Critter Crazy

My dog lost his manhood today. Yup, I took him in to get snipped. In the early morning hours, a number of us dog owners huddled with our dogs against the cold wind while we waited for the doors to open. Today was surgery day and we were all there for the same reason.
There were two very pretty little girl dogs that Benji took quite an interest in. I let him. I also took him aside and whispered, “Enjoy your self. After today you won’t care anymore!” I always feel guilty about this particular elective surgery.
I waited anxiously for the “all clear” phone call not so much out of concern for Benji but I needed to know when I could pick him up. I need to make one thing clear- I am an animal lover but I am not a fanatic. I think that basic vet care is important. I also think that we have gone a bit overboard in the take care of your pet department. Actually, I think we have gone a lot overboard in that department.
When I see people spend hundreds of dollars to cure their cat from cancer or kidney transplants for the family dog or dental care, I feel uncomfortable. There are still starving children all over the world. How are we going to justify those choices to God?
And I think we forget that while our animals are beloved and have a special place in our lives, they are still just animals. I know that the animal health care people forget this. Otherwise, how could they give the “discharge” instructions that they do.
I kid you not, this is exactly what I was told about “post operative care”:
1. Don’t let Benji chew or lick his incision. The incision is at his privates. HOW do you keep a dog from licking his privates? It’s what they do!
2. Keep him calm for a few days. O.K. give me drugs then. He’s a Shihtzu/Pomeranion mix- hyper is his middle name. As soon as we arrived home and he left the car, he was all over and under the welcoming committee which consisted of my two other dogs and Benji’s favorite cat.
3. Don’t let it get wet down there. Well, unless I’m willing to follow him around with toilet paper and wipe his weeny every time he pees that’s not doable either.
4. And my favorite- don’t let him jump for several days! He’s a freaking small hyper dog, people, jumping is what he does. As a matter-of-fact, in order to get around my big dog lying on the living room floor, Benji jumps from the couch to the coffee table to the rocking chair to the kitchen floor. Driving home he jumped from the back to the front about a zillion times before he jumped into the back window to settle in for the ride.
At least with kids you can reason, bribe and threaten. Dogs will be dogs no matter what else we might want them to be. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?