Drake's Healing Progress - After Mass Removal From Both Left Legs

[Guest Energy11]

Oh, that is great! I am soooo glad this is working out! Love, hugs and prayers from us here!

[Guest eaglflyt]

Good news, indeed! My prayers for Drake and you and your hubby are continuing. Bless all of you!

[Guest FLT]

Kaylee spent the better part of the day sharing a run with Drake to keep him company between tests - but she just demonstrated that at some point during the day she got hold of her favorite snack - POOP!

 

She just puked up a nasty stinky pile of found poop-mixed kibble (I noticed in time to get a hotel towel under her - better than all over the bed which is where it was otherwise headed) and then I took her out and she passed brown water. Nom Nom poop treats! (Bleck!!)

 

:puke :puke

 

I feel bad for how poorly she's feeling - but ugh, nasty habit dog!

[Guest FLT]

Update on both hounds:

 

Drake - is doing well, and was very happy to eat dinner at the hospital according to Dr. Sugar (not sure how that is actually spelled, but it sounds very similar to sugar, so I'm going with that for now).

 

They were able to take the biopsies from the front paw, clean up the edges of the skin and sew them together on the front. They have him bandaged into a position that keeps his foot gently flexed to keep the tension off the wound. They are going to rebandage (and examine) the wound in the morning and I should be able to pick him up by noon. Going to prep to check out, and go over with Kaylee in the van so I can hit the road from there. Check out is at noon, and I don't want to get Kaylee locked in (especially with her continued issues, below).

 

They did the joint tap of the rear knee, but were unable to pull a useful sample out of it. They are going to try us on an anti-inflammatory med (other than Metacam, since his belly has been bothered by that lately) and see if that helps.

 

Biopsy results should be back in 3 to 5 days - so sometime next week.

 

 

Kaylee is continuing to have absolute water poops - completely liquid. I fasted her for about 18 hours, then gave her a little yogurt (and more pepcid). She kept that down so I gave her a little more yogurt and a bit of bread. All of that stayed down, and she said she was finally hungry so I gave her a tiny meal of kibble to see how that goes. She says she's still hungry, but I'm holding off on more food for a while longer.

 

Dr. Sugar and I spoke about her liquid poops (made sure they didn't feed her since she is allergic to poultry - although I think her problem is a combo of stress and having gotten her mouth on poop while she was in the run at the hospital yesterday). They didn't feed her anything other than water. I asked what dose of immodium he recommended so we can get her back into traveling shapes and he said she is big enough to give two immodiums to at once. Normally he said I can do that 2x a day, but in this case to go ahead and do 3x a day this time to try and get her in traveling shape in time to prevent squirts in the van on the way home (yuck).

 

I went out and got me carry out food, and her immodium (stupidly left the 300 count bottle at home!) and she's gotten her first dose. Next dose is at 3am, and you can BET I'm setting an alarm! LOL

 

Looking forward to seeing Drake tomorrow, but I didn't ask to visit him tonight because I don't want to get him wound up. Better he rests and I'll see him in the morning.

 

Hope everyone that is at Dewey is having better weather than we are here in Ohio.. cool and rainy here.

 

Cheers,

 

FL

[Batmom]

Keeping all fingers crossed for good news on Drake's biopsy results, and for the immodium to WORK! NOW!

 

Hugs and safe travels home.

[crazygang]

for both hounds.....

[Guest FLT]

Home - tired, but safe and sound.

 

Kaylee's immodium gave her back a little texture to her poop before I loaded her into the van when I checked out of the hotel, and she managed to not paint the van brown, LOL. Drake and I both appreciated that! She did have some paint peeling gas, however.

 

Drake was released with a splint plus bandages on the front leg, a shaved patch on his belly, and on his rear left leg. He was VERY glad to see me, and ready to GO already! He peed and pooped (nice and relatively firm) on the way to the van after we got out the front door of OSU, and so I lifted him into the van and left him there until we got all the way home.

 

I stopped and let Kaylee have breaks about 4 times on the way home (better than the 6 she needed on the way there), and she was a bit whiny and did a lot of panting, but did okay otherwise.

 

They are both thrilled to be back home.

 

Drake is taking Rimadyl (anti-inflammatory for the rear knee), Aminocaproic Acid (to help with healing and bruising), Tramadol (for pain), and getting Pepcid to help buffer his belly against the Rimadyl. No antibiotics were prescribed as they are waiting to see what the culture shows before suggesting any. They also put an un-named cream between his toes when they changed his front bandage this morning as they already showing some irritation from having the bandage material put between them. I'll call on Monday to find out what it was, so Dr. P can use the same thing on Tuesday during the bandage change that is scheduled.

 

Cheers to all,

 

FL

 

 

[Guest Energy11]

Glad all went well. Now, RELAX, okay?? "))) Hugs from us here!

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending best wishes and good vibes.

[Guest eaglflyt]

So glad you're home and safe and that the pups made the trip well. I'm praying for Drake to have a clean biopsy and good culture results and to HEAL! I hope Kaylee's GI tract is getting back to normal, too. Hugs to everyone!

[crazygang]

Sending continued well wishes...

[Xan]

Just catching up after Dewey. Sounds all fairly hopeful! How's everyone doing now? Has Kaylee's tummy settled back down? How are Drake's various openings?

 

[Guest FLT]

LOL, Xan - I love how you phrased that - "Drake's various openings"

 

Kaylee's innards have settled down nicely (thank goodness!)

