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Jane Update --- 8/13/07 Post 46 (pg 3)


Guest VelvetEars

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Guest VelvetEars

Sorry for the delay in updates - I was at a doula conference w/ no access to email/GT, and since I've been home, things have been a little crazy!

 

She's doing well. Her fur is growing back, so she doesn't look as bad as she did, and because she's walking better, the scrapes on her paws and legs are healing nicely. She's doing really well going up stairs, but still has a lot of fear going downstairs. This morning, in fact, she started to fall (because Porsche got in her way), and then she statued in a very awkward/painful sprawl, and as DH and I were trying to get a handle on her, she peed on him. He was NOT impressed, but I think he must have squeezed her bladder (it was first pee time). So now she's back to being terrified of the stairs and I'm having to walk her step-by-step, paw-by-paw again going down. <sigh> Two steps forward, one step back, I guess! But she's happily sleeping upstairs at night, and has started getting back on the bed to snooze after DH gets up. She has actually "run" a few times in the house to see me, so that's encouraging too.

 

And I guess Porsche was feeling left out, because Fri morning, when I was trying to leave (and running very late) for the conference, she ripped a nail --- not completely off, but enough that we had a kitchen that looked like a crime scene. DH took her to the vet while I was at the conference - to remove it, they'd have to put her out, so said to just keep it wrapped and it would fall off when enough new nail had grown in. :rofl Like she could leave it alone!!! She would promptly take off any wrapping we put on it, so I decided to stop fighting that battle and just keep it clean and dry. When I woke up yesterday morning, she and her bed were covered in blood. I don't know if she'd tried to scratch herself and pulled it worse, or got it caught on something, or what, but she was laying in a 10" diameter puddle of blood, and it was all over her top shoulder and side. Her nail was not attached - just the quick was. (ICK!) So got THAT cleaned up, and wrapped it again. Six hours later, she had the bandage off again. By last night, she had the nail off too. But she seems happier now - she's putting weight on it and I keep bathing it in warm water with epsom salts and lavender oil to promote healing and prevent infection.

 

I swear, if it's not one thing, it's a hundred others around here!!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest VelvetEars

It's been awhile since my last update, and I figured it's about time, especially in light of recent developments.

 

Jane has been holding fairly steady in terms of her physical progress since my last update. She's doing stairs on her own, front feet - back feet - front feet - back feet, carefully placed each time.

 

I was out of town this past week (left Sun a.m. and returned late last night) with the fam, and my brother was staying with the hounds and cats while we were gone, with visits from my mom during the day. Tuesday, he called me in a panic - Jane was bleeding profusely from her tail. Upon further investigation, he discovered a gash, as he described it, about 5" from the end of her tail, and about 2" long. So I told him where to find the dog first aid basket and how to clean and bandage her wound. I'd left directions to the vet, along with phone numbers, and had even driven him to the vet so he'd know where to go if need be. I had also told him that if a vet visit was needed, I'd call the vet and make payment arrangements over the phone. He thought it would be fine once it was bandaged, so ok. I'm not there - I'm 600 miles away, so I don't have much choice other than to trust him.

 

He said she kept the bandage on for about 2 days before she got it off. My mom rebandaged Friday, and the bandage was off when we got home. When I finally got in and took a look at her tail, I knew there was no way this was going to heal without help. I could see the bone? cartilege? or tendon perhaps? something white, anyway. She's got a chunk hanging from the rest of her tail. So I called the vet first thing this a.m. and explained the situation - they were totally booked but would squeeze us in.

 

Long story short - she's scheduled for amputation on Monday morning. The vet could try to stitch it, but because we have no idea how she injured it, it's impossible to say if there's nerve damage or other tissue damage that might not heal and would result in amputation anyway. And since he'd have to sedate her for the stitches, we might as well just amputate and be done w/ it. So my poor Janey is now going to be Stubby Janey. :( I know she'll manage just fine w/o the bottom 8" or so of her tail, but I just hate the thought of it! Not my beautiful Jane! But, she's not a lizard and it won't grow back, and she's not vain, so....we will do what we have to do. I just feel so terrible. I wish that my brother or my mom had gone ahead and taken her to the vet when it happened. It might not have made any difference, but still....

 

So.....if it's not one thing, it's a hundred others. We're still trying to put weight on Porsche - I've been feeding her Nutro High Energy and giving her extra snacks, which she enjoys, of course. Her nail-less toe is doing well. I had my mom soaking it in warm water with lavender essential oil and epsom salts while we were gone to aid healing and prevent infection, and it looks good. I'm pleased. I wish fixing Jane's tail were that easy!

