Well today has turned into everything short of nightmare.  We were given 3 options to start: 1. Vet keep him there a few days and pretty low key, in a cone, small kennel And plenty of pain meds. 2. Bring him home and continue care with come and meds 3. Put in a drain but vet think it was necessary yet. We opted for choice one so I can get some sleep. I work 40-52 hrs a week as a nurse so I gotta get some rest! 

All was good until 3 pm when the office called and said jack bit the associate vet. I asked if he had the cone on and they were just putting it on, four hours after he was dropped off. So the vets in the Er getting evaluated and possibly stitched 😞 and I had to pick him up cause they have teens working tonight. So now he is on pain meds, clot med, sedative, antibiotic, probiotic, arthritis med and herbs . And I’m hoping he gets some rest so I can .

Other than this, still eating well, moving well, good demeanor. 

Ye, totally out of character. He has also snapped at my husband the day before when I was changing his dressing. He has never done this . I had to remind my hubby if that. The vet office understood. One minute he was loving in them then when as they said “let their guard down” and tried to come up on his side with the cone, he saw it and snapped. I know he has been incredibly painful with this raw skin for a few days. He slept very well last night on the sedative and pain meds. . Getting ready to wake him now to go outside. 

Hi Sally,

There is no odor to the drainage. It is runny/gooey and red with a little white in it. They are saying it is appropriate drainage of serosanguinous fluid. I don't think he got it open because he is wearing a cone. But where the location is, right where his wound is on the chest wall, I am thinking when he moves from lying down, it is causing friction. And he has to lay on his right side because it was the left front that was amputated. The tissue doesn't look dead...it looks raw. In humans, I am sure we would stage it as an ulcer and treat aggressively. The vet said to decrease the sedative and increase the Tramadol big time. Keep him comfortable as this is very uncomfortable. So now he is one two antibiotics, Tramadol, Trazodone, herbs for clotting control, galliprant for arthritis, herb to promote balance in body and a probiotic to prevent diarrhea.  

We did wrap it for several days and dr says that is not first line in wound care  for dogs. I was told letting it drain was. So the tissue around the wound is no longer red or swollen but where the wound is looks nasty and we are leaving it open. I do put a telfa gauze on it now and then to soak up some of the fluid.

We were up in the night again, and the wound wasn't draining much. Gave him his meds, took him potty, and he came back in and laid down. Eating very well, happy except when you get near wound. Dr. said we would decide Monday "what the plan would be". She mentioned the debridement, going in and cleaning it all up and putting in drains, or "other options". I am sure she is going to tell us we need to consider euthanasia. I just can't believe this. 9 days post op with just post op pain and now this. He is even moving around fairly well, even with the cone on which causes his head to bob. Now this am, it is draining again. 🙁

jill

3 vets in the practice, owner and 2 associates. Love the owner. He is our new vet when our traditional vet said no amp without chemo and radiation and didn't approve of the herbal therapy. They said to really push the pain meds to give comfort and keep him down and resting to promote healing.

The wound was not cultured. They say it is not needed now with 17 days of antibiotics.  

I was told we would reevaluate Monday. Possibly discuss wound debridement and drain vs quality of life. 

Holding onto he will get better. And yes, I have some nasty wound pics too! Good thing I can stomach stuff like this. My family, not so much!