Our older dog, Taffy, is going in for oral surgery today. She has at least one rotted tooth – maybe two – that needs to come out, plus she's getting a thorough cleaning while she's under.The vet thinks this infection in her mouth may be the reason behind her unusual inactivity and general lethargia, which is so not Jack Russell behavior. We're all hoping this will give her back a more active, goofy personality we haven't seen from her in a very long time.

We'll all be on pins and needles today, worried about our sweet little girl. Logic tells me she'll be fine, but there's always some risk when you put an animal under for surgery. Knowing how her mouth will hurt makes me feel queasy and ill. I can't stand being around a living creature in pain. Because I get sick even thinking about surgery, I don't think I'll ever be a doctor. There goes another career option. I think I could have just made it through grad school and my internship before hitting retirement age, too. Damn.

After their spaying surgery, seeing their stitches made me feel like throwing up, but it never seemed to faze them in the slightest. The vet sent us home with pain pills, and instructions to keep them inactive,  not allowing them to jump for a few days. Yeah, okay. Keep a Jack Russell from jumping. That could happen.

The minute they were home they were all over the place. Driving from the vet to home – lying in their cages – was the extent of their "rest." They certainly didn't act like creatures in pain.

This is the logic I'm using to keep myself from getting too upset about Taffy's surgery and recovery. More invasive surgery didn't seem to bother her, so why should oral surgery?

Logic and reason. Reason and logic. It goes right out the window when it's your beloved pet. But I know she'll be okay… Sigh.