Post Surgery check up 9-5-08

Dr. Williams - the operating vet who saved his life. Can you tell he's thankful?

Blu went in for staple removal & post surgery check up.

He gained 3lbs!!!!! He is now 106

NO YEAST MEDICATION! He hardly has a yeast infection now (I credit raw- I will have a post just for this subject.)

I need to start back up his ear treatments (that they had him on for 7 days) for 2 weeks because his ears were starting to goop up.

I can start the originally planned holistic yeast treatment.

We return in two weeks to follow up & test thyroid levels. He was tested for mites & external yeast infection - both negative. He has a reaction to the internal sutures so his surgery sight was pretty icky looking. The internal sutures wont go away for another 3 months so he will still have a reaction but he should be ok. (The following day I had to start him on Benedryl, warm compresses & a tee shirt so that the inflammation would lessen, which did within 3 days.)

At his second recheck, if his thyroid levels are good & his hair doesnt grow back in, he may have color dilute alopecia & will always be bald.

So that was our visit. We got out as many staples as she could see. Oh and the most important part? He can have a bath now!

Highest Highs/Lowest Lows

Monday August 20 @ 3:30p.m. we had Blu's vet appointment.

She was awesome. She agreed with my holistic approach to the yeast infection, and with my change in his diet. We will wait 3 weeks to have a full panel & to check his weight. If at that time the holistic approach hasn't helped he will need to be on medication for at least 4 weeks.

The vet said his hind quarter weakness is due to muscle atrophied.

He weighs... are you ready for this?

103 lbs

I nearly cried. We will weigh him weekly to be sure he doesnt lose too much weight. We will also do a fecal just in case. Overall- she was FABU & it was so nice to be able to talk to a dr who doesnt stifle your concerns or ideas.

4:45 We returned home from his appointment and within 15 minutes we noticed Blu had puffed up like a blow fish. Our worse nightmare was happening. Blu was in Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV). Mike called the vet to prep for his arrival and I rushed him in. That was the longest two minutes of my life.

Upon arrival the vet who saw us met me at the door - she had tears in her eyes and told me it was the stress. They rushed him in, got him on fluids, released the gas from his stomach and got him into x-rays. They get their animals on the table within 15 minutes. Seemed like forever.

The surgery would take an hour to two hours depending. The operating vet wanted me to be sure that I was doing the right thing, after all we have a very sick dog. I informed her that if she saw he was riddled with cancer or eaten up inside to call me, otherwise save him. She agreed to call if she found anything.

9:45p.m. Dr. Williams, the operating vet, called to say that he did well & is coming out of anesthesia. His stomach was really well twisted, his spleen was viable, and his bowel was normal. She saw no visible signs of cancer. He was tacked.

I went to bed.

Blu day 3 of hospital stay.

Blu came home on Thursday August 21 @ 11:00 a.m. He was refusing to eat & we agreed that being home may help. He had removed his IV the night before so he was off fluids, and the entire time he was doing wonderfully for a dog who had just gone through what he had.

We spent many hours at the vet's visiting, and being consoled by our friends. Blu seems happier and oddly enough healthier than when he arrived. Its funny how he was only with us 3 days - to spend 4 in the hospital - and he returns here as if he has lived here forever.

Fundraiser funds went toward his emergency treatment. His total bill was $3200 and he is on 6 med's. He gets his staples removed in two weeks, and at that time we will start yeast medication. Due to his emergency situation we decided to treat him, and to follow up holistically.

We also took the plunge into RAW.


Valuable Bloat GDV articles, resources, etc:

DaDane GDV Article
DaDane Article
Dane Rescue
Understanding Bloat and Torsion
Risk Factors and Prevention of Bloat in Dogs

Blu home at last... Bel couldn't be happier