Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi Everyone!
Colby is 2.5 weeks post amputation and there are still two ugly gaping holes in his incision. He got his staples and stitches out on Monday and the vet said that even though they looked bad, they will heal. I'm just curious if anyone else dealt with an incision that won't heal? We've been putting hydrogen peroxide on his incision daily, and keeping his cone on him full time, but of course I still wish there was more I could do.
Hi! Sorry to hear that Colby is having issues with the incision. Zeus had a spot on his chest where the 'peace sign' shaped incision met. It kind of looked like a pucker (I was laughed at on here for describing it's appearance as a second bum-hole on his shoulder). Although it was healed at the actualy incision, the inner part of the 'pucker' was a bit raw and took a little while to heal. I can tell you that our vet specifically told us NOT to use Hydrogen Peroxide on any of the incision or raw places, so you might want to ask your vet specifically about that.
Good luck!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
melissaf said
We've been putting hydrogen peroxide on his incision daily...
Did your vet tell you to do this? If so, please consider seeking another opinion.
Every vet we have spoken to recommends putting nothing on healing wounds, except maybe a t-shirt to keep the area clean. Boxer shorts (with the tail through the flap) can be used on rear-leggers. Peroxide kills healthy cells often prohibiting wound closure. But please keep in mind we are not vets.
There have indeed been a few members who experienced difficulty with their dog's incisions taking a long time to heal. Be sure to search these forums and the blogs for relevant posts and suggestions.
Here are a few forum topics we found with a quick search for "incision healing":
Post-Op Incision Infection Care
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi there. My dog Sadie had o horrible recovery with infected incision. She is completely healed! It sounds like your incision isn't complicated by infection so that is a plus. It does take time. We also were told NOT to use hydrogen peroxide. The vet gave us silvadene cream to apply to "hole" and we covered it with a stockinette to hold pad in place. (tape doesn't stick to a dog)! It is slow going but hang in there!
yes, mainly a tshirt to keep dirt out of the holes, but be careful and watch it closely. If it starts to smell bad at all get them to the vet. Cooper had a gaping hole in his incision that turned bad, and they had to reopen and clean it out, then everything was fine. I dont want to scare anyone but please do keep a close eye on it! Good luck!
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Sorry to hear about Colby! I was just going to say what admin did abou the perioxide. Unless your vet suggested it, I'd stay away from it.
Sending healing wishes!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Those holes are such a worry because they look so bad, and sometimes even seep a little. Yuch! My surgeon purposely left a couple of larger openings to allow drainage to avoid fluid buildup. It took longer for them to close, but they did!
I agree that unless you notice a smell or he starts running a temp I wouldn't worry. (easy for me to say since we're past that point)
How is he doing otherwise? I hope he's moving, pooping, peeing, eating and taking lots of medicinal naps.
Wags and Slobbers
Judy and Baby
Thanks again for all of your wisdom! It is so nice to have a place to go without having to bother my vet all the time! We stopped using the hydrogen peroxide and it started healing better right away. It's still open and seeping a bit, but definitely looks better and no sign of infection. Otherwise, he is doing great! His old personality is starting to shine through again! On a side note...my 9 yr old son broke his arm the other day- I told my family I'm at my limit for handling loss of limbs! I feel like I'm running an infirmary here!
Glad to hear that Colby is doing better. Sometimes those holes do take an awful long time heal but they eventually do. It just takes patience. Just continue to keep an eye out for signs of infection until it is healed up. Sorry about your son's arm too!! I had some of the same kind of situations around my house. Being a Mom can be just crazy!! Good Luck with your son and your Tripawd!! 
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