# Tomorrow is almost here



## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

It's almost time for Pipper's dental tomorrow and I'm getting myself so stressed out. We have to have him to the vet by 8:05. I really hope they do him right away. I specified I wanted him done first thing in the morning. I asked them how long he would be there and then my mind drew a blank when they answered me so maybe you guys can give me an idea what to expect on the length of time he will be gone. I even talked hubby to go into work late tomorrow so I don't have to sit here and wait by myself. I sure wish this was later tomorrow and it would be all over with. :crying:


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Kathy - they will probably want to keep him a couple of hours after he wakes up just so they are sure that he's OK. If you take him at 8:00 and they do him first, I would expect you would hear that he's awake by around 10:00 and you could probably pick him up around 12:00-1:00. If they have to pull teeth, it may take a little longer.

I know you're stressing. I always feel I need a Xanax or something before mine go under. It's easy for all of us to say it will be alright, but until you get that call that he's awake, you'll be a mess. 

Sending prayers that all goes well.

BTW - I would recommend having soft food available for him once he gets home. His mouth might be little tender for a day or two.

Hugs and prayers coming your way. :grouphug::grouphug:rayer:rayer:


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Whenever my girls have had a dental, the vet wants to keep them several hours past when they fully wake up to watch for any adverse reactions. It's frustrating because I want them home, but I also understand the abundance of caution. I usually drop off at 8:00 am and then pick up after 4:00 pm. 

They also call me several times during the day to give me an update.


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## Madison's Mom (Dec 26, 2007)

I usually drop mine off at 8:00 and can pick them up at 3:00. They always call me as soon as they are finished so I'll know it all went well.

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Oh dear it sounds like he will be there for sooooooo long. Poor little guy he might think I'm not coming back for him and he will be so scared. :crying 2: I didn't think he would be there for that long. I think I will take one of his blankets for him to lay on.
Lynn, he's strictly on soft food anyways since he had bladder stones a few years ago so at least that's one thing I don't have to worry about.
I sure hope there is no extractions but he the fact that he's strictly on a canned food diet is probably NOT in his favour.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

pippersmom said:


> Oh dear it sounds like he will be there for sooooooo long. Poor little guy he might think I'm not coming back for him and he will be so scared. :crying 2: I didn't think he would be there for that long. I think I will take one of his blankets for him to lay on.
> Lynn, he's strictly on soft food anyways since he had bladder stones a few years ago so at least that's one thing I don't have to worry about.
> I sure hope there is no extractions but he the fact that he's strictly on a canned food diet is probably NOT in his favour.


Kathy, the first thing I encourage you to do is share with your vet how stressed your are feeling. A good vet will understand and make sure you are updated. In fact, you should be able to call anytime and ask how Pipper is doing. Snowball's vet used to call me right before the dental and once during the dental, just to let me know the results of tooth x-rays and also to give me a better estimate to about how long it would take to complete the dental. I never asked Dr. Stricklnd to call me ... he just did on his own. 

Although Pipper will be there for a while after the dental ... Pipper will be feeling very relaxed and want to sleep. They will want to keep him there for a while so they can monitor him and make sure his body temperature stabilizes after having had anesthesia. When Pipper is ready to go home, your vet should be giving you written/detailed instructions for meds, foods, etc. Snowball's vet always called in the evening to see how he was doing ... yours probably might, too. 

Snowball will be eleven years old next month ... so, his dental history might be totally different than Pipper's. Until Snowball was almost nine years old ... he never needed to have any tooth extractions. With that, he was never under anesthesia for more than an hour. However, that changed when he had to have teeth extracted ... thus, he was under anesthesia for a longer timeframe. 

I still want to share Snowball's story on another thread ( I don't want to hijack your thread) I will try and get it posted today.

I totally understand how nervous you are ... we all go through this. Maybe you can try and keep busy doing something tonight to help distract you just a little bit? And, of course, post here anytime. 

