Ok, so Holy Drama, Batman!
We had an eventful day at my house today.... this may be a bit long, but please read!
So my mom and I came home this afternoon and we were in the kitchen with Ollie... he was laying on the floor by the storm and sliding glass doors, watched my mom open the storm door and step out to throw a plastic water bottle into the recycle; she didn't even close the door, just stepped out with one foot - Oliver watched her the whole time.... when she turned and came back in, he FREAKED!
He jumped straight in the air and like scaled the partially open sliding glass door (the screen door was pulled all the way shut), came down on the door tracking, tried to gain traction on the vynal floor (it was like a cartoon) and then bolted upstairs to my room.... we have NO idea what spooked him!
So I went upstairs to calm him. I held him until his heart rate slowed and then set him on the floor (I was sitting on the floor), when he took a step, I saw blood. So I picked him up again and held him like a baby (his favorite hold position) and saw he had a laceration on one of his toe pads, kinda right where it meets the base of the paw.... so I called up my mom (didnt wanna set him down and have him hide) and had her get my styptic powder from his bag - yeah, THAT went over well
I assume it stings (never tried it on my own cuts) - the bleeding temporarily stopped.
After a few more steps though, he started bleeding again, more than the first time - so out came the pet first aid kit. My goal was to clean it up, get antibiotic ointment on it and wrap it long enough to clot up pretty well. Well if this wasn't an adventure - I've been a kennel nurse before and knew what I was doing, but he was much less than cooperative, so it was very difficult. My mom was helping, but she doesnt really have experience and even though I told her she cant hurt him by scruffing, I knew she was afraid she would. Anyhow, I eventually got gauze with ointment and that sticky wrap stuff (the wrap where you dont need tape) on the foot and I let him up. He hopped around some and I thought we were in the clear.
I was wrong. He ran under my desk onto the plastic carpet protector under my chair. He got the wrap off and started licking, then "chomp" I knew he had ripped off scab and skin (sorry, graphic, I know!) and there was gushing. I didn't freak but knew we needed the vet ASAP. So I scruffed him to keep him from licking more and keep him on the plastic, which resulted in him rolling in his puddle of blood (yeah, he had a bath last nite, ugh
). So I called the vet and told them we were coming in and why and I hastily wrapped the foot in gauze and sticky wrap again, just hoping we'd make it to the vet without gushing in the car. I got him wiped down, harnessed, crated and to the vet and luckily the vet we always see and are friends with, Dr. Kathy, was right behind the desk when we got there and she took us.
So it turns out to be a pretty decent lac. He didn't need stitches, but she glued the skin together (like they do after declaws, boo - to declaws, not skin glue, lol). She will always go homeopathic before drugs and knows my family agrees with that idea. So she injected him IM with Traumeel (I believe that's what it's called - even when I worked for her I couldnt read her writing very well, haha): it's meant to realive pain, reduce inflamation and calm (side note: this whole thing had him EXTREMELY stressed - I was more worried about that than the lac). She also gave me tablets of the same to be diluted in water and given orally and put in his water. He's naturally on Clavamox too (esp since he's FIV+).
So after all that, he's also in an E collar cuz we knew he wouldnt leave the foot alone. So the poor baby is walkin around all mellowed out, trying to back out of the E collar (he has started walking foward though, so he's getting the hang). My plan is to give him periodic breaks from the E collar, under STRICT supervision of course, so he can eat, drink, have a break.... here's the problem: I brought him up to bed tonite and he hopped into the potty box (I had to take the hood off cuz he wont fit through the door with the E collar) scratched around some and hopped out - I KNEW he had to poo. So I removed the collar and plopped him in the box... he immediately pooed. A little later, he got in with the collar and peed. Well, I'm worried that he won't use the box for pooing correctly with the collar on (aka, while I'm sleeping or out) and I dont want gastrointestinal or behavioral problems to come of this. I think the problem with pooing and not peeing is cuz he's a crazy digger before and after pooing and he cant do that with the E collar (he has to sniff and dig at the same time).... ANY IDEAS, THOUGHTS, EXPERIENCES?!
