So many things have happened in the last few days! The first was this:
Roxie found a new way to escape the yard, and decided to use it regularly.
How is she escaping? It is a mystery! It started on Wednesday (two days ago), and I have not been able to figure out how to stop her. Luckily, when she escapes she typically meets me at the front door and is happy to come back inside.
But she also goes to visit Haku, her sweetheart. Haku is uncatchable, and, therefore, unneutered.
So, we thought it would be prudent to move up her spay appointment. She went in for her spay this morning, and when I left her at the vet's I thought "Ok, one more step in the right direction, complete!". I actually felt relieved and hopeful. But, that was a big mistake on my part. Because...
The vet was unable to proceed with the spay. Why?
Roxie has tick fever. Tick fever is treatable via antibiotics, but it reduces the dog's ability to form blood clots. So, surgery is not an option - she would bleed to death. It'll be at least a month before she may be able to undergo her surgery (assuming the antibiots work, and nothing else weird comes up).
So. The problem now is this:
We have an unspayable female dog who may be coming into heat right about now, and who is leaving our yard on a nightly basis to hang out with her boyfriend. And we have no way to prevent her from doing so for at least another month.
Hmmm. So, you ask, how soon after giving birth can a dog get pregnant again?
(Oh, and I do use 'dog' for both males and females, because female dogs are NOT bitches).
Pretty much as soon as they're done nursing, it turns out, they can get pregnant. A female dog can produce as many as 4 litters of puppies per year. Roxie started in January with litter 1, waited for June for litter 2, but perhaps could be prepping for litter 3 before she can undergo her spay.
Additionally, as school has started again and we have had less time to spend with all this legion of dogs, it is clear that Roxie is less pleased with her situation at our house. So, her desire to leave is growing, which I guess I can't blame her for.
Mary Ellen, after listening to me whine about this situation, observed that this could be one of those things that is simply out of one's control, and so one has to learn to do what one can, and let go of the rest. I think she's right.
3 comments:
I hope this works out, but I think Mary Ellen's right, you have to realize you can't control everything. And you're doing the best you can! I'll keep my fingers crossed she remains unfertile and unimpregnated (and unimpregnable) until the spaying is possible.
ya.. I third Mary Ellen & coll.... dang!!! wonder if there's a way to slip her the pill for a little while until she can get the parts taken out!!!
good luck, guys!
I fourth Mary Ellen's advice. You're doing all you possibly can to control the situation and this may be one you have to let go. It sucks, I know. But we'll all try to give the universe a push in the right direction.
xoxoxo
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