Saddest puppy in the world

Little Louloudi was neutered yesterday. We had an 8 AM call with the vet and were done by 8:30 with the entire procedure.

While short in time, it was harrowing to say the least. Once the anesthetic was injected, Loulou went limp and she was quickly tied to the operating table with foam tape and resembled a high school frog on the plate ready for dissection. It was quick work by the vet, but there was cutting, scooping and then some burning from a surgical torch. It was painful to watch, and when I say watch, you are literally two feet away. There is no waiting in the other room, you are right there if you want to be.

When she was stitched up and ready to go, she began to wake and her eyes just killed us both. She looked at us as if we had betrayed her and were slowly killing her. She couldn't walk, she didn't want to eat, she could barely lift her head. When she finally did walk, it was with a slow, limping gait and the saddest little face you have ever seen. She simply curled up in places where we couldn't reach her and slept the day away. If we could have taken her pain and bestowed it on ourselves, we would have gladly done so tenfold. We both tried to comfort her as much as we could, but it seemed she just wanted to be alone. It was painful to watch and certainly made me reconsider the whole process.

Today, she is looking healthier after some pain medicine and has managed to eat a little. Soon, she should be back to her normal, playful self, but it will be a long time before we forget the look of the saddest puppy in the world.