Tomorrow afternoon sometime ... Pipper will be back home with you. I am thinking about you and sweet Pipper.

Hugs for both you and Pipper.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Snowball Pie's Mommi said:


> Kathy, the first thing I encourage you to do is share with your vet how stressed your are feeling. A good vet will understand and make sure you are updated. In fact, you should be able to call anytime and ask how Pipper is doing. Snowball's vet used to call me right before the dental and once during the dental, just to let me know the results of tooth x-rays and also to give me a better estimate to about how long it would take to complete the dental. I never asked Dr. Stricklnd to call me ... he just did on his own.
> 
> Although Pipper will be there for a while after the dental ... Pipper will be feeling very relaxed and want to sleep. They will want to keep him there for a while so they can monitor him and make sure his body temperature stabilizes after having had anesthesia. When Pipper is ready to go home, your vet should be giving you written/detailed instructions for meds, foods, etc. Snowball's vet always called in the evening to see how he was doing ... yours probably might, too.
> 
> ...


Oh they already know how much I worry but I will remind them tomorrow :blush:. They also said they will call me once he's asleep to let me know if anything needs to be done besides the cleaning. I just feel so bad for him because I know he's going to be scared. This little guy means the world to me! People have even commented on how my face lights up when I talk about him. Guess who probably won't sleep very good tonight.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I normally take clean blankie or soft bed for mine to lay in. Also because you can't feed them in the morning, my Vet tells me to bring a little of their food to eat after they are awake. The last 2 times, the girls did eat some of their food at the Vets, which I didn't think would happen. 

I'm sure Pipper with be frightened when you leave him, but, once they give him the anethesia, he will relax.

As Marie said, I usually talk to my vet's office a couple of times before I pick them up. Sometimes when it's been longer than I thought it would be, I've called them, and the delay was due to an emergency that came into the clinic which delayed the dental and nothing to do with my fluff, but it does scare me if it gets too late and I haven't heard anything.

Before this year, I have always been at work during the dentals. Drop them off around 8:00 and pick them up around 4:00. Even though my fluff is their at 8:00, my Vet doesn't usually start her surgeries (including dentals) until about 10:00. Also she usually only schedules one dental per day.

Don't forget to ask your Vet their time estimates so that you don't panic. Any don't hesitate to call them - they're used to us Maltese Moms. LOL


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Good luck little man.


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

My vet usually keeps them til 4:00 to make sure they come out of anesthesia OK. But he has started masking them with no anesthesia and this year they were awake and alert and free to go home in just a short time.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Just curious how much you guys pay for dentals. Here where I live its $480 plus tax for the cleaning, anesthesia and bloodwork. Then if any extractions are needed it's so much per tooth per so many minutes allowed for each tooth but not sure on this amount because my mind drew another blank when the vet was talking. Sounds kind of expensive to me. Unfortunately my pet insurance doesn't cover dentals


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

Checking in on Pipper. I think I pay around $275 here.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Kathy I totally get it, our babies are joy in our lives, they help us to get up in the mornings. Pure love 
I drop the girls off together they keep them in the same cage, but that look, you bevel like you are the worse mom in the world. 
We drop the girls off at 8:30 and pick them up around 2ish.

Be prepared not to sleep much, but the worse is going back home to a very quiet very empty house. We hate it and try and do errands to keep our minds off of it. But that's a joke all we do is talk about them.

The girls had their teeth cleaned about 2 months ago, we paid $165.00 for each girl.

