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

[Xan]

Naughty Drake, spitting out his "treat"!

 

I hope Dr. Couto finds nothing to worry about in the "rads". Someone's going to have to do surgery on your finances. A transplant, or something!

[Guest FLT]

First a photo - This is Drake and Kaylee on the sofa a few days ago.. Typical postures for these pups - Drake roaching, Kaylee curled up.

 

Update from the vet - we don't have another appointment scheduled for FIVE WEEKS! (assuming all goes well at home). Drake's incision was CLOSED for the first time in 5.5 months. He came home without any bandages, and we are celebrating in this house. His paw is sort of sad looking (rather like a bad attempt at foot binding?) and the pad is very soft and will be tender until it toughens up again. We came home and per the vet's suggestion gave the paw and leg a nice soap wash to help it become a little less itchy. Our goal for the next several days is to make sure Drake doesn't try to lick, lick, lick his paw and leg raw because of the itchy state of the freshly exposed leg - and of course to keep that incision CLOSED. The appointment 5 weeks from now is to do another x-ray of the rear knee to see if there has been any change (better or worse).

 

I have also been emailing with Dr. Couto / Dr. Marin at OSU - Dr. Marin suggested a joint tap as the next diagnostic step and I have replied to that email to let her know that the surgeons at OSU tried to do a joint tap when we were there last month and they were unable to get anything testable out of the knee. My question is if it is worth trying it again, or if it is likely to have a similar result.

 

Enough of updates - onto more pictures!

 

Close up of the healed incision - I am so happy to have this shot to share!

 

Poor guy's foot is rather misshapen after all the time in bandages.. one of his toes sticks up too.

 

We have the towel under his leg because I had just finished doing a sponge bath to get some of the accumulated grime off - he hasn't been able to groom in a LONG time!

 

Starting to get restless with the photo shoot

 

Enough mom! Pet me!

 

Cheers to all!

 

FL

 

 

[Batmom]

Cheers to you and Drake! Keeping all fingers crossed that the healing continues.

[Guest eaglflyt]

What a great report and wonderful news that Drake is bandage free and no unnecessary holes!!! :yay

 

I'm wishing you good luck and success on keeping Drake from licking.

[Guest boondog]

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

If you are worried about him licking his foot, you could try a sock. A cotton sock allows air circulation but seems to be enough of a barrier to prevent them licking. Maybe just use it for a few days as a transition thing.

[Guest FLT]

Good suggestion on the sock! I bet I have some toddler socks left over from a prior greyhound injury too. (I know - shock - a greyhound injured? That NEVER happens!)

 

Thanks for suggesting it.. will go round them up.

 

FL

 

If you are worried about him licking his foot, you could try a sock. A cotton sock allows air circulation but seems to be enough of a barrier to prevent them licking. Maybe just use it for a few days as a transition thing.

 

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

I use adult socks and secure it above the joint.

 

Good suggestion on the sock! I bet I have some toddler socks left over from a prior greyhound injury too. (I know - shock - a greyhound injured? That NEVER happens!)

 

Thanks for suggesting it.. will go round them up.

 

FL

 

If you are worried about him licking his foot, you could try a sock. A cotton sock allows air circulation but seems to be enough of a barrier to prevent them licking. Maybe just use it for a few days as a transition thing.

 

[sweetdogs]

Congrats! That's great news that he's finally healed up. Best wishes for NO LICKY! What are you going to do with all your free time now that you won't be spending so much of it at the vets? Going to Dr. P's house for Thanksgiving?

[Xan]

Congrats! That's great news that he's finally healed up. Best wishes for NO LICKY! What are you going to do with all your free time now that you won't be spending so much of it at the vets? Going to Dr. P's house for Thanksgiving?

 

Deirdre!

That's ABsolutely the best news and pictures I've seen in a long time! I'm so thrilled!

I'm keeping the chant going for a nothing-to-see-here-let's-move-along outcome on the knee.

 

Drake's foot will dry up, and get back to working order shortly. I second (or third, or wherever I come in) the sock idea. Might help toughening up the pad a bit, too, with its mildly abrasive walking surface. *shrugging* Maybe.

 

Going to go off now and have a little spinny dance of celebration!

[EllenEveBaz]

Drake's incision was CLOSED for the first time in 5.5 months

Yay!!!!!!!!!! And best of luck on the knee.

[Guest FLT]

Question for the Drake readers.. now that (we sure hope) his paw is closed and healed.. should I start a new thread about the knee - or just keep on keeping on with this monster thread?

 

Thanks for your input :-)

 

FL

[Xan]

I'm okay with staying with this one, just so I don't lose you!

[Guest eaglflyt]

I'm okay with staying with this one, just so I don't lose you!

 

Me, too. But, if you decide to start a new thread, be sure to put Drake's name in it so we can keep up! ; )

 

[crazygang]

Brilliant news about his paw!!!!

 

Keeping him in our prayers for his knee.....

[Remolacha]

 

I haven't posted often, but I'm a regular reader of the Drake Saga. I am so pleased that his incision has healed, and Five Weeks until the next apt

 

Hopefully, the knee will turn out to be a big nothing!

