Elsa is undergoing surgery (bump on neck)

[terestrife]

She's doing well. I took her in for the vet to change her bandage and check the wound. He said it is healing perfectly with no sign of infection. I wasn't expecting the wound to come out so clean and even. Not sure what I was expecting, but he did a good job.

Since I lessened how much tuna I put in her dinner, she left a lot of food. I am hoping she will eat more through the night.

 

[terestrife]

Update: Elsa left 1/3 of her dinner. She only ate the parts that she thought had tuna. I tried adding less. Should I just give in and add more tuna? I know its important for her to eat so she can heal from the procedure. But I want to wean her off the tuna.

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't recall if I mentioned this, but can you obtain Safe Catch Tuna? It's low mercury and they have a no sodium version, so that you could keep using tuna with less concern until she gets past this.

 

[terestrife]

I don't recall if I mentioned this, but can you obtain Safe Catch Tuna? It's low mercury and they have a no sodium version, so that you could keep using tuna with less concern until she gets past this.

thank you! let me check stores near me, I have never heard of that brand before.

 

[terestrife]

I don't recall if I mentioned this, but can you obtain Safe Catch Tuna? It's low mercury and they have a no sodium version, so that you could keep using tuna with less concern until she gets past this.

Never thought I would spend 15$ for 3 cans of tuna.

 

[terestrife]

Thursday I have to remove the second set of bandages that the vet placed. They told me I could just keep her with the sock I created and the little cone. But that makes me worried. The sutures won't be removed until the end of next week. Should I try using similar bandages that they used at the vet's office so it can be more cushioned? and just change them every 3 days? I saw them bandage her. They just mentioned the importance of leaving enough space so it's not tight around her neck.

 

[Furballsmom]

They may want the site to breath. I'd ask them, just to double check.

 

[terestrife]

They may want the site to breath. I'd ask them, just to double check.

I will ask. That just makes me nervous. i dont want to give her little paws the chance of ripping the stitches. I wouldnt mind risking it once they are removed. But I will defer to the vets office.

 

[terestrife]

This is all they said: "The tube sock may work."



I read online that it's good to keep a wound moist so I'm not sure what is better.

 

[daniop4]

useful information

 

[terestrife]

useful information

I'm just going to follow my gut. It hasn't led me wrong just yet. The important thing is to not let her scratch herself.

 

[terestrife]

Update: We got back the biopsy results from the mass they removed from Elsa. No cancer. He said it was a benign cystic process and it was completely removed.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[iPappy]

Update: We got back the biopsy results from the mass they removed from Elsa. No cancer. He said it was a benign cystic process and it was completely removed.

This is great news!!

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Wonderful news!!

 

[terestrife]

Final update. We just got her bandages removed. The wound looks great! When we got home she took a 20 minute shower after I removed everything from her neck. I panicked cause she itched at the area near the wound. But she calmed down. She's a lot happier without having that itchy bump on her neck. I didn't wake up last night to the sound of her desperate itching. I am so glad I didn't let my fear stop me from getting her the surgery she needed. Due to her decreased white blood cells, the risk of infection truly scared me. The vet did a great jobb and I can barely see the incision.

 

[iPappy]

Final update. We just got her bandages removed. The wound looks great! When we got home she took a 20 minute shower after I removed everything from her neck. I panicked cause she itched at the area near the wound. But she calmed down. She's a lot happier without having that itchy bump on her neck. I didn't wake up last night to the sound of her desperate itching. I am so glad I didn't let my fear stop me from getting her the surgery she needed. Due to her decreased white blood cells, the risk of infection truly scared me. The vet did a great jobb and I can barely see the incision.
View attachment 439874

I'm so glad she's (almost) back to 100%! Once that fur grows back in you won't even know anything happened. It's good to know that even with her white cell count, she handles surgery/recovery just fine with some extra TLC.

 

[terestrife]

I'm so glad she's (almost) back to 100%! Once that fur grows back in you won't even know anything happened. It's good to know that even with her white cell count, she handles surgery/recovery just fine with some extra TLC.

It's a huge relief for sure. I don't know if it made a difference but I spent a couple of months giving her fish oil to make her skin less dry and Vetri DMG to bring up her immune system.

 

[iPappy]

It's a huge relief for sure. I don't know if it made a difference but I spent a couple of months giving her fish oil to make her skin less dry and Vetri DMG to bring up her immune system.

It certainly doesn't hurt. When I had Livie scheduled for her spay, she was on high powered probiotics, a liver support, and an adrenal support for a month before and about 2 months after.