Duct Tape And Greyhounds

[Guest Adrianne]

Wilbur's leg continues to drain, and I don't have a problem with that. I know it's necessary, and the original spot has all but closed. My concern is his constant licking of this new spot. I doctor it and try to bandage it the best I can; it can't be wrapped because of the location. Medical tape doesn't hold very well, and he gets anything I put on there pushed aside. I've tried pajama pants, but I can't get a bandage to stay in place under them; the pants get soaked from the drainage, and he licks away at that. Not to mention the problems caused by the long rod sticking out the back of his leg or the fact that they have to be put on while he's lying down unless two people are available.

 

Here's what I'd like to do: I want to create a pocket on his leg with a piece of fabric and some duct tape. The fabric would be loose enough to allow room for cleaning and medicine application, but the size would be narrow enough to hold a bandage in place without it sliding around. The duct tape would (hopefully) keep him from getting under the fabric to the wound. The bandage could be changed as needed without having to remove the pocket itself.

 

I'm talking about two 9-inch strips of duct tape for the sides and two 2-inch strips at the bottom. I'll leave a one inch gap open at the bottom to allow more air flow and a drainage spot for cleaning.

 

It seems like a lot of duct tape to me, and I'm worried what it will do to his skin. I know removing it will be a beast and will require a lot of baby oil, but hopefully it will only have to be removed once.

 

Thoughts and suggestions are much, much, much appreciated.

[SPDoggie]

I recall hearing horror stories about adhesives and greyhound skin, so I would not attempt to use duct tape... hopefully someone who has been in a similar situation will have a great idea for you.

[Batmom]

Don't do it.

 

If I can't talk you out of it, don't use duct tape. Use Elastikon (very sticky tan athletic-type medical tape) -- it has more stretch to it than duct tape, so it'll be more likely to stay put without driving the dog bananas.

 

Have you tried one of the semi-soft e-collars or a bite-not?

 

If you absolutely had to, you could pick a spot -- preferably with hair -- to put a 3"-4" piece of Elastikon to act as an anchor, then tape whatever pocket, bandage, etc. to that. I'd be very reluctant to put it on a shaved spot.

 

 

[Guest Adrianne]

I appreciate the responses. I'm certainly not married to this idea; it's actually a last resort type of idea.

 

I have tried a soft collar; he's just too long for it to be of any use. I've tried everything I can think of, except the duct tape idea. His leg isn't bare anymore. It's been five weeks since the surgery, and his hair has grown in nicely. In fact, I think he has more hair on that side of his butt now than he did before.

 

I won't use duct tape; it didn't seem like a great idea to me. I'm just at my wit's end.

 

ETA: I won't do the pocket idea at all. Back to the drawing board...sigh.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Adrianne

[Fudge]

Elastikon for sure....if you can't find it in a store......ask your vet for a roll (they'll probably charge for it).

 

You might also want to try put some Vick's vapor rub around (not on) the area...it may help deter Wilbur from wanting to nose around it.

 

p.s. you may want to read an earlier recent post here called "Vet Wrap 101"

Edited January 13, 2010 by Fudge

[greysmom]

You can still use duct tape, just put it on his muzzle to create an impromptu stool guard.

 

Also look into the Elastikon. It's pretty sticky and *may* stay on the leg a bit better.

[Guest Adrianne]

I think I'll try the muzzle again. We tried it before; he couldn't lick, but he used the muzzle to scratch the area. However, that was when he had stitches in, and they were probably getting very itchy.

 

Going right now to try that. Thank you so much to everyone.

[ahicks51]

If the drainage is the problem with the pants, find some way to absorb or blot up the liquid coming out of the drain, to be worn under the pants. A wad of 4x4s, or even a 5x9, to sop up as much as possible. Diapers have superabsorbent polymers in them; if a diaper could be corrupted in some fashion to sop up the drainage, that might help.

 

Good luck!

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

I use clothing with a feminine pad attached inside to catch the drainage. Several pads for a larger area of coverage.

