Well, this monring things are good and bad. She is eating, drinking, weeing and pooping just fine. She is wagging her tail and acting normal. We have to clean the wound 3-4 times a day and she hates that of course. She has quite a bit of pinkish fluid that somes from the site, but we are told that will continue for a couple of days. I don't see any pus or any discolored fluid. The bad part is that she is in agony trying to get at the stitches. She does contorsions trying to get at them and then starts chasing her tail in frustration, which of course is not good for her. She was able to pop off her collar this morning which worried me, but for three minutes (I allowed it sueprvised) she layed on her back and wigged and pawed at her face (it must itch) and rubbed her back all over the carpet and fliiped from one side to the other in pure ecstacy. It must have felt wonderful. But then I had to put it back on. 
She sighed and groaned in frustration. I was really nervous when she started rubbing at her face and was frantically itching thinking it might be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that we had just given her at breakfast, but I made the vet give her a dose of the antibiotics yesterday about 2 hours before we picked her up so that she would be under supervision if she had a reaction and she didn't. She wouldn't be having one now would she? It's probably relief to have had the collar off? When a dog has an allergic reaction--doesn't more things happen than itching? Swelling or welts or something? Do you think I should worry? She seems fine now. She finally gave up and is sleeping.
So, the good news is that she seems to be feeling fine, which is also the bad news, lol, because she feels that she doesn't need to be watched like a hawk, so go potty sueprvised and doesn't understand why she can't play with us and why she can't jump up on the couch and why everyone is so interested in her belly! She is itchy and frustrated. I think she is tired of being a good dog.
She sighed and groaned in frustration. I was really nervous when she started rubbing at her face and was frantically itching thinking it might be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that we had just given her at breakfast, but I made the vet give her a dose of the antibiotics yesterday about 2 hours before we picked her up so that she would be under supervision if she had a reaction and she didn't. She wouldn't be having one now would she? It's probably relief to have had the collar off? When a dog has an allergic reaction--doesn't more things happen than itching? Swelling or welts or something? Do you think I should worry? She seems fine now. She finally gave up and is sleeping.So, the good news is that she seems to be feeling fine, which is also the bad news, lol, because she feels that she doesn't need to be watched like a hawk, so go potty sueprvised and doesn't understand why she can't play with us and why she can't jump up on the couch and why everyone is so interested in her belly! She is itchy and frustrated. I think she is tired of being a good dog.
Her staples look great! She is doing so well that she is trying to jump at the fence line when we take her out to wee and poo because a perceived threat is on the other side (a big harmless lab that never barks at her). She also is going nuts trying to scratch herself. I am going to call my vet today (he's on call this weekend and asked us to call with any questions at all) and ask him what he recommends for the itching. We go to a large vet clinic that has several vets and our beloved regular vet is deployed right now in South America and is not due back until September. This is the first time we have used this vet we are using now and we like him very much. DH and I are 52 and this "kid" is probably in his very early 30's. We like him because he is low-key, and a dry sense of humor and is straight-talk guy who seems to know what he's doing. The clinic has every whistle and bell high-tech equipment you can think of, so if she ever needs big-deal stuff to help her, they have it. Ellie is not afraid of him, nor does she avoid him, which is the biggest deal of all to us. We had to see one of the female vets there when she had her vaccinations and Ellie did not like her for some reason. Maybe because seemed unsure and nervous and talked to her like a baby in a high-pitched voice (just adds to her excited and nervous state becasue she is already worried about being there). This new vet talks to her, but in a normal, calm voice and pets her when he is just having a conversation with us. All in all, we will have to see what we do when our regular vet (who works at the same place) comes back from deployment. We will have to decide who we're going to "cheat" on, lol! 