 

Drake's update:

 

I spoke with Dr. Sherger from OSU today who let me know that the biopsy results are in and do not show any signs of tumor, but rather inflammation and bacteria (sounds like a broken record there - but yay for no tumor tissue). They are culturing some sort of staph, but won't have the full results back until sometime on Thursday most likely. Once they figure out what it is, and which antibiotic(s) it is susceptible to we will do a LONG course of antibiotics to try and finish it off, once and for all. I'm rooting for 6 weeks at a minimum - he's very resistant!! OSU is going to consult with their staff microbiologist regarding Drake's history and culture results to get their opinion about what and how much to give him.

 

We are just back from the vet here in Maryland for his first bandage change, and unfortunately Dr. Prostredny found that the incision is gaping open a bit - and it's now about the same as after the mattress sutures last month - maybe it will stay closed better this time though. I double checked with the surgeon at OSU, and was told that they had fully closed it, but that they had been worried about the tension on the wound. This is despite Drake wearing a splint to keep his paw in a flexed position. Dr. Prostredny put the splint back on him, and re-wrapped him - and we'll see what it looks like on Friday.

 

The big sutured spot is the only current open wound (other than some occasional abrasions from bandages and such - at this point it's hard to avoid since he's been in bandages on the front for just 2 days shy of 21 weeks now).

 

Drake hates the splint - it's big and heavy. I have to lift him in and out of the van too.. but that's no problem. He's only about 68 pounds now with all the muscle atrophy from his lack of activity (he weighs the same as his litter mate sister - who at one point was 8 pounds lighter than he was). He still looks good though, we keep him with the typical 2 ribs showing but no more than that. He is a good eater, and if we let him carry the weight he would be happy to look like a fat lab.

 

I'll have to figure out where the heck the camera is one of these days and post some new photos.

 

Thanks for checking in, and for your positive thoughts.

 

 

 

[Guest eaglflyt]

I'm so glad that the culture results will be out soon and you'll know exactly what antibiotic course to take ... and HOORAY about the Biopsy results!!!!

 

I'm still hoping that the area that has been open so long will fully heal SOON!

 

Hugs to Drake and you!!!!

[SIGreyLady]

Glad to hear he is doing better. I hope OSU finds out what kind of infection it is and that Drake will be up and about quickly.

[Guest FLT]

Quickie update - Dr. Sherger from OSU called to let me know that the culture came back with a Staph Aurelius strain which is sensitive to Baytril. They are going to fax the info to Dr. Prostredny (who we see in the morning tomorrow) and suggest a 4 week course of antibiotics.

 

Cheers,

 

FL

[tbhounds]

Glad to hear you have an answer--now, sorry that it's such an expensive medication

[EllenEveBaz]

inflammation and bacteria (sounds like a broken record there - but yay for no tumor tissue).

"No cancer seen" is something the vets can repeat over and over again! Sending healing thoughts for Drake.

[Guest FLT]

tbhounds - you were right about the expense of Baytril! Yowch!

 

Drake is on a 4-week course, and is getting 3 pills per day (all in one dose). Cost of the pills - $475

 

Update: Drake's wound continues to pull open - is open twice as much as it was on Tuesday. Still in a splint to keep the foot flexed, and was prescribed the Baytril per the recommendation of OSU. Dr. P was tempted to offer us Trimeth-Sulfa instead - which Drake has taken without side effects before and is a whole crapload cheaper.. but I opted to go with the bloody expensive stuff since that is what the microbiologist suggested would work the best. I sure hope it does, because this crap is PRICY!

 

We were given the chewable tabs - and although I doubt drake will enjoy them, I'll try to offer the first one without liverwurst to see what happens.. maybe we can just coat them in PB instead of using a metric ton of liverwurst.. these tablets are HUGE.

 

Fingers crossed that it helps.. next appointment is Monday morning.

 

Have a good weekend!

 

FL

[Xan]

Whew, FL! Relief, and then expense! Can you get it from Walmart or Costco for cheaper??

 

But, hey, NO TUMOR!!! :confetti

 

[Guest FLT]

Meh - too late, I've already got the meds home. I will research that question in case we need to do another round later though!

 

Good suggestion though! Wish I had thought of that :-) Thank you!

 

FL

 

Whew, FL! Relief, and then expense! Can you get it from Walmart or Costco for cheaper??

 

But, hey, NO TUMOR!!! :confetti

 

 

[crazygang]

Positive healing prayers for Drake........gosh what a long difficult road you've travelled. Hugs to you all...

[sweetdogs]

.. these tablets are HUGE.

Are they scored? I think baytril I've given were big square honkers but they were scored so I could break them in half. Twice the peanut buttery goodness. Greyt news on the no tumors!

[Guest FLT]

So far DH has given the Baytril and he says that Drake doesn't mind them actually.. and chews them. First time he gave them with a smear of PB on them and Drake took them without a problem. Second time he actually just put a handful of kibble in his hand and mixed the Baytril in.. Drake spit them out a couple of times in favor of kibbles, but eventually ate them without issue. I guess they really are "palatable" - how nice!

 

I'll have my first try at giving the Baytril this evening.

 

Cheers,

 

FL

[tbhounds]

Yup--beef flavored. Glad your sticking with the Baytril--if that's what the culture says it's sensitive too then that's what he needs to be taking. Just an FYI my dog went into acute liver failure from Trimeth-sulfa --I know all dogs are different and yours might not react the same way--just thought I would share (my boy did recover fully ).