[Guest TheUnrulyHound]

I use clothing with a feminine pad attached inside to catch the drainage. Several pads for a larger area of coverage.

Thats a great idea! I will file that one away

[Madeara]

I just found this and it looks like it can work without using the "collar of shame"

 

http://joecarr.ca/photogallery/Pets/dog_collar.htm

[Guest Adrianne]

Thank you so much for the ideas.

 

Drainage isn't the only problem with the pants; the rod presents a problem, and getting the pants on him lying down presents a problem. I currently keep a sleeve on him. I cut the arms out of old sweatshirts and put it on his leg. I have an absorbent pad at the base of his rod, and I hang the sleeve from the rod. The problem is the wound is so high on his leg, almost at his hip, that I can't wrap him. I have to cut the sleeve lower for the inside of his leg, and that allows him to move it to the side and lick the wound.

 

We are currently going through about three 5x9 pads a day and six 4x4 gauze pads. I use medical tape to tape 2 gauze pads to the wound and then tape a pad over it. Then I put a sleeve on him and use duct tape to tape the pad to the sleeve. But again, the sleeve is easily moved to the side and the pad goes with it. He has no trouble rendering the medical tape useless and doing away with the gauze pad.

 

I will have to think about the diaper idea and how I might put that to use.

 

I'll also look at the idea posted by Madeara; that might be a possibility.

 

I have his muzzle back on him, and he's very unhappy with me.

[Guest Adrianne]

Well, the muzzle idea is a bust. After one hour, he had used the side of the muzzle to scrape all bandages to the side and rub the wound.

 

Sigh...back to the drawing board.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Sorry, but I would break down and use a real E-collar, the plastic lampshade kind. He may not dig it, but he's not going to dig having that wound repeatedly open either. Good luck!

[Guest TheUnrulyHound]

Can you post a picture? maybe that will help with us giving ideas. seems to me the best thing is the sweat pants but I do not know where the rod is coming out so I cannot invision how to help that situation.... Bully wore pants for a while when his wound on his knee was healing and they worked great for us.

[Guest Adrianne]

Sorry to take awhile to get back to this. After Wilbur got the latest round of bandaging off, I was totally frustrated and defeated. I left him with my husband and went to take a nap.

 

I meant to add in my other posts about the problems with using pajama pants with Wilbur: he still does not use his broken leg--no weight bearing at all, and he gets extremely skittish having it messed with while standing. I know he has feeling in the leg because he yelled when the vet pinched his toe, and he bit me a couple days ago when I moved his foot wrong. That's why taking pants on and off is a two man job if he's standing up. My husband has to hold his back end completely off the ground while I slide the pants on. And usually, when he gets up, he wants to go out for a business break, so the pants have to come off.

 

I took photos of my entire bandaging procedure with Wilbur. Again, any thoughts and/or suggestions are much appreciated. I'm at my wit's end.

 

This first image shows the wound in relation to his rod and the positioning of the rod.

 

This is a close up of the rod; it sticks out 2 inches from the top of his hip:

 

I start with a bandage over the rod:

 

Next up is the gauze bandage over the wound. It's a 4x4 bandage held down with medical tape. You can also see in this photo how high up the wound is on the leg and why wrapping is impossible:

 

Next is the 5x9 surgical dressing, super absorbency and extra cushioning--again held down with medical tape:

 

Then I add the sweatshirt sleeve. I have a variety of these in several colors (even pink, because Wilbur is very comfortable with his sexuality. ) Here's the inside view, cut lower for the inside of his leg:

 

Outside view. The hole at the top is to hang on his rod:

 

Putting the sleeve on has to be done slowly and carefully, supporting the leg at the knee.

 

 

 

I then tape the pad to the sleeve with duct tape (in this case, gorilla tape). This is to try to keep the pad from sliding off the wound.

 

 

Here's what it looks like on him. Can you see the rod sticks straight up very close to the edge of his leg?

