A little less of Jackson and Lance

Friday was the big day- the pups got neutered! (All of the photos on this page are from the evening that we brought them home from the vet.) Since they were 5 months old this weekend, it was the right time to have the procedure done. Greg dropped the boys off in the morning and got updates throughout the day. Jackson went first and came through surgery just fine. Lance was second, and also got through with no problems. Lance did have to have a few teeth extracted, since his adult canines were coming in and the baby teeth underneath had not yet fallen out.
We were able to pick up the boys that afternoon, and I met Greg over at Kingsbrook Vet on my way home from work. The staff there is just great! They met with us to discuss the procedures and after-care instructions. They also took a photo of the pups right after surgery, sitting in a cage together, and gave it to us. They went on and on about how good the boys were the whole day (thank goodness!) and about how well everything went.
We were instructed to give them pain medicine for the next few days and to apply some topical powder to select areas on their bellies where the skin may have dried out from getting shaved down there. After all of the discussion, the boys were brought out to us. They seemed okay- a little wobbly, but in good spirits. The vet tech, Nora (who we love!) gave them one last dose of pain medication before we left, because the last dose was starting to wear off. She explained that it would take about 15 minutes to kick in, but by the time we got home, they might need to be carried out of the car.
And it defintiely did kick in big time- especially for Jackson! Lance was able to get out of the car okay, but Jackson was completely out of it. He just laid in the crate and did not want to be moved. His eyes were half-open and he didn't seem to have any idea where he was. I tried to pick him up and he growled (which he has never done). Greg was eventually able to get him out (using a few treats and some creativity) and brought him upstairs.
Lance was waiting in the kitchen and just acted like he had no idea what to do- just kind of looked confused. Jackson came in and collapsed on his bed, which we pulled out of his crate and put on the floor. He could barely even make it all the way onto the bed! But, he was out- completely. Lance was very needy- whining a lot, didn't want to be left alone. He would walk a few steps and then just plop down.
They hadn't eaten all day and we were instructed to give them 1/2 of their regular food for dinner. We fed them a little later, and sure enough- they perked up a little bit when they saw/smelled their food. They were pretty laid back the rest of the night- Greg and I spend a lot of time cuddling and petting them, because they really needed it.
By the time we woke up the next morning, the boys were 100% back to their regular selves. This is both good and bad, though! It's great that they were in very happy spirits, but one of the toughest things to do while they recover is to keep them from jumping and playing too rough. The boys do both of those things all the time, so it has presented a little bit of a challenge.
I was worried about the pups licking their stitches and having to wear the Elizabethan collars, but luckily, they have not been licking at all. Although, it would be kind of funny to see them running around with those collars on. So, we're supposed to keep them from running, jumping, hiking (!!), or getting a bath for the next 2 weeks. I can't wait for these 2 weeks to be over- this recovery stuff is really hard!