Guest grey_dreams Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 The Manuka honey will really help dry up the area and promote healing. Hope the antibiotics are kicking in. Sending lots of love to Nell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newgreymom Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Manuka honey for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiggysMom Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Oh wow, poor Nell and poor you as well! You've all been through the wringer with this! I don't know whether this is something to consider, but with Twiggy's infection we treated it with a VacTherapy bandage instead of antibiotics (we actually did use antibiotics to prevent additional infections, but we did not have an antibiotic that would effectively treat the active infection). Unfortunately, this was not a feasible at-home treatment and she had to be hospitalized for five days with it. If you're not familiar with VacTherapy (I certainly wasn't), it utilizes a surgical sponge inserted in the affected area and hooked up to a suction device that drains the infected area constantly. I hope this starts to turn around quickly! Wendy with Twiggy, fosterless while Twiggy's fighting the good fight, and Donnie & Aiden the kitties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bredlo Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I don't know whether this is something to consider, but with Twiggy's infection we treated it with a VacTherapy bandage instead of antibiotics (we actually did use antibiotics to prevent additional infections, but we did not have an antibiotic that would effectively treat the active infection). Unfortunately, this was not a feasible at-home treatment and she had to be hospitalized for five days with it... That's a wonderful suggestion - albeit something I hope we don't have to resort to. Good to know it's there if things don't turn the corner soon. Expenses thus far have shot past $6,000. Nell has received world-class care, mind you - but we'd love to avoid having her head back to "sleep away camp" if possible. Manuka honey update: We began our first experience with the Manuka this morning. I'm adding some photos so future first-timers can see how we handled the application. Not that we're experts at all, but it was a tricky location and our art backgrounds may have helped us apply the gauze well on our first try. Melissa found this (apparently medical grade) honey at Whole Foods. We opted for this vs. the pre-soaked Medi-honey pads so that we could drizzle additional honey into the wounds as needed. Very little goes a long way, especially when we had a pot of hot water underneath the bowl of honey... to soften it without diluting it. Several sites claim that "MGO 400" translates to a "UMF 20+" Of course, all of this is in conjunction with the now three antibiotics we're currently giving her, along with Rimadyl, Hodromorphone and Gabbapentin. As a reference, here's what we began with this morning after cleaning and drying the affected areas. The area near the tail is especially delicate, with tissue damage between the genitals... and a lot of compromised skin where a sharp pelvic bone sits just underneath. Lastly, here are a few shots of how we dressed the area. We drizzled warmed honey into the affected areas - without actually touching anything. This let us go back and use a plastic spoon over and over. To spread it around we used wood toothpicks, disposing them as we went along. I then drizzled honey onto standard Walgreens gauze, which we'd cut according to the wounds' shapes. Much like plaster of paris, or paper maché, we more or less created a collage of gauze, wetting the areas with honey and then letting everything harden when we were happy with the adhesion. So that's where we're at now. I don't know how we'll handle her going to the bathroom as these are tricky curves. We also don't know how - or when - we're supposed to replace these with fresh dressings. I'll research a bit more on my own, but feel free to weigh in on what has worked for you all. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bredlo Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Well. That lasted all of 20 minutes. Nell needed to pee, and we held her off as long as possible. But ultimately, 30 minutes of work fell off before we even made it to the backyard. Some of the honey is still in place, but it's pretty disappointing: we were hoping it would lock onto the skin and fur given how sticky it was as we applied it. I'm guessing we'd have to come up with some sort of t-shirt "sling" or additional covering to hold everything in place. But given these corners and curves... I don't see an obvious solution right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Vet wrap (or the human version of vet wrap)? There are some wonky curves going on there but that would be my best guess. As ouchy as it looks, it also looks like there is some improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I don't heat the honey. I spread it on a non stick pad and glue it on. I make it thick. If that isn't non stick gauze, take care getting it off. I sometimes spray vetricyn along the edges as I remove the pads. Continued good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grey_dreams Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Very difficult location to bandage. I also don't heat the honey (btw, that's the exact honey pot that I have too). I dip a Q-tip in the honey pot to saturation, and dribble the honey on the area (without touching the wound), and then spread the honey gently around with a couple of fresh honey-drenched Q-tips. Because of the difficult location, I would guess that the bandage won't last long, and would plan to change it every time she goes out to relieve herself. The honey absorbs into the skin fairly soon, so you may just re-drench the area with honey and reapply a new bandage each time. You might be able to tape the bandage to the fur using a a gentle tape (even Scotch tape or masking tape might work) and then secure the bandage with a pair of boxer shorts or panties (no kidding). The skin over the very end of the pelvic bone really got eaten away Has her vet seen these latest photos? The Manuka honey can really work miracles. I hope many miracles are ready for Nell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesiRayMom Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Last fall, Desi caught his tail in a door & then tried to yank it out, resulting in a nasty degloved area with exposed bone & ligaments. I used the Manuka honey, which worked awesomely, however, my one caution is that if you ever do get it to stick to those curves, be careful trying to take off the bandage. I found that after just 24 hours, it was pretty durn stuck on & Des was not happy with me trying to pull it off. Maybe it's a good thing that it won't stick right now. It may be a pain in the patoot to redress after every potty call, but at least you won't face it being stuck. Good thoughts for brave Nell..... Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiggysMom Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 That really does look like a difficult area to address with bandages. However, if Manuka honey is as good as they say, just adding it into the mix must be helpful. I would think that even if the bandages fall off, some of the honey will stay and do its stuff. As Kathy mentioned, I'd almost be glad the bandage didn't stick. I'd hate to have to peel a thoroughly-stuck bandage off of that area. Continuing to send my best to you all. Wendy with Twiggy, fosterless while Twiggy's fighting the good fight, and Donnie & Aiden the kitties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytScott Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I haven't chimed in yet but I've been following along since you first posted. I just wanted to say that I'm rooting for you and Nell! Many positive vibes for Nell's full recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4My2Greys Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I'm really happy that you decided to give the honey a try. I know it can be a pain to use, but it does make a world of difference in the healing process. That brand and strength is what I buy for Nadir's digestive problems. As far as medical grade I just mentioned it in the event you and your wife were not comfortable using the jar you get from a health food store. I don't heat the honey. I spread it on a non stick pad and glue it on. I make it thick. If that isn't non stick gauze, take care getting it off. I sometimes spray vetricyn along the edges as I remove the pads. Continued good luck! This is how I also applied it to a nasty pressure sore that developed on Nadir's elbow from a splint he was wearing due to a broken toe. I hadn't realized that there was a problem because he had been licking at the top of the splint. However, when I muzzled him one night to prevent him from licking it I woke to the most nauseating odor of infection. I rushed him into the vet that morning. The smell was so bad I thought for sure he was going to lose his leg. After she cleaned it out he ended up having, because the stitches wouldn't hold in that area, a half dollar size hole that went done to the bone. I decided to try the Manuka honey after he got extremely sick from the Clindamyacin she put him on to clear the infection. I picked up a jar of 16+ strength at our local health food store and applied it to nonstick Telfa pad that I applied to the wound and then wrapped. The honey helped not only to help clear the infection it also helped draw the fluid from the wound so that it could heal better. When it healed he ended up with only a small thin scar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bredlo Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Thanks for the anecdotes, peeps! Good to find out what works and doesn't... as we're learning firsthand. We reapplied the honey yesterday afternoon without warming it -- but the main improvement was using smaller, individual patches so gravity can't get the upper hand as it did on the heavier, single piece. We also didn't soak the gauze this time, but rather drizzled it into the wound, spread some as "glue" around the edges and massaged the patch into place with the side of a toothpick. This also seems to help keep it from being heavy, and a side benefit is that there's material left to help soak up the infection. After 24 hours, already it's a noticeable difference, with pink skin that looks to be adhering rather than getting thick and pulling up. Our gauze is not non-stick, but it wasn't a problem to remove this morning because so much goo had been pulled out overnight that it was easy to simply lift off. The poor lighting in the photos doesn't help much, but we're feeling fairly optimistic by what we found this morning. These are before... ... and after 24 hours: Hopefully more good news to come. Nell just hopes for more pro-biotic yogurt mixed with Manuka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grey_dreams Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Glad you found a technique that works. She is so cute the way she holds her plate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Awww look how she holds her bowl. Continued good thoughts for that sweet little old lady! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3DogNite Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I just said WOW out loud!! looks really good --- i'm a lurker and just wanted to become an active Cheerleader! the love and dedication to your girl is wonderful - keep it up and take care of your selves,, i know first hand how hard it is to care 24/7 for a sick-recovering greyhound. you are doing everything right!!! congratulations and continued good luck!!! lorinda lorinda, mom to the ever revolving door of Foster greyhounds Always in my heart: Teala (LC Sweet Dream) , Pepton, Darbee-Do (Hey Barb) , Rascal (Abitta Rascal), Power (Beyond the Power), and the miracle boy LAZER (2/21/14), Spirit (Bitter Almonds) 8/14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Looks much better! Manuka honey is like magic! You can see improvement at each bandage change. Hope this upward swing continues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_rooly Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 :beatheart every day a tiny adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Look at that cute paw action. I may be crazy but that looks like real improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiveRoooooers Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 You are doing great. With the honey, you don't need a lot for it to be effective - a thin dab is fine. Even if you don't hit all of the area that you would like, the healing effect seems to ripple out. The few times the bandage was stuck on my girl, I let her lick it to loosen the edges and that was perfect. Nell looks so good I'm still here on the sidelines cheering you on! Old Dogs are the Best Dogs. Thank you, campers. Current enrollees: Punkin. AnnIE Oooh M Angels: Pal . Segugio. Sorella (TPGIT). LadyBug. Zeke-aroni. MiMi Sizzle Pants. Gracie. Seamie . (Foster)Sweet. Andy. PaddyALVIN!Mayhem. Bosco. Bruno. Dottie B. Trevor Double-Heart. Bea. Cletus, KLTO. Aiden 1-4. Upon reflection, our lives are often referenced in parts defined by the all-too-short lives of our dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiggysMom Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 That really looks like great progress to me too! I'm hoping that everything continues to move as quickly in this direction, and that she is all healed asap! Wendy with Twiggy, fosterless while Twiggy's fighting the good fight, and Donnie & Aiden the kitties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 How is our girl this morning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterseaBrindl Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I just said WOW out loud!! looks really good --- i'm a lurker and just wanted to become an active Cheerleader! the love and dedication to your girl is wonderful - keep it up and take care of your selves,, i know first hand how hard it is to care 24/7 for a sick-recovering greyhound. you are doing everything right!!! congratulations and continued good luck!!! lorinda DITTO!! Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi. Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie), Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bredlo Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hey all, Had another smooth night last night, and things looked clean this morning when we changed the gauze. Still puh-lenty of oozing, but unless my optimism is tricking me... I think we're slowly clawing our way back towards normal. Glad you all see some progress as well! I'll check in again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_rooly Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Nell!! every day a tiny adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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