Bodie Received A Good Report From The Vet

[Guest Bodie]

Bodie went to the local vet yesterday and received a good report. His skin graft is nice and healthy and the stitches are healing. He still has seeping in two areas and the vet said that the seeping was in the areas where it was most difficult to repair and it would probably continue for several weeks. Yuck. Bodie is wearing a t-shirt with a maxipad in it to catch the seep. The maxipad works well, but the shirt shifts around and seep comes through the shirt so he walks around in a bloody, seepy t-shirt. Change the shirt and 10 minutes later it is seepy again. Last night, Lew came home with an Old Navy dog t-shirt for him and that fits him much better than a "human" t-shirt so I'm hoping the maxipad won't shift as much today.

 

We are still trying to line up chemo for him. I'm not getting a whole lot of cooperation from the chemo doctor in Gaithersburg - phone calls to him are not being returned and when they are, not to a likely location. (My voice mail at work recorded a 2:30 p.m. phone call - on Sunday!) I think we may have to return to OSU. I hope to be able to talk to his OSU oncologist today.

 

Bodie is doing better with lying down. Fifty percent of the time he lies down on his "good" side. Of course, that means 50 percent of the time he is lying down on the wrong side and shreiking, which can be disconcerting at night, but we are adapting.

 

My biggest problem with Bodie is one that has me confounded. When Bodie eats, he hollers with pain. He wants to eat, but he takes a few bites and then starts screaming. He goes back to eating and then stops to yell again. I have tried everything I can think of - feeding him at different elevations, holding the bowl for him, even putting his food on the floor when he is lying down - and it's always the same reaction. I feel so sorry for him as he wants to eat - but it just hurts somewhere. The problem is where. The vet could find nothing wrong with him yesterday. You can move his neck in all directions and it doesn't seem to hurt him. I just have no idea what the problem is. I know I can get him to eat by putting "goodies" in his bowl, but that doesn't solve the problem that it is painful for him to eat. I feel sorry for the boy because eating has always been one of the joys of his life.

 

Anybody have any ideas?

 

 

[patricia]

Awww....bless his brave heart. Did they look at Bodie's throat? Sometimes the endo tube can cause irritation...but I would think that that irritation would be gone by now. Sending more prayers and gentle hugs.

[Guest hllb]

Glad for the good report! For a shirt, try to find a onesie for a baby. You would likely need a 36 month size, which can be a little difficult to find. Try Babies R Us though as they should have one. They actually work quite well on doggies.

[Greylover97]

I agree with Patti. Anything wrong with his throat? Did the screaming start right after his surgery in OSU; or is this recent in connection with the surgery for the skin graft?

 

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Thanks for the update on Bodie.....it's so good to hear that he's healing and learning to make some adjustments. No advice for the eating problem, but hopefully it's something that will pass quickly so Bodie can enjoy his meals again.

[SPDoggie]

Thank you so much for the updates on Bodie. I am sorry you are getting sub-optimal treatment by your local oncologist... makes you feel more confident in going back to OSU, but man, that is a long drive to have do do for several months.

[Guest SquanHound]

Have you tried to feed him yogurt? If so, does he scream when doing so? If not, then I think Patricia might be onto something with some scraps inside his throat. Maybe see if tolerates soft food better for the time being.

As for shirts -- I picked up a great hoodie shirt for Ping when he had 12 stitches in his shoulder. I got it at Petco, but have since seen similar shirts on Kingswholesale.com. They are great because they fit pretty well and have a srawstring around the belly so you can adjust the fit a bit for them.

[Devotion]

continued prayers for Bodie. I would suspect his reaction to food is either from the intubation tube which can make your throat raw or just from muuscle soreness and a different way he positions himself to eat or even lay. Sometimes through examination they can't tell anything is wrong but he could still have muscle tightness, soreness etc all over his body. I think with time (I know when you are going through something like this time seems to stand still) it will disipate. Prayers for you all. Bodie is one strong guy! we all love him!!!!!