I'll be praying for you and little Pipper tonight and again in the morning. I'll be watching for a update. Hugs to you:wub:


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Kathy - thinking of you and Pipper tomorrow. When I took Tyler in last for his dental, I took him in at 9am and picked him up at 1pm. They knew I'm a wreck and made sure to do it early. The vet called me to tell me when it was over and then added another hour I think for him to come around fully from the anesthesia. Make sure that your vet is using the water flow heaters on him not electric heating pads -- that's what burnt Tammy's Benny. I'm sure he'll do fine and don't freak if he doesn't poop for a few days. From not eating before procedure or maybe not even anything that day it takes a few days for their systems to work. Keep us posted and try to distract yourself with something you need to do that you might not have the time to do normally. It will help time pass.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

That's about what I have paid Kathy. I've paid a lot for dentals because Jodi had 6 extractions the first time and 4 the next. Plus the base amount is at least 300.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

:tender:Kathy, thinking of you and Pipper this morning.:tender:


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Thanks everyone. I'm kind of a nervous wreck this morning. It is now 7:05 here and I drop him off in just 1 hour now. Can't wait to have it over with and him snuggled on the couch beside me.


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

Thinking of you today, and hoping that the time will fly by for you.


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

Thinking of you and Pipper. Had my days mixed up and thought it was yesterday.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

It is just after 3:00 here & please know you & Pipper are on my heart. Check in when you can & hopefully all is well.:wub::wub:


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Good luck sweetie...Awntie will be sending some good vibes and get better soon prayers to ya!
Kathy...around here I was quoted 900.00 per dog for dental cleanings. Thankfully, my girls don't need it yet 👍🏻


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

It is almost nine-thirty in the morning here. So, hopefully, Pipper's dental is done and he is just recuperating from the procedure and anesthesia. I will be looking for an update, Kathy.

I will be so happy to hear when Pipper is back home and cuddling with you.


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## Pooh's mommy (Aug 31, 2014)

Waiting on update....meanwhile 
LOTS of Prayers and Big Hugs!!!


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Vet just called and he needs 11 teeth pulled. I'm shocked and feel horrible. I brush his teeth every day. She said some are actually loose. I feel like a horrible Mom.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

pippersmom said:


> Vet just called and he needs 11 teeth pulled. I'm shocked and feel horrible. I brush his teeth every day. She said some are actually loose. I feel like a horrible Mom.


Poor little one  Kathy...do you use the toothpaste from the dentist?


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

maddysmom said:


> Poor little one  Kathy...do you use the toothpaste from the dentist?


I use stuff from the pet store. Maybe I should ask the vet about special stuff. I just feel terrible. I thought his teeth looked good. There was only 2 that I could see that had a bit of tartar on them. I just feel awful. My poor boy!


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

pippersmom said:


> I use stuff from the pet store. Maybe I should ask the vet about special stuff. I just feel terrible. I thought his teeth looked good. There was only 2 that I could see that had a bit of tartar on them. I just feel awful. My poor boy!


Don't feel bad...it happens. I did notice a huge difference for the better when I switched to the enzyme toothpaste from the vet vs. the pet store. It was $8-10 more for a tube but well worth it IMHO.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

maddysmom said:


> Don't feel bad...it happens. I did notice a huge difference for the better when I switched to the enzyme toothpaste from the vet vs. the pet store. It was $8-10 more for a tube but well worth it IMHO.


Ya a little more is well worth it for the almost $1,000 it's going to cost me today. :mellow: I just hope his little mouth isn't too sore afterwards.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

And the thing is, his teeth LOOKED really good other than a few small spots of tartar. Last year I asked about a dental and they didn't recommend it because his teeth were so clean. If I wouldn't have gotten this dental done today then we wouldn't have known he had teeth that needed to be removed. I am so worried that what if they have been hurting him and I didn't know. I literally feel sick to my stomach.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

pippersmom said:


> Vet just called and he needs 11 teeth pulled. I'm shocked and feel horrible. I brush his teeth every day. She said some are actually loose. I feel like a horrible Mom.


Kathy, I know how you feel ... but, please know you are not alone ... and, it is NOT your fault. In October, Snowball went through the same thing. Snowball had white teeth, too. His teeth (actually, the problem was bone loss that loosened teeth) were never a problem until around the time he turned nine years old. And, I brushed his teeth twice a day after he started having bone loss.

