The Happiest Dog I Have Ever Known

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Romi was not able to go home last weekend because of a reaction to her spay.  On Friday, four days post surgery, she developed a tennis ball-sized bump around the sutured area.  Spay hernias are common, but the size of this one warranted a trip to the Vet.  He determined that she was having an allergic reaction to something from the surgery, which is highly unusual.  Treatment involved draining the area and keeping an eye on it.  For the last week, every other day, we have been dropping Romi off at the Vet in the morning for observation and picking her up in the evening.  At home, she has been on restricted activity (what I call doggie bed rest).   

This means that while all of the other dogs got to go outside to run around and play, poor Romi has been stuck inside with me.  Initially, the idea of keeping the high-energy Romi calm, conjured up images of cowboys trying to hold onto bucking broncos in the tiny holding pen right before they are released into the ring.  I was extremely nervous about how we would all cope.  Last night, however, she got the all-clear from the Vet and I realized that not only had we survived the five days of bed rest, but that I had really enjoyed spending so much quality time with her.   

 

Instead of the bucking bronco I had imagined, Romi was wonderful.  With just her in the house, her bubbly personality seemed far less overwhelming and instead, extremely enduring.  Rather than struggling against the other dogs for my attention, she soaked up the constant one-on-one affection and so did I.  Romi is afraid of nothing and constantly wants to explore, eager to be involved in everything I am doing.  Her tail never stops wagging for a second.  She is eager to fly into my arms for a big hug and covers me with slobbery kisses.  Her eyes glimmer with a hint of mischief – the light in them so bright that her dark black, wrinkly face almost glows with joy. 
 
Romi is also very entertaining.  She has never eaten human food (other than a little cheese for training, which she devours).  Last night, I couldn’t resist the urge to give her a tiny bite of bread from my sandwich.  It took her several seconds of sniffing to decide that the bread was for eating.  Then, she picked it up in her giant mouth, smacked it around a few times and spit it back out.  A few seconds later, she picked it up again, rolled it around in her mouth and spit it back out.  She did this over and over until the bite was so tiny that I doubt she could taste it going down.  I have no idea what she was doing or why, but I sure got a kick out of it.  Romi approaches everything in life this way, willing to try anything and then enjoying every last bit of it. 

 

Romi will continue to be kept calm for the next few days as her healing continues.  If all goes well, the happiest dog I have ever met will be going to her new home soon.