[turbotaina]

Glad Bodie got a good checkup.

 

Contact Diane (Burpdog) and see if she knows Winslow's oncologist's name. It wouldn't be that close to you (Winslow lives over in NOVA), but it's closer than OSU and from what I gather, Glynis has been very pleased with them.

[Aerosmom]

Bodie went to the local vet yesterday and received a good report. His skin graft is nice and healthy and the stitches are healing. He still has seeping in two areas and the vet said that the seeping was in the areas where it was most difficult to repair and it would probably continue for several weeks. Yuck. Bodie is wearing a t-shirt with a maxipad in it to catch the seep. The maxipad works well, but the shirt shifts around and seep comes through the shirt so he walks around in a bloody, seepy t-shirt. Change the shirt and 10 minutes later it is seepy again. Last night, Lew came home with an Old Navy dog t-shirt for him and that fits him much better than a "human" t-shirt so I'm hoping the maxipad won't shift as much today.

 

We are still trying to line up chemo for him. I'm not getting a whole lot of cooperation from the chemo doctor in Gaithersburg - phone calls to him are not being returned and when they are, not to a likely location. (My voice mail at work recorded a 2:30 p.m. phone call - on Sunday!) I think we may have to return to OSU. I hope to be able to talk to his OSU oncologist today.

 

Bodie is doing better with lying down. Fifty percent of the time he lies down on his "good" side. Of course, that means 50 percent of the time he is lying down on the wrong side and shreiking, which can be disconcerting at night, but we are adapting.

 

My biggest problem with Bodie is one that has me confounded. When Bodie eats, he hollers with pain. He wants to eat, but he takes a few bites and then starts screaming. He goes back to eating and then stops to yell again. I have tried everything I can think of - feeding him at different elevations, holding the bowl for him, even putting his food on the floor when he is lying down - and it's always the same reaction. I feel so sorry for him as he wants to eat - but it just hurts somewhere. The problem is where. The vet could find nothing wrong with him yesterday. You can move his neck in all directions and it doesn't seem to hurt him. I just have no idea what the problem is. I know I can get him to eat by putting "goodies" in his bowl, but that doesn't solve the problem that it is painful for him to eat. I feel sorry for the boy because eating has always been one of the joys of his life.

 

Anybody have any ideas?

 

 

Try massaging his neck. Snickers had the screaming just after she stood up and sometimes when someone just went to pet her and barely touched her. I tried to really loosen her muscles by kneading her neck and she really seemed to like it. Snicks was a front-leg amputee too, and if you look how Bodie walks now, you'll notice that his head bobs up and down. That has to affect his muscles. Not too long after her personal massages started, Snickers stopped screaming. Not sure if it was only the massages, or a combo of time, discontinuing the Tramadol, but I think the massages did something good.

 

It's nice to hear positive news for Bodie. It's very difficult emotionally for the first part, but it sounds like you're through the worst of it.

[Greytlady94]

I would also suspect his throat may be sore, in addition his whole body is now having to "shift" somewhat when he walks, stands, lays down, gets up, etc. Is he being seen by a veterinary chiropractor? Just thinking that may help.

 

Continued prayers for Bodie.

[Guest ss556]

No ideas just sending prayers that he continues to do well.

[Guest greytmonty]

I am so glad to hear of Bodie's good checkup, but sorry he is still in pain. I hope you find a good chemo vet nearer than OSU. Keep us posted, you are in our thoughts!

[Guest JohnnyBell]

So glad to hear Bodie is recovering and healing well.Maybe the muscles deep in the neck are sore when he swallows.Poor guy.Continued prayers comming your way.