Ugh, I'm sorry this is so long, but I wanted to explain fully. I know he'll be fine and recover, etc so I'm not worried, just stressed that my baby is in pain (not to mention knocking into everything with the E collar!).... thanks in advance for your input and vibes!
We had an eventful day at my house today.... this may be a bit long, but please read!
So my mom and I came home this afternoon and we were in the kitchen with Ollie... he was laying on the floor by the storm and sliding glass doors, watched my mom open the storm door and step out to throw a plastic water bottle into the recycle; she didn't even close the door, just stepped out with one foot - Oliver watched her the whole time.... when she turned and came back in, he FREAKED!
He jumped straight in the air and like scaled the partially open sliding glass door (the screen door was pulled all the way shut), came down on the door tracking, tried to gain traction on the vynal floor (it was like a cartoon) and then bolted upstairs to my room.... we have NO idea what spooked him!
So I went upstairs to calm him. I held him until his heart rate slowed and then set him on the floor (I was sitting on the floor), when he took a step, I saw blood. So I picked him up again and held him like a baby (his favorite hold position) and saw he had a laceration on one of his toe pads, kinda right where it meets the base of the paw.... so I called up my mom (didnt wanna set him down and have him hide) and had her get my styptic powder from his bag - yeah, THAT went over well
After a few more steps though, he started bleeding again, more than the first time - so out came the pet first aid kit. My goal was to clean it up, get antibiotic ointment on it and wrap it long enough to clot up pretty well. Well if this wasn't an adventure - I've been a kennel nurse before and knew what I was doing, but he was much less than cooperative, so it was very difficult. My mom was helping, but she doesnt really have experience and even though I told her she cant hurt him by scruffing, I knew she was afraid she would. Anyhow, I eventually got gauze with ointment and that sticky wrap stuff (the wrap where you dont need tape) on the foot and I let him up. He hopped around some and I thought we were in the clear.
I was wrong. He ran under my desk onto the plastic carpet protector under my chair. He got the wrap off and started licking, then "chomp" I knew he had ripped off scab and skin (sorry, graphic, I know!) and there was gushing. I didn't freak but knew we needed the vet ASAP. So I scruffed him to keep him from licking more and keep him on the plastic, which resulted in him rolling in his puddle of blood (yeah, he had a bath last nite, ugh
So it turns out to be a pretty decent lac. He didn't need stitches, but she glued the skin together (like they do after declaws, boo - to declaws, not skin glue, lol). She will always go homeopathic before drugs and knows my family agrees with that idea. So she injected him IM with Traumeel (I believe that's what it's called - even when I worked for her I couldnt read her writing very well, haha): it's meant to realive pain, reduce inflamation and calm (side note: this whole thing had him EXTREMELY stressed - I was more worried about that than the lac). She also gave me tablets of the same to be diluted in water and given orally and put in his water. He's naturally on Clavamox too (esp since he's FIV+).
So after all that, he's also in an E collar cuz we knew he wouldnt leave the foot alone. So the poor baby is walkin around all mellowed out, trying to back out of the E collar (he has started walking foward though, so he's getting the hang). My plan is to give him periodic breaks from the E collar, under STRICT supervision of course, so he can eat, drink, have a break.... here's the problem: I brought him up to bed tonite and he hopped into the potty box (I had to take the hood off cuz he wont fit through the door with the E collar) scratched around some and hopped out - I KNEW he had to poo. So I removed the collar and plopped him in the box... he immediately pooed. A little later, he got in with the collar and peed. Well, I'm worried that he won't use the box for pooing correctly with the collar on (aka, while I'm sleeping or out) and I dont want gastrointestinal or behavioral problems to come of this. I think the problem with pooing and not peeing is cuz he's a crazy digger before and after pooing and he cant do that with the E collar (he has to sniff and dig at the same time).... ANY IDEAS, THOUGHTS, EXPERIENCES?!
Ugh, I'm sorry this is so long, but I wanted to explain fully. I know he'll be fine and recover, etc so I'm not worried, just stressed that my baby is in pain (not to mention knocking into everything with the E collar!).... thanks in advance for your input and vibes!
