Batmom Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Baby steps are good. Hang in there! Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) OK, Beth is officially in love with the Jess, vet tech who took her home for the weekend! She was there when we came in this morning and Beth repeatedly tried to jump up on her and was all smiley and waggy and excited (she rarely gets that way for me!). Jess also said that yesterday Beth could hear her voice but not see her and she started whining and scratching at the crate bars. I'm definitely a little bit jealous, though I'm glad they hit it off! Jess was the one who unwrapped her foot this morning and she said it looks great. Even I am seeing progress, however modest, I must admit. Meanwhile my vet is away yet again until Friday ... this time taking his daughter to college orientation (the other week he was taking her on a graduation vacation). Why the heck does he have to be such an attentive dad?!? And four more kids in line after this one. Edited June 8, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Don't you love when your dog responds more to other people than you!?! Traitors!! (j/k) There is always a lot of love to go around. Batmom - she's doing so much roaching - maybe gravity isn't against her at all! Glad to hear she is getting better! Quote Proudly owned by:10 year old "Ryder" CR Redman Gotcha May 201012.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Batmom - she's doing so much roaching - maybe gravity isn't against her at all! I was thinking the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 11, 2011 Author Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) No major news for the past couple of days . . . Beth is continuing to show progress but it's a slow process. She got the remaining original stitches taken out yesterday (some had been taken out earlier when she got the subcuticular sutures put in). The crate rest protocol will continue over the days ahead -- the granulation areas are healing but they have a way to go. There's very little exudate on the padding now when I remove it after she's been outside, so that's a promising sign. Beth is being amazingly great about it all and actively loves her time at the vet -- you never saw a happier, waggier hound than when we go through the door there every morning. I hope she doesn't get depressed just stuck with me for the rest of the weekend now! She walks well and trots too, and isn't taking breaks to sit down any more though our walks have been very short. But her foot is still clearly really tender -- last night I tripped on my pathway and spooked her and she took a leap, then held up her foot. I am surprised now at all the old comments I've read about dogs who were running around the day their stitches were removed. This is a much bigger healing process than I expected. The foot looks so odd when she stands on it with the big gap where the toe was -- I know some people have said their dog's foot reshaped itself to sort of fill in the gap. If you've seen that, how long did it take? My vet was sort of "it might, it might not" when I asked him about it. Edited to add: A couple of hours later -- does she get extra style points for this one?? Edited June 11, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Glad she's doing well. Patience Mom! Dude's foot changed shape over the couse of several months as he used it more and more - he actually did NOT use it at all, even after complete healing, for a couple weeks. Now, I sometimes think it's the four-toed feet that look weird! Quote Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 So glad she's doing well! Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tinams8 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I'm so glad you're seeing some progress! She is definitely dealing with it very well. What a happy girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cully Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Quote waiting at the bridge Connie Van Teddy & Jojo, Cobra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) Glad she's doing well. Patience Mom! Dude's foot changed shape over the couse of several months as he used it more and more - he actually did NOT use it at all, even after complete healing, for a couple weeks. Now, I sometimes think it's the four-toed feet that look weird! I guess it's good that she does use it ... though it would heal faster if she didn't! Just brought her in from our last outing and she just wanted to keep walking but I wanted her to poop so we ended up going further than ideal -- back to a small bit of blood on the wrap, sigh. If nothing else she keeps endlessly re-irritating that rubbed knuckle, even though we have it well padded. Edited June 12, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Glad to hear she is making progress, even if it is slow. You'll get thru this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) I'm happy to report that Beth's foot is really looking a lot better, even to my eyes, though it has a way to go to complete healing of the granulation areas (maybe a week or two to my unpracticed eye). I got nervous Saturday night when I realized that the scab had rubbed off on our late walk and it looked pretty raw underneath, though I realized it was healthy granulation tissue. But it's dry now and progressing. I've started to let Beth out of the crate a little bit to walk around my living room (I keep the bedrooms and stairs shut off). I have hardwood floors so she never does indoor zoomies or anything, and the foot looks healed enough that I can't see how some unwrapped walking would hurt it. I'm assuming it would be good to get her used to walking on the unwrapped foot in a gradual way, too, since at some point we'll transition to her doing that outside. Big cute-but-scary moment this morning: as we were doing our mini-walk before going to the vet, we were crossing some grass and Beth suddenly did one of her trademark giant leaps in the air! She hasn't done that since her original injury. She landed hard on all feet and didn't hold the amputee foot (wrapped, of course) up afterwards. Nice to see her acting like herself, but of course not recommended for healing -- fortunately the tech reported to me that her foot still looked OK after! Edited June 13, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Aaaaaaaaah, improvement! :) Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BootsyCollins Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I remember when dealing with a serious abdominal injury with Argos, it felt like it was never going to heal, and everything caused me to panic, and then one day, it looked better. It was like he turned a corner overnight. And it got easier and easier after that. Quote Christie and Bootsy (Turt McGurt and Gil too) Loving and missing Argos & Likky, forever and ever. ~Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to. ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) The vet tech reported that when she took Beth out during the day, Beth got "big air" twice before they even reached the grass! She said she'd never seen a dog go straight up in the air with all four feet like that. (Is it a sighthound thing, BTW? I know a Deerhound who does it too.) I'm glad she's feeling better, but we're not quite ready for full nutball Beth to reappear! Guess I'd better give all the techs and kennel attendants a lecture on the "greyhound grip"..... Edited June 13, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinggreysslp Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Sounds like Beth is really doing well. I love to see her roaching! Quote Cosmo (Fuzz Face Cosmos), Holmes (He's a Dream), Boomer (USS Baby Boomer), Ella and missing our angels Clay (Red Clay), Train (Nite Train), Trip (Bock's Teddy Bear),Larry (Bohemian Frigid) and Jimmy (Bohemian Raw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Sounds like she is doing great! Waiting for a wound to heal is always a stressful time. They seem so fragile and it's scary. I can't wait to hear an "all healed up and crazy as ever" report from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) Well I have an exciting update: The vet cleared Beth to walk outside without her foot wrapped, just wearing a toddler sock and her Pawz boot to keep the still-healing areas protected. We did it for the first time this morning and all seemed fine after! I am really happy about this (and actually pushed for it a bit) since the wrap has endlessly re-irritated an abrasion on the top of her remaining middle knuckle, no matter how much I pad. So I think that will finally be able to heal up now. And it's nice to know that her good walking outside is not a function of wearing the wrap -- she seemed just the same without it. I'm letting her out of the crate at home some (still not into the bedrooms, as she tends to do running leaps onto the bed). Last night I sat on my couch with her lying on one side of me with her head against my leg and my cat snuggled on my lap -- that was sooooo nice, just to be next to her and able to pet her as I watched TV. One thing I'm not so happy about is the fact that there is a rounded lump on the top of her foot right above the amputation site -- at first I thought it was just edema but I've realized it's pretty hard. You don't see it when she's standing, but when she's at rest it makes the foot pretty misshapen. I asked the vet about it this morning and he said he's not worried about it -- could be scar tissue, could be related to the end of the foot bone poking up. Too soon to tell if it will go away. I will say it doesn't seem to bother her at all -- I can press on it quite hard. But I know this isn't standard for a toe amp. But since the vet doesn't seem to think it indicates a problem, I'll try not to worry..... I asked him today too about putting Beth on some kind of arthritis supplement -- she doesn't have any signs now but I'm expecting she will develop problems in that foot. He thought that was a good idea (though he didn't seem to regard it as particularly urgent) and recommended Dasuquin -- any thoughts? Edited June 15, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I'd probably agree with vet on the lump tho hard to say without seeing it up close. Supplements: 99.99% have no proven efficacy, placebo value only. I used them for about a year just in case, saw zero value, and stopped buying them. YMMV. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meandmy Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 To me, Dasuquin is pretty spendy, especially if you haven't seen any signs of arthritis. I've always been happy with Springtime supplements (I use both Fresh Factors and Joint Health). When I talked to my vet about them he researched them and thought they would work fine. I've used them for years. Quote Jenn, missing Shadow (Wickford Big Tom), Pretty Girl (C's Pretty) and Tori (Santoria) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissn333 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I've been very happy with Springtime's Joint Health Tablets. They were great for Sutra, and now Carrie takes them (she takes 4 a day). Sutra had problems with his knees (strained them both), and Carrie has had issues with her hips a little bit because after her stroke she walks a little bit oddly. Chiropractic care and the joint health tablets have really made a difference for her You might also see some benefits from acupuncture for Beth's toe Quote Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13. A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Kristin, what aspects of the toe would you envision acupuncture for? Beth's regular vet does acupuncture, and she had it when she had minor neck problems a couple of years ago. Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissn333 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I just figured if she were having any arthritis or muscle/joint pain associated with her foot having to adjust to losing the toe, acupuncture might help, that's all (in addition to joint supplements too, if you decide to try them). Quote Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13. A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) Good thought, and it's something we can do easily if we need to. She is doing so well now!! She continues to walk just fine without the wrap on. Some more scab came off this morning from the area(s) between her toes -- crumbled under my fingers as I was dabbing some antibiotic ointment on. It came off so easily it must have been really ready. The worst-looking area is where the deep abrasion was on the top of the knuckle from the wrap, but it's scabbed over and I know it's just a matter of time (though I'd be surprised if it actually grows hair back there). Edited June 16, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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