Dog Community

After surgery problems

Posted : 3/18/2006 7:46:56 PM

Good to see everyone in the new digs. It took me a little bit to find it but here I am.

The story started here: [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/46/246498.html?1141186319]http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/46/246498.html?1141186319[/link]

She had the stitches removed last Thursday and all was well until I felt a lump directly under the incision line on Monday. I called the vet and they said that it could be a reaction to the internal stitches, an infection or another tumor. Long story short is that on Thursday evening (three days ago) it opened up several holes in her skin and started draining. Friday I got her into the Vets and they swabbed it (it appeared to show only white blood cells and no bacteria) and she wasn't running a fever so we started her on antibiotics. We also ran a culture and sensitivity just to be safe. Today I noticed that several of the holes seem to be healing but one new one opened but the draining has stopped.

How long will it take for all of the drain holes to heal? I determined that she was licking when I wasn't around so I have been getting her used to the e-collar. She isn't thrilled about it but she's getting used to it.

jessies_mom

Posted : 3/18/2006 8:08:48 PM

Glad to hear from you Jason, What did the biopsy results show? I haven't had experience with an infection,(that is what is causing the holes and draining, right), after surgery, but Jessie used to lick her feet when she had allergies and cause bad infections. I started putting dog boots on her feet when she started to get an infection to keep her from licking them when I couldn't watch her, like at night. The result was that the infections didn't get as bad and healed much faster, so now that you are keeping your dog from licking the stitches the area should heal much better. If we put an e-collar on Jessie, she will get a look on her face like we shot her, and will stand by our bed and stare at us, so they can give you a hard time about wearing it.

Jason

Posted : 3/19/2006 3:51:55 PM

Hi there,

The biopsy came back negative. They did say that there were two distinct masses sort of intertwined and one of them while negative, had a possibility of metastasizing. I told them that I'd wait a couple of months and then have chest x-rays just to make sure there isn't anything growing that shouldn't.

An update. She hates the e-collar. I think it is a little too big for her though

Her drainage holes are closing up, one is completely healed and the other three are looking good. Hardly any oozing right now so I think she may be able to get by without the e-collar on all day tomorrow. (I hope)

jessies_mom

Posted : 3/19/2006 6:31:26 PM

I'm glad that the biopsy was negative and that the drainage holes are healing. It sounds like it's a good thing you had the lumps removed. The reason I resorted to putting dog boots on Jessie's feet to keep her from licking them was because she would make it very obvious that she hates the e-collar. It's hard to sleep at night with a dog standing next to your bed staring at you. You don't have another option to keep your dog from licking her stomach though.

Jason

Posted : 3/21/2006 8:11:31 PM

The results of the culture came back and they grew some offshoot of a staph bacteria. Fortunately, it is sensitive to the antibiotics she is on and her tummy is healing very nicely. The scar isn't swollen and all the drain holes have closed. They only look like red spots right now.

Because of the healing progress, I let her up on the bed last night to sleep and she didn't move the entire night! Probably because she was made to sleep on her bed (a pet store bought doggie bed) since the surgery [

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She has a followup on Thursday for an antibiotic refill and checkup.

I can't wait for this to be over. We need to go for walks now that the weather is starting to get better (if you can say that for Wisconsin right about now). She put on 3 pounds and I, about 10 since fall ended. [:@]