Sammi's "onesie"

Sammi came through her spay surgery beautifully. Dr. Gould did comment that all morning she had been protesting loudly that she had been "dognapped and really did not belong here at all". ( Translation: she drove them all crazy with her yipping.) Of course she was groggy when I picked her up, but by morning was back to her usual wild bursts of energy. I had been warned about the potential for pulling out stitches, as well as the dangers of her licking the incision too much, which might cause an infection. What to do?....I hated the plastic cone she was forced to wear around her neck the first night, even though, with her wild hair, it made her look a little like a little Pilgrim girl..... Consulting with my friend, and animal rescue pal, Carol, we decided to try a gentler, cuter approach and dress her in a little tee shirt. Always resourceful, Carol found a charming romper suit (onesie) at the Salvation Army. It is bright pink, and says "Hawaiian Princess" on the front. The length is perfect for this 10 pound little girl, and she even tolerates the bottom snaps-around her tail of course....In the extreme heat, I take it off and keep a sharp eye on her little pink tongue which can get into incredible mischief VERY FAST!

Sammi at the Salon

Who knew that having a my little Shih Tzu groomed would take four times as long as having my own "do" done? Also, I never anticipated my high level of anxiety as I put my little girl into the hands of a stranger, who was going to put her through the tortures of: shampooing, creme rinsing (strawberry), clipping, combing, arranging of tail and topknot, etc. Whew! After leaving her off, with some trepidation, I was told that they would call me on my cell phone in THREE hours. A friend and I decided to go shopping and eventually to roam around scenic Padanarum, have lunch, and enjoy the sunny, hot day. This proved to be a good idea, fun and relaxing. By one o'clock, however, I was getting a bit concerned that I hadn't heard anything from what I had pre-determined had to have been systematic torture. Imagine my surprise when I got there to find that I could watch my baby in the "final" stages of the procedure through a one-way glass. (Needless to say, they don't want moms waving or smiling at their charges, who would surely loose their cool, and begin jumping around and barking.) On the contrary, Sammi was calm and patient as she had every hair clipped and arranged, her toenails done, and even her teeth! The "cherry on top" was a big yellow bow fastened to her topknot, which had been left long for just this purpose. Now she really looks like she should be in the Westminster Dog Show for sure. What a little doll!!!!