Baby Gus Was Attacked This Morning! We Got Lucky!

[Guest Vinnie]

Ok - my heart has calmed down - the adrenalin is gone - all the pups are sleeping - and my pocketbook is empty! What a day!

 

We have a house guest until Sunday afternoon - their Uncle who is a 6 year old intact male (they are going to breed him) - this is the same loving grey that we share our office with every day. He has been a bit grumbly lately with Gus as Gus is almost as big and he is being possessive of both Gracie & I - trying to show he is the Alpha while Gus is still young and a little smaller than him, is what I am guessing. We have never had to muzzle before but we have a couple just in case - unfortunately they did not fit on him (he is a big boy - 103 lbs and just a smidgen taller than Gus - who you can see an update photo with size info in everything else greyhound) so I have kept them leashed and/or separated. We had all just gone out for a potty break and I still had Gus outside with me while he went back inside with Gracie. He was behind the door when I came in so I stopped to take off Gus' leash and he had gone past his Uncle for the most part when all of a sudden his Uncle just started snapping, snarling and biting - mostly aimed at his legs and I thought, side. Gus did not fight back - Gracie ran the other way with Gus right behind her while I sent their Uncle to a separate part of the house. I finally got Gus and checked him out - didn't see anything on legs or side and thought we had gotten really lucky - turned around and noticed a bloody flap of skin on the side of his muzzle and flipped. While there was not any flowing blood, I knew I couldn't take care of this. The vet said we got really lucky as the wound is right above "the big vein", the technical term our vet used and right below his eye. They also said that he could have punctured the nasal cavity when he got bit which would have been really bad.

 

So, we ran down to our vets office (for a change, this happened while they were open so I didn't have to go to the e-vet, thankfully) and they got him in fairly quickly (we were their 3rd emergency of the morning) - they decided they were going to put him under so they could clean and suture the wound. They asked if I wanted to wait or watch, so in I went - I helped put him up on the table and held him while they gave him the sedative (thank goodness it was fast acting), then held him while they intubated him. They moved him over to another table and then I held his head as they shaved, cleaned (stubborn hair stuck inside open wound area) and then sutured from the inside about 12 stitches that will dissolve and then 4 that they will need to pull out in about 10 days. I'm beginning to think I should go into the medical field of some sort - 3 weeks ago I watched as they drained my moms lung of fluid as I didn't want her to go through anything alone - plus I took care of Gus' open pressure wound - I'm getting pretty good at this - though I think I would rather pass on all this medical stuff from now on! And I must say, it was a rather interesting running dialogue during the entire surgery and recovery. And during all of this I had to call home to have our ds give poor Gracie a sedative as she was just beside herself.

 

Well, we got him all fixed up and back home again - Gracie checked him out from head to toe and then he zonked on the floor next to me. When he got up again he was ready to eat and play - so he's feeling pretty good. The stitches look really good, the wound is just shy of an inch long and the swelling isn't too bad, thankfully. Got him a new toy when I went to look for a soft collar at petsmart so he's all happy. No luck with a collar though so will watch him carefully so he doesn't rub the stitches out of his muzzle. Gus, Gracie & I are now in bed and they are sleeping off their pain pill & sedatives while their Uncle sleeps downstairs with dh (who missed all the excitement as he was volunteering at the zoo this morning!). I did take photos but will need dh to upload and then I will post - we know the rules! I am just too wiped to do it tonight!

 

So if you can say a little prayer for easy & quick healing, we would greatly appreciate it. It's nowhere near as bad as some of the other scuffles I have seen posted here the past couple of days - but enough to scare the beegeebees out of me. Can anyone tell me where I can get a good muzzle that will fit on a big grey? I don't want to have this happen again - our poor boy has had more than enough issues since we brought him home. Thanks so much.

Edited September 7, 2008 by Vinnie

[Guest fatesrelease]

That is so horrible and scary! Sending loving thoughts and prayers.

[seeh2o]

Oh, poor Gus. We are sending lots of healing thoughts his way, and lots of "cool you jets, Dude" thoughts to Uncle.

[Guest greybookends]

Poor gus.

:kiss2 :kiss2 :kiss2

[Guest vahoundlover]

Poor baby boy! Sending lots of quick healing thoughts and please give him some gentle scritches from us.

[Guest argolola]

Prayers for your little sweetie.

[Fiona3]

It always amazes me how quickly these scuffles happen and are over in seconds, even when we are standing right next to them. And there is always a wound to deal with that usually ends at the vet's. We've been there twice this year already. Give Gus a big hug for me - I hope he is on the mend quickly.

[Guest VaGreymom]

Poor gus, hope your feeling better today.

[Lilysmom]

Here is a link for muzzles. I have purchased from them and have had no problems, you can call them to be sure of the size needed. Also there are several venders here on GT who sell muzzels, unfortuantely I can't think of who they are right this second.

 

Birdwell Enterprises

 

 

Sending prayers for a speedy recovery for Baby Gus.

 

 

[Aerosmom]

Sending healing thoughts to baby Gus.

