics and painkillers. We were given Synolox® 250 mg antibiotics and Zubrin® 50 mg painkiller and dosage instructions for home treatment. Roope was also given a lampshade collar that he should wear for a week. The collar prevents the dog from licking the wound and tearing the stitches open. In practise Roope had it on only when we weren't able to watch him all the time.
Roope was fast asleep all evening. Late at night we went out and Rope was somewhat groggy. He had the collar on that night. Roope wasn't able to sleep with it, and he showed me he was quite the talent in acting. He came up with creative solutions so that I'd take the collar out. He whined and whimpered, and I thought he was in pain and gave him his medication. Then he sat down and moped, making sure I saw he couldn't walk. Just guess how quickly he made it to the bathroom door when I went there? Once there he "wasn't" able to walk back to his bed. Then he tested me with panting. It looked like he was having a seizure. After I took the collar off, he dashed wildly into his "den" to sleep.
In the small hours we went out. Roope was able to pee and he was very enthusiastic outdoors. We didn't sleep much after that.
On Saturday Roope walked outside friskily and would have been outside all day.
The next night was easier, because Roope had apparently learned how to sleep with the collar. He even crawled under our covers! Then he used me as a pillow, and placed his end on my legs, my hands or my stomach. I wasn't able to move much. It seemed like Roope's revenge on the horrible operation I had caused to be done on him!
The wound is healing quickly. It's a bit red, but that should settle in two to four weeks.
I will report here if there are any changes in Roope's behaviour, nature etc.
Approximately two weeks after the operation:
- Roope is clearly more playful
- The operating wound is completely healed
- He doesn't "mark his territory" as much anymore
- Still somewhat interested in girls
A year after the castration:
- Roope still fancies bitches in heat
- He eats everything we give to him
- He has grown a handsome beard, a tuft of hair on the head and long hair in the feet. It's hard to say whether that is due to the castration or the fact that Roope has reached the respectable age of four years.
- He still doesn't like all the other dogs (whether male or female).
Operation | Seizures | Roope's Skip | Part 3 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Dogholist