What a wild ride it has been. I've been blogging here, but for those of you that doing see that (raven.tripawds.com), I thought I'd post an update.

The drain and Lasix Monday solved the swelling issue. No more Pillbury Doughdog. WHEW. He is now off the Lasix, Tramadol, Rimadyl. Only on antibiotics and joint supps. So, his attitude is great. He has really enjoyed doing some familiar things like accompanying me on chores and laying under his favorite tree.

Only two current problems:

1) His stitches are pulling open in one spot and there's a little gaping hole. I called the vet, he's gone until Tuesday (which was the day we were going to remove the drain). They said I could bring him in to see another vet, or just watch it closely and butterfly tape it myself. So, I butterflied it, it's only one stitch. But I will watch for more to come out, or infection. And hoping he will be fine until Tuesday's appt. He is still draining a lot. I have to replace the towel the drain goes in to 3x a day, soaked. But at least he's not retaining the fluid. And I've been told it is normal to sometimes last 2-3 weeks.

2) His pressure ulcer on his elbow. I order http://www.dogleggs.com for him yesterday, but it will take 2 weeks to make for him. In the mean time, I have tried different things, but it's worsening. Today, I am going to buy a neoprene knee brace from the drug store and cut it up. I will make two thick padded strips, and tape one on either side of it, then wrap with vetrap to keep it clean. The idea being to raise the ulcer above ground and support it by being in a "channel" of neoprene. I've heard "donuts" cut off it's blood supply, so I thought maybe the channel will be better. It's a matter of it staying in place that is most challenging. I will take a pic and put on his blog later.

Here's a video from yesterday:

Dawn and Raven

Good to hear Raven is doing well!  Boo had many random holes in her stitches!  Our vet told us not to worry about the holes unless they got as big as a quarter!  (Thank goodness they never got that large)!  Most of them were about the size of a pea… I think we got to the size of a small grape once. 

Dawn and Raven

Thanks for the great update.  It must be great to see the personality return now that all those nasty chemicals are gone.  It sounds like your tender-loving-care is doing wonders and the sprit is well taken care of.  Keep up the great work and will be looking forward to future updates.

Paws Crossed and Sending Pawsitive Thoughts,

Bob & Cherry

AmandaBoo – that's encouraging that you've dealt with this. Raven's hole is about pea sized. The butterfly tape is sort of holding it shut, but I am sure that with movement under his bandaging, it's slides around so that it will be slower to close up. As long as I can support the remaining stitches so that they don't pull out too. I've seen this in other seroma's, the constant moisture/leakage prevents the scab/healing process and the skin just starts to give out. In the past, my vet has had to re-anesthesize and restitch in a wide waffle pattern to go beyond it to the good skin that will hold. Hoping it won't come to that.

I have had 3 trial and errors since yesterday with makeshift elbow protectors. I went to the drug store to get a neoprene knee brace. I also ended up getting a carpal tunnel wrist brace. $25 each, ugh. I'm fastly on the way to the poorhouse. The Dogleggs will be $120, plus $40 in shipping (shipped twice as they send a prototype for a fitting first), so we are well over $200 just on the elbow issue and that is if it doesn't ever need vet care…

The wrist brace has a squishy pad for under the wrist, like you can get on the edge of a mousepad. I thought it would be ideal. And not even need to do any custom fixing, as the size was about right. I put it on and velcroed it to his body bandaging. He stood up and it immediately twisted so that the padding isn't under his elbow. The only way I could prevent that was the tape it to his fur at the top and bottom, which would make it unremovable on a regular basis to check the wound. So, I got the knee brace and it has velcro and is neoprene. No fancy squishy pad, but at least it doesn't matter if it spins then. But within a few hours, it was not only below his elbow, but the hookpart of the velcro grabbed the blanket he laid on and he now had velcroed his one good leg to the blanket and hogtied himself in the living room while I was at work. Poor man! Found him that way when I got home last night. He was struggling to hop to me dragging the fullsized blanket with him.

So, we went back to the wrist one, yes it rolls so that his wound isn't always on the squishy pad, but the rest is a thin neoprene, which is better than nothing and it is working for now…and I tied it with string to his bandaging to keep it up.

His wrist brace:

[Image Can Not Be Found]

His knee brace with large velcro straps. I am thinking of trying this with the beaded wrist support I have for my computer mouse pad inside. If I can make them stay put somehow.

[Image Can Not Be Found]

His current getup: the wrist brace tied to his bandaging. Just not padded as well as I'd like since the padding inside shifts.

On the lighter side: Raven's cat brother Cowboy has discovered Raven's new elevated feeder makes a fun house.

[Image Can Not Be Found]

Dawn and Raven

Raven – you have a heck of a mommy there!! So innovative and protective – You're a lucky guy…she gets a star

Looking good – you'll be a happy camper when those stitches come out – just you wait and see!!

Your new pal Spirit Zeus

Dawn,

You have been so clever with your braces!  Wow!  Good luck on perfecting it.  I imagine about when you get it just perfect your new one will come.  Keep your "blue prints" others after may benefit from them.

Your Raven is a cutie.  Isn't it something that we have all gorgeous dogs here!  You guys are all cute!

Debra & Emily