[Guest redreed]

OH BABY GUS, BABY GUS!!!!! My goodness, little sweetheart, thank goodness you are OK!!!!!!!

 

I am sitting here shaking just thinking about it, I'm so glad he was not badly injured.

 

I got Spyder a muzzle (he needs it when he's outside with my 3 year old, he's just too rough with her) from dogmuzzle.com but I'm sure sooooo many groups offer them as well.

 

Good luck and lots and lots of prayers for ALL of you,

Renee & Spyder Melman

[Guest trevdog]

Poor puppy! Hope he heals quickly! Good thing you reacted quickly.

[Guest LolasMom]

Awwww baby Gus heal up quickly sweetheart.

[GeorgeofNE]

Being a large dog shouldn't mean a muzzle doesn't fit him--their heads are generally about the same size with differences between male/female head size, and I'm sure there are plenty of large racers! But Birdwell Enterprises is a great place for muzzles.

 

I'm so sorry your little boy got bitten. Must have been scary.

[MerlinsMum]

Oh Poor Gus! Sending lots of healing thoughts and :kiss2 for your boy.

[4greyhounds]

That is Awful!!!!! I am so sorry and I know it can happen in a matter of seconds! We are praying that he has a quick recovery and feeling better real soon. Sending lots of Cyber Hugs and Prayers. :hope

[gracegirl]

Poor baby Gus. I hope he heals quickly and well. Poor guy has seen enough of the vet for a while, huh? I'm glad it was a small wound and not worse. No fun for anyone! How is Higgens acting towards him today?

[ShantisMom]

Oh no! Poor "big boy" Gus! I hope he heals quickly!

 

We got our muzzles from Birdwells. They were here in maybe 2 days.

[Guest greyt2love]

Aww, baby Gus, get better quick, my little friend !! Momma is going to show you my attack wound now !!

 

Marlee is almost 8 months now and very high energy ! Not always appreciated by the more sedate mebers of the pack ! I don't know who - I suspect Chloe or Sophia - got Marlee, but it is her very first boo-boo. I know it wasfrom a snap and not from something else because the lower part of the bite is there, just not very big or visible. I cleaned it and put antiseptic on it because it was not very deep or big. Well, she kept licking at it and it got bigger and deeper !! I could not find anything to cover it that would stay on. She chewed up the two t-shirts I tried and they hung off her and she just walked out of them . Finally, I tried a terry cloth wrap I have for after baths and that worked. She goes to the vet tomorrow to make sure there is no underlying damage .

 

Didn't mean to hijack Gus's thread - just wanted to add to the "must be something in the air" theme !!!

 

Gus, sweetie, you have had more than your share of ouchies in your short life so far - must be part of being a boy !!!! Hugs , kisses, wags and puppy licks to you from all of us here !!!

 

Marlee and Deb

Edited September 7, 2008 by greyt2love

[Houndtime]

Pooor Gus. I hope he has a speedy recovery.

[Guest zoolaine]

Oh Baby Gus we are so sorry you got hurt. It must have been very scary for you. Zali knows all about having an older grumpy dog around, her older brother Briley still doesn't like her very much.

Zali sends hugs and kisses and says that girls love a boy with a few scars!

[Guest Carla]

Sending lots of hugs to Gus!

[patricia]

Sending prayers for sweet Baby Gus.

[Guest Vinnie]

Thanks everyone for all the healing thoughts and shared stories. Oh my goodness, Miss Marlee I hope you are ok! That would be a hard spot to prevent her from getting to and no worries about hijacking - her owie makes mine look easy!

 

Thankfully mama's "power voice" is really scary so it let me get away from my uncle - I kinda ran over my poor sister Gracie and she was shaking so hard and she kept checking me out - I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about until I shook my head and blood went everywhere and then my cheek really started hurting. I am much better this morning and have been glued to mama's side. My uncle is still really grumbly with me even with a door between us, he gets all growly - which I just don't get cause he loves to play tug with me - or at least he does until I win

 

Well, here are the pictures mama took of me yesterday - she will take more later cause now I am all bright eyed and perky eared! But yesterday - oh boy! Mama says it's a good thing my doctor is so good with a needle cause if he went too deep he said he would have hit the big vein underneath that my uncle just missed and it would have gotten very messy. I was sleeping so mama took extra good care of me and watched him do everything - she's pretty good about the yucky stuff!

 

And thanks for the links for the muzzles - the two mama has on hand were not wide enough for my Uncle's muzzle and then the hook/halter part was too short. Now mama can order the right ones to have on hand for when we have other sleepovers, cause we love those. And mama said that at turkey time we get to have Miss Grace and my buddy Fenway over and I can't wait!

 

as dictated to mama from "Handsome Big Boy Gus" - the boy with the scar face that all the girl houndies can now ooh and aah over

 

right after attack:

 

right before surgery - on the surgery table:

 

at home after surgery:

Edited September 7, 2008 by Vinnie

[Guest greytkidsmom]

Heal quickly little one...and leave those stitches alone OK?

 

:dogcookie