Hi there! My name’s Clover, and I’m a 6 month old labradoodle. I’m a little shy, and I sometimes get nervous meeting new people, but I’m still young, and learning the ways of the world! I’m growing up fast though, and a few days ago my dad said it was time for me to be spayed. I didn’t know what that meant, but my dad explained it to me very well, and I think it’s a good idea. It means that I can’t have puppies now and that’s a good thing because my dad and I live in a very small house. There’s no room for puppies! Besides, if anyone wants a puppy, they just have to go to one of the rescues nearby. My friend from the dog park came from a rescue, and he’s a great guy! It’s also better for my health to be spayed; now my dad says he doesn’t have to worry as much about me getting some types of cancer or an infection in my uterus (that’s called a pyometra – doesn’t sound like fun to me!). I can say, since I had the surgery, I sure feel calmer. I don’t need to worry about finding a boyfriend; I can just run around and frolic with everyone at the park!
Since he loves me so much, I know he wants what’s best for me. He also wants me to have the best care, so he was very picky about which clinic he wanted to take me to. He heard from his friend at work about a place called Edmonton West Animal Hospital. He likes it there because the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced, and they have flexible hours.” I like it there because my doctor gives me treats and lots of head scratches. He’s the best vet ever. I’m sometimes unsure with new people, but my vet gives me space and lets me take my time to get to know him. My dad said there are lots of vet clinics out there to choose from, and he felt confident that he was leaving me in good hands at Edmonton West.
On the morning of my surgery, my dad forgot to feed me. Sometimes he does this, but I always remind him by sitting by my empty food dish and gazing at him with my sad puppy dog eyes. I tried to remind him before we left the house, but he pretended not to notice this time. Apparently I have lost my powers of persuasion. When we got there, the nice lady at reception asked me to stand on the scale to see how much I weigh. I guess I’m still growing because my dad was surprised how big I’ve gotten! After that, me and my dad went to an exam room where a nurse came in and went over all the papers with my dad. She explained that there were some optional items he could add to the surgery (it seemed like he was ordering off a menu!), and he decided to get me microchipped. I sure love to run, and two weeks ago I ran right out of the yard! There’s a mischievous squirrel that lives in the spruce tree in the backyard, and I was so close to catching it, but it ran out of the yard and down the street. I almost had it when my dad called me to come back home. He said he’d be very sad if I ever got lost, so this way, with my brand new microchip, if I ever run away from home, he’ll be able to get me back! After he signed all the paperwork, he went back up front to the nice reception lady (I’m pretty sure she’s the one that has the secret stash of treats…), and I got to go to the back with the nurse. She introduced me to all her friends (oddly, they were all wearing the same clothes) and then she put me in a kennel with a nice comfy blanket. The kennel was in a room with other dog kennels, but I didn’t see any cats. I think they have their own room so that we don’t stress them out. Cats are sensitive (and strange) creatures.
When my turn for surgery came, my nurse brought me out to the treatment area and checked me all over. She listened to my heart, and checked my tummy, ears and teeth. I guess I’m not as grown up as I thought I was because when she checked my mouth, she found I still had a baby tooth! I sat and waited while she called my dad right away to tell him. She told him that I should have lost it by now, and it could cause problems down the road if it stayed in. Luckily, she said they could remove it today during the spay surgery so that I didn’t have to come back later to have it taken out. I was happy she found it; I could feel it bugging me but didn’t know how to tell my dad about it.
After she sorted that out, I got to snuggle one of the nice assistants while she gave me an injection. I felt a little pinch, but luckily I’m brave, and it was a really small needle. The assistant gave great ear rubs too, so that helped a lot! I would also have preferred a treat, but for some reason, nobody would feed me that day. The room went fuzzy after that, and I don’t remember much else. When I woke up, my nurse was right by my head, and she comforted me when I got confused. I didn’t recognize my surroundings, but she gave me lots of pets, talked to me in a calming voice, and I felt instantly better. I could feel that something inside me was different, but thankfully whatever it was wasn’t painful.
I woke up again after a nap later in the afternoon when a nurse came to get me. She said my dad was here to get me, but she had to talk to him first. She wanted to make sure that my dad knew how to take care of me for the next few days, and to answer his questions. He always wants what is best for me, so he opted to take additional pain medication home with us so that I wouldn’t be uncomfortable for the next few days. She told him to keep me warm and quiet for the next little bit while I recovered, so I planned to use my big brown eyes to the best of my ability! He can’t resist. Sometimes my dad gives me extra treats, but my favourite is when he lets me sleep in his bed. I’m pretty sure my nurse would encourage this.
I wasn’t allowed to run around for a few days afterwards, but once I was all healed up, I went back to my favourite dog park. I met my friend named Hunter and told him all about my adventures at Edmonton West Animal Hospital. And guess what? He went to the same clinic! He told me that his family took him there to get neutered and he had a great experience as well. He knew the nurse I had and said that she was his favourite; she always gives him extra belly rubs when he goes to see the Edmonton West team. We spread the word to all our friends at the park: if your human is looking for a highly rated, experienced veterinarian, tell them to call or text Edmonton West Animal Hospital. The staff there will treat you like their own!