I wrote something for a thread I am ready to post about Snowball's dental and surgery. However, when I went to post pictures of Snowball and the dentist who did the surgery ... my SM picture file says I don't have enough space left ... although I spent half the night removing pictures! UGH! Anyway, I will post the story tonight or tomorrow, for sure. Hope when I do that you will feel a little better. 

Hugs to you and Pipper. He will be fine, Kathy. And, Pipper will still have lots of teeth left when he comes home today.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

pippersmom said:


> And the thing is, his teeth LOOKED really good other than a few small spots of tartar. Last year I asked about a dental and they didn't recommend it because his teeth were so clean. If I wouldn't have gotten this dental done today then we wouldn't have known he had teeth that needed to be removed. I am so worried that what if they have been hurting him and I didn't know. I literally feel sick to my stomach.


The same exact thing with Snowball. It wasn't recommended to have a dental because his teeth looked so good ... white and with hardly any plaque. More when I can get my thread posted.

Kathy, Pipper will be fine now. And you are a wonderful Mommy to him. :tender:


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

pippersmom said:


> And the thing is, his teeth LOOKED really good other than a few small spots of tartar. Last year I asked about a dental and they didn't recommend it because his teeth were so clean. If I wouldn't have gotten this dental done today then we wouldn't have known he had teeth that needed to be removed. I am so worried that what if they have been hurting him and I didn't know. I literally feel sick to my stomach.


I haven't posted the cost of Snowball's dental and surgery yet. I need to look at the bill again. And, Snowball's situation was different ... because he required his cardiologist there, too. But, I can say that your bill for Pipper sounds reasonable. Again, Snowball's was more (more around two thousand) because of all the additional lab work and x-rays needed for his heart condition.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

pippersmom said:


> Vet just called and he needs 11 teeth pulled. I'm shocked and feel horrible. I brush his teeth every day. She said some are actually loose. I feel like a horrible Mom.


Kathy -- do not blame yourself. I brushed Tyler's teeth every day the first year I had him and the vet said, his teeth look bad and showed me all the way in back. He's had a dental every year. More than the care we give them it's really a case of genetics and very small mouths. I've seen so many dogs needing so many pulled. A recent rescue needed I think 23. I didn't think they had 23 in those little mouths but he still had teeth left. But the bad ones were gone. I started using the Emmi-Pet that Alexandra recommended a couple of years ago a couple of times a week. He still gets his dentals but thankfully no extractions. In fact I use the Emmi Dent brush head and toothpaste on my teeth and my dentist sees a difference. 
Pipper should be fine. Soft food at first and will feel punk a few days but will be fine and probably feel better with those teeth out. I'm sorry. Let us know when he's out of the procedure.
Oh and cost...it's a fortune here in NYC and NJ. One of our fosters was $1700, Tyler's have ranged from $450-$640. Many range from $900-$2000. Crazy expensive but I guess it's the anesthesia more than anything that ups it.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

I use the tiniest brush from my electric toothbrush...or even a kitty toothbrush would work for the way back on my girls. The dog toothbrushes are much too big for their tiny little mouths.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

I'm still waiting for them to call me. they were supposed to call as soon as he woke up. I won't be waiting much longer....I will be calling them. I still feel sick to my stomach. I keep wondering "what if his teeth have been hurting and I didn't know".. By the way, the vet said that they have over 40 teeth in their mouth.:w00t:


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

so I just called them and they are still working on getting out the last tooth. OMG they've been working on him for over 2 hours! The vet tech assured me that we got to the teeth in time that he wouldn't have been in any pain YET. I wonder if she just said that for my benefit though. She said the same thing as I thought....there was very little plaque and tartar. My question is...if that is the case, then why did he need so many pulled. Gosh I hate to think of the pain he's going to be in. This is just breaking my heart.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Hopefully soon.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

pippersmom said:


> so I just called them and they are still working on getting out the last tooth. OMG they've been working on him for over 2 hours! The vet tech assured me that we got to the teeth in time that he wouldn't have been in any pain YET. I wonder if she just said that for my benefit though. She said the same thing as I thought....there was very little plaque and tartar. My question is...if that is the case, then why did he need so many pulled. Gosh I hate to think of the pain he's going to be in. This is just breaking my heart.


