Eight weeks ago, Savvy Jo turned 17. She and Jake were litter mates, rescued from a concrete stoop by the River Patrol during the 1993 flood. They survived Parvo together. We lost Jake last October 15 and we're doing the best we can to keep Savvy Jo comfortable for as long as she wants to stay with us.
I had scheduled her for a VET appointment because she needed her vaccinations and her blood test for heartworm so that I could get her new script. About four days ago, she developed this big raw open sore on her front leg and it was turning purple. I thought she had been "licking" again and had licked a raw spot which had then gotten infected. I was cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide, applying triple antibiotic ointment, and clean dressings daily. But, her leg was not getting better so I figured we'd get that taken care of today also.
Turns out that somehow she had managed to get a really deep puncture wound which had abscessed. VET had to lance the wound, suction it out and flush it with saline. The stuff they suctioned out was absolutely disgusting. She got a big antibiotic shot in her butt, put on really strong antibiotics, and is now wearing a big purple bandage that looks like a cast. She couldn't get her vaccinations until her leg heals up. We have to change her dressing daily and, if she starts licking it, she'll be required to wear an Elizabethan collar.
The procedure was very scary and very painful for her. She had to be muzzled. She was however very good about enduring the pain. The VET had two people to hold her still and she had me stay right up by her face where she could see me and I could talk to her. I rubbed the top of her head throughout and talked softly to her telling her that she was very brave. She was remarkably good about the whole process until it came time for the four footed pedicure. When it came to getting those daggers trimmed, she was ready to leave.
She's just really glad she got to come home. We're just really glad she got to come home with us for a little more time.
2 comments:
She is very lucky to have you and Eric there to tend to her. I'm glad she got to come home, too.
We had to take her back because I got worried about her leg. It still looked puffy. Eric took her in. I was in a prison doing an evaluation. Doc said the leg as healing fine. She sucked out some stuff and smeared it on a slide. Some blood serum (normal) and lots of glia cells eating bad cells--a good sign. With an infection that bad, I was afraid she'd develop sepsis. We are just trying to keep her as safe and comfortable as we can in these last days, weeks, months. We know we just have borrowed time left with her. We'll make it the best we can for her.
Post a Comment