So the question came up in another thread, by Labs4ever where Wylie is having some issues after neutering. Wylie's eyes have been red and tearing since his Surgery to get neutered...
The question was did I end up getting Hemi neutered. Yes, I did. I didn't really talk about it because well it was a horrible stressful experience. I hated doing it but at the same time I also knew it was the right thing to do to help improve what was going on. I can look back on it now and laugh, because Hemi and his humor helped me get through it. I think the experience was much worse for me than it was for him. Just the stress of him having surgery and then the aftercare. When he got home he whined and cried all evening. Which is normal dogs still feeling after affects of the anesthesia. However I felt horrible and mean, here was my stoic boy, never have I ever raised a hand to him, never hurt him other than stepping on a toe here and there which was made up for immediately with love and treats. Now he was crying. I was to blame. I felt horrible. So anyway I never talked about it. However, now it has passed and everything is ok and our lives have returned to normal. I can look back and reflect, there were some pretty funny moments. If he had not been so good humored about the whole thing, I am not sure what I would have done.
So the day after Hemi got neutered, the vets said to keep an eye on him and no licking of his incision if so call them and they will get an e-collar, aka the cone of shame. He was good the first day, but he was drugged. So the day after his surgery, I am watching him on Hemi cam while I am at work and he goes into a half hour licking session. So I leave work go home to stop it and call the vet. Hemi gets the cone of shame and crated.
Dad, why do you hate me. What did I do to deserve this. I got this look a lot. Which made me feel like a horrible person.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8yl1n2jt.jpg
He did get used to it, and he still insisted on spying on the neighbors. I can only imagine the view from outside my house.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psjxhbf9f8.jpg
I did block off all the furniture so he couldn't jump in it. Technically he didn't jump on the couch, but more slithered under his exercise ball. This is his exercise ball for when we do Pilates.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4deda6b0.jpg
Well the vet told me as well he didn't have to wear the cone all the time if he would wear like a pair of boxers, anything to prevent licking. So if you were ever wondering if Jeff wears boxers or briefs, I do boxer briefs. Hemi got one of my old pairs of underwear and well we called them his undies. Very surprisingly, a lot of my clothes fit him well. We have same head size and apparently same underwear size.
First time wearing them. Dad, I don't think that's what that hole is for.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psdns5cfwx.jpg
This let Hemi lead pretty much normal life when I was home. He could lay around and chew on toys and play and stuff. Here he is chewing on his Chewy Wooie, we call it.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psm07asjvd.jpg
Hemi laying on the floor napping with dad
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psbrdfkxto.jpg
Then, about day 4 or 5, I messed up. I introduced a new game with his undies. We were in the front room and it has been a while since he had been out and I asked him if he wanted to go potty. Which he was like sure, and started walking to the back door all calmly still in his undies. Well I couldn't resist, I reached up grabbed the back waist band and yanked his undies off down to his ankles and yelled Hah, I depantsed you. Ok, Mistake number one, he spun looked at me with that grin we all know so well and started but tucking. Which he is not supposed to be doing, luckily I got it stopped. Mistake number 2 undies became a game now.
So after that point, if I wasn't paying full attention to him, he would wiggle out of his undies and pick them up and look at me like, Hah, I got the undies now, chase me to get them.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psqofpppxv.jpg
Another one of those thing Hemi had me doing I never thought I would ever do. Chase a dog down trying to put underwear on him.
Many times I was having this view trying to get the undies back. He would grab them and shake them like a toy, take off running and toss them over his head. So yes I turned undies into a toy now.
https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...psavhgw7qa.jpg
Anyway, Hemi is back to normal and full health. Living life like a Hemi. I don't notice a lot of change in his personality. However we have had several training classes and a lot of the distractions seem to be gone or much much lighter. We have both been having a lot of fun at training classes lately as my time is not spent pulling his nose off the floor. This should reside even more as the hormones leave his system.