February 19, 2010
Suggestions…
Thanks for all of your feedback already. It helps to know there are other owners/dogs like us. Since most of you have had the surgery already, are there things that you wish you would have known in advance? Questions you wish you would’ve asked? Things you discovered post-op that you didn’t expect?
Just trying to be a s prepared as possible.
Filed by at 10:39 am under Uncategorized
6 Comments
February 19th, 2010 at 10:49 am
There are 2 things I wasn’t prepared for. I knew the surgery site would be bruised and stitched and possibly leaking, but what I wasn’t expecting was that on either side of the incision, there was a nasty skin flap hanging down that looked like an udder (each was about 2 inches long and it was just hanging, sagging skin. Not all surgeons close the incision like this, but it really turned me off. They did eventually shrink and his fur is all grown back so you can’t even tell they were there. The other thing is phantom pain. At about 3 days after surgery, Jack woke us up in the middle of the night screaming his little head off. Scared me half to death. We took him in the next morning and they gave him gabapentin and it worked wonderfully. I would suggest getting a Px for it before you take your fur kid home. Good luck!!!!!
<3 Laura and Captain Jack
February 19th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Luckily, my dog was already on Gabapentin after surgery(and before)…so she didn’t have phantom pain. She also didn’t have flaps of skin. The swelling and bruising was alarming but was told my dog looked better than others that my sister who is a Tech, has seen. Be very prepared to have to help them balance to pee/poop..at least I had to. Also, my dog went off her food five days after surgery…that’s a possiblity. Also, the length of time it has taken my dog to gain strength/stamina again seems to me to be alot more time than I expected.
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom
February 19th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
We ask these same questions in Part 1 of our first comprehensive Tripawds Treatment and Recovery Survey. We’re still collecting preliminary results and will post findings soon so please be sure to complete the survey ASAP.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:04 am
My Mom says she wishes she wouldn’t have tried to do too much with me, too fast. What she thought was a short walk was still too far during my first month of recovery. So what she says is, if you think something “might” be too much, it is. We may not show it right away but we’ll pay for it by being dog tired and hurting the next day.
I also had a leaky seroma (see the Top Questions post in our Tips & Resources). Mom and Dad had no idea what it was and it really freaked them out. It wasn’t anything serious, just gros.
Lastly, Mom says just take it easy. Don’t stress yourself out thinking about the future, just take things day by day and let Carter be a dog. Don’t hover, don’t baby, and just let him figure things out, because he will.
Good luck! We’re rooting for him!
February 26th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
A good suggestion we got here on tripawds was to raise the food and water bowls since it’s harder for them to balance and put their head down to eat, especially at the beginning. I stocked up on some movies and spent the first few days sitting with Holly watching movies – that was a good way to be sure to keep her settled and resting.
Best of luck!
Holly and Holly’s mom
February 26th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I can’t think of anything I’d have done differently for Jake after his surgery… We loved him and spoiled him (of course we already did that before his diagnosis!)… I just wish we had more time with him… We miss him so much!
Good luck to Carter!!!! He looks like such a sweetie pie!!! 🙂
Angel Jake’s Mom