Honestly...I don't get it. My vet always checks my girls teeth and both Suki and Lacie had X-rays on their mouth when being put under for their scopes. Lacies most recent was when she had her transplant. If Pippers gums were not inflamed, no tarter, no bleeding...why are they pulling all his teeth. 
That being said...I have had 4 teeth implants and only 2 of them caused me problems. The other two never hurt, no cavities but they got a tad loose one day. So it was up above that the damage was done. Maybe that's what happened with Pipper.
Kathy...I would ask them how are you to know if a dental is needed in the future, with the exception of doing an X-ray, what signs are you to look for.
I'm sure their is a whole bunch of us that would want to know.
Unless something has changed in the last 40 years of owning dogs, I am clearly missing something on the signs of dental disease.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

He's done!!!!!!!!!! I asked what caused this and she said it happens a lot to small breeds with a lot of hair around their mouths. The problem was under the gum line. Bacteria gets trapped under there and no amount of brushing helps. The last tooth took a long time to get the root out. The rest came out easily. Now I'm second guessing them in my mind. I hope they didn't do anything that wasn't necessary. How can I be sure they only did what was necessary. I think I have trust issues.:blush:
They will call me in a couple of hours to let me know when to come and get him.

Have to add that from what I understand they use the same kind of probe that the dentist uses to check for bone loss and stuff like that. They check every tooth.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Wow---now I am more concerned that I need to redo Kitzi's dental---but won't dare do it anytime soon. I wonder if that vet did anything to know if K needed teeth removed. He sure did not remove much of his tartar. So, I guess it is good your vet found stuff that needed to be found in order to prevent dental pain in the future. I sure hope your little guy recovers quickly---and that you do too! This is hard on us!


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

I can pick him up at 3:30..........it's now 2:35 so 55 minutes to go!!!!!!!!! :chili:
I don't feel like I'm going to throw up any more. I was fighting that all morning. :blush:


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

Oh Kathy, I'm sorry to hear this. Poor little guy. 
I went through this with Daisy and Max recently. Daisy had 13 teeth pulled and Max had 11. I was totally shocked. Both of them didn't have any tartar or redness, but once they did the x-rays, they discovered that they had abscessed teeth. It is so frustrating because I brush their teeth every day. The vet told me that it is because their mouths are just so small and their teeth are so crowded. He said that the only way to tell if there is something going on above the gum line is to do the x-ray, and it has to be done under anesthesia. 
They both did fine once they were home, just looked a little pathetic and tired, but were absolutely fine by the next day. They didn't seem to be in any pain - just groggy from the anesthesia. I am sure Pipper will be fine, and maybe even feel better without those teeth.
I was second guessing having that many teeth pulled too, even though we went to a vet dental specialist, because it seemed so extreme. My regular vet took a look at the xrays for us, and said the teeth really did have to come out, otherwise the jaw bone can get infected. So it seems that it is good to catch problems early.
Sending good thoughts for Pipper's speedy recovery. Maybe the vet can give you some pain medicine to bring home with you, just in case you need it later.


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

Poor baby. Yes, the problem is plaque under the gum. Sissy had a dental 2015 so I thought she wouldn't need one last year til I saw how much plaque was on her molars. They had to remove the molars. Riley lost one tooth that was being crowded out and another one that was broken. I know you're relieved that it's over and he'll be home soon.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I just got home from taking Ray for his follow-up after dental. I'm glad to hear that Pipper will be home soon. Ray also had several loose teeth that had to be extracted. Ray sends big hugs to Pipper and says, "It's okay, little buddy, you will feel great in a couple of days."


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