Hi Starlette,
I so totally understand your nerves. I've gone thru this with 3 dogs in my life and each time, I was a nervous wreck - even when knowing all I'm about to say to you
1. I brought Mandie home in her normal carrier. My vet is just 3 blocks down the road and Mandie was lying down the whole car ride home so it wasn't too big of a deal what she was in. My answer to you is - whatever she is most comfortable in on a normal car ride..go with that.
2. Dogs and all animals really instinctively "lick their wounds." As Jeanie said, some don't do it incessantly and some do. My boy has to be told on a normal day to "stop licking" because he will just go on and on and on. Mandie will lick and I say "enough" and she'll stop. You need to know how Julie is - a licker or no? My vet actually is "anti-cone" and so am I (if anything else will work). I just put a tshirt on Mandie. Some buy baby onsies and modify them.
3. My extra tips from my own experience: Have chicken broth, pedialyte, a medicine dropper/syringe, and mineral oil on hand. The first day or 2, Julie may not want to eat or drink. You can make sure she drinks by hand feeding her pedialyte. You can drizzle chicken broth over her kibble to make it more enticing. Be prepared to hand feed her a few pieces the first night. By the next day or so, she'll eat on her own probably. Also, drink on her own. The mineral oil is just to help aid with any constipation caused by pain in her tummy and/or the meds. A few drops in her food and a bit rubbed on her bottom can aid her "going".
What should you do/not do? While Julie is at the Vet, keep yourself super busy!! Don't let yourself just sit and think - that leads to worrying which helps nothing
And, you call that vet for updates as often as you want. Don't feel like, "they said they would call..I'll wait" or "they are busy, I don't want to bother them." They are used to us mommies worrying - you won't bother them - call if you need to