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CherylB

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    First Vet Appointment Today.

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

     

     

    The vet greets the dog first. The vet makes friends with the dog first. The vet gets down on the floor and interacts with your dog to gain their trust and friendship first. Then the vet greets the owners. I'm not saying the vet doesn't enter the room and not say hi to you, but doesn't get into crazy specifics and introductions without loving up on your dog first and foremost. IMO this is paramount and you really see what makes a vet shine when they put the dog and their best interest first.

     

    Couldn't agree more. Vets who put the dog first not only put the dog and owner more at ease, but also hire staff who take this approach. In my experience, they also seem to be more open to owner input and suggestions. It took me a long time to find a vet like this.

    To Amputate A Toe Or Not?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

     

    Do you mind sharing what your struggles were? You can PM me if you'd prefer.

     

     

     

    Remy has always been nervous walking on hard or slick surfaces, and the amputation seemed to make that worse for him. . I'm sure it hurt vs. the carpeted areas of our house; he didn't cry but would lie down and pant after walking to his food bowl, etc. We put throw rugs with rubber backing down, and that did help some. He also had difficulty pooping and would cry every time and pant/shake afterwards because it was hard for him to bear weight on that foot. Because it was a middle toe, the stitched incision area would "spread" every time he had to bear weight on the foot. Same thing with stairs, though we limited the number of times per day he had to do them. The combo of antibiotics and pain meds left him with no appetite, and it was a struggle to get him to eat. I pulled out all the tricks in the book, and he ate about half of his normal diet. We're still dealing with that, as he's on anticiotics for another week, but the appetitie is gradually getting better.

     

     

    There were days he'd wake up bearing weight on the foot, then he wouldn't walk on it for two days, then be better again. His incision area developed minor infection, which I'm sure didn't help. He only finally seemed mostly back to normal this past weekend, 3 weeks post surgery.

     

    Glad Press & Seal worked great for protecting the bandaged area when he went outside. Also, if you don't have a muzzle with a stool guard already, you might want to get one to be prepared to prevent him from messing with his bandage and licking his foot after the bandage comes off.

     

    Of course recovery will vary by dog, so hopefully Zuri will have an easier time. It does sound like the right decision to me. Good thoughts for you boy, and let me know if you have any other questions.

    To Amputate A Toe Or Not?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I just went through a middle toe amp with Remy. He was experiencing chronic pain like your boy (different cause), and we decided that removing the problem would be best for him long-term. I understand how hard can be to make the decision. He is now 3 1/2 weeks post-op and doing great! Because of the toe, he had stopped playing, coming upstairs with me, and running in the yard and many other quirky little things that make him Remy. Now he's back at it again, and it's great see him happy and pain free.

     

    That said, I would not characterize the procedure as no big deal. It's not a huge deal, but not a small one, either. For us, the recovery took three weeks, and there were times when he struggled and it was hard on him and us. Now that it's behind us, I know we did the right thing. But in that first week after surgery, I questioned my decision. I wouldn't change anything, though.

    Pooping In The House.

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    (and she doesn't usually poop on her morning walk anyway)

     

    Does she ever poop on walks? Several of my hounds wouldn't poop while on lead for months after I got them. It took Woot almost a year. So, maybe she has to go but is "shy", then comes back in and can't hold it. If you have a fenced yard, maybe you can leave her outside long enough for her to go after her walk. Just a thought.

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