[Guest Bodie]

Greytalkers, I think you may have once again solved our problem! I realized, after giving it some thought, that Bodie doesn't scream when he drinks and he didn't scream before his second surgery. I called the local vet and they had indeed put a tube down his throat during surgery. So tonight, I soaked his kibble in hot chicken broth until it was soft and presented it to Bodie. He was a little hesitant at first - but he started nibbling then eating with gusto - no shreiks! I think his throat must have been scraped by the tube. Dr. Couto, when I emailed him, also suggested that sometimes acid reflux occurs after surgery, for a few days, and he might have acid burn. He suggested 2 Pepcid AC's a day until it goes away. So I gave him Pepcid AC an hour before dinner. So, between Greytalkers and Dr. Couto, I think we've cleared this hurdle. Poor Bodie, he ate so eagerly - he was so hungry! It did my heart good to see him finally be able to eat without pain. Thank you, Thank you, once again - I don't know what I'd do without you!

[Greylover97]

Wonderful news! Hot water works just as well and budget friendly.

[Guest boondog]

I'm so glad that everything seems to be going well! Thank you so much for sharing all that you're going through. You and Bodie are in my prayers.

[NevadasMom]

What are you holding the maxi pad in place with? I'm wondering if it would help to get a mesh type/tube dressing that I think we use to call stockinette. We use to use it with humans to hold odd dressings in place. It comes in different diameters.

[Guest Bodie]

What are you holding the maxi pad in place with? I'm wondering if it would help to get a mesh type/tube dressing that I think we use to call stockinette. We use to use it with humans to hold odd dressings in place. It comes in different diameters.

 

The maxipad is stuck on the inside of the t-shirt over the wound site. It slides when the shirt slides, of course, but it seems to catch most of the ooze. It is working much better since I was able to get an Old Navy dog T-shirt for Bodie. This fits a little more snugly than the "human" t-shirts he was wearing and holds the pad in place better. Although my daughter is a little mortified that I keep stealing her maxipads!

 

[Guest greytmonty]

Greytalkers, I think you may have once again solved our problem! I realized, after giving it some thought, that Bodie doesn't scream when he drinks and he didn't scream before his second surgery. I called the local vet and they had indeed put a tube down his throat during surgery. So tonight, I soaked his kibble in hot chicken broth until it was soft and presented it to Bodie. He was a little hesitant at first - but he started nibbling then eating with gusto - no shreiks! I think his throat must have been scraped by the tube. Dr. Couto, when I emailed him, also suggested that sometimes acid reflux occurs after surgery, for a few days, and he might have acid burn. He suggested 2 Pepcid AC's a day until it goes away. So I gave him Pepcid AC an hour before dinner. So, between Greytalkers and Dr. Couto, I think we've cleared this hurdle. Poor Bodie, he ate so eagerly - he was so hungry! It did my heart good to see him finally be able to eat without pain. Thank you, Thank you, once again - I don't know what I'd do without you!

Hooray Hooray Hooray, I am so glad Bodie can eat with pleasure again! :colgate

[fritofeet]

Awwww, give Bodie a gentle hug from us and a big kiss too.

I'm glad he's eating again.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Glad he's eating!! Continued prayers coming your way.

[Guest Bodie]

Well, it's back to the drawing board. I gave Bodie his mushy food this morning and he screamed all through breakfast. It's back to square one. He did manage to eat it - that chicken broth smell was just to tempting for him to pass up, but it was a struggle for him. He kept backing away from the bowl, then coming back and trying to eat, shrieking, backing up again.

 

All I can think of is that his throat has been scraped up, but it's been six days since his last surgery - I would think that would be healing by now. If it's neck muscles, I can't understand why it doesn't hurt when I move his head around. I'm stumped.

[SPDoggie]

Oh the poor boy... I would cry watching my boy want to eat but then have it hurt! Don't the Drs have any thoughts? Ugh!

 

[Guest Bodie]

Oh the poor boy... I would cry watching my boy want to eat but then have it hurt! Don't the Drs have any thoughts? Ugh!

 

I emailed Dr. Couto and he is as stumped as everyone else. We thought it might be the surgical tube or acid reflux, but it doesn't appear to be either of those as he is eating soft food and taking Pepcid AC. One more worry....