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Snickers Is At The Vet Awaiting Surgery


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I'm so glad Snickers is home. Aren't they amazing? The first night home is usually rough. They could be reacting to the pain meds, and their bodies are still eliminating the anesthesia. Like us, I think it takes a little while for things to get moving inside again. I should tell you that it might get worse before it gets better. But try not to stress---it WILL get better. I think the vet will tell you that the edema in the other leg is pretty normal. I remember reading on CoG a post from someone who freaked out and rushed her dog to the emergency vet in the middle of the night because the other leg was swollen only to be told that she could just put a warm compress on it. So when Winnie's other leg was swollen, that's what I did, and she seemed to like it, and the swelling did go down. The fluid after surgery is pretty normal too. When I saw Winnie for the first time right after her surgery, she was "leaking" watery blood-like liquid. I barged in on the vets when they were in surgery and they assured me it was normal. Do you have carpets in your house? If there are slippery floors, you might want to get a bunch of throw rugs for her so it's not too scary. Please keep us up to date on her recovery. There is a lot of good advice here. And a lot of good listeners. And if you have a specific question, the Circle of Grey folks are very knowledgeable. They have lived through this stressful time too, and there is bound to be someone who knows the answer.

Keeping Snickers in my prayers for a quick and uneventful recovery.

gallery_11446_3599_3864.jpg
Nancy, Mom to Evangelina and Kiva
Missing Lacey, Patsy, Buster, my heart dog Nick, Winnie, Pollyanna, Tess, my precious Lydia, Calvin Lee, my angel butterfly Laila, and kitties Lily, Sam and Simon
My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catsburgandhoundtown

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I'm so glad Snickers is home. Aren't they amazing? The first night home is usually rough. They could be reacting to the pain meds, and their bodies are still eliminating the anesthesia. Like us, I think it takes a little while for things to get moving inside again. I should tell you that it might get worse before it gets better. But try not to stress---it WILL get better. I think the vet will tell you that the edema in the other leg is pretty normal. I remember reading on CoG a post from someone who freaked out and rushed her dog to the emergency vet in the middle of the night because the other leg was swollen only to be told that she could just put a warm compress on it. So when Winnie's other leg was swollen, that's what I did, and she seemed to like it, and the swelling did go down. The fluid after surgery is pretty normal too. When I saw Winnie for the first time right after her surgery, she was "leaking" watery blood-like liquid. I barged in on the vets when they were in surgery and they assured me it was normal. Do you have carpets in your house? If there are slippery floors, you might want to get a bunch of throw rugs for her so it's not too scary. Please keep us up to date on her recovery. There is a lot of good advice here. And a lot of good listeners. And if you have a specific question, the Circle of Grey folks are very knowledgeable. They have lived through this stressful time too, and there is bound to be someone who knows the answer.

Keeping Snickers in my prayers for a quick and uneventful recovery.

 

The scarey thing is the surgeon on duty said that the edema/seepage wasn't normal and that she hadn't seen it before even though she had seen greyhound amputations before. :huh I freaked out yesterday because I thought she was bleeding to death and then later that she had broken her good leg. Oh well, at least it is nothing, although my emotions could have been spared.

 

I should have posted a question on the Circle of Grey -- probably would have saved a lot of panic.

 

On the positive note, Snickers is doing really well today and slept much more soundly last night.

 

I took a shower this morning and left Snickers sleeping on a cushion....only to find her upstairs when I was done. I was a little upset at myself for not anticipating this, but it shows how much spunk this girl has. From now on she's going to be in her crate until her incision is healed.

Edited by Aerosmom
Aero: http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=kees+uncatchable; our bridge angel (1/04/02-8/2/07) Snickers; our bridge angel (1/04/02-2/29/08) Cricket; Kanga Roo: oops girl 5/26/07; Doctor Thunder http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=P_31Oj&a...&birthland=
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Well, my vets weren't worried about the seepage right after surgery, but a build up of fluid as she recovers could be a breeding ground for infection. Winnie had a little bit of that right before she was to get her stitches out (about 2 weeks), and the vet put her on some antibiotics just in case, but she was fine. Of course, I'm not a vet, just a fellow Mom of a tripod, so I know if you're really concerned, you'd want to consult with your vet. Wow, Snickers went up the steps by herself! I can understand your mixed emotions about that! What a girl! One thing we learn through these ordeals is to never underestimate them. For your peace of mind, it's good to keep her confined when you're not around. But I guess that's a better problem to have than if she didn't want to do anything. It sounds like she is really going to participate in her recovery, and that's wonderful.

Keep up the good work, Snickers, you're in our prayers.

gallery_11446_3599_3864.jpg
Nancy, Mom to Evangelina and Kiva
Missing Lacey, Patsy, Buster, my heart dog Nick, Winnie, Pollyanna, Tess, my precious Lydia, Calvin Lee, my angel butterfly Laila, and kitties Lily, Sam and Simon
My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catsburgandhoundtown

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Update: One week post amputation

 

Snickers is getting around well on her three legs, even with the remaining front one wrapped in a compression bandage. She still yelps out on occasion, not sure if it's the phantom pain or real pain but it's awful to hear it because you wish you could do something. Her sensitive brother Aero actually gets up and leaves the room when he hears it.

 

She is going up and down the deck stairs (three of them) easily and has not lost her balance at all! Just before we adopted her, she was a broken leg girl so maybe she already knows how to balance and maneuver on three legs.

 

The only thing that is bothering me is that she seems so depressed. it makes me feel guilty for having done this to her, but I know that I'd make the same decision again because it gives her the best survival chances. She's eating her regular meals but will not eat treats, which is very uncharacteristic of her.

 

I hope she's back to her old self soon -- I miss her big slurpy kisses and limitless enthusiasm for everything. She is such a BIG personality and it's not like her to be so quiet and subdued.

 

The compression bandage on her remaining front leg looks loose! I hope the swelling is down although I can't tell for sure without removing it and they want it on until Tuesday.

 

The really wierd thing is we're seen her littermate Cricket sitting with one of her front legs hidden -- like she's mirroring Snickers.

 

Next hurdle is chemo, which starts on Tuesday.

Aero: http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=kees+uncatchable; our bridge angel (1/04/02-8/2/07) Snickers; our bridge angel (1/04/02-2/29/08) Cricket; Kanga Roo: oops girl 5/26/07; Doctor Thunder http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=P_31Oj&a...&birthland=
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Sending more healing prayers for Snickers. Interesting story about her littermate.

Cosmo (Fuzz Face Cosmos), Holmes (He's a Dream), Boomer (USS Baby Boomer), Ella and missing our angels Clay (Red Clay), Train (Nite Train), Trip (Bock's Teddy Bear),Larry (Bohemian Frigid) and Jimmy (Bohemian Raw)
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