 

Please say an extra prayer for Jane Monday morning - I drop her off at 8, her surgery will be in the morning before 10, and hopefully I'll be able to bring her home Monday afternoon. (Thank heaven I'd already arranged to work at home Monday - it's normally one of my in-office days.) Given her recent health issues, obviously this surgery is a little riskier than it would be otherwise. He knows that if there's a problem, she's DNR, but if she's doing well, he'll go ahead and clean her teeth while she's under. So maybe her pearly whites will distract people from her shortened tail!

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Lots of extra prayers.

 

P.S. She'll look just as lovely with a short tail. I have it on the best authority that Short Tails Are Cool.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Ah Janey, you'll look gorgoeus with a wee tail. Good luck Monday sweetheart.

Edited by Jackandgrey

gallery_7628_2929_17259.jpg

Susan, Jessie and Jordy NORTHERN SKY GREYHOUND ADOPTION ASSOCIATION

Jack, in my heart forever March 1999-Nov 21, 2008 My Dancing Queen Jilly with me always and forever Aug 12, 2003-Oct 15, 2010

Joshy I will love you always Aug 1, 2004-Feb 22,2013 Jonah my sweetheart May 2000 - Jan 2015

" You will never need to be alone again. I promise this. As your dog, I will sing this promise to you, and whisper it to you at night, every night, with my breath." Stanley Coren

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Guest Tenderhearts

From the mother of a grand old dame, now watching over all of us, with a stubby tail, I know she'll just do fine and won't miss hers either! :hope :hope :hope :hope :hope:)

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Guest LolasMom

My goodness, Sweet Miss Jane you are full of surprises.

 

Lots of hugs and prayers for the cutest little tail ever, shiny white teeth and a speedy uneventful recovery. :hope:hope:kiss2

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awww, poor Jane! I'm sure she'll come through the surgery with flying colors...think of all she's already accomplished!!

gallery_2175_3047_5054.jpg

 

Michelle...forever missing her girls, Holly 5/22/99-9/13/10 and Bailey 8/1/93-7/11/05

Religion is the smile on a dog...Edie Brickell

Wag more, bark less :-)

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Lots of extra prayers.

 

P.S. She'll look just as lovely with a short tail. I have it on the best authority that Short Tails Are Cool.

 

I wonder how many puppers on GT are members of STAC?

Mary in Houston

Everyone has a photographic memory, but not everyone has film.

LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

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Guest Winterwish

Oh,poor Jane! We'll be keeping the two of you in our thoughts thru' tomorrow's surgery. :gh_child:bighug

Edited by Winterwish
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Prayers for Janie to breeze through surgery/dental and have an uneventful recovery. Sending :getwell wishes to all your puppers in need... :grouphug

Jeanne with Remington & Scooter the cat
....and Beloved Bridge Angels Sandee, Shari, Wells, Derby, Phoenix, Jerry Lee and Finnian.....
If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven
and bring you home again.

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Guest VelvetEars

I talked to the vet's office around 2p, and Jane was doing fine. I can pick her up between 5:30-6:30 tonight. I'll post more when she's back home and I've done the Mommy-check on her to make sure she's really ok.

 

Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes today. I truly believe they make a difference!

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Guest tricolorhounds

Glad to hear the good news that she is fine :yay

 

 

Lots of extra prayers.

 

P.S. She'll look just as lovely with a short tail. I have it on the best authority that Short Tails Are Cool.

 

I wonder how many puppers on GT are members of STAC?

 

 

Copper (who lost 1/2 his tail in a door at the kennel) and Savannah (who I think was born with only 1/2) welcome the newest member of STAC, Miss Jane.... Three Wags of the Tail!!! :gh_bow:gh_bow:gh_bow

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Just catching up, so glad Jane is doing well. I believe there is an artery (I think - a major vein anyway) running down the tail so a challenge is to keep it from being bumped or otherwise open up.

 

When my foxhound had part of his tail amputated, the vet wrapped it up with a lot of padding, and when we walked him for the first few weeks it was a 2-person effort - one with the leash, the other following closely to ensure nothing happened to the back end.

 

Others who have been through this may have good ideas about how you can protect the end of the tail but it's really important that this be done.

 

Jane will be in my prayers for an easy recovery, poor baby has been through so much.

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