The one in which Panda gets spayed

Momma has a strict rule at our house: "No babies." So last week, she told me it was time to "fix me," so I did not have babies. I did not think I needed to be fixed. I thought I was perfect, just the way I was. But after all, I am the baby of this house, and I do not want any other babies to come along and be more specialer than me, so I agreed to this "fixing" thing.
First, they put me in a cage at The Work. I am not usually in these metal cages. I usually have my own room at The Work, with my toys and bowls and things. This cage is different. I thought maybe I should worry, but somehow, I was so tired, I could not keep my eyes open, let alone worry about anything.
"Katie, I feel really funny. Please hold me close - this room is spinning."
They put a little stick in my arm and then I went from a little bit sleepy to all the way asleep, and after that, I do not remember much, but Momma and Katie took lots of pictures, and this is what they said was next.
They opened up my mouth. I have a really big mouth, and I am proud of it. Look how big my mouth is!
They put this tube in my mouth and all the way into my breathing tube. I did not feel the tube, and I do not remember it, but Momma says it is real, real important to have this tube in when you are asleep, especially if you have a smooshie face like me.
I do not think this is a very nice picture of me, and I do not like it that Momma put it in the blog.They scrubbed my tummy, to make it all clean. I have a bath every week, and I wash my hands and face every day myself, so I did not think I was very dirty, but they told me I had to be extra-special clean for the fixing.

They took me into the room with the bright lights and the table that moves up and down. I see this room every day, and I know that they take sleepy dogs and cats in here all the time and they are all OK, so I knew I would be, too.

They put me on my back on the special table, and underneath me was a blanket with warm water running through it that helped keep me warm. This is very important when you are very little, because being cold makes it harder to wake up later.
They put a thing around my ankle to give me Blood Pressure and tied my arms down so I would not roll around. Then Momma put on some really ugly clothes and covered me all up with a blue thing. You cannot even see me, but I am there, under the blue thing. Kate is checking to make sure I am still there.
Please do not laugh at Momma in her ugly clothes that do not match. She does not have any "fashion sense."OK, now we are all ready to go.
The next pictures might make some of you feel icky, but I think it is pretty neat to see what my insides look like. If some of you have girl dogs, you might like to see my insides, too, so you know what happened to your dogs during the fixing. It is OK - you can look.

Besides, I really like Momma's hands. Her hands are the best part of her. She can do lots of special things with her hands, like the fixing, so you should watch. (I will let Momma 'splain what she is doing.)

first incision, through the skin

second incision, abdominal wall

using a spay hook to find the uterus

exteriorizing uterus

tugging on uterus to exteriorize ovary

pointing out ovary

triple clamp technique

cut between clamps

ligating ovarian pedicle

double ligatures for safety

both ovaries ligated

pointing out cervix

ligating uterine body

complete ovariohysterectomy
(removal of ovaries and uterus)

closing abdominal layer

closing skin layer

surgery finished

Kate thought she would be funny with me while I was asleep. Momma says she hopes the doctors and nurses who do the fixing to people do not make fun of them when they are asleep.

The black clip on my tongue is to see that I have enough oxygen in my blood. It does not pinch or hurt. I am not sure what oxygen is, but I am glad that I had enough.

This picture is when I was starting to wake up, but I could not swallow yet. Momma says it is important to leave the breathing tube in smooshie faced dogs until they are able to swallow, so that they do not choke. I think I remember this part, but maybe I just dreamed it.
It is good to have a friend with you when you wake up from the fixing. I am glad that Momma thought to bring my pink pig that day, and that they gave it to me. It made waking up nicer.
But, it is even better to be held and carried around when you are so sleepy, like Amanda did for me. It felt so good, I went back to sleep on her shoulder.
And so, now I am home and everything is all right, really. Momma gives me a little pill in my dinner every night, which is supposed to help with the belly pain, even though I do not have any belly pain. I tell her I am a big dog, and strong and brave, but she just smiles and gives me the belly pain pill anyway.
The only bad part is Momma says "Cage rest and leash walk only" for at least a week, and I want to run and jump on things and play with Holly and torture the cats and she says "No." Do you know how long a week is? Because I do not and I think it must be a really long time.