 

 

The sleeve does allow him to do all business, which is good. However, it's not taped down, and can very easily move it to the side to get at the wound. Which he does the minute I leave the room.

 

Again, all doctoring and bandaging has to be done with him lying down.

 

I am beyond frustrated. It takes at least 15 minutes to add medication, put on the bandages, and put on the sleeve. He can destroy it in five minutes.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Adrianne

[Guest BorzoiMom]

No to the duct tape (but you've already gotten there) - the glue could cause a reaction. Can he wear a harness and tie the sweatshirt to various points on the harness so he can't nose it over so easilly?

[dmdsmoxie]

Try putting some Vics VapoRub near, but, not on the incision.

 

Dick

[Guest Adrianne]

I'm trying the Vicks Vapor Rub now.

 

He went to the back to lie down and undid all the bandaging I did for the photos I just posted.

 

I don't have a harness, but I may have to look into getting one.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Adrianne

[Guest TheUnrulyHound]

do you have a harness? I think like borzoimom said, that may be the best option at this point. take a piece of ribbon or something soft (maybe even elastic if it was pulled just tight enough) and tie it to the point where you put that little black tape, cross it over his back and tie it to the opposite side of the harness? ("Passenger" side) that would keep the front part of the bandage pulled forward.

 

I see just now you don't have a harness......

Edited January 13, 2010 by TheUnrulyHound

[Guest TeddysMom]

Maybe you could take a pair of kids sweat pants, cut them in half but leave the elastic attached to the leg you are using, cut the elastic at some point where you could get it around him and tied. Slip the one leg on, cut a hole for the rod then tie the elastic around him like a belly band. That way half of the sweats still have the fabric attached to the elastic and he should't be able to move it over. I hope you find a good solution.

[ahicks51]

You know- it's tough to describe, but there's a figure of eight dressing that's used for certain injuries; if you were able to get it up over the hips (with the top of the hip being the center of the figure of eight), the loops would go to the inside of the thighs- but then you could use that to run a bandage around the circumference of the leg, holding a bandage in place.

 

Here's a figure of eight for the shoulders:

 

 

So instead of the back of the neck being the center, you'd want the top of the hips to be the center. And instead of going under the arms, the bandage would go under the legs. Once that's in place, wrap around the affected leg with a pad. But he'd probably undo that pretty fast, too.

[Guest BorzoiMom]

She could even make a harness with a roll of gauze, make sure it doesn't ride up to his throat in the front. So long as it doesn't bunch up and cause pressure rubs. Looks like you've spent plenty on this guy. Good luck on the healing!

[Guest hlpnhounds]

You know- it's tough to describe, but there's a figure of eight dressing that's used for certain injuries; if you were able to get it up over the hips (with the top of the hip being the center of the figure of eight), the loops would go to the inside of the thighs- but then you could use that to run a bandage around the circumference of the leg, holding a bandage in place.

 

Here's a figure of eight for the shoulders:

 

 

So instead of the back of the neck being the center, you'd want the top of the hips to be the center. And instead of going under the arms, the bandage would go under the legs. Once that's in place, wrap around the affected leg with a pad. But he'd probably undo that pretty fast, too.

 

 

This could work if paired with a harness. Use the harness as your attachment point. We do this for patients that get e-collars off of themselves. We loop the bandage material through the harness and attach to the e-collar. That may work with the sleeve on the leg too......

[Guest sheila]

I don't know if this will help or not, but I will include a pic so you can decide.

I had a dog that was licking/digging at a wound and causing much distress. The wound really required it to be open to air flow, yet I couldn't keep the dog from worrying it. I created this sleeve with elastic at the top to hold it on. I included a slit up the side that I closed with velcro. This enabled me to open the sleeve and treat the wound with any topicals. I also lined the area over the wound (inside the sleeve) with a panty liner to absorb any fluid from the wound and this was also easy to change out.

Yes my dog did still try to fuss with it, but this along with a muzzle allowed for the healing to finally happen.