Emma and Mulder’s Great Adventure
What an amazing weekend we have just had. Covering hundreds of miles from the Cape and back, and then again the next day. For someone like me who gets bored driving any distance, this was quite an achievement. I left in the wee hours (3:30 AM) Friday morning. Forified with extra strong Dunkin Donuts and a lite country radio station I had never heard before, I joined the thousands of truckers plying their trade on our highways. Whoever said our country runs on our trucking system was sure correct. Made it to the Cape just before sunup. There I met Berna Welch and her magnificent animal Mulder. She informed me that he had just placed first in the Eastern National Dog Show last month. So his reputation and value continue to grow. I also met his mom, a gracious thirteen year old lady with a face as white as artic ice. Berna and her husband Peter are caretakers of fifteen goldens at the moment and I was a little in awe, knowing how much work our four are.
So Berna entrusted Mulder to my care and I started back to Connecticut to meet Barb with our Emma at the Suffield Veterinary Hospital. I promised Berna I would not leave Mulder alone for one moment and we made the trip nonstop with no mishaps. Upon arriving there I was privileged to walk Mulder around the enclosed area to stretch his legs. Never having been to many dog shows, and certainly never having seen such a valuable animal up close, I felt like one of those celebrity groupies. His sweet personality is only matched by his amazing lion sized presence and looks.
We met Dr. Anne Huntington, the veteran and very friendly infertility expert, and then we all went into a small room where the specimen was obtained. Emma was there for Mulder to smell and it was quick and painless for all. A microscopic exam was done and Dr. Huntington reported Mulder’s count to be ONE BILLION critters per drop of semen. That is a number that humans can’t hope to match! She then took Emma to the surgery suite where an anesthetic was administered. A small incision was made in her abdomen and then her pelvic organs were explored with a scope. A few small cysts were found and removed and then Mulder’s semen was injected into her uterine horns. Emma recovered nicely and then we brought her home to rest. Mulder stayed overnight at the hospital since we have Solo here in heat also.
Saturday morning we went back to the hospital and the vet on call for the weekend, Dr. Powell, obtained another sample from Mulder. She then placed a scope in her vagina and tried to place a catheter into Emma’s cervix. However Emma had a stenotic opening and it couldn’t be done. So instead she left Mulder’s sample on the doorstep of her cervix. This was done via video monitor so we could watch. Amazingly, the equipment she uses is very similar to what I use every week in my practice to correct human female issues.
Then we dropped Emma at home and traveled back to the Cape in the middle of that blustery rainstorm. Berna told me I shouldn’t put Mulder’s photos that I took, on the web until it’s proven Emma is pregnant. Bad luck she said and she’s superstitious. So I will settle for showing Emma at the hospital. On her end there is no luck involved whether she conceives this time, only pure science and the miracle of technology.
On the way home we stopped in Worcester, MA. to pick up Barb’s sister’s golden, Bailey. One of Abby’s offspring, we will be watching him for the next two weeks while Lynne is away. Bailey is a loving gentle soul with very light feathers. Arriving home in the late hours of Saturday evening, everyone found their sleeping spots.
This morning came early again. Dogs don’t do Daylight Savings time. While outside doing their morning duties, Emma kept going up to Bailey and sniffing his tail end, then looking at me. Bailey is neutered so I wasn’t concerned about the end of Emma’s heat.
When Emma did this about three or four times and each time then looked over at me, I finally got it. She was saying in effect… What happened to my FABIO?
So another day starts here in dogville. Emma is scheduled for an ultrasound in four weeks, and then we will know the results of this weekend’s labors. I learned quite a bit about canine female anatomy, and we met a lot of very special dog people.
Mike.