 

I am just amazed at how good and patient he is

[Guest FLT]

Update - Drake's paw continues to look better day by day.. another few days of Baytril to go and we have our fingers and toes crossed that everything continues to look well even after we stop antibiotics.

 

He continues to limp on the back knee - we've been able to bring his Tramadol back down to twice a day instead of three times daily now that the Metacam is built up a bit in his system from his once daily dose.

 

I was able to strike a deal with a guy who wanted to do some hair cutting trials with some proto type hair cutting shears and clipper attachments so I got a few hundred bucks to put towards the vet bills, and he got to cut my hair on Saturday. Three photos below for your viewing pleasure. (not Drake - but hey, it was FOR Drake). I was planning to cut my hair before starting RN school in January anyway, so this is no biggie for me. I also got a couple of hundred from another guy who had paid me a deposit for the right to cut my hair (for significantly more) who backed out and forfeited the deposit - so a total of $500 raised towards vet bills from having my hair cut! (Normally I donate to Locks of Love when I cut my hair - but Vet Bills win right now).

 

The day before a haircut - 38 inches long.

 

Today - 2 days after the haircut - 12 inches long. Don't mind the funny expression on my face, it was bright out and I was trying not to squint at the camera too badly.

 

Because my hair is so thick, and so I have a more interesting hairstyle to show - side view of the new 'do, pulled back.

Edited November 10, 2009 by FLT

[sweetdogs]

Wow, who knew there was so much money in hair. Good for you & Drake, though!

[Xan]

SO glad to hear how well Drake is doing!

 

Your hair looks GREAT! When mine gets that long, it's always too feathery to be worth donating, sadly. Bonus that you actually got money for yours! :

[Xan]

How's Drake doing?

[Guest FLT]

DH has been giving me the twice daily reports while I'm visiting my Grandmother in Florida (who is very happy to see me). He says that the paw continues to stay closed (still has a little spot of sharp scab that we are not messing with), and although he is limping on the rear leg it is no worse than it has been.

 

I fly back on Monday, and can't wait to see my pups! (I won't see DH as he leaves for a business trip before I even get onto a flight to come home). If my flight is delayed for any reason, I can call my dog walking service to feed the pups or if they happen to be booked solid I can get a friend to come over after work.

 

Thank you for asking about Drake - I'll give you a real update tomorrow night sometime :-)

 

Cheers,

 

FL

[Batmom]

Good news about Drake -- keeping my fingers crossed for y'all. Safe travels home! Oh, and YOWZA! on the new haircut. Really suits your face and I like how you can go funky or chic with it.

[Xan]

Gee, those travel plans sound like mine and DH's around this last Dewey!

Safe travels to you both. I don't know where you live, but FL sounds like a good trade to me, this time of year.

 

I'm so glad to hear Drake is holding his ground. Whew! Do you have physical therapy strategies for the back leg? Once that last scab is healed, I wonder if pool therapy might be good for that?

[Guest FLT]

Update:

 

Got an email from DH at 6am saying he noticed some swelling and heat just above the ankle on Drake's troublesome left front leg this morning - he said that he's been looking mostly at the incision on the underside of the paw and might have missed it earlier in the weekend. We finished the Baytril in the middle of last week so I was worried about possible infection, and immediately figured he might have some swelling from another round of infection although it sounded quite high up the leg for that. DH was on his way out on a business trip, and wasn't able to do anything with it at the time and I knew I'd be home sometime in the afternoon so I thanked him for the info and said I'd check it when I got home.

 

Got off the plane at 2pm, home at 2:30pm to be greeted at the door by some HAPPY dogs. Drake did not use his front leg at all, however - and it was obviously swollen at the ankle without even getting close to look at it.

 

I calmed the pups down and then looked over Drake's leg and incision. At first the incision looked okay until I started handling the swollen area of the leg at which point the incision started oozing thin red/watery looking fluid. The ankle was swollen to about twice the normal leg's size, and very puffy but not at all tender to touching or manipulation. It was hot to the touch, and rather pink looking.

 

I called the vet and let them know I was bringing the problem pup in to see his ladies and hit the road (boy was Kaylee pissed that I came home after a few days away and then immediately left with her brother).

 

I went in explaining that I thought it was infection especially given that we were out of Baytril, but that I had an open mind.

 

We did x-rays to rule out bone issues (of course) - and both views showed only soft tissue swelling and no bone problems. Then they gave him an injection of Buprenex for pain before I allowed them to do a needle aspiration to get fluid out of the swollen area to send for culture and cytology.

 

Edited to add: Two stitches had come to the surface of the paw, which is why Dr. P thinks it was oozing there - they pulled the stitches up and cut them off.

 

While waiting for cultures to come back, we got another week of Baytril to put him back on in the meanwhile.

 

As is often the case, Dr. Prostredny is scratching his head, but we'll see what the tests bring.

 

Good thing I sold that hair - today's bill was $569.45.

Baytril for 1 week - $130.25

2-view xrays - $155.00

Cytology - $133.40

Culture - $125.80

Injection of Buprenex - $25.00

Edited November 16, 2009 by FLT

[Xan]

Oy!

How's he feeling today? Has the swelling gone down, with no more oozing?

 

I'm feeling your vet bill pain (though probably not as much as you are! )